You can influence your health and your moods simply by applying pressure to the right parts of your hands. We show you how to do it.
Ayurveda is a term that many are familiar with as it seems to have passed quite easily into common parlance but few realise quite how far-reaching this ancient Indian philosophy of health actually is. The main concern for Ayurvedic practitioners is to balance the elements (fire, earth, air, water and space) in the human body for it is thought that too much of one element will cause illness in the person, as a naturally healthy body is a balanced one.
Acupressure
Acupressure treats illness by applying pressure on the points of the body that relate to that particular body part or system. It was also discovered to be extremely beneficial in realigning the body and correcting imbalances. It is believed that acupressure is the body's natural toolkit for repair. Once you have learnt how to correctly apply acupressure, you can alleviate a whole score of ailments through strategic hand exercises alone.
Indian Ayurvedic practitioners believe that the body is made up of five elements: earth, water, fire, air and space. These elements are regulated by positive and negative energies. These energies are part of the bio-electrical system of the body. When functioning at optimal health, this electrical 'current' runs unobstructed through meridian lines in the body. A blockage can cause illness, legarthy, weight imbalances or even moodiness. Therapies such as acupressure and acupunture aim to clear such blockages, increase life force and get the system back to ideal health.
The hands and feet can be seen as the 'main controls' of the body where you can clear blockages by sending energy along meridians to those parts of the body that need it. Reflexology of the feet is very popular now but many are unaware that you can also use reflexology on your hands. This is a great deal easier for self-healing. One of the best things about reflexology is that it is available to all as there is no equipment to buy. If you choose, you may want to use the blunt, rounded end of a pencil for some of the palm exercises but even this is not necessary.
Elements
The five elements should be in proper proportion within the body. When they are not, undesirable traits and disorders occur. The way you can tell where you have an imbalance is by seeing what traits you are displaying. An excess of earth will result in a lethargic and inert attitude, there may be excess weight and a lack of ambition. Too much earth in a person will make them more compliant and unwilling to stand up for themselves. Disorders of this element will also make the subject prone to selfishness and self-indulgence.
Water helps keep the body flowing but it has a tendency to cool down quickly and so should be used with the fire element to keep it going for a healthy circulation.
Fire regulates sight, provides strength and induces hunger and thirst. Fire helps brain power and in the production of antibodies. Where you have fire element disorders, you find a loss of good eyesight, too much acidity in the body and mental disorders. Skin problems are also thought to be due to a fire imbalance.
Air is life itself. It regulates the function of the heart, circulation of the blood and maintains overall balance. It helps respiration and elimination. Constipation and other elimination disorders can occur when this element is defective in a person.
Space is the element that most forget about but you need space in order to allow air to move about the body and to have healthy functioning. A loss of space in the body can lead to circulation being blocked and even dramatic disorders such as fainting and heart attacks.
How to do it
It is recommended that you keep your nails short to avoid discomfort and you should rub your hands together before you start the exercises to warm them up. The pressure you should use when doing this should be a pumping action rather than a rubbing one. Keep your thumb horizontal as this will give the right amount of pressure (just enough to feel it) to the points. The points where you can apply a bit deeper pressure are those which correspond to the endocrine glands, namely points 3, 4, 8, 14, 15, 16, 25, 28 and 38 (see diagram on page 15). For these you should apply the pressure with your thumb vertically as this provides a deeper pressure. Don't feel you won't get the benefit unless you press as hard as you can. Apart from the points above, the pressure should be just enough to feel it, no more. It is more the rythmic pumping action that will help raise and move the energy to those organs, not the degree of pressure. You should aim to spend one to two minutes, three times a day on the point that you feel needs work.
Your body is divided into a right and left part and a front and back. Therefore if you have a problem with your right knee, you should apply pressure to the corresponding point of the right hand. Also the back of the hands relate to the parts located toward the back of the body. So, for example, the spine, nerves and hips can be aided through acupressure to the right points at the back of the hand rather than the palms.
You can use acupressure as a preventative measure, a curative measure or as a diagnostic tool. Many reflexologists have reported that they detected the beginnings of certain illnesses in the course of their own preventative practices some time before any symptoms appeared. Early detection can be vital to catching and curing any number of diseases, whether or not you choose alternative medicine for the actual cure. Acupressure will enable you to begin to 'read' your body and its health better.
As a practice for general good health and as a preventative measure, you should start by applying pressure for one to two minutes at point number 16 on the diagram on page 15. Move up to pressing the whole palm and the fingers individually from the base to the pads of the fingertips. When pressing in this way, keep your other four fingers or your index finger on the back of the hand to support and press the corresponding areas for the back of the hand. By doing this on both hands for five minutes daily, you will re-energise your whole body and gland system. When you are doing this, remember to remain alert for any untoward aches or pains. This may not necessarily be anything as sometimes poor circulation or carrying bags etc. can cause some temporary pain in the hands and fingers.
You may not feel much of anything the first couple of days that you do these exercises - this is because you haven't used your body in this way before - by the third day, you should begin to get sensations from the points you press.
While one would not advise forsaking modern medicine altogether, there is a tendency to rely quite heavily on over-the-counter drugs to alleviate common problems such as headaches etc. These can be easily helped with hand reflexology and will result in a more drug-free, pain-free life. In this example, the headache sufferer need only begin by pumping gently on point 5 for about 2 minutes to send energy up to the head and clear the energy blockages that are causing the headache. You should do this three times a day. Of course this is a practical philosophy of health so if you're working in a noisy factory and you have a headache, it may be better to combine acupressure with earplugs to get the best result!
Note that sometimes things might appear to get worse before they get better. This is an indication that the acupressure is working. This is because it is a natural process that works with the body rather than trying to conquer the body in an invasive way. For example if you have a cold, you have an excess of congested water and your body will try to rid itself of it by expelling it through a runny nose or sneezing. As you send energy to your head, it will cause this to happen more efficiently and will speed up your recovery by allowing your system to clear itself quicker.
Renowned reflexologist Devendra Vora says his motto is: 'If you feel pain, press it out'. That is to say that if the pain in your head or wherever you have the problem stops an hour after you did your initial acupressure on that point but the point on your hand still hurts when you press it, don't stop doing the exercises on a regular basis until that pain goes too.
Tibetan acupressure
While the system shown on these pages is predominantly concerned with the Indian Ayurvedic system of hand reflexology, there is also a method that comes from Tibet which is a variation on this. In Tibetan Relaxation, Tarthang Tulku advocates a firm pressure on given points rather than the pumping action of the Ayurvedic system. Try both and see which works best for you.
For the Tibetan, begin by turning your hand palm up and looking at the rings on the inside of your wrist. Place your forefinger in the middle of the ring nearest to your palm. Turn your palm down and place your thumb on the second point, on the back of your hand exactly opposite the first point. Hold your wrist tightly between your thumb and forefinger and press strongly. Relax your chest and stomach, and any other places of tension. Breathe gently through both nose and mouth.
Now reverse the position, placing your forefinger on the back of your hand and your thumb on the inside of your wrist. Strongly press and manipulate the two points simultaneously. Release the pressure gradually, sensing the feelings that arise.
Then with your forefinger on the knuckle and your thumb on the corresponding point in your palm, press firmly at each knuckle point. Increase and decrease the pressure slowly. When removing your hand at the end of the massage, do so very slowly so that your hand continues to feel the sensations for as long as possible.
Another difference with this system is that it is intrinsically linked to emotional pain too so you are encouraged to 'stay' with any pain that arises as, much like Vora suggests, you have to 'press out' the pain.
The Tibetan system is much more like a deep tissue massage than the pulsating movements of the Ayurvedic system. If you find this too painful to begin with, try this hand massage instead.
Interlace your fingers tightly with the palms and fingers toward you. Pull your hands apart under tension by squeezing your fingers together as you do so, massaging down the fingers until your hands spring apart. Repeat, feeling the sensations awakened in your body. One by one, hook each finger with the corresponding finger of the opposite hand. Pull under tension until the two fingers slip apart. Massage each fingertip in turn with the opposite hand's fingertips.
One thing both the Ayurvedic and Tibetan systems do share is the use of mudras for healing.
Mudras
Mudras are symbolic hand gestures that heal through the process of Tatva Yoga - yoga of the elements. Mudras are also believed to work through balancing the elements in the body. The thumb represents fire; the index finger, air; the middle finger, sky or space; ring finger, earth and small finger, water. See page 16 for an illustrated guide to the mudras you can use and which ailments they can help with.
Mudras can be used in conjunction with breathing exercises to increase their efficacy. Inhale to the count of 4, then keep hold the breath for a count of 4 and then exhale to the count of 4. You should then attempt to pause. This is not the same as holding one's breath as there should be very little air in your lungs once you've exhaled. You are simply not inhaling in again for the count of 4. Repeat this whole process at least 10 to 15 times a day. Your ultimate aim should be to increase the count to about 10, with the time that you retain the air in your lungs increasing to 20 counts. So inhale to the count of 10, hold for 20, exhale for 10, pause for 10. Do not push or force this. If it feels uncomfortable, stop, you will increase your counts slowly over time as your lungs become trained to do the exercises. These are extremely beneficial as lung capacity increases and your whole system is reinvigorated.
Please note that you should always seek the advice of a trained medical professional before embarking upon any alternative therapy.
With grateful acknowledgement to the work of Devendra Vora. |
