While visiting with a friend a couple of years ago, I experienced the sudden onset of a migraine and asked for some aspirin or pain reliever. My friend’s neighbor who was also visiting insisted I didn’t need it. He used a technique I now know is called acupressure by placing his thumbs at the nape of my neck and telling me to breathe in deeply a few times. Although I felt like I had residual pain and feared the return of the migraine, the sharp, stabbing pulsing I associate with migraine was suddenly gone. The headache never returned to a full-blown migraine, and the remaining pain was less painful and a little more like a little tension. I think if he had held the position for a full minute or so, there would have been no sign of headache whatsoever. I’ve since tried the technique on myself, and it helps in lessening the pain, but I’ve never felt such dramatic results since then.

What is Acupressure?

Acupressure is a Chinese healing art close to acupuncture in that they use the same key points, called pressure points, to stimulate the body’s natural self healing abilities. Acupressure uses the fingers to apply pressure to these points, whereas acupuncture uses needles. When pressure is applied, it releases muscular tension, promotes blood circulation and the body’s life force to aid in healing. Acupressure is the older of the two techniques, and remains the most effective method for relieving tension related ailments.

The Benefits of Acupressure

The main advantage of using acupressure is that it is safe as well as effective, and can be used on yourself or others even if you’ve never done it before. There aren’t any side effects like there are from most medications, and all it takes is the use of your hands, and sometimes even feet. It can be practiced anywhere at anytime.

Uses of Acupressure

Even though the focus of this post is relieving headache, acupressure can be used to relieve many ailments as well as though associated with tension. Knowing the pressure points is all that is needed to apply the treatment. Ailments include:

• Eyestrain
• Sinus problems
• Neck pain
• Backaches
• Arthritis
• Muscle aches
• Tension due to stress
• Relieve anxiety
• Help with Insomnia

It can also help reduce pain for those dealing with:
• Ulcer
• Menstrual cramps
• Constipation

How to Relieve Migraine Headaches and Neck Pain

• Massage your head as if you were shampooing your hair.
• Place your thumbs underneath the base of the skull on either side of the spinal column. Tilt your head back slightly and press upward for 1-2 minutes while breathing deeply. It may also help to do this while sitting in a chair and leaning forward while resting your elbows on a desk or table to make holding this position more comfortable.
• Using either your thumb or right heel, apply pressure on the top of your foot in the valley between your big toe and second toe and rub for a minute. Switch and work the other foot.

Other pressure points will relieve headache in specific places.

For headache on the forehead and above the eyes:

• Apply pressure and massage in the webbing between the thumb and forefinger at the highest spot of the muscle where the thumb and index finger come together. Use in combination with

For headache on the sides of the head or temples:

• Apply firm but gentle pressure on the forearm three fingers width above the wrist between the two bones. Hold for a minute or two while breathing deeply.

Books about Acupressure

• The Acupressure Atlas by Bernard C. Kolster and Astrid Waskowiak
• Acupressure’s Potent Points: a Guide to Self-Care for Common Ailments by Michael Reed Gach
• Equine Acupressure: A Working Manual by Nancy A. Zidonis

-Anne

Do you have any insight on acupressure? Comment and tell us about it!

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Although I haven’t yet had a Reiki treatment, I have a couple of friends, including my fiancé, who tout its therapeutic benefits. I plan on making time to visit his Reiki master soon. But before I made that decision, I did a little checking around the internet to see if this is legitimate practice. I don’t want to throw money away on some hocus-pocus con-artist. Testimonials of strangers don’t always convey legitimacy, but I do have a flesh and blood example of what Reiki can do. My fiancé is much more relaxed and in tune with his spiritual, physical and mental needs.

What is Reiki?

Reiki is made up of two Japanese words; rei meaning ‘unseen’ or ‘spiritual’ and ki meaning ‘energy’ or ‘life force.’ The common English translation of Reiki is interpreted as “universal life energy.” Reiki is a Japanese energy healing which uses “laying on hands” for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. The premise is that the Reiki master can transfer energy from him/herself. The master can intuitively feel where the energy of the client is blocked within the chakras or energy centers of the body. Freeing the blockages, and helping the energy to flow through aids in restorative health and relaxation. Reiki is not meant as a replacement for medical care, but provides a great resource for prevention and supplements therapeutic treatment.

Reiki is not a religion, and works whether the individuals involved have ‘faith’ or not. Living universal, basic spiritual principles will enhance the experience since it is a holistic (mind, body, spirit) energy healing. Some clients will have emotional responses during a session, recall past memories vividly, or even have visions. The treatment helps in healing old wounds and walking through present fears.

Brief History of Reiki

The Reiki system of natural healing was conceived of by Dr. Mikao Usui in 1922. Usui purportedly gained the knowledge of the spiritual power through mystical revelation after a twenty-one day retreat on Mount Kurama where he fasted, meditated and prayed for the duration. In April of that year, Usui moved to Tokyo and opened the Usui Reiki Ryoho Gakkai (Usui Reiki Healing Society). As a student of the literary works of Emperor Meiji, Usui incorporated into the Reiki practice five principles of ethical practice as summarized from Meiji’s work. Many Reiki masters try to abide by these principles. One translation is:

The secret method of inviting good fortune, the marvelous medicine for all sickness.
Just for today:

Do not be angry
Do not be worried
Be grateful
Work hard (on improving yourself)
Be kind to others.

Every morning and every night, sit in the Gassho position [hands held palm-to-palm] and speak these words out loud in your heart for the evolution of body and soul, Usui Reiki Ryoho” - Mikao Usui

Mikao Usui taught Reiki to over 2000 students, 16 of them continued their training to Shinpiden level which is the equivalent of the western 3rd degree or master level. One of his students, Chujiro Hayashi continued Usui’s practice after his death in 1926, forming his own brand of Reiki which stresses physical healing using a more organized system of simpler Reiki techniques. Hayashi trained Hawayo Takata in his form of Reiki, and she traveled the U.S. teaching 22 students by the time of her death in 1979. Almost all Reiki taught outside of Japan follows her work. Takata stressed the importance of charging money for Reiki treatments and teachings. She reportedly charged $10,000 for Shinpiden training, but that’s disputed.

Reiki Practice

There are three primary treatments in Reiki: whole-body, localized and informal treatments, all of which involve the laying on of hands or the hands just above the client by a few centimeters, but not touching. Treatments can be given in an office at the practitioner’s home, or in the recipient’s home depending on the practitioner. The beneficiary is usually advised to wear comfortable clothing, and lays fully clothed upon a massage table. A treatment may last anywhere from 45-90 minutes. Reiki masters use anywhere from 12 to 20 different hand positions, and focus on covering mainly the head, the front and back of the torso, the knees and the feet, following the line of the chakras. Practitioners leave their hands in a position for 3-5 minutes before moving or switching positions. Using the intuitive method of healing, a master may focus more or less time on certain areas of the body depending on what he/she intuits about what needs more work. Sometimes the master prepares by meditating briefly right before the session begins. Practitioners may also do a body scan in order to find the problem spots in the recipient’s body.

Localized treatments are pretty much what it sounds like. The master targets a specific part of the body, perhaps the site of a recent injury. Localized treatments usually last no more than 20 minutes. Most Reiki masters prefer to do whole-body treatments because it’s a more holistic form of healing. Others may do whole-body followed by localized treatment.

Informal treatments may be done during a social gathering, where there isn’t any change in conversation or action. The practitioner simply places his/her hands on or very near a friend or family member so that it is comfortable and appropriate for the situation—social interaction continues as usual.

In addition to these treatments, Reiki practitioners can perform Reiki on themselves, which is how they learned the practice to begin with. The goal being to prevent or heal illness before symptoms even show. Some masters can purportedly heal from a distance with the use of symbols.

Next to laughter being the best medicine, another famous saying is the healing touch. I know how far a good massage will go in relieving stress in the muscles. I’m willing to give Reiki a try in relieving stress in the mind and body.

-Anne

Do you have any home remedies or natural cures using Reiki? Comment and share them with us!

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