The meridians, like rivers of energy, ensure proper nurturing of qi or life force throughout your whole being. When you are healthy, the flow of qi proceeds unimpeded, like the water in a free-running river, and energy is well distributed throughout the meridian pathways. When the river, or meridian, is blocked for some reason, the qi is prevented from reaching the specific area it is supposed to nurture. The result is that the cells, tissue or organs in the affected area will suffer. Identifying Meridians Meridians are numbered from 1-12 according to the flow of energy through them.
All meridians start or finish in the head, chest, hands or feet.
Very often the meridians are abbreviated with the letter indicating the organ it corresponds to. TW Triple warmer LI Large intestine Because the meridians serve the whole body from outside in and inside out, they have a dual role. They also indicate the presence of harmful energy already inside the body in the form of symptoms on the outside. These may be felt as aches, pains, heat or cold, and in Shiatsu may be located as areas of particular sensitivity or tenderness. When a meridian is blocked, one part of the body is getting too much qi and enters a state of excess, while another part is getting too little and becomes deficient in qi.