This week I’ll talk about how to press acupressure points in terms of depth, frequency, length of time and the means.
First, depth. Not too deep or not too shallow. I know it’s so vague but the important thing is to stimulate the point to balance the chi or energy of the meridian. Harder you press doesn’t mean you’ll get more benefit. I wouldn’t be surprised that the points you press are sensitive. I would press with enough pressure so that you feel a distinct feeling and possibly hurts a little but not too much. You should not be left with bruises.
Second, frequency. The good thing about acupressure is that you can press the points as often as you like throughout the day without side effects. You can do it while you watch TV, in the train, in the car, not while you are driving but when you are waiting at the red light. But if you want to discipline yourself, put a structure. For example, set a time to do acupressure after you wake up or before you go to bed.
Third, length of time. In my videos I usually say press certain points for 1 minute as you breathe deeply. But if that’s too long, you don’t have to do 1 minute. You can do it shorter. Or if you can hold it for more than 1 minute go ahead and do that. When you go get an acupuncture, they put needles in those points and leave you for good 20-30 minutes under a heat lamp. So more than 1 minute is ok. If you prefer to press the points for 5 seconds and repeat, go ahead and do that.
Lastly, the means. Use your thumb, or a hooked thumb on the places you can wrap your hand around, or supported fingertips. If the fingertips don’t work because you have long fingernails or injury, you can use different body parts such as finger joint, knuckles, knees, and even heels. There are also tools you can use such as acupressure stick, eraser part of the pencil, tennis ball, golf ball and lacrosse ball as appropriate. Or the seeds that you can stick to the point and press them to stimulate. And ultimately why not the hands of your loved ones who are nice enough to press those points for you.
Most importantly listen to your body. Some acupressure points may work better than the other. And those acupressure points may be super effective on some days but not the other days. I hope this is helpful.
Massage Monday #313 – How To Press Acupressure Points http://bit.ly/mm-102416