From indecision to headaches, from stress to digestive issues… what if all these seemingly unrelated issues had a common thread? Meet the gallbladder meridian, a key element from traditional Chinese medicine that can influence both your physical health and emotional wellbeing.
So what exactly is the gallbladder meridian, and where does it run? And can you really relieve stress, boost courage, and ease digestive issues through the simple act of tapping on the side of your eye, one of the gallbladder meridian points? Let’s find out.
If you're brand new to this, our complete guide to EFT tapping covers the points, the process, and the evidence.
What is the gallbladder meridian?
In Western medicine, we know the gallbladder as an organ that stores and concentrates bile, aiding in the digestive process.
But according to traditional Chinese medicine, an ancient practice dating back thousands of years (making it one of the most enduring systems of medicine in human history), the gallbladder is much more than that.
In this ancient healing practice, the gallbladder isn’t just considered a physical organ, but also a part of a complex energy system known as the meridian system, influencing both our physical and emotional wellbeing.
The gallbladder meridian is one of the 12 primary meridians in traditional Chinese medicine, each corresponding to a different organ in the body. These major meridians are like energy highways, through which vital life force energy flows. Each meridian is connected to specific bodily functions and emotional processes.
The gallbladder meridian has a symmetrical pair of pathways running along both sides of the body. It starts from the outer corner of each eye and travels down either side of the body to the fourth toe.
Along this pathway are several key points, called acupoints, each with specific benefits and functions. Activating these acupoints is thought to restore energy flow and balance, alleviate various physical or emotional issues, and promote healing in mind and body.
If you’d rather see this pathway alongside the other 11, our printable 12 meridians chart maps all of them side by side.
The role of the gallbladder in traditional Chinese medicine
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the gallbladder meridian is thought to be associated with:
- Digestion
- Muscle health
- Vision and eye health
- Decision making and judgment
- Courage and assertiveness
- Planning and execution of ideas
- Processing emotions, particularly frustration and anger
The gallbladder meridian plays important roles in both emotional and physical health, making it a gateway to greater wellbeing in mind, body, and spirit.
In the traditional Chinese medicine body clock, which assigns each meridian a two-hour window of peak activity, the gallbladder meridian’s window is 11pm to 1am.
What are the symptoms of gallbladder meridian imbalance?
An imbalance in the gallbladder meridian can manifest in various ways:
Physical symptoms:
- Headaches, particularly migraines
- Neck, shoulder, or hip pain
- Digestive issues, especially related to fatty foods
- Eye problems or blurred vision
Emotional symptoms:
- Indecisiveness
- Frustration or repressed anger
- Lack of courage or assertiveness
- Difficulty coping with stress
If you're experiencing any of these issues, supporting your gallbladder through techniques like acupressure or EFT Tapping that access the gallbladder meridian points may help you find relief.
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Join the free summitSigns people associate with a blocked gallbladder meridian
People searching for "gallbladder meridian blockage symptoms" are usually asking what traditional Chinese medicine says about this specific pathway. Here's that traditional framework, in plain terms.
In this system, when energy isn't flowing freely along the gallbladder meridian, practitioners traditionally associate it with:
- Recurring headaches, especially at the temples or base of the skull
- Tight jaw, neck, or shoulders
- A bitter taste in the mouth
- Trouble making decisions, or second-guessing choices you've already made
- Irritability, resentment, or anger that feels bottled up rather than expressed
- A tendency to sigh often, or a feeling of being "stuck" in the side of the body
These are traditional Chinese medicine beliefs about energy flow, not a list of medical symptoms and not a diagnosis. A real gallbladder problem, like a gallstone or an inflamed gallbladder, has its own distinct symptoms (pain under the right ribs, nausea, fever, yellowing skin or eyes) and needs a doctor, not tapping or acupressure. If anything on the physical list above concerns you, please see a doctor rather than treating it as an energy imbalance.
What are the gallbladder meridian points?
The gallbladder meridian starts at an acupoint on the side of the eye, travels down the side of the body, and ends on an acupoint on the fourth toe.
Along this pathway are a total of 44 gallbladder meridian points. Key points can be found at the base of the skull, on the top of the shoulder, on the hip, below the knee, and more.
Each of these points can be stimulated through various methods, including acupuncture, acupressure, and of course EFT Tapping, to address specific imbalances and promote overall wellbeing.
Here are a few of the most commonly referenced gallbladder meridian points, their traditional names and numbers, where to find them, and what traditional Chinese medicine says each one is associated with:
| Traditional name / number | Location | Traditionally associated with |
|---|---|---|
| GB1, Tongziliao (Pupil Bone-Hole) | Outer corner of the eye, on the bone | The start of the meridian; this is the same spot as the EFT "side of the eye" tapping point. Vision, headaches. |
| GB14, Yangbai (Yang White) | Forehead, above the eyebrow, in line with the pupil | Head tension, eye strain |
| GB20, Fengchi (Wind Pool) | Base of the skull, in the hollows on either side of the neck | Headaches, neck stiffness, and, in traditional theory, being affected by "wind" or sudden stress |
| GB21, Jianjing (Shoulder Well) | Top of the shoulder, midway between the base of the neck and the shoulder tip | Shoulder and neck tension. Traditionally avoided during pregnancy in acupuncture practice. |
| GB30, Huantiao (Jumping Circle) | Center of the buttock, at the hip | Hip and lower-back tension |
| GB34, Yanglingquan (Yang Mound Spring) | Outside of the lower leg, just below the knee | Considered an influential point for tendons and muscles in traditional Chinese medicine |
| GB44, Zuqiaoyin (Foot Yin Portal) | Outer corner of the fourth toenail | The end of the meridian |
How to use EFT Tapping to address gallbladder imbalances
EFT Tapping offers a simple yet powerful way to work with the gallbladder meridian.
The first gallbladder meridian point, located on the side of the eye, is one of the 9 main Tapping points used in the traditional EFT Tapping sequence.
That means every time you go through a standard round of tapping, you're already tapping a point on the gallbladder meridian, whether or not you were thinking about it that way.
To support gallbladder meridian balance, healthy energy flow, and to address gallbladder-related issues, you can simply gently tap on this point. Tap gently using your fingertips right on the bone outside of your eye, while focusing on the specific symptom or emotion related to gallbladder imbalance (such as trouble making a decision, frustration, or digestive discomfort).
You can also go through the entire EFT Tapping sequence, which incorporates the gallbladder meridian point on the side of the eye, to address any symptoms or emotions you might be struggling with. You can learn the basics of how to do EFT Tapping in this comprehensive guide.
And if you’re interested in using Tapping for gallbladder meridian imbalance or other concerns, try a guided session in The Tapping Solution App today!
By regularly incorporating EFT Tapping into your routine, you may notice shifts in how you feel physically and emotionally. Give it a try and see what you think!
Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner
P.S. Have you tried EFT Tapping for any of these gallbladder-related issues? Have you noticed improvements in your decision-making abilities or emotional processing? In physical symptoms like headaches, digestive issues, or eye strain?
A short tapping round for the side of the eye and frustration
In traditional Chinese medicine, anger and frustration are the emotions most closely linked to the gallbladder meridian, and the side of the eye is a point on that meridian. Here's a short round built around both. Before you start, rate your frustration from 0 to 10, with 10 being as frustrated as you can imagine.
- Side of the Hand (1st time): "Even though I'm holding onto this frustration, I accept myself anyway."
- Side of the Hand (2nd time): "Even though this anger keeps building up, I accept myself and how I feel."
- Side of the Hand (3rd time): "Even though I feel wound up and I don't know where to put this, I accept myself anyway."
- Eyebrow: "This frustration."
- Side of the Eye: "This anger, right here."
- Under the Eye: "It's been building for a while."
- Under the Nose: "I don't have to hold onto all of it."
- Under the Mouth: "This tightness where I've been holding it."
- Collarbone: "Letting some of this anger move through."
- Under the Arm: "It's safe to feel this without acting on it."
- Top of the Head: "Letting this frustration soften, even a little."
Take a breath and check your number again. If it's still high, run through the points a second time using whatever words come up for you, and be as specific as you can about what's actually frustrating you. For a visual to follow while you tap, here's a chart of the 9 tapping points, including the side of the eye.
What our data shows
Nothing in our proof library is specific to the gallbladder meridian itself, so we won't invent a number for it. What we can share is app data on anger and frustration, the emotions traditional Chinese medicine most closely ties to this meridian.
Inside The Tapping Solution App, our "Releasing Anger" session has been completed 260,899 times, with users rating their intensity 7.3 before and 4.1 after, on average (0-10 scale). It's one of 58 sessions in our Emotional Freedom category, which together have been completed over 4 million times, with an average intensity drop from 7.0 to 4.1.
A peer-reviewed study of 270,461 App users, published in JMIR mHealth and uHealth in 2020 by Church and Stapleton, found that a single tapping session brought anxiety down 44% and stress down 45% on average. That study wasn't about the gallbladder meridian specifically, but it's the best evidence we have that tapping, as a whole practice, moves the emotional states traditional medicine links to this pathway.
If you want to feel the difference for yourself, try the Releasing Anger session free.
What people say after tapping through anger
"I went from a 9 to a 0 in one session. I can now go into my day lighter with less tension and no tightness in my chest thinking about past hurts that have continued to anger me. God bless you Jessica." -Monique, Releasing Anger, 9 → 0
"Thank you for this tapping meditation to deal with anger. I never learned how to deal with anger and it always felt unsafe to feel and acknowledge anger but with this tapping exercise I can feel safe and acknowledge and feel anger without the fear of not knowing how to handle it. Thank you so much!" -Aaron, Releasing Anger, 9 → 1
Go deeper
- See all 12 pathways side by side in our printable 12 meridians chart.
- New to the meridian system? Start with our meridian points guide.
- Get familiar with every point in the EFT sequence, including the side of the eye, in our 9 tapping points chart.
- Build your own setup statements with our guide to tapping phrases.
- Ready-to-use routines: our library of tapping scripts.
- More on tapping through anger specifically: our tapping phrases for anger.
Tap along with me
This video from Jessica walks through the tapping points one by one, a good companion while you get familiar with the points above.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the gallbladder meridian?
In Western medicine, we know the gallbladder as an organ that stores and concentrates bile, aiding in the digestive process. But according to traditional Chinese medicine, an ancient practice dating back thousands of years (making it one of the most enduring systems of medicine in human history), the gallbladder is much more than that. It's also one of 12 primary meridians, or energy pathways, that this system maps across the body.
Where does the gallbladder meridian run?
It runs from an acupoint at the outer corner of each eye, down the side of the head, across the top of the shoulder, down the side of the torso and hip, along the outside of the leg, and ends at an acupoint on the fourth toe. Traditional Chinese medicine maps this same pathway on both sides of the body.
What are the gallbladder meridian points?
The gallbladder meridian starts at an acupoint on the side of the eye, travels down the side of the body, and ends on an acupoint on the fourth toe. Along this pathway are a total of 44 gallbladder meridian points, including well-known ones at the side of the eye, the base of the skull, the top of the shoulder, the hip, and below the knee.
What does a blocked gallbladder meridian feel like?
In traditional Chinese medicine, people describe a blocked gallbladder meridian as tension at the temples or base of the skull, tightness in the neck, shoulders, or hips, a bitter taste in the mouth, trouble making decisions, and a short fuse or bottled-up frustration. This is a traditional energy framework, not a medical diagnosis. If you have real gallbladder symptoms, like pain under your right ribs, nausea after fatty food, or yellowing skin or eyes, see a doctor.
Which EFT tapping point is on the gallbladder meridian?
The side of the eye point, tapped on the bone at the outer corner of the eye, sits on the gallbladder meridian. It's one of the 9 main points in the standard EFT Tapping sequence, so a full round of tapping already includes this point.
What time is the gallbladder meridian active?
In the traditional Chinese medicine body clock, the gallbladder meridian is considered most active between 11pm and 1am.
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