my chinese tai chi teacher told me that a pressure point that she calls "yung chuan" on the sole of the foot serves well in stimulating the heart. therefore, in many forms of tai chi, the foot is briefly set up on the front part, resulting in a stimulation of that point.
from her description i conclude that she is probably talking about kidney no. 1. however, i do not find any heart-related indication for this point. can anyone smarten me up?
appreciate it.
miguelín
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
Yes, she is talking about KD 1. On our page for that point you will see the following indication:
Tonify KD/HT Yin - insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory, mania, rage w/desire to kill, hot flashes, night sweats.
KD 1 is one of a handful or so of points with very strong and broad effects on multiple systems of the body. Our site only lists the most general of these, there are many others. Certainly above you can see the calming and descending effect it has on the equivalent of the nervous system (yin overall and heart and kidney yin particularly).
Comment by Archived User
hi chad,
thanks. i am not a physician, so my knowledge is very fragmentary. if i understand you correctly, then the KD1-effect is basically one that will calm down the nervous system, and this, in TCM, is, to a large extend, associated with the heart and its meridian.
i suppose i made the common mistake to look for an effect on / indication for the heart in the western understanding of this organ.
best,
miguelín
Comment by Chad J. Dupuis, L.Ac.
For general purposes, yes, you are correct. The heart "houses" what is termed the "shen" in Chinese Medicine (and in Tai Chi). The shen is the persons demeanor/personality. A "shen disturbance" might be western conditions such as anxiety or depression.