an acupuncture point discusion ...
The impetus to briefly write about the acupuncture point Xue Hai which is the tenth acupuncture point on the foot taiyin or spleen meridian, is due to having a particular patient at my Mornington Peninsula acupuncture practice this afternoon that I feel will greatly benefit from its application in treatment.
Xue Hai (SP 10) is known as one of the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points along with HT 3 (Shaohai), SI 8 (Xiaohai), KID 6 (Zhaohai) & REN 6 (Qihai). SP 10 Xuehai is known as the ‘ocean of blood’ & below we will delve into the Chinese characters used to depict the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points so as to grasp a deeper understanding of what the classical acupuncturist were expressing through the carefully selected names of said acupuncture points. This is far from just an intellectual exercise to fill curiosity, but rather a different way to view & connect with the acupuncture points. Through this deeper connection and increased awareness new methods of application manifest in the process of treatment & this ultimately can only benefit patient and practitioner alike.
Let us begin with the character that the five acupuncture points mentioned above share, the character ‘Hai’. ‘Hai’ is composed of water, a woman’s full breast & grass growing above. Essentially, it relates to growth & nourishment but specifically to the concept of ‘expansive’, ‘immense’ & ‘prolific’. As the character possesses ‘water’ in it, we can take the mentioned notion of expansive & prolific and relate it specificaly to a body of water. Therefore, it is for this reason that the character ‘Hai’ is generally translated to ‘ocean’ or ‘sea’ & thus collectively the acupuncture points mentioned above are referred to as the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points.
Now, SP10 (Xuehai) contains the character ‘Xue’ which is commonly translated as ‘blood’. However, if we observe the pictograph we find that it depicts a large vessel of sorts that is filled with the vital fluid of blood. Historically, this ‘blood filled vessel’ was used in ceremonies of sacrifice in ancient China & as such it depicts the concept of blood and its associated substances.
Thus from the above paragraphs we can see that Xuehai SP 10 fosters, engages & moves the vitality of blood throughout the whole organism, nourishing & integrating all that it comes into contact with. We are very fortunate that the astute masters of acupuncture who perceived the relationships between the various acupuncture points and the organism itself, fortunately left us a ‘road map’ through the depictions they have left behind. It is up to us to interpret and implement this ‘road map’ as best as we can & ultimately gauge the therapeutic effect induced.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Warm regards,
Giancarlo Nerini - Acupuncturist (Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula)
Xue Hai (SP 10) is known as one of the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points along with HT 3 (Shaohai), SI 8 (Xiaohai), KID 6 (Zhaohai) & REN 6 (Qihai). SP 10 Xuehai is known as the ‘ocean of blood’ & below we will delve into the Chinese characters used to depict the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points so as to grasp a deeper understanding of what the classical acupuncturist were expressing through the carefully selected names of said acupuncture points. This is far from just an intellectual exercise to fill curiosity, but rather a different way to view & connect with the acupuncture points. Through this deeper connection and increased awareness new methods of application manifest in the process of treatment & this ultimately can only benefit patient and practitioner alike.
Let us begin with the character that the five acupuncture points mentioned above share, the character ‘Hai’. ‘Hai’ is composed of water, a woman’s full breast & grass growing above. Essentially, it relates to growth & nourishment but specifically to the concept of ‘expansive’, ‘immense’ & ‘prolific’. As the character possesses ‘water’ in it, we can take the mentioned notion of expansive & prolific and relate it specificaly to a body of water. Therefore, it is for this reason that the character ‘Hai’ is generally translated to ‘ocean’ or ‘sea’ & thus collectively the acupuncture points mentioned above are referred to as the ‘ocean’ acupuncture points.
Now, SP10 (Xuehai) contains the character ‘Xue’ which is commonly translated as ‘blood’. However, if we observe the pictograph we find that it depicts a large vessel of sorts that is filled with the vital fluid of blood. Historically, this ‘blood filled vessel’ was used in ceremonies of sacrifice in ancient China & as such it depicts the concept of blood and its associated substances.
Thus from the above paragraphs we can see that Xuehai SP 10 fosters, engages & moves the vitality of blood throughout the whole organism, nourishing & integrating all that it comes into contact with. We are very fortunate that the astute masters of acupuncture who perceived the relationships between the various acupuncture points and the organism itself, fortunately left us a ‘road map’ through the depictions they have left behind. It is up to us to interpret and implement this ‘road map’ as best as we can & ultimately gauge the therapeutic effect induced.
As always, please feel free to contact me with any questions you may have.
Warm regards,
Giancarlo Nerini - Acupuncturist (Melbourne & Mornington Peninsula)
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