We’d all love the life of a pro-athlete or celebrity, surrounded by a team of support to keep us moving through life at optimum levels. Imagine the luxury of going about your daily hustle and bustle with an entourage on hand to help treat your gripes and spruce you up on demand. Most of us can only dream of the kind of life where a headache or slump in energy, could at once be dispelled by, say, your own personal acupuncturist, on hand 24 hours a day, 7 days a week…
Actually, this is not such a far cry from reality as you may think; we all carry a powerful therapeutic resource that can be harnessed quickly, conveniently and discretely; a resource quite literally at our fingertips. Applying pressure to specific locations in the body, ACUPRESSURE draws on the ancient knowledge of Traditional Chinese Medicine to stimulate channels of energy in the body, which in turn create a cascade of healing through the organs and nervous system. Various studies have shown the benefits of this technique are many-fold, providing relief from many common complaints such as nausea, period pains, and depression.
Here are some quick tips for treating some of the most common ailments and complaints on the go.
Headaches
Large Intestine 4 (He Gu), is probably the most well-known acupressure point – located on the back of the palm in the fleshy part between thumb and forefinger. It is connected to the face and can be pressed and squeezed at any time to relieve toothache or head pain and also provide the unexpected perk of brightening the complexion. It can also help induce labour so is best avoided until the very last stages of your pregnancy!
Back pain + fatigue
‘Bladder 23′ sits directly over the kidneys on the lower back and is particularly relieving for lower back pain but also helps to relax the adrenals and calm the nervous system. Located at the waist on your back, a good way to locate is to place your hands on your hips and press the thumbs in to the lower back on the outer edges of the muscles running up either side of your spine. Use a gentle circling motion or press and hold for a deep ache, up to 2 minutes at a time. Fantastically restorative after a long day at your desk.
Period pains + depression
‘Tai Chong’ or Great Rushing, along the Liver meridian, provides relief from period pains, insomnia, anxiety and irritability. As its name suggests, it is also excellent for treating general malaise and sluggishness.
It can be found on top of your foot between the 1st and 2nd metatarsals. Trace back over the ‘knuckle’ of the 1st and 2nd toes and between the bones and you will drop into a ‘hollow’. You’ll know when you’ve found it! With shoes off, use deep, firm pressure to massage and stimulate the area for 4-5 seconds at a time. Repeat until relief is felt.
Beneath the board room table, amidst crowds on the underground, even before rolling out of bed in the morning, you can treat your ailments with relatively little effort (and considerably less fuss than the modern celeb and his or her massive entourage). Go on, treat yourself…
Having come to his practice through the eastern martial art traditions, Tom’s dedication to qigong led him to the study of acupuncture and healing. He has a kind and intuitive treatment style and enjoys applying the principles of Chinese medicine to whatever walks into his clinic room. Particular areas of expertise include migraines, muscular pain, sleep disorder and gynaecological health. Tom delights in helping patients restore balance. As well as working as a qualified acupuncturist at Triyoga he also teaches weekly qigong classes and runs regular retreats and workshops.
Tom works at triyoga Soho + Camden. For his schedule and more information please click here.
