Self-care and the care of others are some of the strongest tools you can use to decrease stress levels and boost your mood. As we are in mandatory-distance mode, it’s important that we properly care for ourselves and help each other through this tense time. If you’re feeling stressed or overwhelmed, use some of your time to learn the practice of home acupressure. Doing it on yourself will loosen tension with laughter, temporarily ease your anxiety, and empower you with a new skill to take back to the office. It’ll come in handy that first day back, trust me.
Acupressure is the ancient technique for opening the flow of energy in your body. I bet you instinctively know some of these pressure points already. The ritual identifies certain points along invisible channels in your body known as meridians. Meridians carry our jitters and joy throughout our bodies, and blockages cause mental stress and physical distress. Now if you are of the mind, I don’t believe it unless I see it, let me just remind you of your good instincts. But even if you don’t see them, it’s often wise to trust them.
Additionally, when you’re stressed, you tend to take shallow breaths or hold your breath in completely, which causes physical stress. Remember to focus on long, slow, deep breaths while you’re doing these at-home acupressure techniques. Learn the step-by-step instructions to help cope with stress below.
The technique: Lao-gong (Labor Palace)
How to: Make a fist. Find where the tip of your middle finger touches your palm—that’s the spot. Once you’ve located the spot, use the tip of your thumb in slow, firm, circular motions to massage that area.
Note: Women who are pregnant should avoid this technique.
The technique: Yin-Tang (Hall of Impression)
How to: Bring the first and middle fingers of both hands together. Place the bottom finger between your eyebrows, and the span will reach the middle of your forehead. Slow, firm, circular motions here until you’ve forgotten your partner left the toilet seat up, again.
The technique: Shen-Men (Heavenly Gate)
How to: There is a tiny triangle dip at the top of your ear. Use slow, firm, circular motions here. You can multitask and do both ears at once.
The technique: Tai-Chong (Great Surge)
How to: Move your finger down between your first two toes until you get to the fleshy dip—the spot where your flip-flops join at. Here you apply firm, deep pressure for four to five seconds, then release. Now rub back and forth till you’re purring.
Note: Women who are pregnant should avoid this technique.
The technique: Nei-Guan (Inner Pass)
How to: Slide your thumb down from the center of your wrist to the groove between the tendons. Apply firm pressure for 30 seconds and release. Then massage in an up-and-down motion for five minutes. This is where the nurse takes your pulse. Your pulse is your life force. See the connection here?
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Juhi Singh, MA, LAc, is an Oriental medicine specialist, acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, integrative health specialist, and founder of The Juhi Ash Center. Singh is a thought leader in the field of acupuncture and Ayurveda, pioneering her Facial Rejuvenation Program and the Acu-Facelift, a nonsurgical natural alternative method for facelifts, as well as Therapeutic Yoga, using acupuncture and acupressure to promote healing.
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