Your Valentines Day Gift is in Your Hands

Who doesn’t love a good massage? In this Valentines edition of Essence Healing Getting to the Point Wellness Blog, I am going to teach you how to incorporate acupressure into a massage, creating an experience that’s tailored specifically for your Valentine. This will not only induce pure physical bliss but also leave your Valentine feeling overwhelmed by how smart and thoughtful you are. There are four acupressure points that should be incorporated into everyone’s Valentine’s Day massage. They are Gallbladder 20, Bladder 15, Bladder 32, and Kidney 1.  The scalp (wherever tender) and feet in general are always a welcome acupressure add-ons.

GB 20 is called Gates of Consciousness and Wind Pond. It help harmonize your immune system. It is good for sinus issues, neck pain, dizziness, sore eyes, head cold, stuffy head and irritability. It is one of the acupoints which are used to relieve depression. GB 20 relieves pain by releasing the body’s natural pain relievers known as endorphins. By opening the healing energy through these acupressure points you can relieve stiffness, especially stiff necks, arthritic pains, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. There are many acupressure points for these problems, but GB 20 is one of the most potent points for obtaining relief.

GB 20 is located just under the base of the skull in two small muscular grooves at the back of the neck.  For self-healing guidance on how to relieve shoulder and neck tension, aches and pains, headaches, and open these Gates of Consciousness points, practice pressing these points two times daily as shown in  picture.

 Bladder 15 is located about an inch-and-a-half outside the spine, at the level of the fifth thoracic vertebra.

That’s about midway between the top and bottom edges of the scapula, the triangular bone in the picture at right. Massage the tender spot in the area. Using firm pressure with your thumbs, press Bladder 15 on both sides of the spine at the same time. Bladder 15 is what’s known as the Back Shu point of the Heart.  Shu in Chinese means “to transport,” as in transport qi (or blood, or fluids, or whatever’s needed) to the organ associated with that point. So essentially, Bladder 15 helps to nourish the Heart organ. The Heart in acupuncture has many functions—some of which are similar to the ones we know from Western medicine and some less so—and it does play a role in a person’s ability to give and receive love, and to be present in relationships. It is, so to speak, the key to your Valentine’s heart.

Bladder 32 is a good point for stimulating sexual energy. Bladder 32 and any other tender points in this region should be pressed on both sides at the same time. Rather than using firm pressure right away, ease into these points, as they can be very tender on some people. Women especially might experience tenderness around Bladder 32, as it’s a common treatment point for anything related to menstruation. Men and women who have sciatica or low back pain also might find this region sensitive.

 Kidney 1 is located on the bottom of the foot, just behind the pad, between the second and third metatarsal bones. Using firm pressure with your thumbs, press Kidney 1 on both feet at the same time. This point is used to ground a person, to energetically pull down the constant buzzing that happens in many of our heads. Touching this point will help your Valentine quiet the internal chatter and become more fully present in his/her body. The above four points scalp and feet should included in all Valentine’s Day acupressure massages. They alone can make for a great Valentine’s treat.  

LET"S BEGIN --Ask your Valentine to lay on his/her stomach. All acupressure points can be reached from this position. Begin the massage with Kidney 1. Because of its grounding qualities, Kidney 1 will help bring your Valentine into a relaxed state for the rest of the massage. While you are pressing Kidney 1 on both feet, ask your partner to take some deep breaths and imagine that he/she is filling his/her whole body with air, all the way down to the bottom of the feet where you are applying pressure. After Kidney 1, move on the feet in general gently pulling the toes. This will help loosen that part of the body so that he/she can get greater enjoyment from the rest of the massage. As you did with Kidney 1, ask your partner to take a few slow, deep breaths while you press these opening or circulating points. Next, move to Bladder 15 and Bladder 32. These points can be performed once or several times while you’re massaging other areas on the back. Each time you press the Bladder points, ask your Valentine to breath slowly and deeply directly into the area that you are pressing.  For GB 20, press toward the base of your skull with your thumbs. Use the weight of your head against your thumbs for a steady pressure. Hold for about 5 minutes. Press gently around the scalp and top of head. Gently pull the hair and ear lobes. Repeat as you see fit.

 The key to a successful Valentine’s Day is literally in your hands!