THE HEART IS A MUSCULAR PUMP CONSISTING OF FOUR CHAMBERS. THE RIGHT RECEIVES THE VENOUS BLOOD FROM THE BODY BY WAY OF THE SUPERIOR VENA CAVA AND SENDS IT TO THE LUNGS FOR OXYGENATION. THE LEFT SIDE OF THE HEART RECEIVES THE OXYGENATED BLOOD FROM THE LUNGS AND SENDS IT INTO THE AORTA FOR CIRCULATION THROUGHOUT THE BODY. THE HEART BEATS ABOUT 72 TIMES PER MINUTE, ALTHOUGH THIS RATE VARIES WITH THE EMOTIONS AND DISEASE PROCESSES. IT IS LOCATED BETWEEN THE LUNGS, IS SLIGHTLY LARGER THAN A FIST AND IS WELL PROTECTED BY THE RIB CAGE.

THE NEI CHING SAYS, " THE HEART IS THE ROOT OF LIFE AND CAUSES VERSATILITY OF THE SPIRITUAL FACULTIES. THE HEART INFLUENCES THE FACE AND FILLS THE PULSE WITH BLOOD". THE HEART UNITES ALL THE MERIDIANS SO THAT THEIR FUNCTIONS ARE COORDINATED. THE HEART GOVERNS "SHEN" THE SPIRIT.

THE HEART IS ALSO ASSOCIATED WITH THE THYROID, THE DEPTH COMMUNICATION AND THE FACULTY OF SPEECH. SINCE THE HEART ITSELF IS PROTECTED BY THE PERICARDIUM, IMBALANCES OF THE HEART ARE OFTEN SEEN IN THE PERICARDIUM MERIDIAN. SEDATION OF THE HEART MERIDIAN IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

PATHWAY: THE HAND SHAO YIN HEART CHANNEL STARTS IN THE HEART, EMERGING THROUGH THE BLOOD VESSELS SURROUNDING THIS ORGAN. TRAVELLING DOWNWARD, IT PASSES THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM TO CONNECT TO THE SMALL INTESTINE.

ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE HEART, TRAVELLING UPWARD ALONG THE SIDE OF THE OESOPHAGUS TO MEET THE TISSUES BEHIND THE EYE AND CONNECT WITH THE BRAIN.

A FURTHER CHANNEL SEPARATES FROM THE HEART AND TRAVELS DIRECTLY UP INTO THE LUNG, AND THEN VEERS DOWN TO EMERGE BELOW THE AXILLA. IT TRAVELS DOWN THE MEDIAL ASPECT OF THE UPPER ARM, MEDIAL TO THE HAND TAI YIN LUNG AND HAND JUE YIN PERICARDIUM CHANNELS, AND PASSES OVER THE ANTECUBITAL FOSSA. IT CONTINUES DOWN THE ANTEROMEDIAL MARGIN OF THE FOREARM TO THE CAPITATE BONE ON THE WRIST, AND THEN TRAVELS ALONG THE RADIAL SIDE OF THE FIFTH METACARPAL BONE TO TERMINATE AT THE TIP OF THE LITTLE FINGER.