Ren

Ren17

膻中 · Shanzhong

Chest Center

Center of the chest, influential point of qi.

Front-mu of the Pericardium · Influential point of qi · Also called Tanzhong

System

Channel: Ren (Ren)
Element: Not one of the five
Yin or yang: yin
Organ system: Sea of yin
Region: Chest
Limb rule: Anterior midline

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Where it is

On the sternum, on the midline, level with the fourth intercostal space — about midway between the nipples in many adults.

Nearby: Breastbone. The heart is behind the sternum. Pressure is on bone, light. Also called Tanzhong.

Traditionally said to

Front-mu of the Pericardium and the influential point of qi. The point people touch when they sigh or feel the chest is tight with emotion. It does not treat heart disease.

What people look up

Stress and shen Breathing Nausea Worry Palpitations

Acupressure

Fingertips or palm flat on the sternum, light, with a slow breath, 30–60 seconds.

When not to press: Any pressing chest pain, pain into the arm or jaw, or trouble breathing: emergency care.

About 30–90 seconds is the usual window, unless the step above is shorter. Stop if pain, dizziness, or anything unusual shows up.

Licensed practice only

Needle depth, angle, electroacupuncture

Textbook language for students. Not instructions. A cun is a body-inch on that person, not a ruler inch. Do not needle yourself.

Depth

Transverse subcutaneously on the sternum, often 0.5–1 cun. Not deep into bone or toward the heart. Some styles use a shallow transverse insertion only.

Angle

Transverse, inferior or superior, under the skin over the sternum.

Electroacupuncture

Introductory charts rarely assign a standard electroacupuncture setting here. Clinics that use current choose frequency and intensity for that person. No milliamp figure is given, because copying one would be misleading.