Meridian of the Month | Urinary Bladder

Feb 19

The meridian lines of the body are energetic highways that provide a path for Qi and other substances to flow. This year, we will learn details about one of the meridians each month as they coordinate with the time of year / season that we are currently in. For February, let's discuss the Urinary Bladder pathway!

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The Journey of the Urinary Bladder Lines

This meridian line begins at the inner eye and travels up and across the forehead to the crown of the skull. A branch splits at this point and enters the brain then surfaces again at the scapula, running along the scapula and then down the spine toward the glutes. It reenters the body at this point and runs to the Urinary Bladder and Kidney organs.

The other branch from the crown descends down the back of the neck and shoulder and parallels the first branch more superficially. This branch similarly runs down the back body over buttocks and legs. It then circles the outer ankle and runs along the outer edge of the foot where it ends in the small toe (where the kidney line begins).

The Urinary Bladder Meridian | Minister of the Reservoir

The bladder is responsible for receiving the storing and excretion of urinary waste fluids taken in by the kidneys. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the Bladder energy system covers much more ground and is responsible for the management of the autonomous nervous system.

Our nervous system is intersected by several points along this meridian channel and therefore our sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. Our sympathetic mode is commonly summarized as our "fight or flight" response. It's intended to turn on when we sense danger so we know how to properly protect ourselves. The parasympathetic is the "rest and digest" mode. The response that allows us to rest, restore and find balance. We are meant to dwell in this mode most of the time. When Qi is able to flow through the the Bladder lines, the restorative parasympathetic response is activated.

There are 67 points along this meridian line and the element of the urinary channel is water. If you pay close attention to sensation in a long held Urinary Bladder stimulation posture, you may even sense the fluid nature of this meridian line. Often, I feel the flow of Qi break through blockages as a sensation of coolness, ease and release. Every meridian has a yin or yang counterpart or complimentary meridian. The Bladder lines are yang and the Kidney is the yang counterpart that also shares the water element. The active season for the Bladder meridian is winter and the time of day the meridian is most active is between 3 and 5pm. This channel is most supported through rest as it relates to the parasympathetic nervous system.

IMBALANCE	BALANCE (never 100%)
Fear	Faith / Trust
Indecision	Navigates life with ease
Seeks approval from others	Self-confident
Overly-cautious	Takes the