05/22/2026
LI4 // Hegu // âJoining of the Valleysâ
One of the most commonly used acupuncture points in Chinese Medicine, Large Intestine 4, carries a seemingly simple invitation: let go.
Located on the hand between the thumb and index finger, LI4 is known in TCM for treating headaches, pain throughout the body, common colds, sinus congestion, and exterior wind patterns. It disperses wind, consolidates the exterior, stimulates the descending and dispersing function of Lung Qi, clears obstructions from the Large Intestine channel, and helps regulate the ascending and descending movement of Qi throughout the body.
But this point also speaks to something deeper...
LI4 is the Yuan-Source point of the Large Intestine channel and sits at the beginning of the meridian, receiving influence from the Lung channel before it. Together, the Lung and Large Intestine form the paired organs of the Metal Element: the aspect of us that learns discernment, value, grief, release, and ultimately, what must be relinquished so life can continue to move.
The mind can hold onto habitual patterns with an iron grip. Old stories. Protective masks. Ways of suffering that once served a purpose but have long since lost their value.
This point asks:
What are you still clenching around?
What would happen if you loosened your grip?
Sometimes healing begins not by adding more, but by finally releasing what no longer belongs in the landscape of the self.
