Four Doors
Dear Patient,
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day in the US, so today is a good day to talk about food stagnation and the Four Doors.
Food stagnation is one of the Five Stagnations in Traditional Chinese Medicine (the others being Qi, Blood, Damp and Cold—but we’ll get to those another day), and it describes a set of symptoms that we typically think of as “indigestion”—bloating, fullness, abdominal pain, belching, and the like. There are numerous causes of food stagnation, but it’s most often a self-inflicted condition, the result of overeating.
If you find yourself suffering from food stagnation after your Thanksgiving feast, try some acupressure at the Four Doors—a set of four acupuncture points in a diamond shape around the umbilicus (scroll down for location notes).
The Four Doors are:
Ren 12—this is where the energy of the Stomach collects, and it regulates and harmonizes the body’s digestive function.
Ren 6—tonifies the qi and the body’s warming yang energy, both of which are essential for healthy digestion.
Stomach 25—this is where the energy of the Large Intestine collects, and it’s the single most important point for treating intestinal disorders.
Taken together, these points regulate the function of all the digestive organs, and tonify the qi to keep the digestive system functioning optimally. Stimulating these points is like opening a doorway to allow the passage of food and nutrients. Just press and breathe.
I’ll be taking the next two days off to enjoy Thanksgiving with family, and I’ll be back with a new Note on Monday. Happy Thanksgiving! And thank you for reading.
Love and gratitude,
Your Acupuncturist
Location Notes:
Ren 12 is located in the midline of body, about four inches above the umbilicus. It’s midway between the umbilicus and where your ribcage joins together at the sternocostal angle.
Ren 6 is located in the midline of the body, about an inch and a half below the umbilicus.
Stomach 25 is located on either side of the umbilicus, about two inches lateral to the umbilicus.