Although Qi permeates every part and every aspect of the body, it
tends to collect and travel along pathways called "jing luo." These are
the so-called "meridians" of acupuncture.
The jing luo channel system connects all aspects of the body together into one network of energetic communication.
How does Qi flow in the body?
Just
as water flowing through a landscape tends to seek the pathway of least
resistance, so Qi flows through the body. The flow of Qi follows the
folds and creases of the body's landscape. It follows the divisions
between muscles and the clefts between muscles and bones, collecting in
the small hollows and depressions of the body to form pools of Qi.
These
"pools of Qi" are places where Qi is concentrated and more accessible.
They are the acupuncture points, where Qi can be accessed and
manipulated through the use of finger pressure (acupressure), massage
techniques (tui na; literally "pinch and pull"), dermal friction (gua
sha), cupping, moxibustion (a form of heat therapy), and, of course,
acupuncture.