The pulse point of the neck. Renying (ST-9) sits right beside the carotid artery and has been used for centuries to regulate Blood pressure, calm the throat, and bring rebellious Qi back down — a small but powerful gateway between the head and the body.
Name & story
The name 人迎 Renying means "Welcome of Man" or "Man's Welcome" — a beautifully poetic name for a point that sits at the very place where the body's pulse is most easily felt. In classical thought, the pulse here was one of the key places a physician would read to understand the state of the Yang channels and the Stomach Qi. The point "welcomes" or receives the vital force as it rises up into the head — and when that force rises too strongly, Renying is the place to calm it and guide it back down.
Point family & character
Renying ST-9 belongs to the Stomach Meridian (ST). It is also counted among the Window of Heaven points — a special group of points on the neck that connect the Qi of the head with the Qi of the body, like windows opening between heaven (the head) and earth (the trunk). This membership reflects its role in regulating what rises and what descends through the neck.
Five-element dynamics
The Stomach Meridian (ST) is the great Yang channel of the Earth element — it moves downward, descending and receiving. When Stomach Qi rebels upward, or when the Yang of the body surges toward the head, the neck becomes a bottleneck, and Renying ST-9 stands right at that crossing point. By regulating Qi and Blood (Xue) at this junction, it helps restore the natural downward flow, easing pressure in the head and chest and calming what has become too full and too high.
Location
On the neck, level with the tip of the Adam's apple (laryngeal prominence), on the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, about 1.5 Cun lateral to the midline. The carotid artery is palpable at this spot. In women, where the laryngeal prominence may be less distinct, a useful guide is the depression between the lower border of the hyoid bone and the upper border of the thyroid cartilage — the laryngeal prominence lies just below it.
Anatomy & fascia
The point lies at the level of the thyroid cartilage (laryngeal prominence), at the anterior border of the sternocleidomastoid muscle, directly over — or very close to — the common carotid artery. The carotid pulse can usually be felt here.
Needling
Perpendicular insertion, 0.5 to 1 Cun. Before needling, the carotid artery must be carefully palpated and then held aside — gently but firmly — using the index finger and thumb of one hand, placed above and below the point, so the needle enters the safe space beside the artery. This technique requires proper clinical training and supervision.
The golden tip
You can find this point on the side of the neck, level with the Adam's apple, at the front edge of the large neck muscle (sternocleidomastoid). Very gentle fingertip pressure here — never heavy or sustained — can help ease neck tension and a sense of fullness in the head. Do not press hard on the carotid artery. For anything beyond simple relaxation, this point should be treated only by a qualified acupuncturist.
For education only — not medical advice. Consult a qualified practitioner.