Blog Articles

Restful sleep is crucial for our bodies to run optimally. For thousands of years, Traditional Chinese Medicine has used the meridian system to help restore healthy sleep patterns.

Triple Warmer is the meridian that controls our fight, flight, or freeze response. According to Donna Eden, author of Energy Medicine, the triple warmer impacts the immune system and our ability to manage stress. When it is activated, the body is on high alert. When you practice tracing your triple warmer meridian backward, it can sedate or calm the fight or flight response.

The exercises below, from Donna Eden’s program, can help you release tension and return to calm.

Triple Warmer Smoothie

  1. Place your fingers at your temples. Hold for one deep breath, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth;
  2. On another deep breath, slowly slide your fingers up and around your ears, smoothing the skin while maintaining some pressure;
  3. On the out breath, slide your fingers down and behind your neck and hang them on your shoulders;
  4. Push your fingers into your shoulders, and when you are ready, drag them over the top of your shoulders and smooth them to the middle of your chest over your heart.

Tap Triple Warmer Hand Point to Sedate Triple Warmer Meridian

This exercise can calm anxiety and worry.

  1. On the backside of your hand, find the groove between the ring and pinky fingers;
  2. Tap into the groove while thinking of stress (You can also rest your flat hand on your heart and tap in the groove.).

If you are having difficulty falling asleep and staying asleep, we can help you. Our functional medicine providers understand that sleep disorders can be caused by many factors. Sometimes, simple exercises and lifestyle modifications will vastly improve your sleep pattern. But when those are not enough, we can take a deeper dive into your medical history and look at other areas of your health to identify imbalances that could be contributing to your sleep disorder.

To speak to a nurse today, please give us a call at 703-532-4892.

Trace Meridian Backwards to Sedate Triple Warmer

Tracing the meridian backward can reduce excess energy and can bring a sense of relaxation and calm to the body. It is very helpful right before going to sleep.

  1. Take a deep breath in;
  2. Using the opposite hand, begin at the temple, trace down over the ear, around to the shoulder, to the elbow, and around to the 4th (ring) finger;
  3. Pull off finger;
  4. Trace the meridian slowly 3 times;
  5. Repeat on the opposite side.

Hold Neurovascular Points to Sedate Triple Warmer Meridian

This exercise is helpful if one is feeling overwhelmed or not sleeping well. This exercise is good to do when you wake up in the middle of the night and cannot fall back to sleep.

  1. Place a hand behind your neck, notice the soft spot indent in the center of your neck. Move to the outside after you go over the tendons, there is a slight indent, those are the neurovascular points;
  2. Gently hold the area with a flat hand. Do not press in. Hold the area for at least 2 minutes;
  3. Repeat with the other side.

Triple Warmer Hug to Sedate Triple Warmer Meridian

A calming method suitable for any time of day.

  1. Place RIGHT hand on your left rib cage (on the spleen meridian about 6 inches down);
  2. Place LEFT hand on the back of the right elbow (on the triple warmer meridian);
  3. Take several gentle inhales and exhales;
  4. Repeat on both sides.

Here are two great presentations on Triple Warmer techniques, based on Donna Eden’s program:


Dr. Kaplan Completes HHS Appointmentwoman getting an acupuncture treatment5 Things You Didn’t Know Acupuncture Could Treat