HT-7 - Spirit Gate
神门 - Shén mén
Point Region: Wrist
HT-7 Shenmen, the legendary 'Spirit Gate,' stands as one of acupressure's most revered portals to inner peace and emotional equilibrium. Located at the wrist crease on the pinky side, where the pulse of life meets the gateway to consciousness, this point serves as the primary entrance to the heart's deepest chambers—not just the physical organ, but the spiritual center that houses our capacity for love, joy, and authentic connection.
As both the source point and the stream point of the Heart meridian, Shenmen carries a double blessing: it can both generate new vitality and smooth the flow of existing energy. Think of it as the master key to the heart's treasury, capable of unlocking stores of calm when anxiety threatens to overwhelm, or opening channels of emotional flow when the heart feels frozen in grief or trauma.
Traditional texts describe Shenmen as the point where the spirit enters and exits the body, making it invaluable for those who feel disconnected from their essential self or caught in the grip of mental-emotional turbulence. Whether calming racing thoughts before sleep, soothing a broken heart, or simply returning to one's center after a chaotic day, this remarkable point offers a direct pathway home to oneself.
Location & How to Find
Anatomical Location: On the wrist crease, at the radial side of the tendon of flexor carpi ulnaris.
How to Locate:
- Turn your palm face up
- Locate the wrist crease closest to your palm
- Feel for the prominent tendon on the pinky side of your wrist
- The point is right at the wrist crease, just to the thumb side of this tendon
Primary Functions
Emotional & Mental
- Calms the mind and reduces anxiety
- Alleviates depression and mood disorders
- Promotes emotional stability and peace
- Reduces mental restlessness and agitation
- Enhances mental clarity and focus
- Stabilizes emotions during stress
Sleep & Rest
- Improves sleep quality and duration
- Reduces insomnia and sleep disorders
- Calms nighttime restlessness
- Promotes deep, restorative sleep
Circulatory System
- Regulates heart function and rhythm
- Reduces palpitations and irregular heartbeat
- Calms cardiac anxiety and stress
- Improves overall circulation
Nervous System
- Calms nervous system hyperactivity
- Reduces stress-related symptoms
- Improves nervous system regulation
Speech & Communication
- Improves speech clarity
- Reduces speech-related anxiety
Clinical Applications
Primary Indications
- Insomnia
- Palpitations
- Arrhythmia
- Forgetfulness
- Emotional distress
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Hysteria
- Mania
- Schizophrenia
- Chest pain
- Fright
- Dementia
Related Health Concerns
Common Conditions:
Related Acupoints
Select a point to learn about its location, primary functions, clinical applications, and protocols.
HT-7 Protocols
Sleep Support & Emotional Calm (5 minutes)
- Sit or lie down with wrist accessible
- Locate HT-7 (at the wrist crease, radial side of the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon)
- Apply firm pressure with thumb for 30 seconds
- Massage in circular motions for 1 minute to soothe anxiety and promote rest
- Repeat pressure while exhaling slowly and softening the chest