DIVERGENT CHANNELS

MARY ANNE MATTA

CHARACTERISTICS OF DIVERGENTS

Separate (or diverge) from their main channels at major articulations – knees, pelvis, axilla, shoulder, neck – and then run deep
Enter the organs in the abdomen or chest, especially the HT
(Leg Yang Divergents enter the HT organ; therefore they can be used to treat the HT)
Emerge in the supraclavicular fossa, in the neck and face
Converge with related Yang primary channels

Circulate Wei and Ying Qi ( use clinically to treat pathogenic factors)

Divergent Qi circulation follows in internally-externally related pairs:

BL – KD – GB – LV – ST – SP – SI – HT – SJ – PC – LI – LU – BL …

Of the Yin channels, only the LV and HT primary channels reach the face, hence the divergents bring Yin to the head and sense organs.

Confluents are internally-externally related divergent pairs that join together and circulate on a parallel pathway – note that all Yin
divergents eventually join with their Yang divergent channels reinforcing the connection between interior and exterior, yin and yang.

CONFLUENCE Interior Lower Meeting Point Joining Places Upper Meeting Point Ian Cyrus’
Exterior (Diverges or Separates (where Yin & Yang (Emerges back with Coupling Points
Pair from primary channel) divergents meet) Yang primary)
1 s t Confluence BL - KD BL 40, KD 10 Popliteal fossa & Nape BL 10 BL 1 or 11 with KD 10 or BL 10
2 nd
Confluence GB - LV GB 30, LV 3 External genitalia GB 1 GB 1 with LV 8 or GB 34
3 r d Confluence ST - SP ST 30, SP 12 ST 30 area ST 1, ST 9* ST 1 with SP 9 or ST 36
4 t h Confluence SI - HT SI 10, HT 1 Inner canthus of eye BL 1 BL 1 with HT 3 or SI 8
5 th
Confluence TW - PC GV 20, GB 22 Inferior to Mastoid TW 16* GB 12 with PC 3 or TW 10
6 t h Confluence LI - LU Hand, LU 1 Supraclavicular fossa & ST 12, LI 18* ST 12 with LU 5 or LI 11
throat
*Window of Sky
- 3 Leg Yang terminate at the eye
- 3 Arm Yin separate at the axilla

PATHWAY OF DIVERGENT CHANNELS

What is especially important about these pathways is that divergents strengthen the relationship between interior (yin) and exterior (yang) related organs.
Hence, the use of Yang channels to treat Yin organs (and vice versa) is possible because of the way divergent channels connect pairs.

Yang divergents first enter: (1) their own organ (2) then the paired yin organ (3) the Heart organ*, and (4) rejoin their Yang primary channel (except LI)
Typically, Yin divergents enter (1) meet with their Yang divergent channel, and (2) connect to their Yang primary channel in the head

Bladder diverges in popliteal fossa à anus à BL organ à KD organ à HT organ* à emerges at BL 10

Kidney diverges in popliteal fossa à KD organ à crosses Dai Mai à emerges BL 10
Gall Bladder diverges in thigh à converges in pubis with LV divergent à GB organ à LV organ à HT organ à emerges at GB 1
Liver diverges in dorsum of foot à ends in pubis where it converges with GB divergent
Stomach diverges in anterior thigh à ST organ à SP organ à HT organ à emerges at ST 1 and enters eye
Spleen diverges in anterior thigh à converges with ST divergent to enter ST, SP, HT organs à emerges at ST 9 & enters tongue
Small Intestine diverges at shoulder à axilla à HT organ à SI organ à emerges at BL 1
Heart diverges in axilla à HT organ à SI divergent à emerges at BL 1 (inner canthus)
Triple Warmer diverges at vertex of the head à descends over clavicle à joins the three burners thru TW primary
Pericardium diverges in axilla à descends to each burner à ascends to chest and throat à TW divergent à emerges at TW 16
Large Intestine diverges in hand à LI 15 à spine à supraclavicular fossa à LU organ à LI organ à emerges at LI 18 in throat
Lungs diverges in axilla à LU organ à LI organ à LI channel à emerges at LI 18 à nose via LI primary

Ø The Lung and Large Intestine do not enter the Heart

Ø Only the KD, HT, LU enter their own Zang organ
Ø In addition to the Bao Mai/Uterine Channel, the BL Divergent channel reinforces the HT-KD axis