How to Use Acupressure Points on the Hand to Improve Health
Although people use their hands to reinforce a statement, articulate thoughts or compensate for an inability to fully express themselves with words, the hands also provide access to major meridians of the body. The heart, heart constrictor, lung, large-intestine, triple warmer and small-intestine meridians flow down the arm and into the hand and fingers. The fingers function as discharge points, or outlets, for energy flowing from the body.
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Instructions
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Locate the major meridians of the hand by extending an arm in front of the body with the palm facing you. Three meridians flow along the inside of the arm and down into the fingers. The lung meridian flows through the middle of the large muscle at the base of the thumb, then to the tip of the thumb. The heart constrictor meridian flows from the middle of the inside of the arm, through the middle of the hand to the tip of the middle finger. The heart meridian flows from the bottom of the arm on the inside through the bottom of the little finger, then at the last joint, turns upward to end at the top of the little finger, terminating at the inside of the nail.
Turn the hand over so that the palm is facing away from the body. Three meridians flow along the outside of the arm and down into the fingers. The large-intestine meridian runs from the index finger, over the back of the hand (over the muscle between the thumb and index finger), up the crook of the arm, over the top of the shoulder, and along the sides of the mouth to a point where the nostrils meet the face. The triple heater meridian flows down the middle of the outside of the arm, along the back of the hand and into the ring finger. The small-intestine meridian runs from the nail of the little finger, up the back of the arm, to the shoulder blade, up the back of the neck, to a point just in front of the ear hole on the side of the face.
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Test your mind and body's flexibility by using the hands. Place the hands together in a prayer position in front of the chest. Raise the palms upward and outward, while keeping the fingers of both hands touching. Create two right angles with the fingers and the backs of the hands. The palms should be horizontal, the fingers vertical. Flexible hands can indicate a person who is open to a variety of opinions and finds it easy to go around obstacles. Hands that are inflexible or tight can indicate a person who is conceptual, perhaps rigid and somewhat stubborn. If the hands are strong and inflexible, the person may tend to be confrontational when they deem it necessary.
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Spread the left thumb and index finger apart. Place the right thumb in the webbing between the thumb and index finger, on the back of the left hand. Place the fingertips of the right hand on the palm directly behind the thumb of the left hand. Squeeze together the thumb and index finger of the right hand firmly, pressing into the webbing of the left hand. Angle the pressure toward the bone that connects the palm of the hand to the index finger. Hold for one minute. Switch hands and repeat the process. This point helps relieve headaches, head congestion, arthritis, neck pain and irritability.
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Tips & Warnings
The hands can also help enhance concentration and relieve stress: Place the thumbs under the base of the skull in the indentation on both sides of the spinal column where it meets the base of the skull. The thumbs should be about 2 to 3 inches apart. Tilt the head back slowly while gradually pressing up and under the skull with the thumbs. Close the eyes and breathe deeply while firmly pressing the points for two minutes. Hold the points with a light pressure to feel for a sense of pulsation. When the pulses on both sides of the head are synchronized, the hemispheres of the brain are synchronized. Slowly release the pressure. This acupressure point helps improve circulation of blood to the brain and is believed to help relieve stress, burnout, overexertion, heaviness in the head and unclear thinking.
References
- Photo Credit finger stretch image by Deborah Benbrook from Fotolia.com
