Liver Physiology

This diagram is offered to help you clearly imagine healthy liver function when working with the meditations. It emphasizes the blood and bile ducts connecting the liver to the digestive tract and the heart. The vital metabolic functions of the liver are carried out by liver cells, the hepatocytes, which grow in round communi­ties called lobules.

The cut-away drawing shows seven of the tiny liver lobules that make up liver tissue. Each lobule has a central vein so blood and bile bathe the hepatocytes in the nutrients, chemicals, and toxins that they metabolize. In meditation you can sense your blood flowing easily through the lobules and promote your cells work­ing in harmonious communities for optimal liver function.

Your liver is part of your immune system. The hepatitis C virus (HCV) arouses a general immune system response that doesn’t destroy HCV but causes inflamma­tion. This inflammation is what damages the liver. In meditation you can visualize a strong yet calm and appropriate immune system response that protects you and is gentle on your liver.