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CV-8 Spirit Gate Tower

神阙 〔神闕〕 shén què

Alternate names: 命蒂 mìng dì, Life Stem; 脐中 qí zhōng, Center of the Navel; 气合 qì hé, Qi Union; 气舍 qì shè, Qi Abode; 维会 wéi huì, Linking Convergence

Channel: CV, controlling (rèn) vessel

Modern location: An acupoint located on the abdomen, at the center of the umbilicus.

Classical location: In the center of the navel. From The Great Compendium of Acupuncture and Moxibustion (针灸大成 zhēn jiǔ dà chéng)

Local anatomy: The inferior epigastric artery and vein. The anterior cutaneous branch of the tenth intercostal nerve.

Action: Warms and frees original yáng; opens the orifices and rouses the brain; moves gastrointestinal qì; transforms cold-damp accumulating stagnations.

Modern indications: Abdominal pain; diarrhea; prolapse of the rectum; water swelling; vacuity desertion.

Classical indications: The five stranguries; vacuity desertion; infantile diarrhea after breast feeding; drum distension; pain in the umbilical region.

Needle stimulus: Moxa: 7‒14 cones moxibustion on salt; pole 20‒30 min.

Warning: Needling of this point is contraindicated.

Point name meaning:

The character 阙 (quē) is a symbol for an empty space that serves as a gate; it is considered interchangeable with 缺 (quē), meaning a gap. The spirit enters and leaves through CV-8, the Spirit Gate.

The navel is said to be the residence of the Supreme Unity (太乙 (tài yǐ), the source of life. For this reason, this point name could be rendered as Spirit’s Palace.

Originally, the name of CV-8 was Qì Abode, which may have been chosen on the basis of the statement in the Daoist Storehouse (道藏) that the qì of later heaven (i.e., postnatal qì) resides at the navel. Its name was later changed to avoid confusion with ST-11, which is also called Qì Abode. See acupoint names: origins, meanings, and translations.

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