A better way to think of these meridian lines, is to check their pertaining organs.

In the context of
solid/hollow (yin/yang) the Liver is solid (yin) and the Gall Bladder, which the liver empties into,
is hollow (thus yang.) The Kidneys are solid (thus Yin) and the UB is hollow (thus yang.) And so
on. Thus, you can see, the Liver line is yin because it's pertaining organ is yin.

http://www.yinyoga.com/ys1_3.2.4.0_the_organs.php

You could use the context of inner (yin) versus outer (yang), and then notice the path these
lines take. The Liver, Kidney and Spleen lines travel up the inner leg. The Stomach, Gall
Bladder and UB lines are more on the outer (more visible) part of the legs and thus yang.

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The Zang Organs

These are the viscera of the body, the solid organs. These organs store our energies and fluids:
Ching, Chi, and Shen as well as Blood and other bodily fluids that are created and stored within
each organ. These organs can be considered yin relative to their partner fu organs. The zang
organs regulate. The five organs are the Heart, Spleen, Lungs, Kidneys, and Liver.

* The Heart (and pericardium)

The Heart is the ruler of all the zang organs. The Heart controls our mental activities and
the circulation of blood. Problems with the Heart are often seen in the face and in the
complexion. Curiously, in this model, it is not the brain that controls our thoughts. The brain is
simply the place where thoughts are received and stored. Our mental health, our ability to think,
and the vigor of our blood are directly related to the strength of the Chi in our Heart. Weak Chi
here can result in insomnia, disturbing dreams, poor sleep, dullness, and heart palpitations. Due
to the Heart's meridian passing by the tongue, problems with the Heart can often be seen in the
tongue.

* The Spleen

Most people in the West don't really know what the spleen is or does. This is a vague
organ. In Chinese medicine, however, the Spleen is very important. The Spleen is essential to
the process of digestion and distribution of nourishment. If the Spleen's Chi is strong, the food's
essence is spread throughout the body. If Chi here is weak, the body becomes undernourished
and weak. This same distribution function occurs for water too; the Spleen ensures proper
hydration of our cells and the elimination of water through the kidneys. Because our blood is
mostly water, the Spleen directly affects the quality of our blood. The Spleen also controls the
proper functioning of our limbs and maintenance of our skeletal muscles. The Spleen affects our
mental function; especially our intention, determination or willpower, and the awareness of
possibilities for changes we could make. Weakness in the Spleen can often be seen in the lips
and mouth. If things taste good, the Spleen is working well. If the Spleen Chi is weak, worry may
be a constant companion.
 * The Lungs

The Lungs control Chi (breath), and since this is the first contact with the external winds,
the Lungs have to be vigilant. They are associated with Defensive Chi to ensure nothing harmful
enters the body. The Lungs send Defensive Chi to the body's skin to assist in this protection.
Due to Lung Chi flowing downward, the Lungs help to control water and fluids. Edema (water
retention) may be caused by a weakness in the Lungs. Since air passes through the nose, the
Lungs are associated with the nostrils and our sense of smell. The quality of Lung Chi is often
seen in the skin and body hair. Sadness that won't go away may be a sign of weakness in the
Lungs.

* The Kidneys

The Kidneys store Ching. Here this essence of our body can be converted into Kidney
Chi, which is used to help the Kidneys control water. This is a function shared with the Lungs.
The Kidneys send clear healthy water upward to circulate in the body and send used, turbid
waters downward for elimination. It is not just the distribution of water that the Kidneys govern
but also the utilization of it. Because blood and bones are so intimately connected to water, the
Kidneys are also responsible for their proper functioning. Determination is also said to be stored
in the Kidneys. The Kidneys are also directly connected to reproductive health and function.
Problems with the Kidneys can be seen in the ears and genitals. Problems may also result in
anxiety or emotions of fear arising at inappropriate times.

* The Liver

The Liver is the home of Shen, the soul. This may seem strange to us in the West; we
are used to thinking that the heart is the seat of the soul. In Daoist belief, the Heart is the home
of thinking. When our Shen is calm, the Liver is functioning well and we can watch the world
unfold dispassionately. The Liver also has many physiological functions but mostly it regulates
the amount of blood in the circulation. While the Heart may govern the flow of blood, it is the
Liver that stores and releases it. Because of this, Liver Chi is important for the vitality of all parts
of the body. In fact, acupuncture treatments often focus on releasing Liver Chi, to dispel
stagnation throughout the body. Weakness in the Liver can be seen in the eyes and in our
tendons. Aching knees are one indicator of weakness, yellow eyes are another. When the Liver
Chi is weak, we may suffer from too much anger or irritation or be unable to express anger at all.

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The Fu Organs

The fu organs are the receptor organs. These hollow organs receive the fluids and energies
from their zang counterparts. They receive, digest, absorb, and transmit nutrients and excrete
wastes. They are considered yang relative to their paired zang organ. We can generalize and
say that the fu organs transform and transmit. There are six fu organs: they are the Small
Intestines, Stomach, Large Intestines, Urinary Bladder, Gall Bladder, and an interesting one
called the "San Jiao," also known as the Triple Burner.

* The Small Intestines

Paired with the Heart, the Small Intestines receive and store water and food. Just as we
understand in the West, the Small Intestines are believed to digest food, convert it into nutrition,
and send the unusable bits downward for excretion. A Chinese doctor would call the bits for
excretion "turbid" and the nutritious bits "clear." If we are suffering from too much heat or too
much dampness, problems may arise in our urinary system and turbidity will increase.

* The Stomach

Paired with the Spleen, the Stomach receives and digests food. It also stores food and
water. If Stomach Chi is weak, food stagnates and all manner of digestive problems arise.

* The Large Intestine

Paired with the Lungs, the Large Intestines compact our solid wastes. Just as the Lungs'
Chi energy controls water, the Large Intestines also affect water through the ability to absorb it.
Too little absorption and we suffer loose bowels, too much and we become constipated.

* The Urinary Bladder

Paired with the Kidneys, the Urinary Bladder stores and excretes urine. If there are
problems with Kidney Chi, this may show up in urinary problems such as frequent micturition or
the need to get up at night many times to urinate.

* The Gall Bladder

Paired with the Liver, the Gall Bladder stores and excretes bile. In Chinese medicine, bile
is considered to be Liver Chi, not the byproduct of the liver's digestion of fats, as we believe in
the West. Together with the Liver, the Gall Bladder builds and controls the blood and our overall
Chi levels. When weak, the Gall Bladder may cause us to be indecisive or hesitant. When
strong, the Gall Bladder allows us to be decisive and bold.

* The San Jiao

This organ has no Western counterpart. Sometimes referred to as the Triple Burner, this
organ's function relates to digestion and elimination overall. There are many different views of
what the San Jiao is exactly and what it does. It is often considered to have three separable
functions:

o the Upper Jiao, located above the diaphragm, distributes water in a mist form
throughout the body, assisting the Heart and Lungs
o the Middle Jiao, located between the diaphragm and the navel, assists the Stomach
and Spleen with digestion and the transportation of nutrients
 o the Lower Jiao, located below the navel, assists the Kidneys and Urinary Bladder in
their roles of elimination

Sometimes the San Jiao is believed to be paired with the Pericardium, which in some
models is considered to be a zang organ separate from the Heart.

A more detailed online summary of these organs and the zang/fu theory can be found at a Web
site called TCM [1] Basics [2]. Beyond these five (or six) zang and six fu organs are six other
miscellaneous organs in the Chinese models. These are organs of consciousness, and are
associated with Ching energy. They include the Brain, Bone Marrow, Blood Vessels, Uterus,
Gall Bladder (again!), and the Meridians.

--------------
The Meridians

In Chinese medicine the channels that conduct energy throughout the body are
called "meridians." These conduits form a network. If the network is disrupted, if blockages
occur, the body will not function properly - Chi, Ching, and Shen do not flow as required, the
organs will not perform their function, and imbalance arises. When the meridians are clear and
open, energy flows freely and all is well once more.

When we looked at the highways within our subtle body from the yogic perspective, we
discovered the ancient yogis sensed thousands upon thousands of individual passageways,
which they called the nadis. Some text suggested there were seventy-two thousand nadis while
other texts claimed there were three hundred thousand. The use of large numbers is not meant
to give an exact tally of how many lines of energy there actually are in the body. Large numbers
simply signify that there are too many to count. The learning to be taken here is that our bodies
are full of conduits for the subtle energies that flow within us. [1]

As in India, the Chinese mystics realized that not all channels are equally important. The Indian
yogis described eleven nadis by name and further claimed that only three were really important
for spiritual practice. In China, with a greater concern over physical well-being and longevity,
seventy-one meridians were named and of these, fourteen were most important. Each of the
ten major organs has its associated meridian, and the meridian may be yin or yang, depending
upon the zang or fu nature of the organ it pertains to. Additionally, the pericardium and the San
Jiao also have their associated meridians, which, along with the others, make up twelve major
meridians, known as a group as Jing Mai. We can consider these twelve to be major channels.

Each of the major channels has one or more collateral channels, side roads leading to
destinations other than the pertaining organ. Along the meridians are found special points that
can be stimulated, through acupuncture, to mobilize energy or remove blockages. On the major
meridians, there are three hundred and sixty-one regular points, although during an examination
a Chinese doctor may discover even more. In more recent times, a branch of acupuncture
focusing just on the ear has discovered fifty-four additional points on each ear.
 Meridian Man will reveal all his outer secrets.
In all there over two thousand acupuncture points used to help maintain or rebuild health. That
is far too many for us to investigate in this journey. The interested reader can take up the trail
by studying one of the many textbooks used in Traditional Chinese Medicine [2] training such
as the newly compiled Chinese Acupuncture and Moxibustion, published by the Shanghai
University. Even more highly recommended, and easier to follow, is Ted Kaptchuk's book The
Web That Has No Weaver.

We will limit our investigation to the fourteen most-discussed meridians. There are six meridians
that begin or end in the feet. Relative to their position in the body these meridians can be
considered yin meridians, compared to another six that begin or end in the hands, which can be
considered yang meridians. Being yin meridians, these lower ones are more strongly affected
during a Yin Yoga practice than the higher yang meridians. We will begin our investigation with
these six lower lines. Note that we will describe each meridian as a single line but usually there
are two meridians; one for each side of the body.

1 -- In Thailand a similar model of energy movement evolved through a cross-fertilization of

Indian and Chinese influences. The lines of energy manipulated in Thai Yoga massage are
called sens. Thai massage can be considered a form of acupressure which stimulates the flow
of energy along the sen lines.

2 -- It should be noted that the Traditional Chinese Medicine is not the original Chinese
Medicine! Mark Seem, a former president of the Council of Colleges of Acupuncture and
Oriental Medicine, writes in his book Acupuncture Imaging, "The label [TCM] is inappropriate
for two reasons. First it obscures the fact that there has never been one traditional medicine
in China. Second … this very modern reformulation of Chinese medicine is … a recent
invention." In the forward to this book, Bob Flows writes, "…[TCM] … refers to a specific style
of Chinese medicine developed and taught in the People's Republic of China over the last forty
years…TCM is a style of Chinese medicine rather than its totality…" Flows notes that TCM
focuses mostly on the fourteen key meridians but ignores "the other fifty-seven of the seventy-
one channels and collaterals described in classical Chinese acupuncture."

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The Five Major Systems

The five major systems of Daoism are sometimes contradictory and confusing, especially to
people of different cultures. Many of the practices of one system are used in the other systems.
Thus the lines between these systems are not fixed and final. The five systems are:

1. Magical Daoism - the oldest form of Daoism still practiced today. In this practice, the
powers of the elements of nature and spirits are invoked and channelled through the practitioner
to gain health, wealth, and progeny.
2. Divinational Daoism - based on understanding the way of the universe and seeing the
great patterns of life. Knowing how the universe works allows us to live in harmony with those
universal forces. As in heaven, so on earth. Divinational Daoism utilizes the study of the stars
and patterns found on earth to help us live harmoniously. The I-ching (the book of changes) is a
divinational book.
3. Ceremonial Daoism - Originally Daoism was a spiritual practice. Unlike yoga, which
remained a personal spiritual practice, one branch of Daoism evolved into a religion. [1]
4. Action and Karma Daoism - Proper action leads to accumulating merit. Following the
introduction of Buddhism into China, ethics took on a greater role in spiritual practice. But it did
not start there; Confucius also taught the value of proper behavior and morality. Good deeds
result in rewards, both in this life and the next.
5. Internal Alchemy Daoism - Immortality is the goal of this practice. The seeker works to
change her mind and body to achieve health and longevity. It was in this practice that Chi
became recognized as the key to health and long life. Chi is gathered, nurtured, and circulated
through very strict practices. Incorrect practice is dangerous, and this path of Daoism absolutely
required an expert teacher. It is mostly from this system that Chinese medicine evolved.

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