The Spleen Meridian

This page is dedicated to the Spleen meridian and several techniques based on Traditional Chinese Medicine for using it to support our health. Although these ancient healing techniques can appear simple, they may cause important shifts in your energy and boost your immunity. Working with the Spleen meridian can sometimes even prevent an illness, e.g. stop an approaching cold from taking hold of you. 

If you are short of time and can’t read the whole article, just watch this short overview of the Spleen meridian, including its pathway which you can trace with your hands, and, by doing so, strengthen the meridian.

The Meridian for Better Immunity and More Joy

The Spleen meridian is an energy pathway with strong nurturing and immunity-boosting qualities. It’s at its peak flow between 9 and 11 am.

The main functions of the spleen (as an organ) is the support of our immune and cardiovascular systems.  The spleen is responsible for cleansing our blood and aiding our immunity. It removes old red blood cells and produces (and stores) white blood cells known as lymphocytes. The lymphocytes have an important function of cleansing bacteria from the blood in the spleen. They also facilitate tissue healing and other important immune responses throughout our whole body. 

The Pathway of Spleen Meridian

The Spleen meridian begins at the big toe, in the lower, proximal part of the nail (see the illustration).

The energy pathway then continues to flow up the inner leg, across the groin, the stomach, and through the diaphragm.

The path of the Spleen (SP) meridian is marked in red colour on the following diagram.

Note: After the start of the journey on the big toe, (and before continuing to flow up the front of the body) the Spleen meridian pathway goes up the inner leg for a bit, which you can see on the picture below:

Important: This diagram shows the meridian pathway on only one side of the body. This is for clarity purposes only; in reality, it flows as a pair through both sides of the body, right and left.

Ancient Prints Depicting Meridian Pathways

It is fascinating to look at ancient Chinese prints and paintings that depict meridian pathways and compare them with modern acupuncture and acupressure diagrams.

We now have devices that are able to detect meridians including their acupressure points. What’s fascinating is that they are almost exactly the same as in those ancient illustrations.

The master energy medicine practitioner Donna Eden was born with the ability to see energies, and she had been able to detect meridian pathways even before she learned they existed!

Compare the pathways marked in these ancient prints with the modern-day diagram above it.

If Spleen Meridian is Out of Balance

If the spleen (both as an organ and energetic pathway) is out of balance, it can physically manifest by low immunity, susceptibility to colds, digestive problems (such as loose stools), weakness of the limbs, and fatigue.

An imbalance of the Spleen meridian can also manifest in the emotional areas: You can become over-worried, depressed, have low self-esteem, being too clingy,  and wallow in self-pity.

Fortunately, ancient medicine has left us with a heritage of techniques for balancing the Spleen meridian, which will allow us to enjoy a better immune system, feeling more joyful, and having higher self-esteem. Yes, self-esteem is not only ‘in your head’, but can get a boost by strengthening this specific energy pathway!

Techniques for Balancing Spleen Meridian

If you suffer from any of the symptoms and issues mentioned above, try the following techniques: 

• Trace Spleen meridian
• Flush Spleen meridian
• Work with the acupressure points of Spleen meridian