Meridian Diagnosis
The meridians are pathways of electromagnetic energy and are not part of any of the body’s systems. Interestingly enough, western science and medicine were unaware of their existence until very recently, although they have been widely known and used in the Orient for the past five or six thousand years. Meridians occur universally in nature, For example, the lines on a leaf show the presence of meridians, as do the ridges of a cactus and the earth itself contains a network of energy lines. The human body has 12 major pairs of meridians.
The meridians are created as a result of the electromagnetic charge existing between heaven and earth. The Universe, or heaven, generates a centripetal force which enters the body through the hair spiral, while the expanding force produced by the earth’s rotation enters through the genitals. After entering through the hair spirals, heaven’s force charges the midbrain. This charge is distributed to the cells of the brain and results in the formation of images and thoughts. Proceeding downwards, it charges the area deep inside the mouth and results in the creation of the uvula. It also charges the root of the tongue and passing downwards charges and vitalizes the vocal cords and thyroid and parathyroid glands. Proceeding further, it charges the heart and surrounding area, resulting in the continual expansion and contraction of this organ, as well as the movements of breathing. The stomach is the next major region to be activated by heaven’s force and from there energy is distributed to the liver, spleen, gall bladder, pancreas and kidneys, stimulating their respective functions.
Heaven’s force then charges the region deep inside the small intestine, known in the Orient as hara. This creates the rhythmic movements of both the small and large intestine, as well as the absorption of digested foodstuff by the villi and the secretion of intestinal juice. Heaven’s force exits from the body in the region of the sexual organs. In men, it creates here a second uvula-like organ known as the penis.
Of course, women also receive heaven’s force, but this energy is superseded in the lower region of the body by earth’s expanding force. As a result, women do not have a large “uvula” in the lower part of the body as men do, but instead have a smaller one known as the clitoris. At the same time earths upward –moving force creates the vagina and uterus, which are formed in an inward, upward direction in comparison to the male sexual organs. Earth’s force continues upward to the hara region, where it collides with heaven’s descending force, creating spirals known as the ovaries. Both forces collide again at the region of the heart and the spirals created here are the breasts.
To summarize, women are charged more by earth’s centrifugal, yin, expanding force; while men are influenced more by heaven’s centripetal, yang, contracting force. This fundamental difference formed the basis of the traditional association of women with the earth and men with heaven.
Naturally, different mental, physical and emotional tendencies arise out of these basic constitutional differences. Viewed from this perspective, we see that sex is simply the attraction of these two complemental forces to merge and create harmony.
The meridians are the supplemental channels which radiate outward from the main heaven-earth channel. A similar phenomenon occurs in apples, apricots and other fruits, as well as vegetables like squash and pumkins. The ridges on the surface of a pumkin outline the path of its meridians, or surface channels of electro-magnetic current, while the main heaven-earth channel can be seen in the core.
In the human body, meridians channel electromagnetic current to and from each of the body’s organs.
Excerpt from : “Natural Healing through Macrobiotics”, by Michio Kushi
