What are Meridians?

Meridians, or channels, are energy highways that carry Qi, Blood, Jing and Body Fluids around the body. In ancient Chinese history, the discovery of meridians was based on how human healing related to the external injury; the injury in the external body caused internal healing. This phenomenon was the beginning of the meridian system.

Western scientists have found that meridians are hard to identify because meridians do not directly correspond to nerve or blood circulation pathways.

As a western medical trained physician, I did not believe in Chinese medicine in the beginning of my career even though I studied it. However, after a few years, I had seen many patients feeling better after TCM care, which gave me a high level of confidence in its healing effectiveness.

A simple explanation of the existence of meridians can be had by asking the following question: why do we feel so good after yawning when we wake up in the morning?

When we are yawning, we are stretching the whole body; we are actually stretching all meridians, that open the pathways and make energy flow better. Once energy is flowing better, our blood circulation is better too (energy drives blood). This in turn allows our brains to receive more oxygen, so our body feels relaxed and comfortable after yawing.