Summer is the only season that governs four meridians, while the other seasons have only two. The acupuncture points for these meridians are on the hands and arms. And as usual, these meridians connect with the others.
The Heart Meridian works with the blood vessels and moves the blood through them. An imbalance in this meridian can lead to excess warmth, insomnia, palpitations, nightmares, a skipping pulse, pain in the tongue, feverish feelings, restlessness, and feeling vexed. (That’s when you just don’t know what is wrong, and you have some or all of the above symptoms.) The time of day for the Heart Meridian is 11 a.m. – 1 p.m.
The Small Intestine Meridian works with elimination with the bowels in Western Medicine, and the Bladder in Asian Medicine (I know, it’s a strange interpretation.) This Meridian works from 1 – 3 p.m.
The Pericardium (the heart protector) and Triple Warmer meridians are real in their effects on health and wellness, too. The Pericardium protects the heart as it works with the emotions, and helps with hot flashes or the feeling of heat in the upper body. The Pericardium works from 7 – 9 p.m.
The Triple Warmer works with coordinating all the water functions in the body and works with three “burners,” including the lung area on top; the stomach, which helps to churn food; and the lower burner, which works with elimination. Triple Warmer is active from 9 – 11 p.m.