THE STOMACH MERIDIAN
THE TRADITIONAL CHINESE CONCEPT OF THE STOMACH ENCOMPASSES MORE THAN ITS PHYSIOLOGY – IT IS CALLED THE "SEA OF NOURISHMENT". THE STOMACH IS RESPONSIBLE FOR PULLING NOURISHMENT FROM FOOD AND PASSING IT ON FOR DISTRIBUTION BY THE SPLEEN. NOT JUST FOOD, BUT WHATEVER IS TAKEN IN IS UTILIZED THROUGH THE FUNCTION OF THE STOMACH. THE MERIDIAN PASSES CLOSE TO THE SENSE ORGANS: MOUTH, EYES, EARS AND NOSE. SINCE EVERY PART OF THE BODY NEEDS NOURISHMENT, WHEN THERE IS AN IMBALANCE IN THE STOMACH MERIDIAN, THE OTHER ORGANS ARE QUICKLY AFFECTED. THE STOMACH IS EASILY AFFECTED BY STRESS AND CAN SERVE AS A FRONT LINE DETECTOR FOR EMOTIONAL DISTRESS.
THE PRIMARY STOMACH CHANNEL
PATHWAY:
THE FOOT YANG MING STOMACH CHANNEL STARTS AT THE SIDE OF THE NOSE, AND THEN ASCENDS TO THE INNER CANTHUS OF THE EYE TO INTERSECT THE FOOT TAI YANG BLADDER CHANNEL AT B 1. IT THEN DESCENDS PARALLEL TO THE NOSE, PENETRATES THE MAXILLA INTO THE UPPER GUM AND JOINS THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 26 IN THE PHILTRUM. IT SKIRTS BACK ALONG THE UPPER AND LOWER LIPS TO JOIN THE CONCEPTION VESSEL AT CV 24 IN THE MENTOLABIAL GROOVE ON THE CHIN. FROM THIS POINT IT RUNS ALONG THE MANDIBLE TO THE POINT ST 5 AND ROUNDS THE ANGLE OF THE MANDIBLE TO ST 6. IT PROCEEDS UPWARD IN FRONT OF THE EAR, INTERSECTS WITH THE FOOT SHAO YANG GALLBLADDER CHANNEL AT GB 3, AND CONTINUES ALONG THE HAIRLINE. IT THEN INTERSECTS THE FOOT SHAO YANG CHANNEL AGAIN AT GB 6, CROSSES TO THE MIDDLE OF THE FOREHEAD AND INTERSECTS WITH THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 24.
A BRANCH SEPARATES AT ST 5, RUNS DOWN THE THROAT TO ST 9, AND THEN CONTINUES DOWN TO THE SUPRACLAVICULAR FOSSA. FROM THERE IT CROSSES THROUGH TO THE BACK TO INTERSECT THE GOVERNING VESSEL AT GV 14, AND THEN DESCENDS INTERNALLY, CROSSES THE DIAPHRAGM AND INTERSECTS WITH THE CONCEPTION VESSEL INTERNALLY AT CV 13 AND CV 12 BEFORE HOMING TO THE STOMACH AND CONNECTING WITH THE SPLEEN.
ANOTHER BRANCH SEPARATES AT ST 12, RUNS DOWN THE SURFACE OF THE TRUNK ALONG THE MAMMILLARY LINE, AND CONTINUES DOWNWARD, PASSING BESIDE THE UMBILICUS TO ENTER THE CHI THOROUGHFARE (THE INGUINAL REGION) AT ST 30.
A BRANCH STARTS IN THE AREA OF THE PYLORUS, DESCENDS INTERNALLY TO JOIN THE BRANCH JUST DESCRIBED AT ST 30 IN THE INGUINAL REGION, IT EMERGES HERE AND RUNS DOWN TO ST 31 ON THE ANTERIOR ASPECT OF THE THIGH, IT THEN TRAVELS DOWN THE THIGH TO THE HIGH POINT ABOVE THE KNEE AT ST 32, CONTINUES TO THE PATELLA, THEN PROCEEDS DOWNWARD ALONG THE LATERAL SIDE OF THE TIBIA TO ST 42 ON THE DORSUM OF THE FOOT AND TERMINATES AT THE LATERAL SIDE OF THE TIP OF THE SECOND TOE.
A BRANCH SEPARATES AT ST 36, THREE BODY INCHES BELOW THE KNEE, AND RUNS DOWN LATERAL AND PARLLEL TO THE MAIN BRANCH, TERMINATING ON THE LATERAL SIDE OF THE MIDDLE TOE.
STILL ANOTHER BRANCH BREAKS OFF FROM THE MAIN BRACH ON THE DORSUM OF THE FOOT AT ST 45, TERMINATING ON THE MEDIAL SIDE OF THE GREAT TOE, WHERE IT CONNECTS WITH THE SPLEEN CHANNEL AT SP 1.