Hi all,
I was wondering if someone could explain how Chi flows through the two branches of the urinary bladder meridian. I cant quite get how the points beside each other along the spine flow. Does the Chi go down each branch seperatly in a sequence or does it go down each branch at the same time uniting in the lower extremities. Thanks for any help.
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
This could be a very long explanation, but the easiest way to understand acupuncture is to not think of it as a linear model at all. In other words, drop the idea that the "qi" flows from UB 11->UB 12->UB 13, etc.... for example. Look into the concepts of the muscle meridians and extraordinary channels (channels below the "acupuncture" or surface meridians and channels that connect multiple meridians) to get a broader idea of how things connect.
I'm not saying that qi doesn't flow from point a to point b, but getting caught in that linear model will not help you understand the dynamic nature of the energetics of the body.
Comment by Archived User
My understanding is that the back UB channels actually run parallel to each other down the back. They do NOT follow the basic flow that is inferred by the numbering system. Instead, after passing across the head, and through the brain, the channel branches at the "nape of the neck" and forms the inner and outer UB channels. Both of these channels flow down the body and reconnect at UB40.