Overall trajectory of the Stomach channel:
The Stomach channel traverses the front of the body from head to toe. The main branch of the Stomach channel starts at the lateral side of the nose, where the Large Intestine channel left off. It ascends to the eye and then descends through the cheek to enter the upper gum. Then it travels down the neck, chest, abdomen and pelvis. It descends along the lateral margin of the thigh, knee and leg to the top of the foot. The channel ends at the second toe.
ST 31, ST 34 and ST 40 are the most common areas of stagnation in the Stomach channel.
ST 31 髀关 Thigh Gate
When we naturally rest our hand on the front of the thigh in standing position, the palm of our hand automatically touches this point.
ST 34 梁丘 Ridge Mound
This point is located in the depression 2 inches above the patella of the knee on the lateral side of the femur.
ST 40 丰隆 Abundance Bulge
This point is located midway between the knee and ankle, about 2 inches lateral to the tibia.
Instructions:
Sitting on a chair with feet on the ground, use the knuckle of the pinkie finger to gently tap from the hip to the leg along the Stomach channel shown in the picture above. Pay special attention to ST 31, ST 34 and ST 40 areas. We can also use our thumb to massage these tender areas or use a Guasha tool to press or stroke the channel.
Stagnation can feel like tenderness, soreness or pain. Or it might just feel slightly different from areas around it. You can work on the congested areas for 5 to 10 minutes daily. It's common to experience redness, swelling, soreness and pain in the area as you massage it with your hands. In fact, the stronger and healthier you are, the more intensity of soreness you will feel. Keep working through the discomfort. This is the key! The blockage usually goes away in 3-5 days.
Working on the Stomach channel can potentially help with:
Stomach pain and discomfort
Abdominal fullness and distension
Gas and bloating
Acid reflux
Constipation and diarrhea
Frontal headache
Upper gum pain
Breast tenderness
The best time to work on the Stomach channel is 7-9 AM. However, the actual best time to work on any channel is whenever you have time. What matters most is to do it consistently and daily.
The material of this blog is inspired by 敲开健康之门 written by 路新宇. Currently there is no English translation of the book.