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Location Guides: |
Shu-Stream and Earth point
Yuan-Source point
Horary point of the Spleen channel
Trigger point (Travell & Simons, 1998, Trigger Point Manual)
On the medial side of the foot in the depression proximal and inferior to the head of the first metatarsal bone.
Perpendicular insertion 0.5 - 1 cun
"The Taiyin usually has much Qi and little Blood" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel should normally be needled.
"The foot Taiyin is to be pierced 3 fen deep and remain inserted for four exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of three fen, (the needle) is retained for a duration of seven exhalations, and it is moxaed with three cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).
Tonifies the Spleen and resolves Dampness and Damp-heat
Harmonises the Spleen and Stomach
Regulates Qi
Superficial Innervation: Superficial peroneal nerve from L4 - S1
Dermatome Segment: L4
Muscle:
Flexor hallucis brevis
Pain Referral Pattern:
To head of first metatarsal with spillover to great toe
Indications:
Diseases of the foot
Striking this point will cause immediate great pain resulting in Qi drainage at the point from the upper chest right down to the foot and a shock to the whole system which in many cases can cause knock out. As an Earth, Yuan and Shu-Stream point, the long term affects are, easy bruising, lack of memory and muscle problems such as cramps, atrophy etc (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).
䷳ Gen 艮 Mountain & ䷖ Bo 剝 Flaying
Trigrams: Kun (Earth) below, Gen (Mountain) above.
Receptivity within, stillness without — the mountain rests on the earth, but the mountain is above and the earth is below. The mountain is about to fall. This is splitting apart: the stripping away of the yang, the erosion of what was solid.
Nuclear Trigrams: Lines 2-3-4 form Kun (Earth). Lines 3-4-5 form Kun (Earth). The nuclear trigrams are both Kun. Beneath the splitting apart, there is pure receptivity — nothing but earth. The yang is not hidden in the nuclear structure. It is genuinely being stripped away.
Judgement:
剝：不利有攸往。
Splitting Apart. Not favourable to have somewhere to go.
The yang is being stripped away. This is not a time for action. It is a time for patience, for preservation, for allowing the cycle to reach its natural conclusion. The last yang line at the top is about to fall. Do not try to save it. Let it go.
Lines:
| Line | Yin/Yang | Image | Literal Translation | Commentary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Yin | 劉爒以足，蔑貞凶 | Flaying a ewe from the foot. Destroying correctness. Loss. | Yin at the bottom. The flaying begins at the foot. The ritual has started. Loss because the foundation is being destroyed and there is no support left. |
| 2 | Yin | 劉爒以辨，蔑貞凶 | Flaying a ewe to the leg. Destroying correctness. Loss. | Yin at 2, central and correct, but yin in a yin position. The flaying reaches the leg. The support is being undermined. Loss because the structure is failing from within. |
| 3 | Yin | 劉之無咎 | Flaying it. No trouble. | The threshold. The flaying is part of the ritual. No trouble because the action is correct within the context of the sacrifice. The release is proceeding as it must. |
| 4 | Yin | 劉爒以膚，凶 | Flaying a ewe's skin. Loss. | Yin at 4. The first yin line above the threshold. The flaying has reached the skin — the surface of the body. Loss because the erosion is now personal and cannot be ignored. |
| 5 | Yin | 貫魚，以宮人宸，無不利 | A string of fish. The palace women are favoured. Nothing is unfavourable. | Yin at 5, the place of honour. The yin lines are strung together like fish, led by the yang at 6. Nothing is unfavourable because the yin is organised and directed. The release is orderly. |
| 6 | Yang | 碩果不食，君子得車，小人劉庐 | The large fruit is not eaten. The gentleman gets a carriage. The small man strips the hut. | Yang at the top. The last yang line. The large fruit is not eaten — the seed is preserved. The gentleman gets a carriage — he is carried forward. The small man strips the hut — he destroys his own shelter. The yang is about to fall, but the seed remains. |
Image:
山附于地，剝。上以厚下安宅。
The mountain rests on the earth: Bo. Thus the superior man strengthens the foundation and secures the dwelling.
The mountain rests on the earth — but it is above, and it is crumbling. The superior man strengthens the foundation (厚下) and secures the dwelling (安宅). In a time of stripping away, you do not try to save what is falling. You strengthen what remains. You secure the base.
Acupuncture Point Connections:
Shared with Fenglong St-40, and with Shenque Ren-8 in the sequence of moving Qi within the Microcosmic Orbit.
Inverted into ䷗ (Qimen Liv-14 or Riyue GB-24).
Balanced by ䷪ (Lieque Lu-7 and Hegu LI-4).
Elementally shared with Zusanli St-36. Balanced by ䷹ (Shangyang LI-1 or Jingqu Lu-8).
Hexagram attributions are my own with an explanation given in the glossary.
Ling Shu Ch. 1, On the Nine Needles and the Twelve Origins, describes this point as the origin of the Zhiyin (至陰, Extreme Yin) in the Yin.
Ling Shu Ch. 6 suggests piercing the Ying and Shu points of the Yin channels if a disease is in the Yin of the Yin realm (e.g. the Zang organs) suggesting this point and Dadu Sp-2 in diseases of the Spleen.
Ling Shu Ch. 9, On Ends and Beginnings, advises that in the case of Heat associated with receding Yin Qi the Yang conduit should be pierced once and the Yin conduits twice. Based on other recommendation to use the He-Sea of the Yang conduits (Ch. 19) and the Yuan-Source with the Ying-Spring points (Chs. 6, 19 and 24) to clear Heat from the Zangfu, that would suggest this point, Zusanli St-36 and Dadu Sp-2 as a protocol to clear Heat in the Stomach/Spleen. Next it advises that in Cold associated with receding Yang Qi the Yang should be pierced twice and the Yin once but no such obvious protocol is evident for this situation. Another interpretation that would match with common practice today, based on the idea of odd numbers being Yang/moving/clearing while even numbers are Yin/tonifying/reinforcing, is that the points on the channel to be cleared are pierced on one side only while those on the channel to be tonified are pierced bilaterally.
Ling Shu Ch. 19, on the Four Seasonal Qi, advises using the Shu-Stream points, unless the diseases are in the Fu organs, in which case the He-Sea points are chosen.
Ling Shu Ch. 44, On the Qi Moving in Accordance with the Norms, indicates that the Shu-Stream points should be pierced in summer or when the disease becomes milder and then more severe again. The seasonal aspect should not be interpreted literally as it describes the time periods of weakness and severity as "controlled by summer". It also describes the morning, afternoon, evening and night cycle of the day to be like the four seasons of the year with afternoon corresponding to summer.
Liu Lihong (2019: 482, Classical Chinese Medicine) relates Tai Bai to the Great White Heavenly Star of the West and therefore Metal in the Journey to the West. This would suggest that this point has an influence on the Lungs and Large Intestine too.
Taibai is also an ancient name for the planet Venus.
Taibai is also a mountain in Shaanxi province, possibly referring to the bony protuberance at this point.
Basic information on location, needle depth, TCM actions, indications and combinations is taken from Deadman et al (2001): A Manual of Acupuncture with additional anatomical information researched by reference to Gray's Anatomy (38th Ed., 1995) unless otherwise referenced. Images were found on acupunctureschoolonline.com and can be traced back to Claudia Focks (2008) Atlas of Acupuncture originally. I cannot claim any credit or rights over them. Other sources should be quoted in the text.
For some of the more unusual terms I have created a glossary here
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