Atlas of Acupuncture

5.2 Ren mai

5.2 Ren mai

Synonym:Conception Vessel

Relationships (➞1.7.3)

● Yin/Yang:ren mai/du mai

● Central/peripheral:ren mai/yin qiao mai. Regions sup-

ported by this pairing: face, throat, thorax, Lungs, diaphragm,

abdomen. Opening point: LU-7 (lieque); coupled point:

KID-6(zhaohai)

Pathway

The extraordinary vessel ren maioriginates like the chong mai

and du maiin the lower abdomen (bao zhong) or, according to

some authors, at the Kidneys, connects with the urogenital area and

emerges at the perineum at Ren-1(huiyin). From there the external

pathway ascends the anterior midline, passing the abdomen, the

chest, and the throat. It terminates on the chin in the mentolabial

groove at Ren-24(chengjiang), where it meets the Stomach pri-

mary channel and the extraordinary vessel du mai. From here the

vessel continues internally, encircles the inner surface of the lips

and connects with the du maiat ➞Du-28(yinjiao) beneath the

upper frenulum. It divides into two branches, which both reach

the infraorbital ridge at ➞ST-1(chengqi), where they cross the

Stomach primary channel as well as the extraordinary vessel yin

qiao mai, and terminate near the eyes.

● An internal branchruns from the perineum to the spine,

penetrates the spinal canal at Du-1(changqiang) and ascends

in the spine.

ST-1

Ren-24

Ren-2

Ren-1

12

18

20

22

16

14

10

8

4

6

ab

Ren-1

Du-1

Du-28

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