Difference of direction of qi circulation in the small qi cycle between man and woman

The function of the human body is controlled by twelve main meridians which are divided into six yang meridians and six yin meridians. Yang meridians are superintended by the Du Meridian and yin Meridians by the Ren Meridian. To obtain the circulation of the energy or qi along the Du and Ren Meridians is said the small qi cycle. When small qi cycle has been achieved, the stagnation of qi in the twelve main meridian is dissolved, and the flow of qi in the human body goes around smoothly. The achievement of small qi cycle is one of the important purposes in qi training. But the process to accomplish this is not clear yet, it is difficult for common people to do it, and furthermore, the real meaning of it is not elucidated. We have practised various classical qi training to make clear the process of the small qi cycle. Traditionally, it had been suggested that the flow of qi in the small qi cycle ascended along the Du Meridian and descended along the Ren Meridian. But because we feel the discrepancy between man and woman in our training process, we build up a new hypothesis that in woman the flow of qi in the small qi cycle ascends along the Ren Meridian and descends along the Du Meridian. We report here the data that testify this hypothesis and make the proposal that this hypothesis is useful to achieve the small qi cycle.

Materials and methods:
The subjects were fifty healthy adult men and fifty healthy adult women. The direction of qi flow in the small qi cycle was measured by means of O-RING TEST (Omura's test), by using the stimulations of magnetic force or ultrasonic scanning on the Du and Ren Meridians. It is said that by this O-RING TEST the biological effects of subtle stimulation can be detected as the alteration of the finger muscle strength. Though the mechanism of this O-RING TEST is not revealed, it is known that the beneficial stimulations enhance the finger muscle strength, but the harmful stimulations weaken it. The subjected person made a circle using the thumb and an index finger (O-RING), and the examiner also made O-RING with the same fingers of each hands passing through the subject's O-RING. We measured the degree of separation of the subject's O-RING fingers pulling toward right side and left side by the examiner's O RING before and during the stimulations by the magnetic force or the ultrasonic scanning on the Du and Ren Meridians.

Result:
1. Ninety-eight percent of the subjects altered their finger muscle strength by the stimulation by the magnetic force or the supersonic scanning on the Du or Ren Meridian.
2. The men's finger muscle strength was enhanced by the stimulation of the magnetic force or the ultrasonic scanning ascending in the Du Meridian and descending in the Ren Meridian, but the women's was weakened.
3. The man's finger muscle strength was weakened by the stimulation ascending in the Ren Meridian and descending in the Du Meridian, but the woman's was enhanced.
4. Two subjected persons on whom the stimulation had no effects reported that they realized the small qi cycle in high degree.
5. The persons who developed the qi felt that the progressive stimulation which enhanced the finger muscle strength was comfortable, but the regressive stimulation which weakened the finger muscle strength was discomfortable, and they also felt some tenderness on some meridians by the regressive stimulation.

Discussion:
The stimulation of the magnetic force and the ultrasonic scanning, which cannot be perceive, can make some effects on the human body. If the qi in the human body goes around smoothly by the stimulation, the finger muscle strength can be enhanced. It is revealed that the direction of the magnetic force and the ultrasonic scanning which enhance the finger muscle strength is reversed between man and woman. This fact may be one ground for the new hypothesis that the direction of the qi flow in the small qi cycle is reversed in man and woman. The small qi cycle may be achieved more facilely considering the difference of the current between man and woman stimulated by the magnetic force or the supersonic scanning. And the application of the small qi cycle toward health care may develop.