Atlas of Acupuncture

1 Jing luo(Channel and Network Vessel System)

Names and functions of the six great

channels (liu jing)

Taimeans ‘greater’, ‘highest’

The polarised energy (Yang or Yin) develops and reaches its

maximum activity in the taiyangor taiyinchannels. Here, the

maximum level of the respective polarityis reached and

begins to fall again. ‘Taiyangopens to the outside’ means that it

spreads to the Exterior (➞see comments below under yang-

ming, also ➞Fig. 1.19).

Shaomeans ‘less’ or ‘younger’

The polarised energy (Yang or Yin) is less in the shaoyangor

shaoyinchannels than in the taiyangor taiyinchannels. This also

manifests in their location: the shaoyangchannels are located

midway between the inside(or anterior aspect) and the outside

(or posterior aspect) of the body, acting like a hinge. According

to Larre and Rochat de la Vallée (1986), shaoyangshould be

translated as ‘young Yang’. In their view it is positioned between

the outside (the other two Yang channels) and the inside (the

other three Yin channels).

Depending on the interpretation, the shaoyinchannels are con-

sidered either to be located between the taiyinand the jueyin

channels or to be the deepest of the six channels. Thus they are

either seen as a hinge or as a fixed central point (for more detail

see ➞Depth organisation of the channels).

Mingmeans ‘clear’, ‘bright’, ‘radiant’, ‘shining’

‘Yangmingcloses towards the inside – yangming contracts

towards the inside.’

The yangmingchannel has some unique features. Based on its

course alone, it is not ‘Yang’like the other two Yang channels,

but it develops as a Yang phenomenon within the Yin aspect of

the body (partially anterior pathway of the ST channel).

The character for mingis composed of the radicals for the sun

and the moon. The character for Yang also contains the sun radical.

According to the Su Wen, the yangmingis where the two Yang

shine together. Thus, the two suns can be symbolically interpreted

as a doubling of Yang energy. Taiyangand shaoyangare ‘Yang’

simply due to their physical location. Yangming, however, is

‘Yang’ due to the content of its stored energy. This raises the ques-

tion as to why the yangmingchannel is so abundant, why it carries

so much Qi and Blood. Pirog (1996) explains this fact based on

embryonic development. The ‘closing’ of the yangming’ can be

equated with the image of a curled-up embryo(➞Fig. 1.19).

Because of its contracting, ‘closing’ position, the energy of the

yangmingchannel can be compared to the compressed energy in a

pressure cooker. Thus the ‘Yin’ process of contracting towards the

Interior results in producing Yang or, in other words, compression

of the energy in the Interior.

This naturally compressed energy is utilised in clinical practice.

The yangmingchannels, but especially the ST channel, can be

accessed, either by massage or by acupuncture, to supply the

whole body with the energy stored and accumulated here. By the

same token, the yangmingchannels can be needled in order to

drain excess Heat – a procedure comparable to a controlled

release of steam from a pressure cooker.

Juemeans ‘absolute’, ‘at the end’, ‘exhausted’ (also,

according to Wiseman, ‘to revert’)

The polarised energy (Yin) in the jueyinchannel represents the

terminal phase of the Yin; here polarity changes to Yang (➞see

below for more detail).

Exterior:

Expansion

Interior:

taiyang yangming Contraction

Fig. 1.19 Embryonic development of the yangmingandtaiyang

channels (according to Pirog 1996)

The six great channels (liu jing):

relationships and depth organisation

The systemic division of the channels into six levels or stages is

mainly associated with the Shang Han Lun, a herbal classic. But

according to Pirog (1996), this system can also be used as a par-

adigm for acupuncture, since it provides fundamental ideas

regarding the functions of the points and channels as well as the

relationships among the channels. It focuses particularly on

changes of characteristics of the channel Qi, depending on which

level it is acting within the body. The channels can be described

as being stacked one upon each other, similar to layered rocks in

a quarry. The depth of a channel or a point will be indicative of its

function and significance. The postulate is that the more deeply a

channel is located in the body, the more deep-seated its functions

are and the more deep-seated illnesses it will be able to treat.

They are not static, however. Depending on their location in the

human body, they are indeed living structures with specific activ-

ities such as openers, closers, hinges or pivots, reflected in the

meaning of the Chinese names. Fig 1.20 illustrates the arrange-

ment of the six great channels from the outside to the inside,

resembling the layers of an onion (➞Fig. 1.20).

Ch01-F10028.qxd 2/22/08 2:30 PM Page 16