Update

Sorry about lack of blogs lately but it is my 'silly' season of being away from home giving workshops and attending conferences as well as being very busy clinically and with writing. The ACPEM conference at the Ammerdown Centre went well - it left me drained but it was all worth it. I had the pleasure of meeting up with John Iams and his son Erick from San Diego, California. John gave us a day seminar on his work with Primal Reflexes and certainly gave more than 200% of what was asked of him. Check out his work - it is some of the fastest hands on work in pain relief that I have met. It was a real coup for ACPEM as we managed to prise him away from the USA for the first time in his life! He needed to buy his first passport at the age of 65! There were also presentations on Fascial release, Feldenkrais and Research into touch therapy. We are back at the same venue next year when we hope to engage some top international speakers - watch this space.

I gave another LTR workshop near Glasgow three weeks ago. It went very well but has convinced me that to do justice to the subject I need to make it a 3 day event instead of 2. I am well into Chapter 3 of the book on Light Touch Reflextherapy and am trying to get a poster off the ground to go with the book and the workshops. I am also doing another poster on Chakrapuncture - to accompany any workshops on that topic and to go with the orange book. I'll carry on with powerful acupoints next blog. Stay well - JRC

Powerful Points - Yintang

This point is situated midway between the eyebrows on the anterior midline (at the glabella). The point is often called Gov 24.5 as it lies on the Governor channel. What were our forefathers thinking of when they did not make it a Governor meridian acupoint? It is one of the most powerful and versatile points on the body! The point is used extensively in clearing the mind, easing pain and treating conditions of the ear, nose and eyes and is much used in hormonal imbalance. Symptoms and conditions include anxiety, insomnia, depression, frontal headache, lethargy, hormonal imbalance and many disorders that affect the eyes, nose and ears.

Yintang is usually referred to as the anterior aspect of the Brow (Ajna) chakra and, as such, may be used in isolation or with other acupoints in the tretament of many endocrine imbalances due to its effect on the hypothalamus and pituitary glands. It is also a point used with those who are easily affected by adverse or perverse radiation (sick building syndrome or the individual reacting to power lines, computer screens etc.). The point is also extensively used in yoga, meditation and many of the Eastern arts.

One of the most effective ways of using this point is in conjunction with Gov 16 (at the base of the skull). Gov 16 is said to be the posterior aspect of the Brow chakra. It may be used as self help or with patients as a wonderful duo of points in the treatment of anxiety, stress, headache and migraine and for clearing the mind. Try it - it's wonderful! More soon.

Powerful Points - Gov 20

Governor (Gov) (GV) (Du Mai) 20 is situated on the dorsal midline at the apex of the head. It is exactly half way between the middle of the eyebrows and the base of the skull, and in a direct line between the fronts of both ears. It is considered to be the most 'Yang' point on the body and has many different functions and uses - mostly in bodywork but occasionally using acupuncture or moxa.

It helps to clear the mind and is a great 'calming' point if it is slightly stretched between the fingers (not massaged). Other symptoms and conditions include apoplexy, dizziness, headache, migraine, anxiety, stage fright, vertigo, hypertension, blurred vision and mental agitation. When this point is massaged or used with moxa (burning herb) it is very useful for improving energy and circulation to the opposite end of the Governor channel i.e. haemorrhoids.

Its main property, though, is that it is the physical acupoint of the Crown (Sarasrara) chakra. It colloquially called the Thousand Petalled Lotus and is where a person is connected to their spiritual selves via the aura that houses the subtle bodies. It is therefore extensively used in many forms of yoga, mediation, Eastern arts and chakra balancing and healing.

Be very careful not to 'over treat' this point as the client can easily become 'spaced out' and feel faint. It is great in self help acupressure in anxiety and mental agitation.

Powerful points - GOV 14

Governor (Du Mai or Gov) 14 is located between the spinous processes of C7 and T1 in the mid line. The point lies at the centre of a parallelogram of forces with one axis being the spine and the other being the horizontal line shoulder to shoulder. The area is therefore prone to much physical tension and stress. This very powerful acupoint is at the intersection of five different meridians (some are deep channels) so is influential in many energy imbalances.

Symptoms of imbalance include pain and stiffness of the neck, cervical spondylosis, trapezius spasm, fibromyalgia, colds, cough and sore throat, wheezing, palpitations, poor memory, poor concentration, tinnitus, headache, migraine and hypertension.

This point is also the posterior aspect of the Throat (Vishuddha) Chakra and is used in conjunction with the anterior aspect at Con 22. It may be use therefore with constipation, shyness, inability to express feelings and emotions and respiratory conditions.

Prior to using the point with bodywork, acupressure or acupuncture I always feel it is a good idea to 'clear the area' by giving the client/patient some deep massage around the region, especially into the trapezius muscle. I also do some localised fascial release work around the point, combining it with energy balancing the point to bilateral LI 15 at the shoulders and GOV 4 in the lumbar spine. Please warn the client they could feel 'banjaxed' after the session as a great deal of accumulated stress can be released. One may also use this point as part of a self help procedure. Feedback please. - JRC

Powerful acupoints - Gov 2

Governor (Gov) 2 - located on the mid line between the sacrum and coccyx. It is considered to be the alternative point to Gov 1 which, due to its location by the anus, is not normally used. In some ways it could be the most important point on the body as it could be used in every chronic condition of the spine, kidneys, bladder, any 'bone' condition and any hereditary or congenital condition. It is said to be the body's main 'earthing' or grounding point. In Ayurvedic medicine it is considered to be the Base (Muladhara) chakra. A strong Base chakra will keep us on the ground with regards to our mental and emotional attitudes.

The point is used as a focal point in qigong and tai chi and is much used in meditation and yoga. It is a great point for clearing the mind as well as stabilizing the emotions as there is a direct link with the Crown chakra at Gov 20 on top of the head. The Base chakra is also associated with the adrenal medulla and cortex, the former being responsible for the production of adrenaline and the latter cortisone. In everyday practice it is used in spinal conditions as well as chronic forms of arthritis. I shall describe how to use Gov 2 with massage in treating chronic low back pain.

With the patient lying prone on the couch, slowly introduce the middle finger to Gov 2 after seeking permission from the patient to do so! I always do some preparatory massage to the lower spinal region beforehand so treating Gov 2 is part and parcel of the whole treatment. Locate the point with the pad of the middle finger and proceed to 'work the point' in a clockwise motion for approximately half a minute. You are attempting to build up the energy around the point and it will not happen in less time. You often need over two minutes. When you are confident that you have created a warm glow around the point, try just holding the point with the middle finger whilst placing the left hand over the lumbar spine. Within a couple of minutes you should experience a 'one-ness' between your hands when the whole area should glow and feel much more relaxed. As with all bodywork, the action of your hands should be augmented with the action of your mind by having Focus and Intention at all times (see earlier postings on this topic). If you find that you are not experiencing any obvious changes in the tissues, try massaging the Key point for the Base chakra - LR 8 until the energies emerge. LR 8 is situated at the very medial aspect of the knee joint - it will be acutely tender if treatment is needed.

Gov 2 may also be used in conjunction with many other points on the body when dealing with chronic, long lasting conditions. Next time - Gov 14

Powerful acupoints - Introduction

I thought I would do a series of postings on the use of powerful energy reflex and acupoints (I personally feel that these two are synonymous) that will help the body worker, physiotherapist, reflex therapist etc. augment their work.

Firstly what do we mean by powerful points. I guess you can define them as being points with the following attributes:-

1. They are used often in everyday therapy
2. They have several uses and may be used to effect more than one system i.e. musculo-skeletal, organic, emotional etc.
3. Although they may be augmented with using other points, they are generally 'stand alone' points.
4. In my latest book on 'A Concise book of Acupoints' I have given each of these powerful points a 5* rating.
5. They may be used with pressure, massage, needle, moxa, magnets, colour or any other way to effect their energetic potential.
6. They are generally utilized as major and minor chakra points, although there are some exceptions

We shall kick off in the next blog by describing GOV 2.

I am now diving for cover as we are about to experience storm force winds for the next 24 hours.

Gratification

Almost the end of the interminably long month of January - Spring is just around the corner!! I always was a 'half full' as opposed to 'half empty' man. In the Highlands and Islands today we are now back to the seasonable norm - wet and windy. The ice and snow was sooo unusual, we hope that it is the end of that stuff until next year.

When I first started on the road of being a professional therapist, one of the first things that was imprinted on my brain by one of my mentors was that of not worrying about money!! He told me that if my heart was pure and if I treated my patients with honesty and humility then I would never go short. Although there have been times in my life, mostly due to being unable to work because of illness, that finances have been very low, I have never lost sight of the ethos of giving for the sake of giving and not just for reward. Of course we all need to live and to survive, but one should never, ever work in any type of medicine just for monetary gain.

I don't write this blog or answer questions on the 'All Experts' web site for personal gain. I certainly do not write books and articles for personal gain - unless you are a J.K. Rowling there is no money in being an author. I am pleased to do it. I gain satisfaction and gratification from colleagues writing and telephoning to thank me for the pleasure they have had in reading my replies to their questions or by reading my books. This is worth more to me than any financial reward. Similarly it has always given me a buzz to see practitioners express their innate gifts during workshops that I run.

On the subject of books - I am now writing the Light Touch Reflextherapy book and well into the second chapter. It is to be a short and user friendly tome to augment the workshop and to help the thousands of therapists who work with foot reflexes in seeing their art in a different way. My first workshop of the calendar year is near Glasgow on 19-20 March on this topic.
All the best - JRC