Hands On
Your Key Pressure Points
Here’s a nifty info-graphic showing some quick and easy ways to use acupressure to relieve a variety of issues:
Blanket Forgiveness
Blanket forgiveness is an awesome instant healing technique that uses both touch and words. It is awesome because it works so quickly and it is awesome because you don’t even have to know whom you are forgiving for it to work.
It is based on an assumption that any physical condition involving swelling or infection also contains an emotional component of repressed anger or guilt. Notice that I didn’t say it was caused by emotions, just that it can be useful to assume that emotions are involved in causing at least some of the stress that is maintaining or aggravating the condition. If you can relieve the emotional tension, it will help the body heal more quickly.
The actual technique is very simple:
With your hand or fingers, you lightly touch the area that needs healing while at the same time you repeat the words, “whatever this is related to, I forgive it completely,” for as long as you can or until you get some relief. It’s likely that you’ll feel various physical sensations as you do this, such as tingling or movement or relaxation, and maybe even pain relief.
The more that anger or guilt is connected with the condition, the more quickly and dramatically you will experience healing effects. Even if angry emotions are only a small part of the malady, there will be some degree of benefit.
As I said, you don’t have to know consciously who or what the emotions are directed at. Just holding the idea of forgiveness while touching the infected or swollen area is enough to cause subconscious changes that will ease a lot of stress. The touch itself provides a certain amount of energy as well as helping to keep your mind focused on forgiving.
Note: It’s also very helpful to not just say the words but to experience them as well. What does forgiveness feel like? How does it sound? Is there a flavor? A color? A scent?
Of course, if you do know who or what you are resenting or feeling guilty about, that’s even better. Especially if you can make a breakthrough and are able to totally forgive and release it.
From: Instant Healing by Serge Kahili King
Mumbling As A Healing Aid
A variation on humming is mumbling. (For more info on humming and healing see this post on Humming). What is mumbling? Mumbling is speaking with your mouth closed and your lips moving. It produces an effect like humming with the added benefit of subliminal or subaudial suggestion.
When you apply your fingers or hands to an area of the body for healing, instead of humming you mumble affirmations, blessing, or directions. For example:
- I am healthy and full of energy.
- Angels around me, angels above me, angels all around.
- Muscles are relaxing, inflammation is receding, cells are strengthening.
Or you can just talk about your intentions for the healing, saying whatever comes into your mind in the moment. Just remember to keep it to a mumble.
I did this in a taxi for a friend who had sudden stomach cramps and in about three minutes she was fine again. It’s a very handy technique for all kinds of situations.
I use it on my own neck and shoulders when I’m at the computer for too long and often, right afterward, I just turn my neck and my spine adjusts itself. It’s also great for easing sore muscles after a workout and relieving your own headaches.
However, be aware that some people may be distracted or irritated by the mumbling and will not respond well to it.
From: Instant Healing by Serge Kahili King
Humming
One healing technique that works really well is the combination of sound and touch. All you have to do is hum while your hands are touching yourself or someone else. That’s right, just hum while you touch.
To get a direct sense of what the effect is, hold your palms apart and facing as described in the Healing Hands article, but without rubbing them first. Now hum.
In addition to the vibration in your body, you will feel a tingling in your hands and perhaps even the soft pressure sensation between them.
Whenever you have aches or pains or places that need healing, you can put your hands or fingers on them and hum your way to health. Actually, it will help to relieve tension and speed up your body’s natural healing process even faster than touch alone.
You can experiment with humming high notes or low notes, or even your favorite tunes. I’ve found that the effect is stronger if you keep your attention on where your hands are touching while you hum. The effect is also stronger when you hum with your mouth closed because this produces a stronger vibration within your body, which transfers more energy to your hands.
From: Instant Healing by Serge Kahili King
Healing Hands
Everyone has healing power. Not only is everyone’s body constantly engaged in healing itself, often in spite of all the things a person may be doing to interfere with it. Everyone has the power to help others heal themselves, too. Right now. This minute.
It’s easy to say that everyone has the ability to heal. How do I prove it? Well, I don’t have to prove it to you. You can prove it to yourself with a few experiments.
Healing Hands Experiment One:
Rub the palms of your hands together and hold your hands with your palms facing each other about six to eight inches apart. You should be aware of the tingling sensation from the rubbing, but now move your hands toward each other in a slightly bouncy kind of way, as if you were thinking about clapping but couldn’t make yp your mind whether to do it or not.
Pay attention to anything you may feel with your palms. If you are like most people, you will feel a slight sensation of resistance, like you were squeezing a soft balloon or pushing similar poles of two magnets together. This is an energy field you are feeling, and it’s what some healers use for healing.
Healing Hands Experiment Two:
Line up three glasses of orange, grapefruit, or apple juice, three cups of coffee or tea, or three glasses of chablis wine. You could use plain water for this, but the experiment results are more definite when something has a bit of a bite to it.
Rub your hands together and then hold one of the cups or glasses in your hands for one or two minutes and taste the liquid. Then taste the liquid in the other two containers. Taste the first one again. Notice any difference? You have just “healed” the liquid.
The reason I suggest two controls is so you can be more certain the difference is real. Typically, the “healed” liquid has less bite or bitterness, it becomes more mellow. Some people think it tastes sweeter. Some don’t think that the change is an improvement.
So Now What?
The nest time you are around someone who has an ache or a pain, and who is willing to let you experiment on them, rub your hands till they tingle and just lay them on the person’s sore area for a minute or two. (This even works through clothing.)
You will get much better results if you keep your attention on what you are doing. I know some systems teach that the energy just flows through you so you can let your mind wander, but energy flows where attention goes, and your hands will have more energy if you stay focused.
If the person experiences any relief at all, the experiment is a success.
From: Instant Healing by Serge Kahili King
How to Give Yourself a Relaxing Scalp Massage
Proper knowledge of the pressure points on head helps provide an extremely relaxing and effective method of getting rid of your migraine. It releases tension, increases blood circulation and enhances one’s mental state.
The following are steps for performing a scalp massage:
- First, find a place in your room that is comfortable and noise free. Take a seat at that spot.
- Next, place fingers of both hands on your forehead and let them touch each other at an imaginary midline and keep your thumbs rested on the temple.
- Apply firm but light pressure on the forehead and then release the pressure. Repeat this.
- Next shift your fingers along with the thumb further up your forehead towards the hairline region. Press again and release, and repeat the steps.
- Now move further up with your fingers on your scalp and keep pressing and releasing with your fingers.
- An acupressure point lies three quarters of the distance from your hairline up your scalp. Press your scalp at this point and release.
- Keep moving downwards towards your neck with your fingers and keep massaging various pressure points on head.
- Once you reach the base of your skull, move all the way back to the forehead again. This time place your fingers half an inch away from the imaginary midline of your forehead and work all the way up like earlier in this new position.
- Again get back to the forehead and this time place your fingers at an inch’s gap from the midline and work your way up.
Once you get used to this procedure, synchronize it with your breathing. Inhale while you press and exhale while you release.
Source: New Health Advisor
Acupressure For Your Feet
This might not be a pretty picture but it represents something amazing. The red dot graphic foot marks the Kidney One acupressure point on the Kidney Meridian. If you were to take a hold of your foot and place the thumb on that location, it would definitely relieve an aching foot.
What else can benefit from applying pressure to the Kidney One acupressure point?
- It can help regulate blood pressure
- Relieves dizziness and faintness
- Clears the mind
- Improve memory, concentration, and mental alertness
- It can help hot flashes
- Relieves anxiety
- Restores energy
- Increases general vitality in the body
So, maybe it’s time to press that red dot.
Source: Balanced Woman’s Blog
Therapeutic Value of Massage
Massage is an excellent form of passive exercise. The word is derived from the Greek word ‘massier’ which means to knead. It involves the scientific manipulation of the soft tissues of the body. If correctly done on a bare body, it can be highly stimulating and invigorating. As far back as 400 B.C. , the great Hippocrates, the father of medicine, employed massage and manipulation in healing his patients. Since then it has been used as a mode of treatment for many ailments and it has restored many a sufferer to health and vigor.
Benefits
The general massage, dealing with all parts of the body, is highly beneficial in many ways. It tones up the nervous system, influences respiration and quickens the elimination of poisons and waste material from the body through the various eliminative organs such as the lungs, skin, kidneys and bowels. It also boosts blood circulation and metabolic processes. A massage removes facial wrinkles , helps to fill out hollow cheeks and neck and eases stiffness, sore muscles and numbness.
Various movements
There are five fundamental modes of manipulation in massage and these are : effleurage (stroking), friction ( rubbing), petrissage ( kneading), tapotment (percussion) and vibration (shaking or trembling).
- Effleurage
This involves sliding with the hands, using long even strokes over the surface of the body. Effleurage is performed in five ways, namely stroking with palms of two hands; the palm of one hand; the knuckles; the ball of the thumb and the finger tips. Effleurage increases blood circulation and soothes the nervous system. It also warms and relaxes. It is very helpful in atrophied condition of the skin.
- Friction
The movements, which are circular in nature are performed with the help of the thumb and tips of fingers or the palm of the hand towards the joints or around the joints. Friction limbers up joints, tendons, and muscles and facilitates the removal of deposits by breaking them. It also helps in reducing swelling after nerve inflammation.
- Petrissage
This is the process of kneading, pressing and rolling of the tissues and is performed with one or both hands, with two thumbs or with thumbs and fingers. One should apply heavy pressure for deep kneading and light pressure for superficial kneading. Petrissage is a treatment of the muscles. It increases nutrition, strengthens muscles, relieves intestinal congestion and helps elimination of the poisons. It boosts long activity and cellular respiration, eliminates fatigue poisons and tones up nerve endings.
- Tapotement
This involves hacking, tapping, clapping and beating and is achieved by striking the body rapidly. Short and quick blows are generally given from the wrist. Tapotement helps in atrophied condition of the muscles. It increases blood supply, soothes nerves and strengthens muscles.
- Vibrations
This is achieved by rapidly shaking the pressing movements by use of the hand or fingers on the body. Vibrating hand should move constantly. This is beneficial in neuritis and neuralgia after the inflammatory stage is over. It stimulates circulation, glandular activity and nervous plexuses. It also helps in bowel movement. Another form of massage helpful in most elements is the vibratory massage. This can be done by trained persons only. The vibratory muscles is more efficiently administered by a special, electrically operated machine.
Material for Massage
Cotton seed oil is most commonly used for massaging, but butter is used for filling out cheeks and the neck and also for breast enlargement. If the patient is averse to oil, talcum powder may be used. Oil should not be used by persons with excessive body hair. General body massage may be done for 40 to 45 minutes and local body massage for 10 to 15 minutes. The oil should be washed off completely after massage.
Therapeutic Uses
Massage can be used with advantage as a method of treatment for many common ailments. The various forms of massage and their usefulness in various diseases are described here in brief.
- Massage of the Joints
Stiff and swollen joints can be cured by massage combined with mechanical movements. Massage is, however, not recommended in serious inflammatory cases of the joints and in tubercular joints. It should also be avoided in infectious diseases like diphtheria and gonorrhea which cause formation of pus as massage may spread the pus to the entire system.
Sprains and bruises can be cured by massage. In these cases, affected parts should first be bathed with hot water for 15 to 30 minutes. Next the massage should be done for a few minutes. Gentle stroking and kneading is recommended on and around the injured tissues.
Fractures can also be treated through massage. This form of massage is of great help in atrophy of the muscles which usually follows if the muscles are not used for any length of time. This condition may also be brought about by injuries, diseases of the joints, inflammation of the muscles and nerves, and by too long use of cats, bandages and splints.
A human being carries one half of the weight of his body in the form of muscular tissues. One fourth of the blood supply circulates in the muscles. When one gets a good massage treatment, the muscles get regenerated and are then capable of holding half of the blood supply. Massage thus provides additional nourishment to feed the muscular tissues, helping them to grow strong. Tapping, striking, and vibrating help the muscle to develop its contractile power.
Muscle massage is brought by first effleurage, kneading, followed by tapotement. Later, active and passive movements are given. Massage is employed for eliminating muscle contraction and for breaking of adhesions. A little moderate kneading, and percussion cause muscles to contract and become stronger. Deep circular kneading and vibration loosens the muscles. Kneading under and round the muscles breaks up adhesions.
- Massaging the nerves
Massage benefits many nerve problems. In case of acute inflammation of the nerves, massage should be done carefully. Light and gentle stroking are recommended. Deep pressure should not be used on swollen nerves for it will increase the inflammation. All that is needed is just a gentle tapotement or beating of the nerve.
Nerve compression is recommended for soothing nerves. Grasp the limb with both hands, and create firm pressure around and down the arm. Start with the shoulder and proceed down to the wrist. As you leave the grip, bring the hands down a little and make another pressure. As a result, blood circulation will increase.
Spinal nerve compression is extremely beneficial. It is done by the palm of the hand. Vibration of the fingers stimulate it. Sleeplessness can be cured by long slow and gentle stroking down the spine and entire back.
- Abdominal Massage
This form of massage is beneficial in constipation. It stimulates the peristalsis of the small intestines, tones up the muscles of the abdomen walls and mechanically eliminates the contents of both large and small intestines. Abdominal massage should not be done in general, femoral, inguinal and umbilical hernia, inflammation of the uterus, bladder, ovaries and Fallopian tubes, kidney stones, bladder or gall bladder, ulcers of the stomach and intestines, and pregnancy.
Abdominal massage should not be done after a heavy meal, but after two hours or so. The bladder should be emptied before the massage. The patient is made to lie on his back with his knees drawn up. This enable the abdomen wall to relax. The masseur should stand at the right side of the patient and use his finger tips for friction round the umbilical region from right to left. He should likewise alternatively knead the walls and roll with both hands, making deep and firm pressure. He should knead with the hand and finger tips and keep clear of any wound or tender places. He should later take up massaging of the larger intestines.
The manipulation of the large intestine should begin on the right side. Keep it going upwards and across the transverse colon and move right down on the left side to the signoid flexure and rectum. Circular kneading should be done with the help of the three middle fingers. At the same time press into the contents of the abdomen, following the course of the larger colon with a crawling motion. Keep kneading by means of a few circular movements in one spot with the help of finger tips. Keep moving the fingers a little further along. Knead repeatedly.
Use knuckles of the hand to make deep pressure along the large colon, moving the hands along after each pressure. Once the kneading of the abdomen is over, follow up by tapotement with both hands cupped or use the knuckles of the hand. Vibration may also be employed. The patient could also be asked to do some gymnastic exercises for strengthening the walls of the abdomen.
Since blood pressure increases during abdominal manipulation, patients with hypertension should avoid abdominal massage. Massage should also be avoided in cases where there has been recent bleeding in the lungs, the stomach or the brain.
- Chest Massage
Chest massage is helpful in many ways. It strengthens the chest muscles, increases circulation and tones up the nervous system of chest, heart and lungs. It is especially recommended in weakness of the lungs,palpitation and organic heart disorders. Bust and mammary glands can be developed by proper massage. The patient is made to lie on the back with the arms at the sides.
The masseur starts manipulating the chest by means of strokes with both hands on each side of the breast bone. A circular motion is formed by the movement made up and down, moving down the chest. Next the muscle kneading is done by picking up the skin and muscles with both hands. Treatment is given to both sides of the chest likewise. Circular kneading is next done by placing one hand on each side of the breast bone and making the circular motion outward towards the side. Tapotement follows by hacking and slapping.
- Massage of Back
The purpose of the massage of the back is to stimulate the nerves and circulation for treating backache, rheumatic afflictions of the back muscles, and for soothing the nervous system. The patient is made to lie down with the arms at the sides. The masseur effleurages the back from the shoulders downwards using both hands on each side of the spine. Stroking is done from the sacrum upward. Friction follows with each hand at the sides of the spine going down slowly.
Next, kneading by muscle picking is done with squeezing. Alternate rapid pushing and pulling movement of the hands sliding down the spine. Circular kneading should also be done. The treatment should end by slapping, hacking and cupping on each side of the spine. Gentle stroking and light kneading of the back is relieving and soothing. Percussion and vibration result into stimulating experience. Vibration of the end of spine benefits the sacral nerves and pelvic organs. It is recommended in constipation, hemorrhoids, weakness and congestion of the bladder and sexual organs.
- Massage of the Throat
This helps to overcome headache, sore throat and catarrh of the throat. The patient is made to throw his head back. The masseur places palms of both hands on sides of neck with thumbs under the chin, and fingers under the ears. A downward stroke is next made towards the chest over the jugular veins. Do not exert heavily on the jugular veins.
What is Reiki?
Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy and healthy.
The word Reiki is made of two Japanese words – Rei which means “God’s Wisdom or the Higher Power” and Ki which is “life force energy”. So Reiki is actually “spiritually guided life force energy.”
A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and well being. Many have reported miraculous results.
Reiki is a simple, natural and safe method of spiritual healing and self-improvement that everyone can use. It has been effective in helping virtually every known illness and malady and always creates a beneficial effect. It also works in conjunction with all other medical or therapeutic techniques to relieve side effects and promote recovery.
More Reiki information can be found here: Twofeathers Reiki
About Reflexology
Reflexology involves the use of different massage and pressure techniques to relax and loosen muscles in the feet and hands. Reflexology is based on the concept that energy zones connect certain areas of the body to the feet and hands. In this way the feet and hands are viewed as maps or mirrors of the body. Putting pressure on and massaging specific points on the feet or hands is believed to affect the corresponding area of the body.
Each foot contains more than 7,000 nerve endings. Technically, foot massage with a clear intention to manipulate these nerve endings is a form of reflexology. To an extent, reflexology can be performed on oneself.
Source: Holistic and Complementary Therapies
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