The events over the past few years are not unfamiliar to the world. There have been famines, wars, pandemics and many other chaotic events that humankind has had to face over the many years this planet has been inhabited. We are living through them and facing them with our best, doing our best and giving our best to everyday. Still, anxiety, worry, fear, anger along with other emotions and feelings arise within us. How can we move forward with peace, joy and love? How can we continue to put our best foot forward and be a symbol of strength and love for each other, help each other go through with strength and courage? Strengthen ourselves. Be peaceful. Be grateful. Be relaxed. Create positive and peaceful thoughts in our mind. Fill ourselves up with hope, strength and courage. Connect with peaceful people and places. One of the beautiful experiences we get to have at our clinic is to see people come through our doors feeling frazzled, tired, weary, afraid, stressed, irritated, anxious (well, that’s not fun) but when they leave, after their treatment, they leave looking happy, restored and very relaxed!
Acupuncture has so many effective Acupoints that can help relax the nervous system and calm mind. DU 20 is a point at the top of the head that Clears the Senses and Calms the Spirit. This is a great point for most people considering our senses are often overloaded with all of the input they take in all day through our eyes, nose, ears, etc. Calming our spirit is a term that refers to our overall well-being. When our spirit, or Shen in Chinese Medicine terms, is disturbed we feel out of sorts, uncomfortable, like “something is off” and low-energy. When Shen is restored we have bright eyes, our skin has luster, we feel energized, alive and present. DU24, Called Shen Ting, or Spirit Court, is close to where the hairline meets the forehead. This point “Quiets the Heart and Calms the Spirit,” an excellent point for anxiety, insomnia and heart palpitations. There are also many points for anchoring energy from rising to the chest and head that help with the repetitive thoughts and the heavy or tight feeling that some experience with emotional distress or anxiety: ST36, just below the knee, LI11 at the elbow, and GB21 at the peak of the shoulders are all helpful points to relax and create peace within the body and mind.
Herbal medicine and other therapies such as Cupping and Gua Sha are also excellent methods to help restore peace and calm to your daily living by releasing tension and anxiety. We all could use some peace and relaxation these days, so come on in for a restorative and relaxing treatment!
Easy Qi Gong Exercise to Restore Peace and Calm:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart
2. Knees are slightly bent and relaxed
3. Tuck your low-back under so that your bottom does not stick out
4. Drop your shoulders and allow your arms to rest relaxed at the sides of your body
5. Tuck in your chin and imagine the top of your head being pulled upward by a string
6. Feel your weight pressing down evenly through the balls of your feet and heals
7. Breath slowly, smoothly and evenly, inhaling and exhaling through your lower belly
8. Empty your mind and listen to all the sounds around you for 1-3 minutes, or as long as you like
Happy Healing San Diego!