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FIRE

EARTHWOOD

WATER METAL

Diagnosis and Treatment of Night-Time Wei Qi

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Huang Di:

I hope to know the circulation of wei qi and its coming in and going out in the yin and yang channels. What are their conditions?

Ling Shu Chapter 76 Wei Qi Xing

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Module Objectives

You will be able to:• Understand the role of Night-Time WEi Qi

• Identify Blockages along control cycle

• Select acupuncture interventions on the basis of these findings (Emphasizing Compass Method)

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Wei Qi

• Compliments and opposes Ying Qi

• Circulates outside the channels

• Is rapid and oscillating

• Protects from invading pathogens

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Reasons for Assessing Night Time Wei Qi

• Soft tissue problems

• Autoimmune disorders

• Allergies

• Skin problems

• Colds/flu, intermittent Symptoms

• Depression

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Qi Bo

• When the wei qi begins to pour into it starts at the foot shaoyin channel and pours into the kidney, then it pours from the kidney into the heart, then it pours from the heart into the lung, then it pours from the lung into the liver, then it pours from the liver in to the spleen and then, it pours from the the spleen into the kidney again to become one cycle.

Ling Shu Chapter 76 Wei Qi Xing

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Night

• Wei Qi moves to the interior where it moves along the control cycle 25 times sunset to sunrise

• Kidney• Heart• Lung• Liver• Spleen

Tapping Exercise To Start Class

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FIRE

EARTHWOOD

WATER METAL

Wu Xing Elemental Relationships

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Qi Bo• East corresponds to green, it is in communication

with the liver. The eyes are the outlets of the liver, which is the store of pure energy….

• The south corresponds with red, it is in communication with the heart. The ears are the outlets of the heart, which is in store of pure energy….

• The center corresponds with yellow, it is in communication with the spleen. The mouth is the outlet for the spleen, which is in store of pure energy….

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Qi Bo

• The west corresponds to white, it is in communication with the lung. The nose is the outlet for the lung which is the store of pure energy….

• North corresponds to black, it is in communication with the kidneys. The two yins (sex organs and anus) are outlets for the kidney, which is the store of pure energy….

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Night-Time Wei Qi Cycle

1. Water

4. Wood

2. Fire

5. Earth

3. Metal

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Cycle Block Identification

• Qi can be obstructed along the cycle

• Hold the two positions along the direction of flow and compare

• Obstructions present with a strong pulse followed by a weak pulse

• Select the dominant or most clearly defined obstruction

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Correct Hand Placement

•Thenar eminence relaxed

•Level of the heart

•Finger tips

•Thumb Opposed

•Elbows Relaxed

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Water - Fire Block

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Fire-Metal Block

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Metal - Wood Block

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Wood - Earth Block

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Earth - Water Block

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Night Time Wei Qi Flow

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Treatment Strategy Choices• Xi Cleft

• Back Shu

• Front Mu

• Elemental Confluence

• Biao LI

• Bie Jing

• Compass Method

Tapping along control cycle’s yin organs offers effective noninvasive therapy Kd-Ht-Lu-Lv-Sp

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Treatment Strategies

• Needle the back shu points to clear defensive qistagnation from the site of blockage.

• The qi will immediately flow more smoothly along the cycle. This can be confirmed by checking the pulse.

• Another effective method is to use the Xi-cleft point on the channel where it is blocked. Again, re-examine the pulse to confirm efficacy.

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Topographical Pulse ModelCompass Method

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Compass Method

The elemental compass method places a compass image over the pulse so that the correspondences of the five phases are laid out in a map-like fashion on each pulse position.

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Elemental Positions

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Topographical Application of the Five Phase Model

• North is water and is represented by the proximal portion of each position.

• Fire is south and is found in the distal potion of each position.

• Wood is east and is found in the right portion of the pulse positions on the subject’s left & right hands

• Metal is west and is found in the left aspect of the pulse positions on the subject’s left & right hands

• Earth is in the center of the pulse positions.

26When the patient faces south, with the pole starAt their back, east will be to their left and west to the right

Right Left

Patient’s Orientation To the Pole Star

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Elements As They Relate To The Pulse

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Comparing The Elements & 5 Phases

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Identifying Elemental Blockages• Identification of the area that has the dominant signal, or

is most congested and full, will reveal the element that is influencing the viscera.

• Once the location of the center of the impulse is identified, select the elemental point on the channel that relates to the position.

• Performing this diagnostic procedure is like using a joystick from a video game. To identify the obstruction, place the finger in the center of the position, then palpate in the four cardinal directions - distal, proximal, left, right - plus center.

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Compass Method Therapeutics

• Example: Night-time wei qi is not flowing well along the control cycle and the pulse is strong in the spleen and weak in the kidney.

1. Use the Compass Method to further define locust of stagnation in the spleen.

2. By needling the corresponding elemental point of the area that is more full or congested allows the body's innate sensibility to correct the area of imbalance.

• The principle is to balance the qi within the organ itself.

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Big Picture