I am starting my more detailed exploration of each of the pairs of the Eight Extraordinary Vessels with the pair of Conception (Ren) and Governing (Du) Vessels. These are the most well-known of the Vessels, forming the front and back midline of our body between our perineum and our mouth. In essence, they are the Chinese version of the chakra system. Ultimately they regulate everything in our body, and both in movement and touch based practices, I always include them.
My affirmation for both of them is:
I am the source, and I am connected to the source.
The first to emerge in our body in physical form at 2 weeks after conception, they guide our physical and emotional development. Intimately connected, they form a continuum of Yang and Yin, like the sympathetic (Yang) and parasympathetic (Yin) nervous systems which they regulate. Conception Vessel is the Yin, parasympathetic, rest and digest, with Governing Vessel the Yang sympathetic fight or flight, or activation. They connect our Brain with our Reproductive organs (“Palaces”) and our Kidneys, which for the Chinese include our adrenals. Like the chakras, Governing and Conception Vessel flow through the main endocrine glands: our pineal, pituitary, thyroid, thymus and pancreas. Even though the ancient Chinese didn’t know about hormones, they understood their effect. We can see this expressed in our Essence (Jing) which flows in cycles of 7 years for women and 8 years for men.
In all the diagrams I know they are shown as a straight line but in fact they flow in a spiralling movement, again like the chakras. They spiral up and down the body, flowing inside as well as outside. Indeed our body is made up not of lines but spirals. I have made a visualisation on this spiral, which is often known as the Microcosmic Orbit. However, as you will learn in my future posts, the microcosmic orbit also includes another Vessel, the Penetrating Vessel, which spirals around Governing and Conception Vessel.
I hope you enjoy getting to know Du Mai and Ren Mai.
How can Conception and Governing Vessels help you?
They can help you in many ways because they form your vertical midline, connecting everything between your perineum and the top of your head. They regulate your pelvic floor, all of your internal organs, your spinal column and central nervous system as well as your digestive system. Although Conception isn’t a completely accurate translation of the ideogram, both Conception and Governing Vessels are present at conception in the drawing together of the egg and the sperm
They are not really 2 Vessels, but one super Vessel. This super Vessel could even be considered as having a third and even fourth pathway: the Penetrating and Girdle Vessels. You can learn more about these in my blogs and videos.
You might want to watch the video I have done on the Conception and Governing Vessel. In the next few days I will be putting up a video on exercises for the Vessels. If you aren’t already subscribed to my YouTube channel, I have a mix of talks, movement & touch practices as well as visualisations.
Directly regulating our spinal column (bones and fluid), central nervous system and vertical axis of our body, they invite a fluid, spacious feeling. Like the living trunk of the tree they connect us to heaven and earth, although, having no branches in our legs, they are not directly connected to the earth. It is Penetrating Vessel, sometimes considered to be a third branch of this Yin/Yang pair, which provides the roots. Our spine provides the basis for all our movements. During the womb we make snake like movements to develop the strength of our spine. Our spine is further strengthened by the movements we make during birth. We spend the first year of our life developing our movements so that we can stand upright and take our human posture and discover the world. Then we can start to walk and embrace a new perspective on life. The Stepping Vessels, which I will explore in my next blog, enter a new stage of maturation.
They appear physically in our body 2 weeks after conception when we begin to take in nourishment from the womb and become a bi-laminar disc. Governing connects to our amniotic sac and Conception to our yolk sac – structures from within ourselves which nourish(yolk sac) and protect (amniotic sac) us .
The microcosmic orbit
They are sometimes called the “Central Channel” and we could consider them like the Chinese equivalent of the chakra system of India or Tibet of a vertical midline with the kundalini movement of Ida and Pingala spiralling around Shushama. This spiralling movement includes the Penetrating (Chong) Vessel, which spirals around them each side completing vertical spiral vertically and with the Girdle (Dai) which completes the spiral horizontally.
It is fascinating that modern medicine adopted the Greek symbol of the Rod of Asclepius – a rod with a serpent spiralling around it. Later, the Greek image of Caduceus, or staff of Hermes, originally used to represent exploration and trade, was used as a medical symbol. The Caduceus has two snakes intertwined around a staff, which sometimes has wings at its head. Every cultures has understood the spiralling nature of our body.
If you want to watch my visualisation of the Microcosmic orbit here it is on YouTube
The inner family of the Vessels
They come into physical form at 2 weeks (CV and GV) immediately followed by Penetrating and Girdle at 3 weeks. They all
- Emerge from our Gate of Life (GV4), the space between the Kidneys, in our lower back between the second and third lumbar vertebrae.
- Share internal pathways of connection between our Gate of life (ancestral connections), Palaces (reproductive organs), Heart and Brain.
- Emerge on our perineum to flow along their external pathways.
- Flow through our vertical midline
Expressing the nature of our body like the warp and weft of a cloth, they flow horizontally and vertically. Conception and Governing are the warp (vertical), and Girdle and Penetrating are the weft (horizontal). Like the warp and weft their pathways interconnect and overlap
Conception Vessel : Ren Mai – Vessel of Self Nourishment and Sea of Yin, The Queen, the Moon
The origin and regulator of all Yin in the body it enables us to mobilise our Yin. Expressing a self-contained quality of gathering in, it supports us to nourish beginnings.
It draws the Yin of the Universe, the “Breath of Life” into our body at conception. This is expressed through its regulating point – Lung 7. Yin is our capacity to nourish, protect and envelop ourselves emotionally and physically. We are able to support our Heart from within without being dependant on others. If the outer world is hostile, Conception Vessel allows us to be able, for limited periods of time, to draw on our inner resources to keep us going.
Yin is how we transform and move fluids in our body. This includes the fluid part of the craniosacral system along with sweat, tears, the lymphatic system, urination, sexual secretions, Blood and menstrual Blood. It works closely with Penetrating Vessel to regulate male and female reproductive cycles.
Yin is our parasympathetic nervous system: “rest-and-digest” or “feed and breed” activities that occur when our body is at rest. CV regulates the internal (Yin) aspects of our organs, limbs and our front midline. It supports tone in our muscles, fat tissue, membranes and fascia which wrap and hold up our organs.
It rules our whole digestive system, from mouth to anus, as well as how we digest emotional nourishment. In this role it is closely related to Penetrating Vessel. Part of this is our enteric nervous system – the local nervous system of the digestive tract. This is our most primitive nervous system and links to our gut feelings of safety and digestion – physically and emotionally.
Important points:
CV4 Guan Yuan: Gate of Origin aka dantian or cinnabar ( mercury(II) sulfide (HgS)) . field
Regulates our lower abdomen: Small Intestine Regulating (Mu) point
2 thumb widths above pubic bone
CV5 Shi Men, Stone Gate
Triple Heater Mu point and regulates the Womb
3 thumb widths above pubic bone or 2 thumb widths below navel
CV6 Qi Hai: Sea of Qi
Regulates Qi, Kidney, Blood and the cinnabar field
1.5 thumb widths below navel
CV8: Shen Que: Spirit gateway
This is the navel and where we connected with our mother through the umbilical cord. It carries the memory of how we were nourished in the womb,
It regulates our intestines and abdomen
CV22 Heavenly Prominence or Celestial Pathway
Shared with Yin Linking
Window of Heaven point
Just above the suprasternal notch
CV23 Corner Spring or Fountain of Purity
Shared with Yin Linking
On the neck in the depression just above the hyoid bone
Meaning of its Chinese name – Ren
The Chinese character for “Ren” is the image of a human (on the left) standing next to a bamboo pole with a load hanging at each end (e.g. a bucket of water).
This represents enduring the burden of being human. It is our capacity to adapt and nourish ourselves at each stage of life by responding to the inevitable changes.
Conception is not an accurate translation because it is not only about creating new life but nourishing it. This includes new life in all its forms – new cell growth, new ideas, new energies.
- Affirmation
I nourish myself from within and I thrive whatever is going on outside. I have the strength to travel my path wherever it leads.
Common patterns
Underactive (this is more likely)
I have lost faith in the Divine and lack self-worth and-trust.
I am not able to come back to my centre and tend to get easily dispersed in the outer world.
I lack muscle tone in my abdomen and pelvic floor and tend to prolapse issues.
I am cold. I find it hard to digest and take in nourishment from my food and relationships. I tend to dryness in my body.
I may have difficulty conceiving or issues with menstruation.
I may have difficulty completing projects -I lack staying power and give up easily.
Overactive
Life is all about me. I don’t know how to relate to others. I protect myself from them.
I have lost my connection to my purpose in life and feel the Divine will come to the rescue whatever I do. I don’t need to take responsibility.
I am stuck in my inner experience and find it hard to open to the environment. I escape through meditation and use spiritual realms to avoid reality.
I tend to retain fluids, experiencing bloating, sluggishness, constipation, fibroids or cysts.
Governing Vessel – Vessel of action, sea of Yang, Sun, King
Regulating point SI3 and paired to Heart in 12 meridian system
The origin and regulator of all Yang in the body, it enables us to mobilise and take action. It expresses a self-contained quality of initiation and separation. Protecting us, it helps us to gather our resources, regardless of what is happening in the outer world.
Connecting us to the expansive Yang of the Universe, it brings space into our body, and contains the memory of why we decided to separate from the whole at conception. Yang is how we initiate beginnings: our impulse for the new and the separation which involves letting go of the old. It enables us to separate from the maternal matrix at birth, providing the structure which binds everything together so that eventually we can stand upright, have a sense of purpose and go out into the world.
Activity and goal-oriented, we see the space around us and can make decisions, acting in alignment with our destiny. It protects us through its capacity to mobilise and respond to signals of alarm and yet it also brings a clear, calm, witnessing clarity to our actions. We can express our Heart in the outer world and bring those experiences back to our Heart.
“Activation” is a sympathetic nervous system response: “fight and flight”. Governing Vessel regulates all the Yang (i.e. external) aspects of our organs and limbs including our skin, hair and mammary glands. Yang increases blood flow to the skeletal muscles. GV regulates everything which lies along the back midline of the body. If it is strong, our spine is strong and straight, giving us postural support with our head held well. Our bones are nourished. We have an appropriate balance between strength and flexibility.
Important points
GV4 Ming Men: gate of life/destiny/origin or palace of Essence, Lumbar pass (shared with all 8 Extraordinary Vessels
For nourishing the Essence, supporting the Kidneys and Spine, clearing Fire. Lumber pass to move Qi in the GV
Between the second and third lumbar vertebrae
GV15 Occipital pass Gate of muteness shared with Yang Linking
Some call this the upper pass
BL10 Celestial pillar window of Heaven is each side
Depression below GV16
GV16 Palace of Wind shared with Yang Linking
Nape of neck below occiput
GV20 100 meetings
The most Yang point in the body – our crown chakra
Vertex on the midline, in depression 5 thumb widths above anterior hair line
Meaning of its Chinese name – Du
The Chinese character for “Du” means Governor or someone who controls. It is not the supreme power but its commander in chief – like a younger brother watching out for his older brother. The commander is a man of virtue, good and skilful. The female version is the women’s governess in the royal palace. Also described like a centre seam in the back of a garment, it symbolises the middle or right way.
- Affirmation
I am aligned with my destiny. I am in command of myself and can take appropriate action in every situation. I can protect myself.
Common patterns
Note:, you may have elements of both overactive and underactive.
Overactive
I am overly rigid and can’t adapt. I think I know best and don’t listen to others. I tend to confront people. I rush into action without evaluating the appropriate response. I tend to get issues with compressed discs in my spine.
Underactive
I am unable to protect myself and don’t know how to act. I feel confused and have lost my connection to my purpose in life. I don’t like to be seen. I am not able to speak my truth. I tend to have weakness in my spine and am susceptible to prolapse of my discs.
I hope you have enjoyed reading about the Conception and Governing Vessels. Please do ask if anything is unclear or if you have any experiences of working with the Conception and Governing Vessels which you would like to share.
The next blog will be on the Stepping (Qiao) Vessels. If there is anything you would like to know about these Vessels, or experiences you would like to share, please let me know.
