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๐ **New Podcast Episode Alert!** ๐
I'm thrilled to share the latest episode of "Study Acupuncture with Me," where we dive deep into the fascinating world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)! This time, we explored the **5 Functions of the Extraordinary Vessels** while filming at the iconic Vessel at Hudson Yards in New York City. ๐๏ธ
Check out the episode for insights that can transform your understanding of TCM and enhance your acupuncture practice.
๐ฒ **Listen Now:**
**Key Takeaways:**
- **Reservoir of Energy**: Extraordinary vessels act as a reservoir for energy, managing the overflow of chi from main channels and aiding in irrigation that warms and nurtures the organs.
- **Circulation of Kidney Essence and Defensive Chi**: They circulate essential energies throughout the body, connecting kidney essence with defensive chi to support and protect the body's overall health.
- **Regulation, Balance, and Integration**: Extraordinary vessels regulate chi and yin-yang balance, integrate essential functions within the body, and connect crucial organs and channels, harmonizing the body's energy system.
Don't miss out on this essential learning opportunity!
If you're a lover of TCM, be sure to check out our sponsor, Finding Joy Gift Shop, for unique TCM-themed gifts. Use code **SAWM2023** for 10% off. ๐๐๏ธ
Stay curious and keep learning!
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Transcript of Episode
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:00:04]:
Alright. Hey, everyone. Doctor Richard Lai here with Study Acupuncture with me. And today, we're at the Hudson Yards in New York City. And I've actually chosen this place for this video because of this. This is a huge art piece called The Vessel, and it's actually the centerpiece of this area that I'm in right now known as the backyard at the Hudson Yards. It's actually where my wife and I did our pregnancy announcement back in 2018. So today, we're at The Vessel and we're gonna talk about the extraordinary vessels.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:00:33]:
But first, let me tell you about the sponsor of this video. So today's episode is actually sponsored by Finding Joy gift shop. It's a Chinese medicine themed shop that has the perfect gifts for all lovers of traditional Chinese medicine. And the shop actually showcases 5 new art pieces every month to spark conversations about traditional Chinese medicine. I'm actually wearing one of their sweaters right now. So you can check out their designs and more at www.findingjoygift shop.com. And Rita, who's the owner of Finding Joy Gift Shop, has graciously offered to give our listeners 10% off their entire order. So if you use s a w m 2023, you get 10% off your entire order.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:01:13]:
Alright. So today we're gonna talk about 5 really important functions of the extraordinary vessels, which number 5 is the most important function. So make sure you get to the end of the video for that one. Alright. So let's start with function number 1. So function 1 is that the extraordinary vessels act as a reservoir for energy in relation to those main channels because the main channels are kinda like a river. So when a river rains really heavily, where's that water going to go? It's going to overflow and go to a reservoir. So just like in our body, if there's excess chi in the main channels, that excess chi is actually going to go to the extraordinary vessels.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:01:49]:
And that overflow is going to start a process known as irrigation because that overflow is actually going to irrigate the areas between our skin and our muscles, and it's going to irrigate our organs, and it's going to warm them. And because it's a reservoir, that means that energy can flow to and from this reservoir, meaning she can flow from the main channels to the extraordinary vessels and she can flow from the extraordinary vessels to the main channels. Alright. And to understand function number 2, we have to know that the extraordinary vessels, they originate in the space between the kidneys. And because of that, the extraordinary vessels actually contain and circulate kidney essence all throughout the body. And because it circulates that essence all throughout the body, it means that the extraordinary vessels actually help to mix that essence together with 2 things. It helps to mix it together with nutritive chi and defensive chi, and that flows in the body. And nutritive chi, we know it flows in our vessels, it flows with our blood.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:02:49]:
Defensive toli, and that actually brings us to function number 3. Function number 3 of the extraordinary vessels is that it plays a role in the circulation of defensive chi, and this is because of that overflow of chi into the reservoir of the extraordinary vessels. That overflow irrigates the space between the skin and the muscles. And what flows in that space between the skin and the muscles? Defensive chi. And what's the function of defensive chi? It protects your body and it warms the body. Alright. So up until now, we've gone over 3 functions of the extraordinary vessels. Number 1, it's a reservoir, and she can go to and from that reservoir, and that overflow causes irrigation in that area between the skin and the muscles.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:03:36]:
Function number 2 of the extraordinary vessels is that it circulates kidney essence throughout the whole body. And then function number 3 of the extraordinary vessels is that it plays a role in the circulation of defensive chi. Alright. So now we can actually connect function number 2 and function number 3 because in function number 2, we have the circulation of kidney essence, and in function number 3, we have the circulation of defensive chi. So that means there's actually a connection between kidney essence and defensive chi. And what that means for us is just that when you're trying to treat someone and boost their immune system, that you should tonify lung chi and you should tonify kidney yang. That way, you affect that defensive chi area and you affect kidney essence. Alright.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:04:21]:
Now the next function, function number 4, is about the extraordinary vessels and how it governs our 7 8 year life cycle. Now I talked about this in our kidney function video, which I'm gonna link in this video right up here. But basically, what you need to know is that there's a flow of essence that peaks at certain times. And in women, it peaks every 7 years and in men, it peaks every 8 years. And I go into all that and more in the kidney function video, so click right here to watch that video. Alright. Now, the last function and the most important function is that the extraordinary vessels regulate, balance, and integrate things in the body. So the extraordinary vessels regulates, balance, and integrate things in the body.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:05:05]:
So number 1, with regulation. The first function that we talked about, how excess chi or excess anything can actually overflow from the main vessels into the extraordinary vessels because it's a reservoir. So the extraordinary vessels then regulate the amount of chi that goes in and out. It also regulates the amount of yin and yang that goes in and out as well because it's trying to work towards balance. You'll see when we go over yin chow and yang chow, there's an excess amount of yang that goes to the eyes and that's why the patient has insomnia. So the extraordinary vessels work to regulate the amount of yin and yang that goes to and from the eyes. So the extraordinary vessels have to do with regulation. Now number 2, the extraordinary vessels have a function to balance.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:05:49]:
So it balances. It balances yin, it balances yang, it balances left, it balances right, it balances above, it balances below. And you can see this from all the extraordinary vessels put together because when you put it all together, it makes something known as an energetic vortex. So from that energetic vortex, you can actually see that Daimai, for example, separates up and down. Yin Chao and Yang Chao separates left and right, and you got Renmai in the front, you got Dumai in the back. So there's balance between those areas because of those extraordinary vessels. And then the last thing is about integration. So what does integration mean? Integration just means that you put put something together to make a whole.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:06:29]:
Now, the extraordinary vessels, what do they do with integration? They integrate a ton of things. They integrate essence with defensive chi. They integrate essence with nutritive chi, and they circulate all of that throughout the body. And the extraordinary vessels also integrate another thing. They integrate and connect your 6 extraordinary yang organs. So that's like your uterus, your brain, your blood vessels, your gallbladder, your marrow, your bones. So it integrates all of that together. It integrates those organs with your main channels and with itself.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:07:05]:
Alright. So now, let's talk about how we use the extraordinary vessels. First, we have to know that the extraordinary vessels has an opening point and they have a couple point. So for example, for the renmai, the opening point is Lung 7 and the couple point is qinmun 6. And if you look at the Yin Chao Mai, it's actually just the flip of it because the opening point is kidney 6 and it's coupled with lung 7. So if you wanna treat using the extraordinary vessel, you can number 1, just use the opening point bilaterally. Number 2, you can use both the opening point and the couple point bilaterally. Number 3, you can use the opposite side opening point and couple point.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:07:41]:
For example, right side lung 7, left side kidney 6. And then number 4, you can use the same side opening point and same side couple point. So for example, use left side lung 7 and left side kidney 6. For me, generally, I use 3 and 4 the most. So for example, for women, I may use their opening point on the right side of the body and I'm gonna pair that with a couple point on the left side of the body. And then for men, I'm just gonna do the exact opposite. I'm gonna take the opening point on the left side of their body and I'm gonna couple it with the right side of the body. And then also for me with patients that have issues on just one side of the body, for example, if they're just hurting on one side of the body, their left shoulder hurts, their their left hip hurts, I'm gonna use the same side opening point and same side couple point.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:08:24]:
Now last thing I'll talk about is why we wanna use extraordinary vessels. Now I like to use them because if you look at the extraordinary vessels and you look at the points on them, they connect a lot of different channels. So sometimes my patient's gonna come in and the issue that they have is gonna overlap multiple areas. So I can actually use the extraordinary vessels just to get them all because the extraordinary vessels, they cover a certain area and it's a broad area and they reach different areas. So using just one opening point and one couple point, you can actually get a lot of benefit through a wide area of effect. And then also, by using extraordinary vessels, you can activate that reservoir function. So if there's an excess, if there's stagnation, the extraordinary vessels can actually help you to move or at least absorb that excess, and that's gonna help your patient get relief. Alright, everyone.
Dr. Richard Lai DPT LAc [00:09:10]:
So that does it for this episode about the extraordinary vessels at the vessel at Hudson Yards. I wanna thank our sponsor again, Finding Joy gift shop, for sponsoring this video. Make sure you go to their website, www.bindingjoygiftshop.com, and you check out their 5 new designs every single one. Make sure you also use s a w m 2023 for 10% off your entire order. Alright, everyone. Until next time. God bless, and happy studying.
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