The Spirit of the Points: Six Acupuncture Points for Fall and the Metal Element
Exploring the physical, emotional, and spiritual dimensions of acupuncture through the wisdom of Chinese medicine.
Fall is the season of the Metal element in Chinese medicine, associated with the Lungs and Large Intestine. It's a time of transition, when the expansive energy of summer begins to draw inward, the air becomes cooler and drier, and nature starts releasing what it no longer needs.
In the treatment room, this season often brings more respiratory complaints, allergies, dry skin, and lingering coughs. But the Metal element has a much deeper significance in Chinese medicine, beyond the physical functions of breathing and elimination.
Metal is associated with grief, boundaries, discernment, and our ability to recognize what is valuable. The Lungs receive what nourishes us, while the Large Intestine helps us release what is no longer needed. Together, they reflect a fundamental rhythm of life: taking in and letting go.
One of my favorite aspects of acupuncture is that every point has a name. Many of these names carry imagery drawn from nature, geography, and classical Chinese philosophy. They can tell us something about a point's function, but they can also invite us to think about the body in a different way.
Here are six of my favorite acupuncture points for fall, and a closer look at their physical actions, classical significance, and the spirit behind their names.
The Lungs, the Po, and the Experience of Being Human
Before we explore the points themselves, it's worth understanding something about the Lungs that doesn’t really exist outside of Chinese medicine.
In classical Chinese thought, the Lungs are associated with the Po, translated as the Corporeal Soul.
The Po is one of the Five Spirits, or Wu Shen, associated with the five Yin organs. The Heart houses the Shen, the Liver houses the Hun, the Spleen houses the Yi, the Kidneys house the Zhi, and the Lungs house the Po.
The Po is closely connected to our physical existence. It relates to sensation, instinct, bodily awareness, and our immediate experience of the world through the senses. It is the aspect of spirit most intimately tied to the physical body.
Think about the instinct to take a breath, the comfort of physical touch, or the way an emotion can be felt in the body before we even have words for it. This is part of the territory of the Po.
The Lungs are also associated with grief. When we experience loss, we often feel it physically. Our chest tightens, our breathing changes, and sometimes we feel as though we can't quite take a full breath.
In Chinese medicine, these relationships are not considered separate. The physical and emotional experiences of grief are understood as interconnected, although this doesn't mean that every respiratory symptom has an emotional cause.
With that in mind, let's look at some of our favorite points along the Lung channel.
Lung 1: Zhong fu | Central Treasury
Lung 1 is located on the upper chest and is the Front-Mu point of the Lung, a place where the organ's Qi gathers.
The name Zhong fu is translated as "Central Treasury" or "Middle Palace." In classical Chinese imagery, a treasury is a place where something valuable is stored and protected.
Clinically, we use Lung 1 to regulate Lung Qi, relieve coughing and wheezing, and address tightness or fullness in the chest. It is especially relevant when Lung Qi isn't descending properly, which can contribute to symptoms such as coughing or difficulty breathing.
The name Central Treasury invites us to consider something more. In Five Element theory, Metal is associated with value and preciousness. Just as metal is refined from the earth, the Metal element is connected to our ability to recognize what is essential and meaningful. I like to think of Zhong fu as a reminder of the value we carry within ourselves.
When someone is grieving, overwhelmed, or feeling disconnected, the image of a central treasury can be especially meaningful. What do we hold close? What deserves our care and protection? What is truly valuable to us?
These questions aren't literal indications for Lung 1, but they reflect the broader philosophy of the Metal element and offer another way to understand the imagery of the point.
Lung 7: Lie que | Broken Sequence
Lung 7 is located just above the wrist and is one of the most frequently used points on the Lung channel.
Its name, Lie que, is commonly translated as "Broken Sequence". The name is also associated with lightning, an image of something suddenly breaking through or opening.
Clinically, Lung 7 is used to release the exterior, promote the descending function of Lung Qi, and address symptoms such as coughs, sore throats, headaches, early onset of a cold, and neck stiffness.
It's also the Luo Connecting point of the Lung channel and the Opening point of the Ren Mai (Conception Vessel), giving it a particularly interesting relationship to long-standing issues and fertility, as well as with the chest, throat, and front of the body.
The imagery of lightning breaking through the sky is one of my favorite ways to think about this point.
In Chinese medicine, healthy Qi needs to move. When movement becomes constrained, symptoms can develop. We see this physically with tightness, congestion, and pain, but we can also recognize a similar experience in our emotional lives.
Grief, for example, doesn't always move in a straight line. Sometimes it feels heavy and immovable. Other times, it arrives suddenly and unexpectedly. I think of Lieque as a point that represents the possibility of movement after a period of stagnation. We’re not necessarily forcing change, but creating an opening.
This feels especially appropriate during fall, a season that asks us to recognize when something has reached its natural ending.
Lung 9: Tai Yuan | Great Abyss
Lung 9 is located at the wrist crease, near the radial pulse.
It is the Yuan-Source point, Shu-Stream point, and Earth point of the Lung channel. It is also the influential point of the vessels, making it especially significant within traditional acupuncture theory.
The name Tai Yuan translates to "Great Abyss" or "Supreme Abyss."
Clinically, Lung 9 is an important point for tonifying Lung Qi and Yin. We use it in patterns involving weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath, a weak voice, palpitations, or chronic respiratory complaints. It also has applications when dryness affects the Lungs.
The imagery of the Great Abyss is particularly beautiful. An abyss suggests depth, something profound that exists beneath the surface. And because Lung 9 is an Earth point on the Metal channel, it also brings in the Five Element relationship of Earth nourishing Metal.
In the generating cycle of the Five Elements, Earth is the mother of Metal. This makes Lung 9 especially interesting when we're thinking about nourishment, restoration, and support.
From a Five Element perspective, the Metal element is connected to our sense of worth and our ability to recognize what is precious. When Metal is out of balance, themes of loss, disconnection, or difficulty recognizing one's own value may become important in treatment.
We can't always replenish ourselves by adding more to our schedules, finding another supplement, or pushing through exhaustion. Sometimes we need to reconnect with the resources that are already there and give ourselves an opportunity to receive.
The Large Intestine: Discernment, Boundaries, and Letting Go
The Large Intestine is the Yang partner of the Lung. In Chinese medicine, its physical role involves receiving waste material and facilitating elimination. But in Five Element theory, the Large Intestine also represents our ability to distinguish between what is useful and what is no longer needed.
This is where the concept of discernment becomes especially important. Letting go isn't simply about getting rid of things, but about recognizing what has served its purpose.
The Metal element teaches us that boundaries can be healthy, that not everything needs to be carried indefinitely, and that making space is sometimes just as important as filling it.
Large Intestine 20: Ying Xiang | Welcome Fragrance
Large Intestine 20 is located beside the nostrils and is commonly used for nasal congestion, sinus pressure, allergies, and a diminished sense of smell.
Its name, Ying Xiang, translates to "Welcome Fragrance." I love this name because it's description is so wonderfully, well, right on the nose!
Physically, this point helps open the nasal passages and restore the movement of Qi through the nose. It's one of the points we often include when treating sinus and allergy complaints.
There’s another layer worth exploring: the Lungs open into the nose in Chinese medicine, and the Po is closely connected with our sensory experience of the physical world. Smell is an especially interesting sense because of its close relationship with memory and emotion.
A familiar scent can transport us to a moment in our lives almost instantly. The smell of rain, a favorite meal, or the first crisp morning of fall can bring back memories we haven't thought about in years.
Although the classical function of Ying Xiang is primarily related to the nose, I appreciate its name as an invitation to reconnect with the world through our senses. To welcome fragrance is, in a way, to welcome experience.
And that's an important part of healthy Metal energy, too. We need to be able to release what is no longer useful, but we also need to remain open to receiving what life has to offer.
Large Intestine 11: Qu Chi | Pool at the Bend
Large Intestine 11 is located at the outer end of the elbow crease. Its name, Qu Chi, translates to "Pool at the Bend" or "Crooked Pond," describing the depression formed when the elbow is bent.
LI 11 is the He-Sea point and Earth point of the Large Intestine channel. It is one of the major points used in acupuncture to clear Heat and cool the Blood.
We commonly use it for patterns involving redness, itching, skin inflammation, and other signs of excess Heat like fever or infection. It also has applications for pain and restricted movement around the elbow and arm.
The image of a pool at a bend in the landscape is interesting because water naturally gathers in low places. A pool offers a place for things to collect, settle, and cool.
Metal is associated with clarity and discernment. Sometimes clarity is difficult to find when everything feels heated, agitated, or excessive. This point can be a reminder that not every imbalance requires more movement or stimulation. Sometimes the first step is to clear what is excessive and allow things to settle.
This is my own interpretation of the point's imagery rather than a specific classical emotional indication, but I think it fits beautifully with the broader philosophy of treatment.
Large Intestine 4: He Gu | Joining Valley
Large Intestine 4 is located between the thumb and index finger and is one of the most widely used points in acupuncture.
Its name, He Gu, translates to "Joining Valley" or "Union Valley." The name describes the valley-like space where the bones of the thumb and index finger meet.
Clinically, LI 4 is an important point for moving Qi, releasing the exterior, and treating pain, particularly in the head and face. We use it frequently for headaches, jaw tension, sinus complaints, and other conditions involving the face and neck. It's also the Yuan-Source point of the Large Intestine channel.
What I love about He Gu is the idea of a joining place. A valley is a space where things meet, where movement can pass through, and where a landscape naturally directs flow. Again, the Large Intestine helps us understand the importance of releasing what no longer serves us.
Healthy release requires discernment. We don't want to let go of everything, but we want to recognize what is valuable enough to keep and what has reached its natural conclusion. He Gu represents this ability to encourage movement while maintaining connection.
Sometimes, in treatment, that means addressing a stubborn headache or tight jaw. Other times, the larger treatment strategy may involve supporting someone who feels tense, overwhelmed, or unable to relax. The physical and emotional aspects of treatment aren't necessarily separate, even when we're using the same point for very different reasons.
LI 4 has important traditional pregnancy-related cautions, and acupuncture point selection should always be guided by a qualified practitioner.
The Wisdom of Metal Season
What I love about the Metal element is that it asks us to consider two things that seem opposite but are actually inseparable: receiving and releasing.
The Lungs inspire, and bring in what nourishes us. The Large Intestine helps us eliminate what we no longer need. The Po connects us to our physical existence, to sensation, instinct, breath, and the experience of being alive in a body. And the season of fall reminds us that change and loss are natural parts of life.
This doesn't mean we need to turn every physical symptom into an emotional lesson. A sinus infection is still a sinus infection, and a headache may simply be a headache.
But Chinese medicine gives us a broader framework for understanding how our bodies respond to the world around us.
In our practice, point selection is based on the individual patterns we identify through conversation, observation, pulse and tongue diagnosis, and the other information we gather during treatment. A point might be selected for its physical actions, its channel relationships, its Five Element qualities, or its place within a larger treatment strategy.
And sometimes, the name of a point offers a beautiful reminder of what we're working toward. More room to breathe, a little less tension, a stronger sense of connection to ourselves. Or our favorite, the ability to move into a new season feeling a bit more balanced.
That's the part of acupuncture I never get tired of exploring!
Further Reading & Classical References:
Huang Di Ne Jing Ling Shu, Chapter 8: Ben Shen
Deadman et al., A Manual of Acupuncture
Maciocia, The Foundations of Chinese Medicine
Hicks et al., Five Element Constitutional Acupuncture
