My favourite CV/GV (Ren Mai/Du Mai) points

I have now reached the final selection of my favourite points, those which are on Conception and Governor Vessels.  I have left these to the last because I think they should be viewed as a very special group, to be used always with care.  These two great meridians form the trunk of the great five element tree, from which each element branches out.  Unless there is the major blockage which we know of as a CV/GV block, where the energy from this trunk is unable to feed its branches as it should, I regard these points as adding something very special to the main body of a five element approach to treatment, to be drawn on only where necessary. 

One great distinction between these two series of points is that Conception Vessel runs over the front of the body, its yin aspect, and Governor Vessel over the back, its yang aspect.  In deciding which of these points I might consider adding to an element's points, my first thought is therefore whether my patient needs strengthening from a yin or a yang aspect.   Simply stated, do I think that he/she needs more backbone (yang) or more inner strength (yin)?

 

I also base my selection on a point's anatomical position, and on the name it has been given over the thousands of years of its use.

 

But I turn to CV or GV points only when I feel that all the good work I am doing to strengthen a patient's guardian element is somehow lacking something, and I need to add a deeper layer to my treatment.

 

 

CONCEPTION VESSEL (CV)

 

CV 1                Meeting of Yin             (5 points)

CV 8                Spirit Deficiency

CV 12              Middle Duct

CV 14              Great Deficiency

CV 22              Heaven Rushing Out

 

In addition, there are many CV points which have a special connection to individual officials, and are together known as the Alarm Points.  These points have a special relationship to each official, and on being palpated can provide information about the health of the official.    

     

 

GOVERNOR VESSEL (GV)

 

GV 1                Long Strength             (6 points)

GV 4                Gate of Life                 

GV 12              Body Pillar

GV 14              Great Hammer

GV 19              Posterior Summit

GV 20              One Hundred Meetings

 

 

 

My favourite Water points

(In addition to Command Points)

KIDNEY (IV)             (7 points)

IV 16   Vitals Correspondence

IV 22   Walking on the Verandah

IV 23   Spirit Seal

IV 24   Spirit Burial Ground

IV 25   Spirit Storehouse

IV 26   Amidst Elegance

IV 27   Storehouse

 

BLADDER (III)         (19 points)

III 10   Heavenly Pillar

 

Inner Bladder Line

III 13   Lungs Correspondence

III 14   Heart Protector Correspondence

III 15   Heart Correspondence

III 18   Liver Correspondence

III 19   Gall Bladder Correspondence

III 20   Spleen Correspondence

III 21   Stomach Correspondence

III 22   Three Heater Correspondence

III 23   Kidney Correspondence

III 25   Large Intestine Correspondence

III 27   Small Intestine Correspondence

III 28   Bladder Correspondence

 

Outer Bladder Line

III 37   Soul Door

III 38   Rich for the Vitals Correspondence

III 39   Spirit Hall

III 42   Spiritual Soul Gate

III 44   Thought Dwelling

III 45   Stomach Granary

III 47   Ambition Room

 

It has been a most illuminating exercise for me to gather together the list of my favourite Water points, and realise so clearly for the first time the very unique position the Water element occupies.  For unlike its fellow elements, its points can be used to treat all elements, and are not limited to treating only itself.

 

The Kidney chest points and Inner and Outer Bladder points are routinely added to reinforce the effect of points on the other elements.  This gives it a very special place in the hierarchy of the elements.  It helps us understand that it is in many ways our core element, the original element from which all the other elements spring and from which all life emerges.

  

Publication of our second Net of Knowledge course

On Being a Five Element Acupuncturist

I am happy to announce that our second Net of Knowledge course, On Being a Five Element Acupuncturist, has now been published. This adds to our first course:  The Handbook of Five Element Acupuncture. 

Here is the link to this new course:

On Being a Five Element Acupuncturist

https://netofknowledge.com/Link/Course/c1999439-4b1d-4138-b9a9-5a0598749cfc  

 

And here is a brief 90 second promotional video for it: 

‘https://youtu.be/xhc2iyekXpY’

It is available through Acupuncture World in Europe, CPD Cert in the UK and Ireland, China Books in Australia and NZ, Lhasa OMS in the U.S. and Eastern Currents in Canada.

 

Both courses are also available through the following link:   

https://netofknowledge.com/Discover?search=Nora+Franglen

 

 

 

My favourite Metal points

 (In addition to Command Points)                  

LUNG (IX)                     (3 (4) points)

IX 1     Middle Palace           

IX 2     Cloud Gate

IX 6     Greatest Hole

(IX 10    Fish Region)

LARGE INTESTINE (X)     (3 points)

X 7      Warm Current

X 15    Shoulder Joint

X 20    Welcome Fragrance

 

AEPs

III 13   Lung Correspondence  

III 25   Large Intestine Correspondence

 

WINDOWS OF THE SKY

IX 3     Heavenly Palace

X 18    Support and Rush Out

 

It is interesting to compare the fact that I have selected fewer points for the Metal element (6 in total, apart from the AEPs and the Windows) than those for the Wood and Earth elements.   I expect the same will be true of the Water element, again with its two officials having far more points than either the Fire or the Metal elements. 

It may also be significant that I have chosen only three points for the Large Intestine out of a total of 20, the same number as for its yin companion, the Lung, which only has 11 points.  This may be because I like to concentrate my attention on the Lung, the receiver of Qi from the heavens, rather than on the Large Intestine, in charge of drainage and dregs.   Perhaps this is because I may tend to regard it , wrongly, as a less important official.

There is one further point on the Lung, IX 10 Fish Region, which is a command point, but also has a special position when treating the Metal element.  I was told by JR Worsley that it is "the most spiritual point on the body", and that has resonated strongly with me since then.  It is a point which Metal people love to be told about, because at a deep level they understand the point's significance.  We would all like to have our most spiritual point needled, whatever our element, but it is only Metal people who appear to understand how important this point is for them.

 

 

 

 

My favourite Earth points

In addition to Command Points

 

SPLEEN (XII)           (3 points)

XII 8    Earth Motivator

XII 15  Great Horizontal

XII 20  Encircling Glory

 

STOMACH (XI)        (8 points)

XI 4     Earth Granary

XI 8     Head Tied

XI 12   Broken Bowl

XI 19   Not at Ease

XI 24   Lubrication Food Gate

XI 25   Heavenly Pivot

XI 37   Upper Great Void

XI 39   Lower Great Void

 

AEPs

III 20   Spleen Correspondence  

III 21   Stomach Correspondence

 

WINDOW OF THE SKY

XI 9     People Welcome

In addition to the above, there are two sets of Earth points which we were told as students that we could needle as paired points.  The first is a combination of two command points, St (XI) 40, Abundant Splendour and Sp (XII) 3, Prince's Grandson.  Abundant Splendour's name is enough encouragement for us to select it, but it becomes a more powerful point when it is used at the same time as Prince's Grandson.  An Emperor's grandson was regarded as a very special person, since he ensured that the Emperor's legacy would continue to further generations.

 

The second set of points is the combination of St (XI) 25, Heavenly Pivot with Sp (XII) 15, Great Horizontal, which are on the same level of the mid-abdomen as CV 8, Spirit Deficiency.  They can therefore be seen as strengthening the centring effect which CV 8 brings to the spirit.

 

 

 

 

 

 

My favourite Outer Fire points

 (In addition to Command Points)

 

HEART PROTECTOR (V)  (1 point)

V 4      Gate of Ch'i Reserve

 

THREE HEATER (VI)         (4 points)

VI 7     Assembly of Ancestors  

VI 12   Relax and Joy

VI 18   Feeding Meridians

VI 23   Silk Bamboo Hollow

AEPs

III 14   Heart Protector Correspondence  

III 22   Three Heater Correspondence

 

WINDOWS OF THE SKY

V1       Heavenly Pond (for men)

V 2      Heavenly Spring (for women)

IV 16   Heavenly Window

This completes the list of my favourite points for both sides of the Fire element and for the Wood element.  

It's noticeable how few points I have listed.  I realise that when I move on to Earth and Water there will be a much greater choice of points available.  And when I reach Metal, another element with its yin official in the Upper Jiao, I expect my list also to contain only a few favourite points.  This is because the number of points on the front of the Upper Jiao is far fewer than those on the Middle and Lower Jiao.

This made me look at the range of points available for all the elements, and try and see if there is a pattern here which relates to the number of points on different officials and in different areas of the body.  Totalling all the points on all the elements, including CV and GV, I have counted 115 points on all yin officials and more than double the number, at 246, for the total of all yang officials.  

It is also noticeable that the three Upper Jiao yin officials, Heart, Heart Protector and Lung, have the least number of points of all officials. This is reflected in my selection of only a total of 3 favourite points for Heart and Heart Protector officials, and only 2 for the Liver, although this is in the Middle Jiao.  

It will be interesting to compare this number with the total of my favourite points for all the other elements and their officials once I have completed these lists.

 

 

 

My favourite Inner Fire points

(In addition to Command Points)

 

HEART (I)     (2 points)

I 1        Utmost Source

I 5        Penetrating Inside

 

SMALL INTESTINE (II)      (8 points)      

II 9      Upright Shoulder

II 10    Shoulder Blade

II 11    Heavenly Ancestor

II 12    Grasping the Wind

II 13    Crooked Wall

II 14    Outside the Shoulder Correspondence

II 15    Middle of the Shoulder Correspondence

II 19    Listening Palace (also Exit point (for Entry-Exit block)

 

AEPs

III 15   Heart Correspondence (to be used with care, and usually only after AE is found on the other yin AEPs)

III 27   Small Intestine Correspondence

 

WINDOWS OF THE SKY

II 16    Heavenly Window

II 17    Heavenly Appearance

(Small Intestine is the only official with two Windows of the Sky)

There are a group of very important Small Intestine points on the back, which lie over the scapula and lead up from the armpit to the neck from II 9 to II 15.  It is clear from this how much this official contributes to holding us upright.  Apart from the Inner and Outer Bladder pathways and of course Governor Vessel, it is the only official with points on the back.