Turtle

40"x40"

Food Hole, detail

Food Hole (shi dou), Spleen 17

Hand-dyed and batik fabric

57" x 58"

The Spleen's function of ruling digestion and providing the body with nourishment is reflected by 'shi', meaning food. 'Dou' is another word for hole, so we may visualize the essence of grain qi rising to the Lung and passing through the diaphragm at this point. Food Hole is also a reference to the nipple, and is associated with the point's location near the breast.

Published in "Convergences" by Ricky Tims, 2003