Surya (full name Surya Mandala) aka Amashaya
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In Sanskrit, Surya means “sun” and the marma Surya Mandala, located midway between the umbilicus and xiphoid process, “represents the microcosmic sun within all of us” (Lad & Durve, 2008, p. 164). It influences pitta dosha, and kindles agni (the fire principle within the body), especially within the stomach, thus, having a strong regulatory effect on the stomach and pancreas and stimulating appetite.
Similar to Bhaga, the acupuncture point corresponding exactly with the location of Surya, Jiŕn li (Rčn, or CV, 11, “Interior Strengthening”) does mimic the effects of the Surya. However, an acupuncture point exactly one cůn (body inch, the length of the middle joint of the thumb) away parallels the functions and effects, but in a much more powerful manner, and is, traditionally, used much more frequently.
In this case, Rčn 12, Zhong guan , located one cůn above Rčn 11, is one of the major points for stimulating the stomach (and is the strongest local point), as its Mů xué “Alarm Point”. It is also a major crossing point for several acupuncture channels (again, reflecting the idea that marma points are where multiple energy channels cross).
The crossing channels are: Small Intestine (SI), San Jiao (SJ, aka “Triple Burner”), Stomach (St), and Rčn mŕi. Interestingly, the SI and SJ are both associated with the Fire phase (aka “Element”, of the “Five Phases/Elements”), and are, in fact, the yang aspects of the Fire phase (their yin counterparts being the Heart and Pericardium, respectively).
When we look at the channels that cross, here, then, we have two yang-Fire and the Stomach channel, itself (along with Rčn, upon which the point lays). The parallel with Surya is clear.
Even more, Zhong guan is the Huě “Meeting” point of the Yang organs (technically, fu “bowels”, being Small Intestine (SI), Large Intestine (LI), Stomach (St), Gallbladder (GB), Urinary Bladder (UB), and San Jiao (SJ), versus the yin organs or zŕng viscera, the Spleen (Sp), Lung (Lu), Heart (Ht), Pericardium (Pc), Liver (Lr), and Kidneys (Kd)).
The Huě point is traditionally understood to be the point with significant effect on its related systems. Here, Zhong guan, having such strong effect on the stomach, and the stomach’s action of digestion and distribution of nutrients to all organs, is known to be a major point to stimulate all the “bowels”.
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Lad, V. & Durve, A. (2008). Marma Points of Ayurveda. Albuquerque, NM: The Ayurvedic Press.
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