[Health Preservation] Naturally Smooth Meridians

Wu Chao Hui (JEFFI CHAO HUI WU)

Article Date: Friday, June 20, 2025, 4:37 PM

The vast majority of people are born with completely unobstructed meridians. At that time, the body has not yet been polluted by lifestyle, the muscles and bones have not been shaped by external forces, breathing is naturally smooth, and the flow of qi and blood is coordinated and unimpeded, making the whole person like an undisturbed ecological system. The reason infants sleep soundly, cry loudly, have a strong appetite, and possess soft limbs is that during that stage, they are in a state closest to the "natural origin." In that state, the meridians do not need to be "opened," but are inherently "open." When lying on their backs, the spine is flat; when breathing steadily, qi enters the dantian; when crying, the sound comes from the dantian without straining the throat; during sleep, although unconscious, the body still moves slightly, and the qi channels flow quietly. Each physiological manifestation actually reveals the self-regulating function that the body system should possess. And that is the "path of qi and blood" that we initially had but gradually lost bit by bit.

However, such smoothness does not mean permanence. As a person grows, the body gradually enters a process of passively adjusting its structure. Using a pillow too early can alter the natural curvature of the cervical spine; incorrect sitting posture compresses the downward energy flow connecting the lumbar spine and the coccyx; prolonged use of electronic devices leads to stiff shoulders and neck, a sunken chest, elevated diaphragm, and shallow breathing. Additionally, refined diets, irregular schedules, emotional exhaustion, prolonged sitting, and even improper clothing and abnormal shoe sole structures—these countless seemingly unrelated details gradually seal off the meridians, transforming the originally unobstructed network of qi and blood into a maze filled with blockages and distortions. More seriously, this degeneration occurs slowly, without pain or discomfort, often deeply embedding itself in the foundation before you even notice.

By the time they reach adulthood, most people have lost their true perception of their bodies. Pain is no longer seen as a signal, but merely something to be "relieved"; fatigue is no longer a reminder for self-protection, but is regarded as "laziness"; shortness of breath, chest tightness, irritability, and alternating chills and fever gradually become "habitual states." Humanity uses countless medications to mask symptoms, yet has never deeply questioned: why am I blocked? Why is my once unobstructed body now struggling to move? The answer is not complicated: because you no longer use its structure, but continuously distort its path.

This is a true depiction of "meridians being naturally unobstructed at birth, but later blocked by human actions." Many people mistakenly believe that meridians are "opened" through postnatal practice, but this is not the case. The meridian system has never been something that is acquired through practice; it has always existed and has only been damaged later. It is not an "upgrade module" that can be externally loaded, but rather an "inbuilt network" that one is born with. Once it is disrupted by lifestyle choices, no matter what school of thought you study, how many routines you practice, how many supplements you take, or how much acupuncture you receive, it can only serve as a remedy rather than a restoration of structure. True openness comes from understanding at the source why the qi and blood no longer flow on their own, and from reconstructing how the body can regain a sense of flow in every standing posture, every movement, and every breath. Techniques can enhance, but cannot replace; medications can regulate, but cannot build; only you can truly be the maintainer of your meridians.

Therefore, the pursuit is not about "how strong the energy is," but rather about returning to "how natural the form is." It is not about constantly asking, "Where has my energy gone?" but rather about calmly observing, "Where is my structure blocked?" Even if it is just changing a habitual movement, relaxing a tight muscle, or altering the angle of your standing posture, it may open up a previously disconnected energy channel. And once you feel that "subtle flow" starting again, you will understand: the body has never betrayed you; it has simply been waiting for you to return to your rightful place.

The contemporary pursuit of "meridians" is often packaged as a kind of "heaven-defying breakthrough," as if one must rely on extreme stretching, prolonged sitting, and painful perseverance to achieve a sense of qi. However, that feeling, if not built on structural restoration, is ultimately an illusion stacked upon illusion. True "opening" is not about intensity or enduring hardship, but rather a quiet "natural progression" that occurs effortlessly. "Opening" is silent, it is gentle, and it is the kind of release you experience when your entire body responds in the most natural breath. And this kind of "opening" is something you have always possessed; you just forgot it later.

Therefore, the smooth flow of meridians is not the result of a single practice, but a return to a way of life. When you start to eat lighter, sleep more regularly, walk more balanced, and breathe more deeply, you no longer need to "chase the qi and walk the pulse," because the qi will flow naturally, and the pulse will move on its own. Infants do not achieve this through "practice," but by not going against the natural way, which is why they are "naturally open." For adults to restore this openness, it is not through "striving," but through "returning"—returning to that starting point where one is in harmony with heaven and earth, where breathing synchronizes with the spine, and where the muscles and bones resonate with the qi and blood.

You once had smooth meridians, and now you are merely reclaiming the path that rightfully belongs to you.