“The Tao gives birth to the One. The One gives birth to the Two. The Two gives birth to the Three. The Three gives birth to the ten thousand things.”
In the above quote, the Chong mai represents the one, unified qi, neutral in nature. With the development and maturation of Ren mai we have two. With the maturation of Du mai we have three. This represents the basic polarity of Taoism. We have yin. We have yang. We have the neutral force between them.
Since the health of the Du mai largely depends on the Chong and Ren, I recommend that you read my previous posts on these channels before proceeding.
Healthy Ren, Healthy Du
The Du Mai, and its sea of yang, gives the child the impetus to separate from the comfort of the maternal matrix. It creates curiosity, drive for independence and individuation. Like most change, this doesn’t happen all at once. There’s no such thing as a baby who ventures out into the world and never comes back to the mother matrix for comfort. Instead, there is a back and forth, a yang movement out into the world to explore and a yin movement back toward security. Without this support, this foundation from the mother matrix, the yang phase will become dysfunctional.
The Dysfunctional Du Mai
If love and security are lacking, this in turn creates a deficiency in the yang phase. These people may feel as though they are weak willed, as if their efforts to explore and interact with the world are hindered. They may lack a sense of accomplishment and be prone to apathy.
A similar pattern may occur when the mother matrix controls the child out of a sense of fear. The fear permeates the Du mai, leading to a sense of timidity and fear of advancement. The affected person may withdraw from life and have an avoidance attachment style.
On the other hand, excessive control may result in rebellion. This will cause the Du mai to be in excess; the yang phase becomes erratic with impulsive attempts at accomplishment, without a sense of security from the yin phase.
The Functional Du Mai
By contrast, a healthy Du mai looks like secure exploration and advancement in the world. It feels like satisfying accomplishment.
The Du mai also has a close relationship with the spine. It gives the spine its shape and leads to upright posture. A healthy Du mai leads to someone who “has a spine,” who can stand up straight and defend themselves.
The Chong Mai’s Role
In acupuncture, we mainly focus on yin/yang relationships, but this is not actually a duality; it’s a trinity. If yin and yang are polarized forces, the third force is neutral. This is the yuan qi of the Chong mai.
One of the most important qualities of yin/yang is that they transform into each other. This isn’t possible without the neutral force. It is like a lubricant that also dissolves polarized qi, allowing it to be reformed into what is most needed for the body-mind. The neutral qi allows yin to become yang and yang to become yin with ease. Transitions are smooth. It allows all transformation to be possible.
Who Needs a Du Mai Treatment?
The following are indications that treatment of the Du may be beneficial.
Aversion to commitment
Aversion to responsibility
Over-independence
Over-achievement that doesn’t satisfy
Hyperactivity
Always searching for something better
ADHD
Difficulty initiating action
Tendency to follow
Timidity, shyness
Fear of being alone
Clinginess
Stuttering
Weak boundaries
Lack of motivation or enthusiasm
Failure to achieve independence