Meridians

Meridians are the channels through which life-force energy (qi) is said to flow through the body, as mapped by traditional Chinese medicine. Picture a network of rivers carrying energy to every organ and tissue — twelve principal meridians, each linked to an organ system, along with additional vessels that store and distribute energy.

The acupoints. Along these pathways lie hundreds of acupoints — the same points used in acupuncture and acupressure. Working with them is traditionally understood to influence the flow of qi, easing places where it has become blocked or stagnant.

Health as flow. In this view, smooth and balanced movement of qi through the meridians supports wellbeing, while obstruction or depletion is associated with discomfort and imbalance. Many Eastern arts — acupuncture, shiatsu, qi gong — work directly with this map.

Relation to other systems. Meridians (the Chinese model) and nadis (the Indian model) are parallel ways of charting the body's subtle energy. In Reiki, practitioners need not work the meridians technically, but the underlying idea is shared: energy moves along channels, and healing supports its free, even flow.

The meridian system is a traditional and symbolic framework for understanding energy flow — a map for balance and wellbeing rather than a medical diagnosis.