1 The Dao of Acupressure and Acupuncture: If one comprehends the process of healing as becoming whole again, it is clear that this process occurs largely as a result of coincidence - a fortuitous combination of the various aspects and dimensions of human existence. As a healer and doctor, you soon become aware of how much you do not understand of the complexity of life. Before attaining this insight, however, you perhaps only vaguely sense, every now and then, that healing also depends to a great extent on something inexpressible and numinous. The more primary a healing system is, the more its methods involve the presence of the numinous. The Chinese call it the Dao: "the nameless" or "the way." In former times, the more aboriginal a medical system was, the more numerous were the duties which a healer had to fulfill in order to meet the demands of a little specialized and less civilized world. The care and treatment of the ill was not the main concern of the barefoot doctors in ancient China. Their main duty was preventive medicine. If they gave bad counsel or began treatment only after the person was already ill, their payment was withheld. In some cases the healers were even cursed at and shamed out of the village. It is understandable, therefore, that they had the greatest possible interest in the well-being of their patients. In this manner, as early as two to three thousand years ago, a medical system was developed which included all areas of healing, from nutrition to prayer and meditation, from psychiatry to internal medicine. Traditional Chinese medicine was and still is holistic medicine in the purest sense of the word, because the Chinese world view does not know a separation of body and soul and therefore always treats physical, emotional and mental symptoms together - as symptoms of a disturbed equilibrium of the elemental forces at work within us. 1.1 The seven steps of healing Traditional Daoist medicine distinguishes between seven levels of healing, each of descending levels of importance. The spirit plays a superior role. Religiousness, in the sense of the Latin word "religio," which means connection to the root or to the origin, was viewed as the highest and most important level of Daoist healing. One of the most important tasks of the healer was and is to help the patient find a way to his or her inner world, to find an access to religiousness and spirituality which includes knowledge of the meaning of life, illness and death. In almost all primitive cultures the medicine man or shaman has this function. In the language of Daoism this level is called the contemplation of the Dao. Meditation is the tool that provides insight into the nature of the Dao. The completion of an inner or outer ritual is not essential for meditation in the Daoist sense. Here, meditation means opening yourself to life in all its apparent contradictions, flowing with the continually changing, pleasant or unpleasant events in life. Someone who meditates in the Daoist sense does not use mantras or prayers to attain an ideal state which differs from the reality of everyday life. Daoist meditation does not mean striving toward a valium-like state of piety. Meditation is not the exclusion of the world or your own personality conflicts in order to attain an illusion of wholeness, peace and harmony. Immersion in the Daoist sense means diving into things as they are, without wanting to change them, without resistance to what they are. This, however, does not mean that you are released from your social and political responsibilities. Meditation means learning to act without losing yourself in these actions. In contrast to the Daoist view, Western medicine separates religiousness and spirituality from the natural sciences. The intensive care units of our hospitals are an excellent example of how high-tech medicine tries, in some cases almost cruelly, to "swim against the current of life and death" and to force healing under any circumstances - without consideration for human dignity and integrity. Following the Dao, however, means surrendering to the flow of things which are larger than yourself and wiser than your reasoning. Following the Dao means diving into the stream in which healing can happen - or also not happen, in which the non-healing of the body can lead to the healing of the soul. Following the Dao means trusting your inner voice, letting go of the desire to rationally understand every detail of life and, thus, relinquishing constant control. The second level of Daoist healing is conscious breathing. Breathing links the different levels of existence within us, even if we are not aware of it. It not only keeps us physically alive, but is also a constituent of the way we think and feel. The various feelings, emotions, mental states and behavioural patterns can only exist in connection with corresponding respiratory patterns: with a particular quality, a specific rhythm, a specific depth and a particular frequency. Try to be hysterically anxious, while inhaling and exhaling slowly and deeply through your open mouth. It will not work. As thoughts and feelings are so closely linked to our breathing, it is natural to conclude that by changing our respiratory pattern we can influence our feelings and thoughts. Thus we can utilize the relationship between emotions and breathing either to bring frantic and extreme thoughts and feelings under control, or, on the other hand, to release emotions which have long been suppressed which now cause weariness, depression and various diseases. This is significant, as traditional Chinese medicine is essentially psychosomatic - the Chinese do not recognize a cleavage between body and soul. In Chinese medicine the treatment of a physical disease generally includes some psychological counseling or advice, because, as I mentioned before, the Daoist world view considers physical, emotional and mental symptoms and illnesses as originating from the same source, namely a disturbed equilibrium of the elemental forces. Therefore, to really understand Chinese medicine, you need to grasp the theory of the Five Elements. The teaching of the Five Elements distinguishes between five major emotions which need to be more or less equal in strength to form a healthy and vital personality. If these five major emotional forces are balanced within us, the immune system will be healthy and body and soul will be in harmony. The five major emotions of the elements are: The element WOOD - self-assertiveness and anger The element FIRE - joy and love The element EARTH - sympathy and concern The element METAL - withdrawal and grief The element WATER - fear, awe and sexuality The teaching of the Five Elements also names the organs and tissues which become chronically damaged and eventally sicken as a result of the weakening or repression of a major emotion. Daoist medicine views the five emotions as elemental forces which are equally important for our health and well-being. This makes Chinese medicine a revolutionary method for us because our culture only acknowledges "positive" feelings and impulses; feelings like empathy, gentleness, love and romance are highly respected and idealized, whereas, already as children, we have been taught not to cry or to be afraid and that anger and sex are basically bad. As Western culture attributes very different values to the five major emotions, many forms of suffering, neuroses and illnesses are continually being created. The moral condemnation of anger, for example has led to an exaggeration of the Wood element in our culture. It has created military super powers, criminal violence and the pervasiveness of blood and murder on TV. The moral condemnation of sex also caused the opposite: an obsession with sex in the mass media and marketing and a flourishing porno industry. The third level of healing is movement. Inner movement means the movement of Qi - the Chinese term for life force - in the meridians through breathing and imagination. Outer movement stimulates the energy flow in the body as well. Tai Ji, Aikido, Kung Fu and related martial arts are important in the prevention of illnesses which result from lack of movement, being overweight and a weak or impeded energy flow. The fourth level of healing is proper nutrition. In the Daoist sense this means nourishment according to the laws of the Five Elements. The individual nutrients and spices are distinguished according to which element - in addition to a general Yin or Yang effect - they tend to empower or subdue. Included in this level are the internal and external application of herbal extracts and essences and, more recently, the application of allopathic medicines, which often combine well with Daoist medical procedures. The fifth level consists of massage and the use of baths. For a Chinese doctor it is clear that with meridian massage and acupressure the flow of Qi along the various energy channels of the organism can be stimulated more effectively than with acupuncture. The reason for this is that acupressure, meridian massage, Shiatsu, and various forms of deep body work such as Postural Integration and Rolfing, increase the tissue«s permeability for Qi and can thus balance Emptiness and Fullness along the individual meridians. Only when the flow of Qi along the meridians is sufficient can it be effectively directed and targeted with an acupuncture needle. The sixth level of healing consists of "pricking and burning": acupuncture and moxibustion - the burning of dried mugwort leaves (artemisia vulgaris) on acupuncture points. Moxibustion is mostly used to tonify in the case of energy deficiencies in specific organs or in the organism as a whole. It is preferably applied in cold regions and in winter. The seventh level is surgery. The seven levels of healing provide insight into the multitude and variety of methods in traditional Chinese medicine. They are also an aid for orienting yourself in the evaluation of Chinese health techniques and healing methods now available in the West. Just as Daoism in China has included many things throughout the centuries, from the philosophy of Lao Dse and Chuang Dse to superstitions and folklore, contemporary Chinese medicine in the West also offers gems, semi-precious stones and glass. This is no different in China today. The magic potion of Daoist thinking was more or less lost during the Cultural Revolution when the practice of traditional Chinese medicine became "modernized," that is, oriented toward Western scientific methods. At this time, Chinese medicine became just as mechanical and symptom-oriented as Western medical practices. Meditation and traditional treatment according to the teaching of the Five Elements were largely dropped, while acupuncture by prescription was kept. As a result, the spiritual meanings of the acupuncture points which are easily recognizable in their ancient names - for example, "Altar of the Spirit," "Gate of Divine Consciousness," "Reception of Light" or "Heavenly Pond" have, at best, become a mythical curiosity and barely have an influence on the general practice of acupuncture. In China today a timid restoration of the teaching of the Five Elements and holistic medicine has begun, but the reason seems to be more economical than metaphysical: the Chinese have learned that Westerners hunger for metaphysical concepts in medicine. As good tradesmen they include it in their offer and sell it well. Still it can be assumed that traditional Chinese medicine in the Daoist sense - except in Taiwan - is most likely to be found in England, Holland, California, New Mexico, Hawaii and Australia: in countries which were influenced by Chinese culture long before Mao came to power, and where the freedom of thought and science could lead to further developments of Chinese medical methods, to a blend with various valuable Western therapeutical concepts and to a clearing-out of ancient superstitions. As a general rule it can be stated that the majority of good schools of Chinese medicine are located in these countries. These states also have legislation which permits acupuncture to exist as an autonomous medical practice, and not just as an additional method when allopathic medical procedures fail. 2 Organs and Meridians: A characteristic of the nature of Daoism is the fundamental unity and interconnectedness of all things. The various phenomena, structures and events of the organic and anorganic world - geological and weather changes, cosmic influences, plants, animals and people, as well as thoughts, feelings and illnesses - are not viewed in isolation from one another, but always as interwoven with things and happenings in their immediate environment, and, ultimately, as mutually dependent on everything else which exists.s Organs and tissues, whether healthy or ill, can also be understood in this way. The inner organs are considered as functional units or functional spheres encompassing and connecting the physical, emotional and mental realms of the organism. The anatomical form of an organ is not really important; the dynamic of its function and the dynamics of its relationship to the other organs take precedence. In the Chinese view, each organ has, in addition to its physiological task, emotional, mental and spiritual functions: it creates certain emotions and feelings - and shapes and transforms some of them as well. Sometimes, the emotions that are created by one particular organ limit or repress the emotional expression of another organ. In the mental realm, each organ produces a certain way of thinking, an organ-specific kind of perception and cognition which in turn interacts with the intellectual capacities and mental skills of the other organs. An organ is viewed as a delicate network of energy flows running through the entire organism - an interplay of bioelectro-magnetic frequencies and the various forms of Qi which circulate in the body. An organ represents a force field - its pole of maximum density is the anatomical structure of the organ itself. The energetic powerlines of the organ force field consist of countless branches and ramifications - just like the ribs in the stem of a leaf. Many of them directly flow into the anatomical form of the organ. The energetic artery of the organ is its corresponding meridian which leads the Qi of the organ to the surface of the body, connecting it at some points with the energy flows of other organs and meridians ... more to read in the Book " Das Tao der Akupressur und Akupunktur" 3 The Twelve Organ Meridians: 3.1 The Lung Meridian: The Lung Meridian is the Yin meridian of Metal. Coupled Yin organ: Large Intestine Odor during illness: foul, fishy Tissue: skin Facial colour during illness: pale Expression of power: body hair Behaviour under stress: refusal, cough Sensory organ: nose Feelings originating in the lung: sadness, worry, loneliness, coldness and cruelty, resignation, despairdepression, hopelessness Sense: smell The climate that enhances vitality when the lungs are lacking Qi and that causes illness when the lungs are full with Qi: dryness Bodily fluid: mucus Season: autumn exchange and rhythm Timbre of voice: metallic, nasal Direction of elemental power:   3.1.1 Internal course: The deep branch of the Lung Meridian originates in the solar plexus, the center of the Middle Warmer. It runs downward and winds around the colon transversum. From there it flows upward again, reaches the stomach and transverses the diaphragm through the hiatus oesophageus. Above the diaphragm it splits into two branches, one for the left and one for the right lung. These exit the lungs through the two main bronchia and unite again in the trachea. The deep branch flows upward to the larynx, splits anew, and both energy channels lead the Qi diagonally downward to the shoulders where the Lung Meridian surfaces in the frontal shoulder furrow, in the connective tissue between the pectoralis major and the deltoid muscles. 3.1.2 External course: The first section of the Lung Meridian flows in the frontal shoulder furrow upward until just before the collar bone (Lu 2). Here the meridian turns outward, leads diagonally across the front of the deltoid and, on the upper arm, along the outer side of the biceps (Lu 3, Lu 4). In the elbow it runs radially to the biceps tendon (Lu 5), in the forearm along the M. brachioradialis which it then traverses to run, parallel with the nervus radialis, the radial artery and the radial veins, in the furrow on the radial side of the M. flexor carpi radialis tendon, to the wrist. From there the Lung Meridian flows across the palm to the thumb where it ends at the radial corner of the nail. 3.1.3 Massage and acupuncture: The Lung is the organ which maintains the connection with the external world. With each breath, we take in oxygen and Qi and release carbon dioxide and Qi. The lungs transfer "Qi of the Sky" to the Middle Warmer, where along with "Qi of the earth" (nutrition) it unites with various forms of energy which circulate through the body. Acupuncture of the Lung Meridian helps a person when their contact and exchange with their environment is curtailed or disturbed. This type of dysfunction often leads to excessive worry and a pessimistic attitude towards life, it brings melancholy, sadness and a multitude of disappointments. In its chronic form, it leads to resignation and depression on the one hand, but also to loneliness and isolation, a feeling of being cut off, without access to other human beings. Within the spiritual realm, an impairment of the Lung MeridianŐs function can lead to religious puritanism, rigid moral views and intolerant fanaticism. Physiologically, a dysfunction of the lungs can lead to asthma bronchiale, bronchitis, cough, inflammation and infections of the nose and pharynx and other illnesses of the respiratory system. Furthermore, weak lungs may lead to acute and chronic skin diseases, such as acne and psoriasis, to disturbances in the course of the meridian, such as muscle and joint pains, paraesthesias and neuralgias, and to arthritis of the shoulder, elbow and wrist. Massaging the Lung Meridian enhances and deepens our breathing, thereby stimulating a sense of optimism and courage. It relieves sadness and worry, as well as cough and bronchitis. The respiratory volume is increased, more oxygen and Qi are absorbed, and our general level of energy is increased. Deep breathing facilitates many physiological processes which would otherwise remain problematic or incomplete, for example the excretion of waste material. Furthermore, the necessary level of Qi provided by deep breathing aids the perception and expression of many feelings. The degree of vital energy depends to a great extent on our breathing and the function of the Lung Meridian. Thus, massage brings a breath of fresh air to our emotional, spiritual and mental well-being: clarity, order and new ideas. Sometimes during massage or acupuncture of the Lung Meridian you hear a rumbling or gurgling in the belly. This indicates that the Qi in the deep branch of the Lung Meridian has started to flow and stimulates the peristalsis of the large intestine, thus relaxing the abdomen. 3.1.4 Directory of points: Times of maximum energy flow through the Lung Meridian (best response for acupressure; best time for sedation: 3-5 AM and 3-5 PM; best time for tonification: 5-7 AM and 5-7 PM) >> Lu 1 Zhongfu | Office of the Center Function: Mu point of the lung. Crossing point with the Spleen Meridian. Site: In the furrow between the shoulder and the frontal chest wall, 6 cun to the side of the middle line, at the same level with Yuzhong (N 26) - N 26 lies in the first intercostal space next to the breastbone. Massage: Press deeply with the thumb, let the client breathe deeply through a slightly open mouth. Zhongfu opens the sluice - it facilitates the entrance of Qi from the solar plexus and the Liver Meridian into the Lung Meridian. Zhongfu gives confidence. You feel strength in the lungs, power in the chest and arms. The feelings you experience with Zhongfu can have a Yin or Yang quality. The Yang quality: you feel large, strong, invulnerable, filled with energy, power and the force to strike. The Yin quality: you feel calm and self-assured, safe and secure. You feel at home in your environment - the lung connects you to the world. Shoulder ache, cough, shallow breathing, depression. Needling: Dangerous point. 5-10mm obliquely, in lateral direction, in order to avoid damaging the pleura and causing a pneumothorax. All lung diseases such as bronchitis, asthma bronchiale, bronchiektasies, tuberculosis and their accompanying symptoms such as cough, shortness of breath, thorax pains and night sweats. Painful and itching skin, chronic skin diseases. Depression (if caused by or associated with shallow breathing), feelings of hopelessness (as long as they are not based on real situations, for example terminal cancer or imprisonment and torture under dictatorial political regimes), worry, sadness, and despair. >> Lu2 Yunmen | Gate to the Clouds Site: At the upper end of the frontal shoulder furrow in the gap between the origins of the pectoralis and the deltoid muscle under the collar bone, about 5,5 cun to the side of the middle line. Massage: Press deeply with the thumb, let the client breathe deeply into the lungs through a slightly open mouth. Yunmen enhances the Yin: you feel relaxed, adrift, as in a reverie. All that is superfluous and unnecessary melts away, you retreat into yourself. You are able to feel sure of your strength. From this sense of security you develop a feeling of peaceful self-confidence which enables you relate to otherscomfortably and easily. The image: "a moonbowl filled with fluid in a dark room." Yunmen sometimes stimulates reflection about the day gone by. You may be inclined to rearrange past events in your mind, as you wish them to have happened. Like other lung points it sharpens the eye for the essential. Shoulder pains, cough, shallow breathing, depression. Needling: like Zhongfu (Lu 1). >> Lu 3 Tianfu | Palace of the Sky Function: Window to the Sky. Crossing point with the Spleen Meridian. Site: On the outer side of the biceps, 3 cun under the end of the anterior axillary fold, or 6 cun above the elbow. If you move the lateral rim of the biceps to the tip of the nose you touch Tianfu. Massage: Tianfu gives long-lasting strength and endurance, and it expands the chest cavity. You may get a sense of having large, powerful hands. As Window to the Sky it relaxes the spirit, the head becomes pleasantly dark and empty. Hiccoughs, upper arm pains, shallow breathing. Needling: 5-10mm perpendicularly. Difficult breathing with a feeling of fullness in the chest, asthma bronchiale, rheumatic shoulder pains. >> Lu 4 Xiabai | Gallant White which Loves Justice Site: On the outer side of the biceps, 4 cun under the end of the anterior axillary fold, 1 cun under Lu 3. Massage: Xiabai strengthens the lungs and the energy field in front of the chest. It relaxes the back of the shoulders as well as the legs. You feel relaxed and well, sheltered and secure. Cough, upper arm pains. Needling: 5-20 mm perpendicularly. Chest pains, shortness of breath, lung diseases. >> Lu 6 Kongzui | Distinct Cavity Hole of Greatest Effect Function: Xi point Site: On the inner side of the forearm, on the M. brachioradialis, 7 cun proximal to the wrist crease, on a straight line connecting Lu 5 and Lu 9. Massage: Press firmly. As Xi Point it rapidly activates the energy flow in the lungs and the Lung Meridian. Kongzui warms your hands, wakes you and collects your energy. Mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, Kongzui may provide you with insight into the nature of the Metal element. You might have visions and images in which iron, steel or other forms of metal play a significant role or which are characterized and defined by notions like precision, structure, timing and the relating of input and output. Elbow and forearm pains, coughing attacks. Needling: 1-2 cun perpendicularly. Use a sedation technique if you use it as Xi point with acute lung diseases. Pneumonia, asthma attacks, status asthmaticus. Chaotic mind and soul, difficulties getting to the essential >> Lu 10 Yuji | Edge of the Fish Belly Function: Ying point, Fire point. Site:In a clearly felt hollow in the center of the ball of the thumb, next to the middle of the first metacarpal bone - where the colour of the skin shifts from reddish to white like on the edge of a fish belly. Massage: : press deeply and firmly. Yuji stimulates deep and soft breathing, the flanks open up, the upper back expands. It stimulates the sixth and seventh chakras and enhances your sense of determination and decisiveness. Shallow breathing, cough, exhaustion and sore throat. Needling: 5-10 mm perpendicularly Yuji brings Fire into Metal, it brings warmth into dogmatic rigidity, humour into sober clarity and stiff perfectionism. Pain and numbness in the hand as a result of peripheral vascular disorders, arthrosis of the base joint of the thumb. Laryngitis, pharyngitis and fever. Hangover point after a long night out in which you drank and smoked heavily and did not get enough sleep - best in combination with Lidui (Ma 45).