Basic definitions

Hello Karine, 

I understand some of the concepts and approaches can be confusing at the beginning. I went through the same process myself.

Is SaAm acupuncture about gently harmonising a couple of meridians/climatic qi in a subtle way ; or is it the idea to take energy from a meridian to give it to the coupled meridian ?

> I do not fully get what you mean by a couple of meridians. Do you mean the "coupled" or balancing meridians? Anyway, I try to give you and explanation. Let's first look at your specific questions. 

For example, if I work with LU JG protocol, what's happening there : do I supplement LU or do I take energy from ST ? Or maybe both ? In a subtle way or in a kind of drastic way ? 

If I work with a SI JG protocol : do I supplement SI or do I take energy from KID ? And if I take energy from a kid deficient patient, that's probably not the best idea ? Or maybe this kid deficient patient concept is too much TCM and not a reality in SaAm acupuncture ?

> You will just supplement the Lu without taking the energy from the opposing side (Yang meridian) of the meridian system. Imagine you will supplement any meridian with just one needle/point, will you take energy away anywhere from another part of the meridian system? In general you will manipulate the targeted meridian by stimulating this specific point. But if we look at the Saam four point combinations where two points are tonified and two are sedated you will change the dynamic in the way it is described according to the promotion and control cycle. You will restrict the energy of two points and increase the energy of two points involving three meridians. This logic always is just within the level of Yin or Yang meridians. In that sense you will not take away the energy of the opposing meridian directly. You will balance it.

> You are not taking away energy from St if you strenghen Lu. You will not take energy from Kid if you strenghen SI. In case there is a climatic excess you will balance the system by strenghening the opposing climatic energy (using JG). 

> Maybe the balancing meridians model is a bit confusing. The clinical approach is this: In case we find a specific climatic energy in excess (as a pathogen) we can refer to the balancing model to choose a meridian that will balance the pathogenic energy and have a healing effect. Very simple. This does NOT mean that the excess or pathogenic climatic energy has been directly generated by the meridian which represents this climatic excess. For example when you have a leukorrhea with a lot of clear or whitish discharge then the climatic energy of damp-cold which is REPRESENTED by the Lung's climatic energy is in excess. But is is not the Lung itself that produces this discharge or the discharge happens because the Lung is diseased. But according to the balancing model we can conclude that using Stomach JG (warming and drying energy) will balance this condition. So clinically you can use this balancing model to select the correct meridian for treatment. The climatic energy in excess does not necessarily have to happen due to a disease of the meridian or ZangFu which represents this energy. Can be but does not have to be. However you can strenghen the balancing meridian of the pathogenic climatic energy using the opposing meridian with JG or directly target the climatic excess using SG of the meridian REPRESENTING this climatic excess. It can be an external or internal pathogenic process not directly related to this meridian. This is an important point to understand. Korean medicine in general does not make so much of a distinction if it is an external or internal cause. So in Saam acupuncture we can simply diagnose the pathogenic process and balance it at the Six Qi climatic level. 

> Simply speaking just use the balancing meridians model to pick the correct meridian for a treatment at the Six Qi-Five Element climatic energies level. If you diagnose correctly the treatment will have effect. It gives you another tool and perspective. 😀 

You are welcome!

Andreas

Thank you for this very precise explanation Andreas. Ganz und gar clar !