The origins of acupressure stretch back thousands of years to the mysterious beginnings of ancient Chinese medicine. Offering all the benefits of acupuncture - but without the need for needles - acupressure can be used to treat the symptoms of complaints as diverse as panic attacks, fatigue, toothache, childbirth, migraine, travel sickness and stress.
Written by an accomplished teacher and practitioner, this highly readable guide covers;

• Acupressure's ancient origins
• Chi and meridians and their place in acupressure
• Acupressure for first aid
• A simple DIY routine
• Examples of successful treatments
  

What is Acupressure?

Oriental healing has grown in popularity in the West in the past 30 years. This is largely due to the popularity of acupuncture which enjoyed a revival in the 1960s. There are currently several thousand practitioners of acupuncture in the West and many of these are doctors who have included acupuncture within their practice. Riding on the success and popularity of acupuncture are several other closely associated disciplines. These include Chinese herbal medicine, various forms of bodywork such as tai chi and chi kung, different forms of meditation and martial arts and many folk remedies and massage systems that stem from the same underlying philosophy as acupuncture.

Acupressure is directly descended from acupuncture. It is relatively easy to learn and you can practise it on yourself. Unlike acupuncture where a practitioner inserts a needle, you simply apply pressure usually with your thumb to the relevant acupressure point. To become an acupuncturist involves some three years of study, a deep knowledge of anatomy and physiology, completion of examination and membership of the relevant association. However, with acupressure, you simply need to know the different points to press to bring about relief. This book shows you these points, explains an invigorating acupressure routine that can help stimulate your energy and gives you the theory behind acupressure and oriental medicine.

Acupressure is easy to learn and helps bring a certain level of healing back within our grasp. Throughout time, as human beings, we have brought comfort to others through touch. We constantly and instinctively rub and press parts of our body to relieve muscle aches and pains. Acupressure and its underlying philosophy explain in more detail how touch and pressure can bring about change. I was always impressed when I studied Aikido that the instructor could bring relief in minutes from pain or minor injury simply by applying pressure to a few acupressure points, often not close to the site of the pain. Was it intuitive, was it logical, what did he do? Many of the answers to these questions will appear in the next two chapters.

Examples

Large Intestine 4
In Chinese this point is called the ;'great eliminator'; and it is a good point for tonifying the digestive system, both in cases of constipation and on a daily basis to strengthen our digestion. The point is located midway between the thumb and the forefinger in the fleshy part, very close to where the bones meet high up in the valley.

Bring your opposite hand across to this area. Breathe in and then, as you breathe out, slowly begin to apply the pressure until you feel resistance or pain. Hold the point for the rest of the out breath and as you breathe in, begin to release the pressure for the rest of the in breath.

This should be repeated five times, then move to the other hand.

Kidney 1
In Chinese this point is called ;bubbling spring;.

This is a very deep point that can be found on the sole of your foot in a valley between the hard skin located below your big toe and the other area of hard skin on the ball of your foot under the four toes. Because this point is deep, you need to press it firmly and repeat the process at least ten times. You may find that the point becomes more responsive as you work on it.

The kidneys are the source of our vitality and this point is especially good for fatigue, lethargy, for grounding energy and combating an over-intellectual lifestyle.

Some Comments From the Press

New Woman - August 1997
Japanese Self-Massage - according to oriental diagnostician Jon Sandifer, a form of Japanese self-massage called Do-In; is the latest technique in preventing you from feeling done in, it stimulates the body to make it function more efficiently says Jon, author of a new book, Acupressure ( £5.99 Element) Do these exercises when you get up in the morning and Jon claims it will increase your energy levels and fight that sluggish feeling.

With open hands and loose wrists begin by tapping all over your scalp as if you were drumming. Work on the top, sides and back of the head.

Bring your fingertips to your forehead and rub vigorously up and down as if your fingertips were a rake, from the hairline to the eyebrows. Begin at the centre of your forehead and work towards your temples. This exercise stimulates the digestive system and gall bladder.

With your thumb and middle finger, pinch and squeeze your eyebrows from the centre to the outside edge. Try to achieve this in one long out-breath. Repeat this three times to stimulate the lymphatic system.

The following three exercises will stimulate the circulatory system, the lungs, the heart and the kidneys;

Place your hands on your cheeks with the fingertips facing outwards. Press into the cheeks and at the same time rub them up and down as fast as you can. This exercise energises the lung region of the body.

With the same vertical action, rub either side of your nose.Repeat this for three out-breaths, remembering that the more vigorous you are, the more you activate the heart energy.

With the outside of your hands, flick your ears from the back to the front to stimulate the energy of the kidneys.