With all the closures, from COVID and the West Seattle bridge, our new reality seems to be pointing people to take more ownership of their health. We are needing to depend on ourselves to stay healthy during this “stay-at-home” time. There is no magic pill or magic needle to take your pain away or solve your problems but there are many techniques in Chinese medicine that you can do to heal yourself. I’d like to offer a Chinese medicine toolbox for self-care that allows you to get more in touch with yourself and your own needs in the comfort of your own home.
Toolbox Suggestions
Acupressure
Acupressure can be self-administered for mind and body stress alleviation. An excellent acupressure point to help ground yourself in uncertain times is liver 14. It is located on the chest below the breast and can be very tender. Liver 14 aids in gently moving the qi to release anger, allowing you to ground and center yourself. Acupressure Kidney 1 is located on the bottom of the foot. Press this point with firm pressure for 45 seconds. This pressure point helps with grounding, energy and relieves any kind of dizziness.
Ear Seeds
Ear seeds are a great tool to relieve anxiety. Place them on the outside of the ear to feel a sense of calm wash over you. I have tiny ear seeds that I can mail to you.
Dry Brushing
Another Chinese medicine technique that you can do right from home is dry brushing. Dry brushing is a way to really open up the body’s meridians and make you feel alive. Take a dry bath brush and brush your legs and arms in a pattern to your core.
Gua Sha
Gua Sha is an ancient technique using a tool that you can buy (or simply use a Chinese soup spoon) to open stagnations in the body. The neck, shoulders, and elbows respond very well to Gua Sha. Wrinkles on the face can also be softened with Gua Sha movements upward.
Chinese Jade Facial
A Chinese Jade facial is done with a jade stone with strokes upward and it can relieve stress from your face.
Cupping
You may have experienced cupping before at the clinic but there’s an easy, at-home way to release tension in your neck, shoulders, and low back. Apply olive oil to your skin, take a small cupping cup, and move it up and down in that area. Cupping sets can be found fairly inexpensively online.