LOCATED UNDER THE DOME OF THE DIAPHRAGM ON THE RIGHT SIDE, THE LIVER IS COMPOSED OF FOUR LOBES, THE RIGHT LOBE BEING THE LARGEST. THE LIVER PRODUCES BILE, WHICH HELPS TO DIGEST FATS, THEN COMPLETES THE BREAKDOWN OF FATS. THE LIVER REMOVES TOXINS FROM THE BLOOD, STORES GLYCOGEN (A FORM OF SUGAR), STORES VITAMINS A, D AND B. IT MANUFACTURES HEPARIN (WHICH PREVENTS BLOOD CLOTTING), FORMS ANTIBODIES, PRODUCES FIBRINOGEN, ALBUMIN (BLOOD PLASMA PROTEIN) AND REMOVES UREA FROM AMINO ACIDS.
TRADITIONALLY, THE FEELING OF GOOD SPIRITS AND WELL-BEING IS RELATED TO A HEALTHY LIVER. " THE LIVER HAS THE FUNCTIONS OF A MILITARY LEADER WHO EXCELS IN HIS STRATEGIC PLANNING", ACCORDING TO THE NEI CHING. A LACK OF PLANNING OR FOLLOW-THROUGH RESULTS IN FRUSTRATION A POSSIBLE REFLECTION OF LIVER IMBALANCE. IT IS ALSO KNOWN TO HOUSE THE SOUL AND THEREFORE THE DEEPER CONSCIOUSNESS OF ONESELF.
THE PRIMARY LIVER CHANNEL
PATHWAY: THE FOOT OF THE JUE YIN LIVER CHANNEL STARTS ON THE DORSUM OF THE GREAT TOE AND RUNS UP THE FOOT BETWEEN THE FIRST AND SECOND METATARSAL BONES TO A POINT ONE BODY INCH IN FRONT OF THE MEDIAL MALLEOLUS. IT THEN PROCEEDS UPWARDS TO SP 6, WHERE IT INTERSECTS THE FOOT TAI YIN SPLEEN CHANNEL. CONTINUING UP THE MEDIAL TAI YIN SPLEEN CHANNEL EIGHT BODY INCHES ABOVE THE MEDIAL MALLEOLUS, IT THEN RUNS POSTERIOR TO THAT CHANNEL OVER THE KNEE AT SP 12 AND SP 13, AND THEN SKIRTS AROUND THE GENITALS AND PENETRATES THE LOWER ABDOMEN WHERE IT MEETS THE CONCEPTION VESSEL AT CV 2, CV 3, AND CV 4. IT THEN ASCENDS, MOVING TOWARD THE LATERAL ASPECT OF THE TRUNK TO HOME TO THE LIVER AND CONNECT WITH THE GALLBLADDER. CONTINUING ITS UPWARD COURSE THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM, IT DISPERSES OVER THE COSTAL REGION, THEN RUNS UP TO THE NECK POSTERIOR TO THE PHARYNX, ENTERS THE NASOPHARYNX, AND MEETS THE TISSUES SURROUNDING THE EYES. THE CHANNEL FINALLY RUNS UP THE FOREHEAD TO MEET THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT THE VERTEX.
A BRANCH BREAKS OFF BELOW THE EYE AND RUNS THROUGH THE CHEEKS TO CONTOUR THE INSIDE OF THE LIPS.
ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES FROM THE LIVER, PASSES THROUGH THE DIAPHRAGM AND ENTERS THE LUNG.