About

Acupressure To Ground Yourself and Relieve Stress

Acupressure is the stimulation of acupoints with pressure, usually with our fingers, although a tool can be used as well. It is a great self-care strategy to employ on yourself or a friend/family member. These three acupressure points help calm the body and mind from feelings of stress, overwhelm and anxiety to promote the feeling of being grounded. To enhance the effects of these points even further you can use essential oils that resonate with the action of these acupressure points.

In Chinese medicine we like to identify the root cause of the problem and correct the imbalance in order to truly help our patients heal for the long term, although sometimes damage control, or symptom relief is needed ASAP. So while identifying the source of stress, anxiety and overwhelm is crucial to reducing it in the long term, we also need coping mechanisms to help us out along the way.

Yin Tang: Calms the spirit, reduces stress and anxiety. This point will also help with frontal head aches and sinus congestion.

***NOTE*** Do not use these next two points if you are pregnant. These points have a downward bearing ability and are contraindicated during pregnancy unless inducing labor is the goal.

Spleen 6 (San-yin-jiao): Helps reduce the feeling of heart palpitations, general anxiety and insomnia. This point is used for both women and men’s reproductive/sexual issues.

Kidney 1: Reduce anxiety, poor memory, heart palpitations, insomnia. This point can also help with hot flashes, night sweats and low back pain.

Some options for essential oils that work synergistically with these points are geranium, chamomile, lavender, and blue tansy.

Put a few drops of a carrier oil like jojoba, coconut or castor oil in small dish. Add a few drops of your chosen oil or 1 drop of each. Mix the oils and then apply to each point with a finger or thumb and hold firm yet gentle on the point for 1-20 minutes. You can do Spleen 6 on both sides at the same time and then Kidney 1 on both sides at the same time.

This can be a nice meditation break as well, whether it’s a lunch break meditation or part of your morning or evening routine.

Depending on the time you have you may choose to do just one point and hold it for 5-10 minutes or choose both Spleen 6 and Kidney 1 and hold them each for 5-10 min.

Meditation:

Take a seat wherever you have chosen to do a little meditation. I like to sit in either butterfly pose or “easy pose” because it makes both of these points very accessible and you can do each side at the same time. If these positions are uncomfortable you can sit with one leg stretched out and just do one side at a time. Have your oils ready by you.

Start with a little dab of oil to Yin Tang and then apply to SP-6 and KI-1 on both sides.

Take 3 slow, deep belly breaths. You can rest your hands (or one hand) on your abdomen just below the navel to connect with each deep breath, feel the expansion under your hand with each inhale.

Now bring your thumbs down to SP-6 and apply an even pressure with a firmness that feels good to you. Continue your slow, full breath down into your abdomen. Notice how the point feels under your thumbs, adjusting the pressure if needed. Connect your breath with the point by just gently resting your thumbs on the point with your inhale and applying more pressure with the exhale.

Allow the sense of being grounded to root down with each breath and the activation of your SP-6.

When you feel ready move down to KI-1 and connect with a constant pressure for 3 breaths. Now move into the breathe and point connection. Light touch with an inhale and a deeper pressure with the exhales.

When you feel done, gently open your eyes and give yourself a little smile for the self love you just completed!