free teleclass offering: Sept 3

The class is being offered by one of my teachers at the Acupressure Institute, Anasuya Batliner.  I took her class on Women’s Health Issues there, and learned a great deal from this gifted teacher.

Yin, Yang, Qi & Blood: Phases of a Woman’s Month

September 3, 7pm – 8pm
a free teleclass
with Anasuya Batliner, NC, Dipl. ABT, CST, My Body Wisdom
for anyone interested in acupressure and women’s health

The energies of Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood naturally ebb and flow through the weeks of a woman’s menstrual cycle. Learn to support this rhythm with appropriate acupressure points, foods, and activities for each phase.

-Increase fertility
-Reduce PMS
-Ease menstrual cramps

This free teleclass gives you a preview of the Women’s Health Issues class taught by Anasuya, September 16-17 from 9am – 4pm at The Acupressure Institute in Berkeley, California.

To register for the free teleclass email Anasuya directly at anasuya@mybodywisdom.net. You will be given a conference phone number and PIN number to join the call.

acupressure for dry eye

A student in a class recently asked about acupressure points to address dry eyes.  While factors such as diet, stress, and other health issues can cause or exacerbate dry eye, there are some points–directly around the eye–that may be helpful.

Before you start, wash your hands well with soap.  Then sit in a comfortable chair, with your feet flat on the floor.  Experiment with using your right hand or left hand, or both; whichever is comfortable for you.  Also, whether it is the right or left eye which is dry, try the acupressure on both eyes.

When you hold the points–which I will describe shortly–use your index finger or middle finger, and gently place it on the point.  There is no need to apply pressure; simply placing a finger in a relaxed manner will be effective.  Take a deep breath, as you hold each point. 

The points. There are three points, which are around the eye, as you see in the image.  They are the same on each eye.(My drawing–which I hope conveys the basic concept of the eye to you!–is of the left eye, as you look toward it.)  I’ve included the meridian point name, as well as the names translated from Chinese; some are more poetic than others.

• Bladder 1 (Eyes Bright): This point is on the inside corner of the eye, where it meets your nose.
• Stomach 1 (Tear Container): Directly below your pupil, this point is on the ridge of the bone around the eye.
• Gallbladder 1 (Pupil Bone Hole): On the outside corner of the eye socket.

A recommended routine for these three points is to start by placing a fingertip on the Bladder 1 point.  Take five (5) deep breaths as you hold your finger there.  Remember to keep your shoulder and arm relaxed as you do this.  Next move your finger to the Stomach 1 point, and hold for five deep breaths.  Finally, move to the outer corner of your eye at the Gallbladder 1 point, and hold for five deep breaths.  Repeat this on the other eye.  If it’s comfortable, you can hold the points on both eyes at the same time.  Start out with one round of holding these points, then increase daily to about five minutes total, if that is comfortable. 

Acupressure can be effective when you practice it on a regular basis.  So try this routine once or twice a day at a regular time.  After you get up in the morning, and before you go to bed are often times when it’s easier to develop a regular routine.

You are encouraged you to seek the advice of a qualified health care provider for questions about a medical condition.

acupressure to help quit smoking

I realize that quitting a long-term smoking habit can be a huge endeavor.  Once in a while I’ll meet someone who quit cold turkey, but that is likely an exception to the rule.

The thing about any habit is that it’s familiar and comfortable, so letting go of it is a difficult thing to do.

Therefore, the LETTING GO point is a wonderful point to hold, if you are thinking about or working on quitting smoking.  It’s a great point to use on a friend of relative who is going through this, too.  Fittingly, it’s the first point on the Lung meridian, so while it’s really helpful for letting go in many areas of life, it’s so appropriate for letting go of something that pertains to the Lungs. 

To learn more about this point, see this post.