What are Meridians?

Traditional Chinese Medical philosophy believes the body is intricately connected by meridians – channels or passages through which life-sustaining substances move and are transported to nourish the various organ systems. If we compare the body to a well-constructed building fully furnished with amenities, then the meridians are just like the electric cable network found inside the walls of the building. For the building to be brightly lit and function normally, it all depends on how well the electric network runs. Should a short circuit occur, the building will be plunged into darkness and everything comes to a standstill; similarly, it is believed if the meridian channels are blocked, the life-sustaining substances cannot be transported efficiently to the organs, thereby causing pains, aches and ill health.

The revered book of ancient Chinese medical wisdom Huang Di’s Classic of Internal Medicine states: “The meridian themselves, so they dictate life and death, deal with illnesses, regulate the under and overflow of energies, so they must be understood.” Just this one quote highlights the importance of body meridians. With the meridians, we can uncover the weaker organ systems of the body, relieve the pain and symptoms of ill health and build up one’s health. How can we not have a fair understanding of the state of our meridians? The amazing thing about meridians is that though their alignment, as well as their startings and endings within the organs and in many body parts, correspond to the network of nerves, blood and lymph circulation as discovered by modern sciences, the effects of meridians are only detectable in living, breathing man. Just like electricity, you know it runs the electrical appliances when they are switched on, yet our naked eyes cannot see the real substance of electricity.