Chinese Massage or Tuina as known by the Chinese incorporates both massage techniques and acupressure. Acupressure is an ancient art which originated in China in the Huang di Dynasty (2697-2597 B.C.). Huang di was the famous Yellow Emperor who Instituted Chinese Medicine and wrote the classic "The Yellow Emperors classic of Internal Medicine". Along with the development of Acupuncture and the mapping of meridians came the idea that pressure could be applied to these points to move Chi and unblock pain by bringing Yin and Yang energies back into balance. Huang di, The Yellow Emperor

What are Meridians?

Meridians are the energy highways which carry the Chi throughout the body. Each meridian is connected to the internal organs and entrails. For example there is a meridian for the lungs.

Everybody's meridians get blocked from time to time and stress is the culprit usually. When this happens the Chi cannot flow which results in stiffness and pain. By pressing the acupressure points on the meridian you stimulate unblocking the meridian. The Chi then flows properly which reduces and eliminates pain. Meridians run from the feet upward and from the head downward. There are also different times of the day when each meridian becomes active, for example the liver meridian is active between 1-3am. Meridians are also either Yin or Yang.

What is Yin and Yang?

Yin and Yang is representative of the polar opposites which are in our bodies, the world and the universe. Hot-cold, up-down, sweet-sour, sunrise-sunset, void-solid. As long as the Yin and Yang are in balance we have health. Too much of one or the other causes an imbalance energetically. If it is not unblocked through acupressure, meditation, acupuncture, massage etc, it can reach the organic level and manifest in physical illness.

How does acupressure work

Acupressure works by applying pressure with a thumb or finger to a point or points that are relative to the problem. For example, if you have a cold your lungs are affected. You can work on your lungs by pressing on the points for the lung meridian. This will unblock the energy and move the cold through you quicker. Acupressure can trigger physical responses such as with the lungs like coughing and mucus build up. It may also trigger emotional releases such as tears or laughter and spiritual release through dreams. What ailments can Chinese Massage help?

Chinese massage can aid or eliminate migraine headaches, sciatica, reduce stress, panic and insomnia. It speeds up the healing of injuries in the joints, arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome and it can help reduce the pain and stabilize people with long term illnesses by building up the immune system.

The body is like a river

The body is a river, but if the energy becomes stagnant it becomes a swamp. We need to keep the Chi moving in the body. A combination of rest, meditation, exercise, massage therapy and positive thinking are the keys to good health. Self-acupressure can help solve a problem almost instantly without medicine. A good reference book is Michael Reed Gach's "Acupressure's Potent Points."

Where is acupressure practised?

Chinese massage incorporates acupressure and massage techniques. It is used in hospitals in China to help speed up the healing process in tandem with acupuncture, Chi-Kung, herbal medicine and Western techniques. Another form of acupressure is Shiatsu which was developed from Chinese acupressure by the Japanese. Swedish massage and modern Physiotherapy also find their roots in Chinese Massage. However, they do not incorporate acupressure in their techniques.
v Is acupressure easy to do?

Yes it is an easy technique to pick up on and I teach some acupressure to my students in the Chi-Kung classes. I am particularly interested in training couples and friends so they can work on each other. In fact I am currently offering a basic course in acupressure for those who are interested. Working on yourself is a powerful approach and self-acupressure is a powerful tool.