It is said in the Chapter 9 of miraculous pivot, "In Spring the Pathogenic Factors are most likely to attack the superficial layer; in summer they are most likely to attack the skin; in autumn, they are most likely to attack the muscles, and in winter, they are most likely o attack the tendons and bones."
There is a seasonal approach to all aspects of Traditional Chinese Medicine.
As a general rule of thumb, shallow acupuncture is applied in Spring and Summer, because the body is more Yang (expansive) and so the acupuncture points are closer to the surface of the body.
Maybe you see a theme here everything in Chinese medicine - that everything is connected. Not only are we connected to nature, but the systems within us are also connected. Nothing exists without relationship to the other.
So what are meridians?
The theory of the meridians underlies one of the most significant discoveries of Traditional Chinese Medicine. They form the physiological interconnections that render the body an integrated whole rather than a series of independent units.
The entire meridian network serves as a pathogen barrier, preventing deeper penetration of external factors to enter into the body. When were able to contain pathogens at the skin level, then we can prevent disease and pathogens from entering deeper, and definitely want to avoid them from entering to the level of the organs.
This is why in Chinese culture, many people are always covering their nose and mouth even before COVID 19. Now most people are wearing masks which has been globally Popularized and excepted, but before this, this routine has already been integrated into my childhood practice! I never left the house without a scarf bundled around my nose and mouth, and this is because in Chinese culture we believe the entering of pathogens is immediately through the skin and through the mouth and nose.
Through the opening of channels through Acupuncture, it allows the body to quickly eliminate pathogens caused and collected within some level of the body. Depending on the level or status of the condition, specific channels will be used to target the elimination of the illness. From the most superficial to the deepest layers, there are about nine different pathways channels regions and collaterals that a practitioner needs to consider.
Interested in learning more about to Traditional Chinese Medicine and how it works? Head to our All You Need To Know about Traditional Chinese Medicine, here.