Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine

Although Qi permeates every part and every aspect of the body, it tends to collect and travel along pathways called "jing luo." These are the so-called "meridians" of acupuncture.

The jing luo channel system connects all aspects of the body together into one network of energetic communication.

How does Qi flow in the body? 

Just as water flowing through a landscape tends to seek the pathway of least resistance, so Qi flows through the body. The flow of Qi follows the folds and creases of the body's landscape. It follows the divisions between muscles and the clefts between muscles and bones, collecting in the small hollows and depressions of the body to form pools of Qi.

These "pools of Qi" are places where Qi is concentrated and more accessible. They are the acupuncture points, where Qi can be accessed and manipulated through the use of finger pressure (acupressure), massage techniques (tui na; literally "pinch and pull"), dermal friction (gua sha), cupping, moxibustion (a form of heat therapy), and, of course, acupuncture.