太乙 : Taiyi : Supreme Unity

Location Guides:

Location:

On the abdomen, 2 cun lateral to the midline and 2 cun superior to the umbilicus, level with Xiawan Ren-10.

Needling:

Perpedicular insertion 1 - 1.5 cun

Warnings:

In thin subjects, deep needling may penetrate the peritoneal cavity

Classical Needling:

"The Yangming usually has much Qi and much Blood" (Su Wen 素問 ch. 24) implying this channel can normally be needled or bled.
"The foot Yangming is to be pierced 6 fen deep and remain inserted for ten exhalations" (Ling Shu 靈樞 ch. 12).
"It is needled to a depth of eight fen and moxaed with five cones" (Huangfu Mi 皇甫謐, 3rd Century, Zhenjiu Jiayi Jing 針灸甲乙經).

TCM Actions:

Transforms Phlegm and calms the Shen
Harmonises the Middle Jiao

TCM Indications:

• Dian Kuang (Mania-Depression), agitation, tongue thrusting, mad walking.
  
• Epigastric pain, abdominal pain, poor appetite, diarrhoea, Shan (疝) Disorder.

Neuroanatomy:

Superficial Innervation: Cutaneous branches of thoracic nerves from T9

Dermatome Segment: T9

Martial Applications & Effects of Injury:

Simliar to Guanmen St-22, a strike here attacks the communication between upper and lower causing a feeling of something draining from lower body until the power to the legs has gone. In addition it has an adverse affect upon the Bladder causing urination when struck here with a smaller weapon such as a one knuckle punch and possible problems later in life (Montaigue, Dim Mak Locations, Taijiworld.com).

Major Combinations:

• Dian Kuang with tongue trusting:
    Taiyi St-23 with Huaroumen St-24
    (Haungfu Mi, 皇甫謐, 282: Zhen Jiu Jia Yi Jing, 針灸甲乙經, Systematic Classic of Acupuncture and Moxibustion).
  
  
• Dian Kuang with tongue trusting:
    Taiyi St-23 with Feiyang Bl-58 and Huaroumen St-24
    (Sun Simiao, 孫思邈, 625: Bei Ji Qian Jin Yao Fang, 備急千金要方, Essential Prescriptions Worth A Thousand Gold).
  
  
• Tongue thrusting:
    Taiyi St-23 with Zhubin Kid-9
    (Wang Zhizhong, 王執中, 1220: Zhen Jiu Zi Sheng Jing, 針灸資生經, Classic of Supporting Life with Acupuncture and Moxibustion).

Notes:

In Bo's Method and Feng's Nine Palaces abdominal acupuncture, this point is located in the region associated with ☴ Xun, Wind and the southeast on the right; and ☷ Kun, Earth and the southwest on the left.

In Bo's Method these areas are associated with the Liver and Gallbladder on the right, and the Spleen and Stomach on the left. In Feng's Nine Palaces method this region is associated with the upper limb on the same side (Schelbert, 2014, Ryan, 2009).

Taiyi is also the name of the star 8 Draconis which occupied the Pole Star position in 2250 BC and was deified as the Emperor of Heaven. By the Han dynasty it had already moved away from the pole and outside of the main Northern Pole asterism but remained a highly respected deity and now resides in an asterism of its own, called the Supreme Unity Single Star (天乙一星 Taiyi Yixing) within the Purple Forbidden Enclosure, a group of asterisms that surrounds the Northern Pole Star.

This point and Huaroumen St-24 contain unique indications for Dian Kuang disorders. This is because the Su Wen ch. 30 attributes many types of agitated, irritable and frenetic types of behaviour to Heat in this channel, which it refers to as Yangming Syndrome. The locations of these points, just above Tianshi St-25 suggests that their action is to encourage the Heat to descend and be excreted from the bowel.

Lad and Durve (2008) in Marma Points of Ayurveda locate a group of five points here and at Shenque ren-8 and slightly medial to Fujie Sp-14 called Nabhi Marmani. They are all associated with Prana Vayu, Samana Vayu, Apana Vayu, Vyana Vayu, Pachaka Pitta, Ranjaka Pitta and Kledaka Kapha.

They all have the following actions:
- Enkindles agni, regulates samana vayu
- Stimulates digestion and absorption in stomach, small intestine and colon
- Regulates functions of liver, gallbladder, spleen, intestines
- Regulates function of kidneys, pancreas, and adrenals
- Relieves congestion in these associated organs
- Relieves stagnation locally caused by vyana vayu
- Relieves abdominal pain and distension
The right point is especially connected with functions of the gallbladder, liver, hepatic flexure, head of the pancreas, duodenum, right kidney and right adrenal.
The left point is especially connected to the tail of the pancreas, spleen, stomach, left kidney, left adrenal, transverse colon and splenic flexure.

In Tibetan medicine:
Moxa point (AMNH, Tibetan Medical Paintings)

Reference Notes:

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