The crossing point of Yin waters. Yinjiao (CV-7) sits just below the navel at the very heart of the lower abdomen, where the Conception Vessel meets the deepest Yin energies of the body. It regulates menstruation, warms and moves the lower Burner, and helps the body manage fluids — a quiet but important point for women's health and lower abdominal disorders.
Name & story
The name 阴交 Yinjiao means "Yin Intersection" or "Meeting of Yin". It tells you immediately what this point is about: a place where Yin energies gather and cross. The Conception Vessel is itself the "Sea of Yin", and CV-7 sits at a junction where it meets other Yin influences deep in the lower abdomen. The navel is the gateway through which we once received life, and just one Cun below it lies this quiet crossing point — a meeting place of Yin, water, and the lower body's deepest reserves.
Point family & character
CV-7 belongs to the Conception Vessel (CV), the great midline channel of Yin. It is notable as an intersection point — a place where the Conception Vessel meets the Chong Mai (the Penetrating Vessel) and the Kidney Meridian (KI), making it a convergence of three powerful Yin channels in the lower abdomen.
Five-element dynamics
The lower abdomen in Chinese medicine is the home of the Water element — the Kidneys, the Bladder, the uterus, and the deepest reserves of Yin and Jing. CV-7, sitting just below the navel at the crossing of the Conception Vessel, the Chong Mai, and the Kidney Meridian (KI), draws on all three to regulate the lower Burner. Because it touches both the Chong Mai (the Sea of Blood) and the Kidney Meridian, it has a special affinity for women's health, menstrual regulation, and the movement of Blood and fluids in the pelvic region.
Location
CV-7 is found on the midline of the abdomen, 1 Cun directly below the navel. It sits midway between the navel (CV-8) above and CV-6 (Qihai) below, which is itself 1.5 Cun below the navel — so CV-7 is at the one-third mark between them, just one finger's width below the belly button.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies on the midline of the lower abdomen, in the rectus abdominis muscle and its sheath.
Needling
The needle is inserted perpendicularly (straight in).
Safe depth
1–1.5 Cun.
Moxa, cupping & Tui Na
The golden tip
For cold, cramping lower abdominal discomfort or irregular periods with a cold quality, find CV-7 one finger's width directly below the navel. Gentle circular massage here for one to two minutes can ease local tension and stagnation. Better still — hold a warm pack or pass a moxa stick slowly over this area and CV-6 just below it. This gentle warmth to the lower abdomen is a traditional self-care practice for cold-type menstrual pain and lower abdominal discomfort. Always consult a practitioner for persistent symptoms.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.