Chinese Self Massage
by Erle Montaigue
zone3
All Chinese healing methods make use of the internal energy
called by the Chinese, Ch'i or Qi. To us it is plain old life
force or energy which controls or internal wellbeing. More or
less of this wonderful stuff and we become well or remain ill.
A gradual depletion of this Qi will see a robust young man
slowly turn into a decrepit old man as his yang energy is
taken away through simply becoming older. Most people will
never know what it's like to be really healthy, in fact the
normal outlook seems to be that we expect to buckle under to
disease in our older years. Not so, the Chinese tell us. Even
into very old age and when the external body is unable to move
as fast as it used to, the internal organs should be still
healthy and capable of giving one a rich and rewarding older
life.
There are two ways that we are able to use Chinese healing
methods. The first and least common is to make use of the Qi
by having another person (usually a Chinese doctor) put some
of this amazing substance (or rather non substance as we are
talking about electrical energy) into us via the points of
least electrical resistance called the acupuncture meridians.
These tiny portholes of the body are places whereby the energy
is able to penetrate and thus give our ailing system a needed
hit of energy. Certain points pertain to particular organs and
so the Doctor is able to use the right point for the right
organ.
Manipulate various points
The second more common way is to simply manipulate the
various points to cause more of our own life force to be
routed along the correct meridian to heal the particular
organ. We can either build up our own body's supply of Qi by
using various exercise methods such as Qigong or T’ai chi or
we can manipulate our own points to stimulate the Qi we
already have.
From China we are given a precious pearl, something so
simple that it is often overlooked. How many times have you
bumped your leg or arm and immediately your palm is rubbing
the affected area to wellness. Try not touching the area, it
will remain sore for much longer. Upon this basis is the
self-healing art of CHINESE SELF-MASSAGE based and the method
is as follows.
Relax palms and imagine a flow is running
Firstly you must completely relax your palms and imagine
that some sort of flow is running along your arms and out of
your fingertips on each out breath. When you lift your arms to
perform the massage, try and use only those muscles, which are
absolutely necessary for that job of work. The shoulders
should not rise.
The tongue should be placed gently onto the ridge just
above the upper tooth line on the hard palate and the
breathing should be regular, deep, not forced and through the
nose. They eyes may be slightly closed and looking slightly
downward. Sit in a lotus or half lotus position. If this is
too difficult, just sit cross-legged on a soft surface with
your back vertical and chin pulled in slightly. This finger
should be touching at the thumb and longest finger and placed
gently onto each knee.
After a short period of meditation, slowly take the palms
and rub them together to cause some heat to be generated,
about 10 seconds. Then place the index and middle fingers of
each palm onto the forehead.
Meditation then head massage
Rub the fingers across the forehead in the same direction
for about ten seconds, then take the palms back down to the
knees in a circular motion and meditate again for about ten
seconds, breathing deeply and gently. Next, rub the palms
together again and place the same fingers over each eye and
rub gently for 10 seconds, covering the whole eye socket. Take
the palms back to the knees as before.
After the short meditation and the rubbing of the palms,
take the fingers back up again and this time gently rub the
ears.
The right fingers rub the left ear while the left fingers
rub the right ear. Include just below the ear on the jaw
line.
Take the fingers in the same position and after the usual
meditation and rubbing together of the palms back up and
gently rub the whole back of the neck and front up to the
medulla.
Rub the palms and repeat this whole process to include the
mouth, chin and cheekbones. To massage the head, we start by
rubbing the palms together and then leaning forward as we
press the fingers into the ground for about 3 seconds.
Now take the fingertips and tap the whole of the skull
beginning at the centre and working the way out to the sides
of the head. You should feel a slightly uncomfortable feeling
as if the tapping is a little too hard.
Clack the jaw
For the teeth, we 'clack the jaw' 36 times. With the hands
on your knees as before, open your mouth and clack your teeth
together 36 times. You should hear the sound quite loudly.
Even if you have false teeth perform this massage as it works
upon all of the vital points around the jaw. It is also
important for normal functioning of the bowel.
Begin by rubbing the palms and closing one of your palms
into a light fist. Rub the whole of your arm with a firm
pressure first on the outside of the arm and then on the
inside or soft side.
Keeping the same fist and only after the meditation and
rubbing, place both fists onto your chest and rub the whole of
the chest area with a firm pressure.
Fists rub kidney area
With the same light fists take the fists around to the back
and rub the whole kidney area with the same pressure but do
not dig the knuckles into this area, as it is quite
sensitive.
Take your palms back to your knees and repeat the
meditation and rubbing. This time place the left palm onto
your left knee and using the right thumb and forefinger, rub
the 'dragon mouth point' or 'colon 4'. Just between the thumb
and forefinger.
Hand Massage
Repeat this procedure for each of your fingers rubbing the
whole of the finger area. Then complete each finger's rub by
squeezing the tip of each finger horizontally and vertically
just to the point of pain. Finish by rubbing the back of the
same palm with the other lightly closed fist. Lightly punch
the underside of the thighs and rub the tops with the closed
fist. Work your way right down the whole leg. Rub each toe and
squeeze each one as for the fingertips. Finish by taking each
foot and gently shaking the whole foot. Keep the foot relaxed
so that it will shake.
Press all over the sole of the foot with as much pressure
that you are able to take and especially the point known as
'Kidney 1'.
Complete with breathing
To complete the self-massage, place each fist onto your
chest and breathe in. As you gently throw each fist out to the
sides bend forward at the waist as far as you are able to go
and breathe out. Hold this posture for about ten seconds and
as you breathe in, sit back up again and repeat.
Stand up and in a very relaxed manner, swing each arm in
turn until the fist of the left palm strikes the top of the
right shoulder activating the colon and gall bladder meridians
around this spot. Repeat this using the other arm and
shoulder. You should feel a sort of shock as the fist strikes
the shoulder.
Self-massage is the beginning to good health
and a large part of one's self help to self-healing.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Massage Related Articles:
 10 Principles of a Great Massage
Chinese Self Massage
Choosing a Massage and Bodywork Practitioner
Massage: A Complement to Fitness
Massage for Infants & Children
Massage for the Childbearing Year
My Own Reiki Story
Polarity Therapy
Stone Therapy: A Discussion of Current Trends and
Findings
The Incredible Magick of Massage
|
Go to Page: 