Why Acupressure?

I often get this question, “I’ve heard of acupuncture, but what is acupressure?” A quick answer is that acupuncture and acupressure are the same system of Chinese Medicine. But where an acupuncturist would put a needle, someone using acupressure would hold or massage the same point.

The acupressure points live on meridians, which are energetic channels or flows. These meridians run like rivers in the body. There are areas on the meridians where the chi or energy collects and that is an acupressure point. Holding and massaging acupressure points is helping the metaphorical river run more smoothly.

I was first drawn to acupressure in massage school. In my massage training, I learned both Swedish Massage and Asian Bodywork modalities. In the Asian Bodywork curriculum, there was a section on acupressure. I was intrigued that holding an acupressure point on the body could relieve the local area and improve other ailments.

For example, one of the first points I learned was Kidney 1 Bubbling Spring, on the sole of the foot. I learned it could be used to treat hot flashes, fainting, and help people feel grounded. I incorporated points such Kidney 1 - Bubbling Spring into my massages and personal practice in order to learn more about them. As I got to use the points in myself and on other people, I began to have relationships with the points. Meaning, I could tap into how does this point feel to me today compared to yesterday? What’s changed? What’s the same? How does this point connect to the whole body and person?

I also began to lean into the imagery of the names of the points. If I’m feeling into my Bubbling Spring as I stand, how can I feel the water, nourishment, and life force of the earth below, like a spring moving upwards to energize me? The names of the points, with their vivid descriptions such as doors opening and mountains moving, helped me hold the acupressure points with a sense of purpose and intention.

I began teaching self-care acupressure because it is accessible, anyone can do this! All you need is 5 minutes to sit, breath, and hold a point. You don’t need to sit on the ground or have any special equipment. It’s a practice of learning the point, then holding it and breathing and relaxing. You can change your body and your emotions just by holding a point on your body! It’s empowering to take your health into your own hands!

You’re invited to join me for my upcoming Workshop: Letting Go into Your Best Self- Acupressure and Yin Yoga for Autumn. I will teach acupressure points that will support you to let go, just like the trees let go of their leaves in Autumn, you will be guided into a practice of releasing what you no longer need. This event is Saturday Sept 7, 2024 at 3-5 pm at Inner Path Studio in Nevada City. Click here to register!

4 reasons why Metta Loving Kindness Meditation will change your life

I practice Metta, or Loving Kindness Meditation, to take good care of myself, which then helps me take good care of others. Metta is a Pali word that translates as friendliness. Metta Meditation is about creating a friendly or a kind attitude towards yourself, people, and the planet. It often involves silently saying phrases such as “may you be happy, may you be well, may you be safe.” You can listen to a Metta Meditation I created by CLICKING HERE. I’ve found this style of meditation helpful these past two years. To cultivate feelings of compassion towards yourself and others can be a radical act.

How can Metta Meditation change your life?

1.) Concentration. Have you been feeling distracted? Overwhelmed? Life got way more complicated these past two years, with all the changes, twists and turns. Also, as technology continues to grow and alert us, there is more to focus on at once. Meditation is a way to let the mind focus on just one thing. It may sound simple, but that is different than the way most of us are being asked to engage in the world. In Metta Meditation, you let your mind settle on the words you are saying. Words create feelings and vibrations in the body. You might try it right now: say the word—PEACE to yourself a few times. How does that center your mind? How does it feel in your body?

2.) Re-Wiring. Us humans are creatures that are designed to look for the danger. That helped us out when we were running away from animals that wanted to eat us years and years ago. Times have changed and we don’t need to be in this state of sympathetic “fight or flight” activation all the time, but our bodies react the same way. I’ve heard so many people, myself included, start to say negative self talk when things don’t go as planned. As I mentioned in the last paragraph, words create feelings in the body. Why not change the narrative to a positive one and see what happens? The next time you feel you’ve made a “mistake” instead of talking down to yourself, try holding yourself in the field of Metta and say to yourself, “may I be kind, may I forgive myself, may I love and appreciate myself.” You can re-wire your negative grooves and go down a new positive path. I’ve found that to be freeing and been able to open to new ideas that wouldn’t have come to me otherwise.

3.) Community. We really are all connected. What happens in another part of the world effects us. When someone is hurting, we all feel it, because we relate to each other. As Maya Angelou is quoted saying, “The truth is, no one of us can be free until everybody is free.” In Metta Meditation, you send well wishes to people you know, to people you don’t know well, and to strangers. This sharing of good thoughts strengthens the bond between you and others. It’s a reminder we are not in this world for ourselves, but we are bound to each other, to lift each other up. Our survival depends on it.

4.) Protection. When I know that my intention is to share myself with the world from the place of Metta, Loving Kindness, I know my intentions are pure. This protects my heart because I’m confident that I’m moving from a pure place. If someone approaches me with an attitude that is less than kind, my Metta practice teaches me to be compassionate to myself and the person in front of me. I don’t let anyone else’s negativity effect me because I realize it’s the practice to be compassionate to people that are suffering. In this way, the Metta Loving Kindness Meditation helps me create strong boundaries.

Metta Loving Kindness Meditation can help you improve concentration, re-wire your brain to the positive, help you feel connected to people, and protect your heart. You can make it simple and say a few phrases to yourself whenever you have a free moment or take time to sit for a longer practice. I’ve found it a life changing meditation, that I use when I can’t sleep at night, when I feel stressed, or if I’m feeling that I want to do something to help others. It’s an active meditation that creates transformation. You can learn Metta Meditation in my upcoming online course: Meditate with KC- 7 day Meditation Challenge.