Use Your Fingers to Find a New Pathway to Mindfulness and to Better Health-Acupressure

As we intuitively know mental and physical health are closely linked. When you are sick, do you take medicine or see a doctor for advice? If you feel sluggish, do you get massage? When we feel physical sick or stressed, we may decide to use natural medicine (naturopathy) to boost our immune system instead of prescription drugs. Broadly speaking in accutherapy, hands tend to have more acupressure points that work for the upper body, while feet have more acupressure points that work for the lower body. You can practice acupressure point massage on your hands on your way to work or while you are at work, but we recommend it at night.

Rubbing your hands is recommended at night because it reduces nerve activity in the area of the prefrontal cortex of the brain, creating a relaxing effect. Ideally, acupuncture points massage should be done for a short time, every day. Massaging for a long time in one day will only have a temporary effect. So by continuing to massage for 10 minutes every day, the effect will persist and you will feel that your body is getting better.

A Quick and Easy Hand Pressure Point Massage in a Little Time

A・Rōkyū (労宮)
Uses: Regulates fatigue and the balancing of the autonomic nervous system.
Location: The tip of the middle finger where it touches the palm when gripping your hand.

B・Shinketsu (心穴)
Uses: Helps to relieve irritability.
Location: In the middle of the first joint of the middle finger.

C・Ichōten (胃腸点)
Uses: Helps with stomach pains and other digestive problems.
Location:  A little below the center of the palm, the line down from between the middle and ring fingers intersects the lifeline. 

D・Gyosai (魚際)
Uses: Helps with over-drinking, over-eating and diarrhea.
Location: Located on the border between the palm and the back of the hand, in the indented area below the second joint of the thumb.

E・Gōkoku (合谷)
Uses: A versatile acupuncture point with many benefits. Effective for stiff shoulders, lower back pain, and tension.
Location: A dimple slightly closer to the index finger, where the bones of the index finger and thumb meet.

F・Shōkokku (小骨空)
Uses: Relieves eye fatigue.
Location: Center the first joint of the little finger.

Tips…

• Massage for six seconds for each acupressure point, while being aware of your breathing. Using the palm of the thumb of your dominant hand, press slowly for 3 seconds, then slowly return for 3 seconds. Exhale while pressing the point, and relax while inhaling. If you have a stiff or stressed body, your breathing is often shallow, so make sure you are aware of your exhalation and inhalation.
• Press each acupressure point
• three to five times, using a force that is both painful and yet comfortable. Be careful not to overdo it, as it may damage the muscle tissue.
• Since acupuncture points are the places where stimulation works on the nerves. They are often located in hollow places, behind bones or in crevices, protected by bones and flesh.
• Press the acupuncture points on the right hand when the discomfort is on the right, vice versa for the left. The positions of the acupuncture points on the right and left hands are the same, but the acupuncture points on the left and right hands correspond to different parts of the body through the peripheral nerves. If you have stiff shoulders on your right side, press the acupuncture point on your right hand that helps with stiff shoulders.
• If a pressure point hurts, it is a sign of discomfort, and you should not hold back, as pressing too hard can have the opposite effect. If you press too hard on an acupuncture point, your body will tense up as a defensive reaction, creating pain more.

If you are working at a desk a lot, you are more likely to experience upper body symptoms such as poor blood circulation, tired eyes, and stiff shoulders, so hand pressure point massage is effective. Put in 10 minutes of pressure point massage a day on your To-Do list. It is a one of a kind practice to make you mindful as well as healthy!

You may also like body acupressure points.

_{Me Time Japan.com is written and produced for insight, informational, inspiration purposes only. While we do our best to provide wellness/nutritional information as a general guideline to our readers, we are not certified practitioners/nutritionists, and the values provided should be considered estimates.}