Stomach & Spleen Meridians

Organs Of The Earth Meridian

Stomach Meridian: Earth-energy yang organ

The stomach is called the 'Minister of the Mill' and is also known as the 'Sea of Nourishment'.  Because it is responsible for providing the entire system with postnatal energy from the digestion of food and fluids, it is regarded as the 'Root of Postnatal Life'.  In addition to digesting bulk foods and fluids and moving them onwards to the small intestine for extraction and assimilation of nutrients, the stomach also extracts pure postnatal energy from foods and fluids, and in coordination with spleen energy it transports this food energy through the meridian system to the lungs, where it combines with air energy from breathing.  This is a function of the stomach not acknowledged in Western medicine, which focuses only on the biochemistry of digestion and does not recognize the bioenergetic aspect.

Earth Charging Exercise           Earth Cleansing Exercise
Earth Healing Exercise

Governed by pivotal Earth energy, the stomach is responsible for extracting and balancing all five elemental energies from foods and fluids ingested through the mouth, which it shares with the spleen as its external aperture.  Any dysfunction of the stomach results in an immediate deficiency or imbalance in the nourishing energy channeled from the stomach to other organs.

Stomach Meridian
Paired Organ : Spleen
Color :   deep yellow
Peak Hours : 7am-9am
Physical Branches : Muscles, lips, mouth, saliva
Functions digestion : absorption of postnatal energy
Meridian energy : Earth
Chakra : First/ Base Chakra

Stomach: Psycho-Emotional Aspects
The Stomach influences the mental state; an Excess condition can agitate the mind and cause mental symptoms such as: mania or hypomania, confusion, severe anxiety, and hyperactivity.

The Stomach Channel Pathway, Acupuncture Points, and Internal Trajectories.

Starting beside the nose, near LI-20, the stomach channel meets the bladder channel at point BL-1 on the forehead. From ST-1, just below the eye, it passes into the upper gums and around the mouth to link with the governing and conception vessels. Next, via the lower gums, it ascends in front of the ear to the forehead. From the jaw it descends alongside the throat to the collarbone region, where an internal branch descends to meet the stomach and spleen. The superficial path continues down over the abdomen to the pubic area, where a second internal branch from the stomach rejoins it. The channel continues down the anterior thigh, passing just to the outside of the kneecap. At ST-36, below the knee, the channel divides again.  The surface branch runs down the leg beside the shinbone, ending on the outside of the second toe.  The deeper branch descends to the middle toe. From the top of the foot a connection runs to the spleen channel.

Internal Trajectories Of The Stomach Meridian
The Ling Shu tells us that at ST-12, the "main" meridian passes down along the chest and abdomen to ST-30, while the branch:

...passes down to the diaphragm (from ST-12), permeates the stomach, and spirally wraps the spleen.  another branch starting at the exit of the stomach passes down through the lining of the abdomen to ST-30.

Most commentaries agree with this simple trajectory, the notable exception being the Lei Jing (The Classic of Categories), which tells us that the branch comes down through the lining of the abdomen to ST-30, comes down slightly lateral to the kidney meridian, starting at the same level as KI-16.

Spleen-Pancreas: Earth-Energy Yin Organ In Chinese medicine, the function of the spleen organ-energy system includes the pancreas.  Called the 'Minister of the Granary', the spleen and pancreas control extraction and assimilation of nutrients from food and fluids by providing the digestive enzymes and energy required by the stomach and small intestine.  They regulate the quantity and quality of blood in circulation and coordinate with the kidneys to control fluid balance throughout the system.  Spleen energy commands extraction of energy from stomach to lungs, where it is blended with energy from air to form True Human Energy.  The spleen directly influences and is reflected by the tone and condition of muscle tissue.  Weak limbs and muscular atrophy are indications of deficient spleen energy.

Spleen and pancreas condition is reflected externally by the color and tone of the lips: reddish moist lips indicate strong spleen function; pale dry lips are a sign of weak spleen function.  The mouth is the spleen's external aperture, and temperamental moodiness is its associated emotion.  The Chinese term for 'bad temper' is 'bad spleen energy', a psychophysiological association also reflected in the English term 'splenetic'.

Spleen-Pancreas
Paired Organ : Stomach
Color : O range yellow
Peak Hours : 9am-11am
Physical Branches : Muscles, lips, mouth, saliva, lymphatic system
Functions : Cleanses and 'modifies' the blood
Meridian energy : Earth
Chakra : First/ Base Chakra
Spleen: Psycho-Emotional Aspects
The Spleen houses the body's thoughts and intentions (Yi), and is responsible for analytical thinking, memory, cognition, intelligence, and ideas.  The Spleen is responsible for directing memories to the Kidneys for short-term memory storage.  The Kidneys will later transfer these memories to the Heart for long-term memory storage.  The Spleen's positive psycho-emotional attributes are trust, honesty, openness, acceptance, equanimity, balance, and impartiality; its negative attributes are worry, excessive thinking, pensiveness, obsessiveness, remorse, regret, obsessions, and self-doubt.

The Spleen Channel Pathway, Acupuncture Points, and Internal Trajectories Beginning on the inside tip of the big toe, the spleen channel follows the inner aspect of the foot to the arch, then turns up in front of the inner ankle to SP-6.  It continues up the leg, just behind the bone, crossing the knee and ascending the anterior thigh from the inner border of the kneecap.  From the groin it enters the lower abdomen, meets the conception vessel, then resurfaces briefly before penetrating the spleen and stomach.  The main channel then ascends through the diaphragm, over the chest, and crosses the lung channel at LU-1.  It continues up to the esophagus and under the tongue.  An inner branch from the stomach region transports qi up to the heart.

Internal Trajectories of the Spleen Meridian

The Spleen vessel comes into the abdomen, permeates the spleen, and spirally wraps the stomach, comes up past the diaphragm, surrounds the throat, makes contact with and disperses into the base of the tongue.

This passage is interpreted to mean that the spleen meridian rises up the leg to SP-12 on the abdomen, thence to SP-13, to CV-3, to CV-4, to SP-14, to SP-15, to CV-10, to SP-16, to GB-24 to LV-14, to CV-12.  There is also some suggestion of a downward connection to CV-10 from here, which would create a cyclic pattern.  Generally, however, the internal trajectory starts from CV-12, passes inside to and permeates the spleen, then comes to and spirally wraps the stomach.  There it comes up through or along the esophagus to the base of the tongue.  From this trajectory a branch passes to the heart.

To Chek Out The Information On The Chakra Relating To The Earth Meridian Click Below
 
 

EARTH CHARGING

VISUAL EXERCISE
STEP ONE
Get comfortable and relax.

STEP TWO
Now close your eyes and visualize that you are in a beautiful forest with trees and plant life all around you.

STEP THREE
Then lay down and relax. In your own time feel your body sinking down into the earth and as your body is sinking feel yourself becoming one with the earth. Listen to the sounds of the earth, What does the earth sound like to you?

STEP FOUR
Next stretch out your feelings and feel the power of the earth energies all around you. This is the earth meridian.

STEP FIVE
Now ask the earth to charge your energy system and as the earth does its charging feel at one with the earth.

STEP SIX
When the earth has finished charging your energy system remember to thank the earth for its gift. Then in your own time return to the surface. If you want spend some time in the forest. But if your ready to come back just open your eyes.

EARTH CLEANSING

VISUAL EXERCISE
STEP ONE
Get comfortable and relax.

STEP TWO
Now close your eyes and visualize that you are in a forest with beautiful trees and plant life all around you.

STEP THREE
Then lay back and relax. In your own time feel your body sinking into the earth and as your body is sinking feel yourself becoming at one with the earth. Listen to the sounds of the earth. What does the earth sound like to you?

STEP FOUR
Next stretch out your feelings and feel the power of the earth all around you. This is the earth meridian.

STEP FIVE
Now ask the earth to cleanse your energy system and as the earth does its cleansing feel at one with the earth.

STEP SIX
When the earth has finished with the cleansing remember to thank the earth for its gift and in your own time return back to the surface. If you want, spend some time in the forest if you wish. Then when you are ready just open your eyes.

REMEMBER
To charge your energy system using the earth charging technique.
You can also use these exercises for charging and healing.

EARTH HEALING

VISUAL EXERCISE
STEP ONE
Get comfortable and relax.

STEP TWO
Now close your eyes and visualize that you are in a beautiful forest with trees and plant life all around you.

STEP THREE
Then lay down and relax. In your own time feel your body sinking down into the earth and as your body is sinking feel yourself becoming one with the earth. Listen to the sounds of the earth, What does the earth sound like to you?

STEP FOUR
Next stretch out your feelings and feel the power of the earth energies all around you. This is the earth meridian.

STEP FIVE
Now ask the earth to heal your energy system and as the earth does its healing feel at one with the earth.

STEP SIX
When the earth has finished healing your energy system remember to thank the earth for its gift. Then in your own time return to the surface. If you want spend some time in the forest. But if you're ready to come back just open your eyes.