KI-6 - Shining Sea

照海 - Zhào hǎi

Point Region: Foot

KI

Kidney Meridian

足少阴肾经 - Zú Shàoyīn Shèn Jīng

Location & How to Find

Anatomical Location: On the inner side of the foot, in the hollow below the inner ankle bone, 1 cun below its most prominent point. Its counterpart on the outer side of the foot is BL-62.

Distances are in cun, a unit that scales with each person's body. As a guide, the width of your thumb at its joint is 1 cun, and your four fingers held together, measured across the middle joints, are 3 cun.

How to Locate:

  1. Find the most prominent point of your inner ankle bone
  2. Measure one thumb-width straight down
  3. The point is in the hollow below the ankle bone
KI-6 (Shining Sea) acupressure point location: On the inner side of the foot, in the hollow below the inner ankle bone, 1 cun below its most prominent point.

How to Apply Pressure

Press gently into the hollow one thumb-width directly below the inner ankle bone. Skip it after ankle surgery, and get a severe sore throat checked by a doctor.

Traditional Indications

In TCM, this point is traditionally used for:

  • Insomnia
  • Sore throat
  • Irregular menstruation
  • Anxiety
  • Sleep problems
  • Throat pain
  • Reproductive problems
  • Nervousness
  • Menstrual disorders

Related Health Concerns

InsomniaCold and Flu OnsetMenstrual IrregularityAnxiety

Select a point to see its location, how to find it, and its traditional uses.

Traditionally combined with:

KI-6 + LU-7
Broken Sequence
KI-6 + SP-6
Three Yin Intersection

Important Precautions

Avoid this point with:

  • Recent ankle surgery
  • Severe throat infections