the rum soaked fist: internal martial arts forum

Ma, Tinghui, My understandings on Regularities of the Circulation, Handing over and taking over of Yin-qi and Yang-qi of the Tweleve Neridians, Zhen Ci Yan Jiu (针刺研究 Acupuncture Research), Volum 27, No. 4, 2002

In the present paper, the author makes a summary on the regularities of the prosperity and decline, handing over and taking over of yin-qi of the twelve regular meridians in accordance with the theory of traditional Chinese medicine. The head and the chest are the places where the twelve regular meridians hand over and take over. The location where meridian-yin-qi transforms into yang-qi is at the hand, and the yang-qi transforming into yin-qi is situated at the foot. The hand is located in the upper part of the body and belongs to yang and to heaven, while the foot is located in the lower portion and belongs to yin and to earth. Therefore, the yin-qi of the twelve regular meridians originates from the foot, flows together in the chest and runs upward to sprad to the hand, The yang-qi of the twelve reglar meridians starts from the hand, converges in the head and goes downward to distribute in the foot. Such handing over and taking over (transformation) and coursing of the yin-qi and yang-qi of the twelve regular meridians form the “Da Zhou Tian” (big circle 大周天).

In clinci, the regulative effects of the acupoints at the hand and foot on the three yin and three yang meridians, those of the acupoints at the head on the six yang meridians, and those of acupoints at the chest on the six yin meridians are of a certain significatice.

Key Words: Twelve regular meridians, Circulating regularities of yin- and yang-qi

I understand the concept and have used it when I teach TCM (jingluo/ziwuliuzhu) but it is incomprehensible within the present practice of allopathic medicine.
I have often skirted both the theory and the anatomical model (Western) but I always come back to the main observation that everything flows according to a cycle (circadian dynamics) and anything that goes against said flow causes obstruction/stagnation/blockage/constriction. In most cases the "blockage" is observable by medical instrumentation.

I am not quite at the Felix Mann level of acupuncture theory revisisted but simple process can overcome the mental distortion of how to see meridian physiology. It has to be experiened despite the sometimes missing variables which implies an imperfect system.

The term Da Zhou Tian came from the ancient text of Huai Nan Zi淮南子, Tian Wen Xun 天 文训(astronomical training), chapter 12, written sometime before 139 BC during the period of Western Han (206 BC – 9 AD). It stated that Da Zhou Tian is 12 astronomical years.

The meridian clock is also moving in a cycle of 12 meridians. Match with the cycle of diaphragmatic breathing one can generate a number of patterns of qi-flows so to speak such as suggested: chest to hands, hands to head, head to legs, and legs to chest to complete a cycle; this pattern can repeat three times to follow the meridian clock pattern.

Some alchemist believes that Da Zhou Tian came from Xiao Zhou Tian 小周天 (small heaven) follows the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) and Governing Vessel (Du Mai), but these ideas came much later in history with the development of crossed legged meditation which is irrelevant to Zhan Zhuang or exercise.

Yeung wrote:The term Da Zhou Tian came from the ancient text of Huai Nan Zi淮南子, Tian Wen Xun 天 文训(astronomical training), chapter 12, written sometime before 139 BC during the period of Western Han (206 BC – 9 AD). It stated that Da Zhou Tian is 12 astronomical years.

The meridian clock is also moving in a cycle of 12 meridians. Match with the cycle of diaphragmatic breathing one can generate a number of patterns of qi-flows so to speak such as suggested: chest to hands, hands to head, head to legs, and legs to chest to complete a cycle; this pattern can repeat three times to follow the meridian clock pattern.

Some alchemist believes that Da Zhou Tian came from Xiao Zhou Tian 小周天 (small heaven) follows the Conception Vessel (Ren Mai) and Governing Vessel (Du Mai), but these ideas came much later in history with the development of crossed legged meditation which is irrelevant to Zhan Zhuang or exercise.

黃帝曰：余聞上古有真人者，提挈天，把握陰陽，呼吸精氣，「獨立守神，肌肉若一」，故能壽敝天地，无有終時，此其道生。

Please, with Zhoutian, it's not really for playing around~ or making irresponsible comments. Some are overlapping btw martial arts, qigong and acupuncture, but some or a lot of things are not.

Standing postures are found dated back to 168 BC:

http://www.hnmuseum.com/hnmuseum/whatso ... /2-2-8.jpg

These postures are relevant to the 12 meridians, actually it is interesting to workout the original of the cross legged meditation is from.

Attempts have been made to match the Xingyi 12 animal forms with the 12 meridians:

http://www.miji8.com/data/attachment/fo ... lbibeo.JPG

Dragon： lungs
Tiger： large intestine
Monkey ： stomach
Horse：spleen
Crocodile ： heart
Chicken ：small intestine
Hawk ：bladder
Swallow : kidney
Snake : pericardium
Pigeon : triple burner
Eagle : gall bladder
Bear : liver