Meridians

[Amani]

Hello!
We're not learning about meridians on my course but i've been reading up on them a litte. Can someone explain to me if they start at the beggining of the toes and fingers like zone therapy? What i've been reading wasn't very clear. Thanks for any info in advance
Lisa x

 

[Antares]

No, meridians have nothing to do with the zones and aren't like the zones. The zones are used to map the reflexes, to divide the body into equal parts. Meridians are actually energy channels. Some meridians go nowhere near the fingers and toes, they originate and end in different parts of the body.

Sulis xx

 

[Wockii]

Hello,

Some meridians start at the toes, other finish there!
To make things evenmor econfusing, there are also meridians starting or finishing under the foot.

Artemis

 

[drrvzogl]

Inge Dougans books are very helpful if you're really interested in the meridians. She's Danish -- and reflexology is quite big in Denmark, I've been told. Does anyone know, is it true that there is a reflexologist on the staff of every major Postal Office in Denmark? In my course we were told that in 1991, the Odense postal district had 1450 employees at 45 work areas. They published a report that said they had a decrease of 13.3% in sick leave days which they attributed to having an "Occupational and Zone Therapist" on staff there.

I'm sure Inge Dougans has taught a lot of the reflexologists in Denmark, plus she has also done a lot of work in South Africa.

Personally, I like both the Zone diagrams and the major meridians as ways to understand how reflexology works. As one of my acupuncturist friends often reminds me, though, these are "teaching diagrams" not actual material things. Both have their uses when I'm on tender areas --either to help me know what I'm working on, or to be more knowledgeable of what my intentions are when working on the reflexes.

Dougans' big color picture book is fascinating to read and study. Very thorough and serious approach, in my opinion.

Love and Light,
Kathleen

 

[<insert witty name here>]

Hi Lisa
There are 14 meridians in Oriental medicine. They form a circuit through the body: 3 start on the upper torso and end near the fingertips. 3 start near the fingertips and end on the face. 3 more start at the face and end near the toe-tips. 3 more start near the toe-tips and end at the upper torso.
The remaining 2 are on a "separate" circuit: both start near the anus and end on the face.

These are the most standardised meridians. Other more esoteric systems have many more channels that run just about everywhere else!

Aragorn

 

[kyle -___-]

Artemis and Aragorn ...

I have not found this in Ms Dougans' books, but it seems to me that I learned somewhere that all the meridians, while on their "own" pathways through the organism, still influence one another. There is one explanation that says they are all in pairs, of course, but from the perspective of stimulating or sedating, can it not be assumed that if you work directly on the meridian points on hands and feet, you are also affecting all the others?

For example, the K1 point on the soles of the feet -- if that is stimulated, the energy will travel throughout the entire system. Thus, one should learn all the major meridians and their interactions and inter-relationships, not just the ones that start and end on the hands and feet.

It's not necessary to know any of this, of course, to be effective as a reflexology practitioner. My mother did not study the meridians either and she helped hundreds of people with her work. She did study a bit of Polarity therapy and wanted to study more. I recall one polarity therapy release that she used to do on me that relaxed me almost instantly and as completely as a 45 minute or longer Reiki session does now!

Love and Light,
Kathleen

 

[Yogav]

Hi Kathleen

Stimulating the meridians is a means to influencing the energy of the corresponding Organ. So stimulation of K1 on the sole of the foot, for example, will affect the Kidney energy.

In turn this has the potential to influence all the other organs, as everything is interconnected. In this example, strengthening K1 has the potential to calm an aggitated Liver, for example, which in turn may relieve the tension on the digestive system, and so on.



All the 12 Organ meridians start or end on the hands or feet. But influencing any meridian becomes rather pointless without some sense of diagnosis - what is it that we are trying to do by stimulating an acupoint or meridian? How are we hoping to affect a person's energy? This is dependant on our chinese diagnosis.

Without knowing how a person's energy is imbalanced, where it needs strengthening or sedating or moving, we don't know which meridians and points to treat or how to stimulate them. Diagnosis is the key!


Aragorn

 

[I am not Burnette]

However, not in reflexology. We pick up imbalances in areas (which may be physical or emotional), but we must NEVER diagnose.

Lesley

 

[Bones_allday]

hi aragorn,

the K1 point, i believe, corresponds with the reflexology solar plexus point... so, yes, in that way, by unwinding the solar plexus ebnergy, we can influence a calming effect throughout the body systems... all being interdependant etc.

and yes, as lesley points out, reflexologists must never diagnose... unlike acupuncturists, who are allowed to, i think. mind you... although we cant make formal diagnosis, we often have an extremely good idea!

 

[Giuseppe Orlando]

I recently went to a lecture on the fascial network of the body, in which the theory was put forward that the meridians follow the flow of the fascia, or "use it as scaffloding". When stimulated the fascia recieves a piezo-electric charge which communicates at the speed of sound. Everytime it's stimulated it lays down elastin, which would make it more pliable, or collagen which would make it more fibrous. The body responds to emotional response in the same way (stress leads to stiff shoulders,neck etc). The lecture was given by Gary Carter who was involved in writing "Anatomy Trains" with Thomas Buyers. Have any of you reflexologinst or acupucturists read it? It explains "railtracks" around the body which the therapist can then use to effect release. I wonder how close these railtracks are to your Meridians?
Sharon

 

[Clo Clo]

Sharon, I've not read that book, although I certainly would. It would seem to me to be another good attempt to understand why things work -- often we, as practitioners, experience positive effects but don't have a good way to explain, in terms that conventional anatomy or physiology would accept, why those effects happened.

As for diagnosis, that's almost never the issue for me. I do a detailed intake with my clients, who usually know already from visits to conventional medical practitioners, what is their diagnosis.

My intent in studying is to find ways to help them achieve their own goals of getting well. Very much the same intent I have in participating in a forum such as this *smile* the more I can learn, perhaps, the better I can serve the people who are sent to me.

Love and Light,
Kathleen

 

[Super A Student]

Aragorn

Yes, you are right, and I stand corrected (I should probably never post online after Triple Warmer ) about the hands and feet.

As far as I understand TCM (which is not all that much), yes, I do agree that diagnosis is important for acupuncture, especially. That elaborate system of pulses is one method, perhaps the only method?

And I certainly agree that diagnosis is not what reflexologists do. On one level, it's pretty simple, where there's pain we rub it away. That's a paraphrase from Eunice Ingham, I think.

And, we always treat the entire foot, or hand, not only focus on the painful areas. It's a little like Reiki, in some ways -- as you do more reflexology treatments, the client's foot begins to tell you where to work, how hard to work, and so on. It's important to be able to listen to that and trust that the client's body will inform you.

Acupuncture is always on my referral list for difficult cases. And my first treatment of choice for myself. Problem here is, there are a lot of chiropracters and such being "taught" acupuncture, but my impression is that it's a very superficial form of treatment they are using, for the most part. Extremely thin needles with some kind of electrical leads attached, and twenty minute sessions. So, it's difficult to find someone I would recommend. My favorite acupuncturist is in Hong Kong, and most of my clients are not likely to travel there for a couple of sessions

So, if you have any recommendations for acupuncturists in the greater Chicago area, please let me know!!!

Love and Light,
Kathleen

 

[J-Dawn]

Hello Lesley & Rosie
Sorry - I know next to nothing about reflexology! My comment on diagnosis was intended purely as it applies to chinese medicine and the use of acupoints and meridians. (By "diagnosis", I am refering to a chinese medical diagnosis rather than what the doctor might come up with. Sorry, I didn't make that at all clear!)
Incidentally, in theory there is no reason why we shouldn't be able to make a chinese diagnosis (energetic diagnosis) from the feet! I wonder to what extent this is happening in reflexology, perhaps unconsciously/intuitively?? To what extent do you alter your treatment as it progresses, according to what you "pick up" from your client?

Sharon - Gary Carter is a friend of mine! He has a tremendous amount of training and experience in all sorts of bodywork, and he is currently working on ideas that connect everything together more seemlessly. It's interesting stuff!

Aragorn

 

[Poorstudent]

Hi Kathleen



Pulse taking is one of the most reliable ways of assessing a patient's signs (rather than symptoms) and is the method I personally use the most to make and confirm a diagnosis, and assess the efficacy of treatment.

I have no idea what there is in Chicago in the way of acupuncture, but there must be a traditionally trained practitioner near you that you could refer to. The chiros you describe sound like they are using electro-acupuncture which is essentially pain management when used in this way, rather that addressing underlying causes.
The only help I can offer is for you to get in touch with my governing body here in the UK. They will almost certainly be able to help you find the equivalent group in Chicago.

Aragorn

 

[Josh0248]

Great question Actually, quite a lot. My hands tell me, almost always, because I often sense a painful area even before I've put any pressure on it at all. Sometimes I have to take my working hand away quickly and shake it out because I can feel the pain shooting up my thumb into my arm. That's a pretty good indicator of an area that demands attention

Also, I keep very careful records of each treatment, with diagrams of the feet on which I mark areas of tenderness. So I can review these before the next treatment. The temptation, at least in my case, is to spend too much time and energy on the tender areas to the exclusion of the whole foot. Sometimes this can be appropriate within a series of treatments, though, in my own experience. But. always paying attention to the client's tolerance level and the temperature of the foot (if it gets too cold, time to back off).

Looking forward to reading what other reflexologists have experienced!

Love and Light
Kathleen

 

[UNEQUINTY]

Aragorn I've PM'd you
Sharonx

 

[Zkjfg Z]

Hello!
Thanks everyone for your replies! This has made it a bit easier to understand, but i think i'll have to do some more research to get my head around it more!

I bought Inge Dougans 'Completed illustrated guide to reflexology', but being new to reflexology i found the sections on meridians not so easy to understand. But yesterday i bought another book by Inge Dougans 'Reflexology' (the 5 elements and their 12 meridians, a unique approach) and i feel this is clearer.

Can anyone tell me what K1 is?

I've only had one experience since i've started my case studies, i was working on the bladder and my client had a sudden urge to go toilet! This supprised me quite a bit! Also (not me) a friend at college was performing a link and her finger was shaking uncontrollably. Although i have no experience with being able to sense a painful area, hopfully this will come with practise!

lisa x

 

[Beastly]

Thanks for letting me know what K1 is

No, unfortunatly i didn't see which link she was using. When performing links, i've often been told that the client can feel a strong pulse, does this mean the client is balanced in this area? or does is not have a meaning?

Lisa x