Why did ancient TCM focus so much on the navel? The navel is life itself. The “Pechoti” is behind the navel, which has more than 72,000 veins. The total amount of blood vessels in our body is equal to double the circumference of the earth. It is unbelievable! Isn’t it?

The navel is also known as the belly button, which is in line with twelve meridians and six internal organs in TCM.Did you know that the shape of your navel spells your health conditions? Here are some common shapes of the navel.

Round shape: The navel is round like a full moon, and the skin texture around the navel is firm and elastic, this indicates good physical and mental health, and healthy digestive and reproductive functions.

Upward triangle: The umbilical shape is like a top-up triangle, which suggests a predisposition to digestive and urinary disorders such as common stomach, gallbladder, pancreas, and kidney issues.

Downward triangle: the shape of the navel is extended downwards like a triangle with the top downward, which indicates the person is prone to digestive issues, such as gastritis, gastroparesis, constipation, and reproductive issues for women.

Twitching to the left: this is often seen in hypertension, right limb hemiplegia, or gastrointestinal dysfunction.
Twitching to the right: this is often associated with Qi deficiency, hypertension, left limb hemiplegia, or gastrointestinal ulcers, hepatitis, and so on.

Shallow and small: the navel is too shallow, the umbilical ring is small and not round, and the umbilical skin is thin, which may indicate low reproductive functions, low hormone levels in the body, or in people with a long-term illness that leads to chronic fatigue and weak immune functions.

Sea serpent: The area around the navel is like a sea snake, which is a common sign of liver diseases such as cirrhosis.
Protrusion: this is likely associated with inflamed tissues within the abdomen, adhesions are commonly associated with tuberculous peritonitis.