Dating back to 3000BC or perhaps as far back as the Stone Age, there has been said that acupuncture is in fact one of the oldest means of medical care on the planet. Acupuncture and meridians being confusing enough, trying to figure out the reason why they contribute to better health can be quite the task. We will take a look at the exact nature of this practice by asking and answering some questions, specifically those surrounding acupuncture meridians.

The Meaning of Acupuncture

Acupuncture is used to balance energy levels and eliminate blockages, which may be preventing your health from achieving its optimum state. The energy system of the body can be manipulated with the use of very fine acupuncture needles. This energy system flows through the body, and can be accessed via a variety of 500 specific acupuncture points found along what is called the acupuncture meridians. These points are related to every system and function of the body, housing both positive and negative energy.

The Meridians

There are twelve main meridians which connect the 500 acupuncture points, and they are found along your legs and arms. With balance they provide optimal health and happiness. When unbalance they result in life and health being unbalanced as well. The Yin and Yang can be compared to the flip sides of the same coin. This is where the balance needs to be in order for all aspects to be positive and aligned.

When making the association between Yin and Yang, picture the two sides of a coin as mentioned above. On the one side, the Yin holds responsibility for negative aspects, such as darkness, passivity, coldness, wetness and the feminine. The other side would be the Yang, which holds responsibility for all positive aspects such as brightness, activeness, dryness, heat and masculine. You will also find that each of the main meridians house their own elements of Yin and Yang.

These twelve meridians are located:

At the inside of your arms, body to fingertips – Yin

Along the outside of your arm from your fingertips to your face – Yang

Along the outside of your leg from your face to your feet – Yang

And along the inside of your leg from your feet to your body – Yin

The following organs are affected by the 12 main meridians:

1. Lungs

2. Large Intestine

3. Stomach

4. Spleen

5. Heart

6. Small Intestine

7. Urinary Bladder

8. Kidney

9. Pericardium

10. Triple Warmer – This meridian affects the thyroid and the adrenal glands which regulate your metabolism and affect your immune system and has a profound affect on your stress reaction.

11. Gall Bladder

12. Liver

The Yin side includes lungs, heart and pericardium with the arm meridians, while the Yang side of the arm houses the meridians for the small intestine, triple warmer and the large intestine. As for the leg meridians, the Yin side covers spleen, kidney and liver, while the Yang side covers stomach, gall bladder and bladder.

Each of your organs, as you probably already know, play a valuable and essential function in the effectiveness of your overall health and the optimal functioning of your body. When one is out of balance, blocked, or not functioning optimally your entire body and even your emotional state can be significantly affected.

There is a reason why this practice of acupuncture and the balancing of the body’s energy through accessing meridians is still practiced today – it works.