Forbidden Acupuncture Points

Chapter 41 of the Huang Di Nei Jing Ling Shu

January, February and March- Ren qi is on the left.  Yang channels of the left are not to be needled.

April, May, June- Ren qi is on the right. Yang channels of the right foot are not to be needled.

July, August, September- Ren qi is on the right so yin channels of the right foot are not to be needled.

October, November, December, Ren Qi is on the left so yin channels of the left foot should not be needled.

While not taught in modern TCM schools, this principle is very important.  Test on the leg which holds the ren qi and you will notice this side is often more tender.  Mistakenly many low level acupuncturists will see this as a sign that it should be needled and inadvertently drain the patients yuan qi.  When they rise up, they may feel more light headed.  This is often mistaken as positive sign.  

When listed on paper it may seem complicated, but It can be easy to remember and its important to remember that all of these complicated celestial cycles have a down to Earth application.  It goes outside to inside just as the days are getting longer and shorter.  It goes left, right, right left and circling the legs in a counter clockwise direction  

Forbidden points are outside left after the Western New year, outside right at Easter, inside right through late summer and inside left through autumn.  For martial artists this is a preferred place to attack and obstructing it will quickly destroy an opponent's structure.

10 Heavenly Stems

甲Jia =left hand shaoyang san jiao channel  

己 Ji= right hand shaoyang san jiao channel

乙 Yi=left hand taiyang small intestine channel

戊 Wu=right hand taiyang small intestine channel

丙 Bing=left hand yang ming large intestine channel

丁 Ding=right hand yang ming large intestine channel

庚 Geng=right hand shaoyin heart channel

癸 Gui=left hand shaoyin heart channel

辛 Xin=right hand taiyin lung hannel

壬 Ren=left hand taiyin lung channel

12 Earthly branches.

子zǐ November left foot taiyin spleen channel

丑chǒu December left foot shaoyin kidney channel

寅yín  January  left foot shaoyang gallbladder channel

卯mǎo  February  left foot taiyang urinary bladder channel

辰chén  March left foot yang ming stomach channel

巳sì  April right root yang ming stomach channel

午wǔ  May right foot taiyang urinary bladder channel

未wèi  June  right foot shaoyang gallbladder channel

申shēn  July (yin begins to appear) right foot shaoyin kidney channel

酉yǒu  August right foot taiyin spleen channel

戌xū  September right foot jueyin liver channel

亥 hài  October and governs the left foot jueyin