Neil Gumenick, MAc, LAc, Dipl. Ac.
Editor’s Note: In prior issues, Neil discussed the Kidney Official as a whole (August 2014) and specific points on the Kidney meridian (September 2012) which included points 1, 2, 3, 7, and 8. His column in October 2019 featured points 24, 25, 26, and 27); while his January 2024 column focused on KI 9, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, and 17. This article focuses on KI 5, 6, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23.
KI 5: Water Spring
A water spring is a place of exit at which groundwater from an aquifer flows out on top of the earth and becomes surface water. Such springs have long been important as a source of fresh water, especially in arid regions, which have relatively little rainfall. We would consider this point for the water-imbalanced patient who needs access to a deeper source of water within; who has perhaps drained or dissipated their water away; who needs to draw on a new reserve and bring it to the surface where it is needed.
KI 6: Illuminated Sea
When healthy, the kidney’s ability to filter impurities manifests as a mind that is clear and a spirit that is radiant. When imbalanced, the mind becomes muddled, unclear, cloudy and delusional. The spirit, which is innately pure, seems covered over with murkiness, confusion and misunderstanding. Our constitutional strength, stored in the kidneys, including the spiritual gifts of willpower and determination, is compromised.
Like the age-old metaphor of a mind, clear and still as a tranquil lake – perfectly reflecting what is, unmoving until the correct impulse to act arises, the Kidney Official, in a state of imbalance, is akin to a muddy pool. The kidney’s ability to dispatch vital fluids is compromised, as is the quality of the fluid itself. Rather than pure, clean water being dispatched to every cell, organ, and every level of our being, this toxic mud is spread.
This point can help restore the innate brightness of body, mind, and spirit – drawing upon a vast reservoir, a “sea” of water, capable of cleansing, refreshing, and invigorating.
KI 18: Stone Border
Water needs natural boundaries to keep it contained and flowing freely. Without borders, it would tend to flow uncontrollably in any direction or be absorbed by the Earth. A border of stone is strong and enduring; it keeps the water in its proper place and helps ensure it gets to its proper destination. Too much or too little water is a dangerous situation. If this border is failing, the water-imbalanced patient may well be easily distracted from their path or task; may find it difficult to stay focused, to maintain boundaries at any level; and may feel their energy quickly dissipate away.
KI 19: Yin Capital
A capital is the most important city in a given area, and usually the center of government and administration. It is often a center of arts, knowledge, and commerce as well. There are significant and rich resources in a capital city. This capital lies on the yin (shady) side of the hill. This is not a capital easily found by its bright lights or impressive tall buildings and towers. This capital is more hidden; its treasures are deep, quiet, internal, perhaps secret.
For the water-imbalanced patient who is overly attached to the “bling” of the superficial and material world, and finds it does not satisfy for long, this point can orient them to a deeper level – and what is truly eternal and ultimately satisfying.
KI 20: Through the Valley
Valleys are low-lying places between mountains or hills, with water typically flowing through. Life’s journey consists of negotiating peaks and valleys. We could not have one without the other. In nature, in the valleys, debris of plant and animal life collect and are flushed away by the flowing water, especially when the rains come or the snow melts.
At any level within us, problems can seem insurmountable; the debris may not be flushed away, but may collect and fester. One can become, metaphorically, stuck in the valley, bogged down, retaining old stagnant impurities that fill and pollute the mind, and stifle the spirit.
This point helps release the congestion so we can pass through the valley – often a place of difficulty and challenge – as easily and effortlessly as nature intended.
KI 21: Dark Gate
Having passed through the valley, the journey continues. Often, when we have been stuck and in darkness, the way forward is not easily seen. We habitually expect more darkness. The way needs illumination. This point provides it.
Here, the patient can see how to open the gate and the direction to take. It is not uncommon to use KI 20 and 21 together in the same treatment to both free the stagnation and illuminate the next steps.
Alternatively, an excess of light, activity, and stimulation might overwhelm and fatigue. With proper intention, this gate can offer passage to a serene sanctuary, where we can find respite in tranquil stillness.
KI 22: Walking on the Verandah
A veranda serves as a sheltered extension attached to the front and sides of a dwelling, offering a degree of protection while confronting or connecting with the external environment. We utilize this point to guide an ailing patient toward recovery through gradual and pragmatic steps: transitioning from the confines of the sickbed to tentative movements, then perhaps to a vantage point near a window, and eventually to a “walk on the veranda” or porch – still within the protective confines of home, yet closer to the outside world.
For patients so bound by illness (at any level) that venturing beyond seems daunting, a “veranda stroll” represents a constructive step forward. It diminishes apprehension of the unfamiliar, instills confidence in the possibility of improvement, and diminishes the fearful attachment to illness.
KI 23: Spirit Seal
A seal is an embossed emblem, symbol, or character utilized to signify quality, authority, or genuineness. In antiquity, whoever exhibited the imperial seal was acknowledged as a royal envoy and was accorded the respect due the Sovereign. This seal holds an even deeper significance, as it bears the impression of the divine essence at the core or essence of each of us.
As each individual is creation of the one divine creative source, each possesses such an impression. Eastern spiritual traditions consistently affirm the presence of the divine (or Buddha nature) within everyone and everything. For the individual struggling with a loss of self-value, dignity, and assurance, this point is a powerful reminder of their innate divine nature.
Author’s Note: There are many interpretations and uses of these points in various traditions; the preceding is not intended to encompass all possibilities. English translations of point names are those taught by Professor J.R. Worsley and appear in Traditional Chinese Acupuncture, Volume 1: Meridians and Points by J.R. Worsley; Element Books, 1982.
