Of all the Extraordinary Meridians, only the Governing Vessel Meridian and Conception Vessel Meridian are included with the twelve Regular Meridians to comprise the commonly known fourteen meridians.

The Governing Vessel Meridian and Conception Vessel Meridian flow vertically on the posterior and anterior central surfaces of the body respectively.

The Governing Vessel Meridian is located along the center of the back. It begins in the pelvic cavity, continues up the center of the spine, passes the neck, head, face, and ends at the upper lip.

Like the word “Governing” implies, it governs and oversees the Yang Meridians and promotes cool Water energy circulation in your back. As you know, the primary energy principle of Dahn Yoga is the Water Up, Fire Down energy cycle. The Governing Vessel Meridian is related to the Water Up process.

The Governing Vessel Meridian is a pathway through which the Water energy of the kidneys flows. Cool water energy generated at the kidneys rises along spinal fluid in the spinal cord and cerebrospinal fluid in the brain. It moves all the way to the top of the head, cools and clears the hot Fire energy in the head, and comes down to the face.

If the Water energy doesn’t flow smoothly in the Governing Vessel Meridian, the back and spine becomes stiff and feels hard. Also you have a heavy and dizzy feeling in your head and hot energy from the lower abdomen surges up to the heart and it makes problems in relieving urine and feces in digestive and urinary systems such as constipation, hemorrhoids, and urinary incontinence.

Therefore, if you want to make your head cool and clear, you should take care of the Governing Vessel Meridian. Problems in this meridian can cause headaches, respiratory diseases, or dysfunctions of the reproductive system.

To help fluid Water energy in the Governing Vessel Meridian, any exercise stretching the back and stimulating the spine such as Forward Bend is good. After basic stretching, try the sequence of Dahn Yoga exercise below. It will take about 15 to 20 minutes.

 Rolling Back Exercise
1. Sit with you knees bent. Round your spine to form a C shape. Clasp your hands around your legs.
2. Gently roll backward onto the floor so the rocking motion stimulates your spine and rock up to the original position. Repeat the motion 10 to 30 times.

Lying Hip Bounce
1.Lie on you back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
2.Place your hands palms down on the floor. Raise your hips and waist; then return them to the floor. Bounce your hips up and down for about five minutes.

Plow Posture
1.Lie on your back. Place your hands on the floor with your palms facedown.
2.Inhale. Raise your legs over your hips. Then raise your hips to continue extending your legs over your head. Allow your toes to touch the floor behind your head. Hold this posture for a few minutes.

Superman Posture
1.Lie on your stomach with your arms reaching out in front of you.
2.Inhale. Lift your head up. Looking straight ahead, arch your back and lift your hands and feet. Tense your wrists and ankles. You can employ abdominal breathing to enhance the benefits of this exercise.

Lion Posture
1. Kneel on the floor with your knees and your palms on the floor below your shoulders.
2. While holding this posture for a few minutes, do abdominal breathing and feel the movements of your kidneys, imagining the water energy in your kidneys flows to your spinal cord and brain.

* Maintain each posture above for two minutes or less in the beginning. Extend the time as you continue to practice these exercises.

— Chungsuk Lee