Keeping your Qi moving without Acupuncture

It has been a long couple of months...for all of us. Adjusting to the new normal has taken some time and effort, but hopefully we’ve learned it's not impossible. We’re all coping with a tremendous amount of stress right now, and we’d like to recognize and thank all of the essential workers out there. Without your perseverance and dedication we would all be worse off, thank you for helping your fellow man. At MCA we are very much looking forward to coming back to work and helping everyone relax, feel better, and most of all coping with the recent traumas and regaining a sense of normalcy. If you miss your regular acupuncture treatments- there is so much you can do at home to effectively move your qi until we meet again! 

Acupressure
Acupressure is the strong stimulation/massage of acupuncture points to simulate the effects using an acupuncture needle would produce. When I say strong, I mean to the point of some slight discomfort. The effect desired is to cause ‘injury’ to the area in order for the brain to notice it enough to activate the cascade of immune boosting cells or the release of the body’s own endogenous opioids to relieve pain. 

Acupressure is typically administered in a slow clockwise motion (although for excess conditions like fever/heat/swelling/etc counterclockwise is more effective) with a fair amount of pressure 50-100 rotations per point. POCA TV has created a whole series of acupressure videos for specific ailments that are very helpful and easy to follow. Find the videos here.

Exercise
Another crucial way to move your qi is to move your body. The main theory behind acupuncture is that stagnation leads to disease. If you’re moving your energy, using your heart and lungs to pump your blood you’re helping your body stay in tip top shape- similar to how you would need to run a car every couple of weeks to keep it functional. Remember that building muscle is important to keep bones and ligaments strong and healthy. Additionally, muscle tissue is metabolically more active and burns more calories than fat tissue. The more muscles you have, the bigger your resting energy expenditure, which means that your body burns more calories “while doing nothing”.

Start small and work your way up as tasks get easier. A quick 20 min workout daily or 3-4 times a week is a good goal. And exercise is good for the mind too! Exercising regularly is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce the symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress & ADHD by improving concentration, motivation, memory, and mood. Physical activity immediately boosts the brain’s dopamine, norepinephrine, and serotonin levels—a non-drug alternative that has been researched to be as effective as prescriptions.

One of my favorite (and free) online yoga workouts is Yoga with Adriene. There are over 500 videos to choose from for beginners to more advanced, and there are new meditation videos posted as well! What do you like to do for exercise? Sharing ideas with your friends and family can give you new ideas of things to try.

Meditation
For some, the thought of meditation sounds very intimidating and unattainable. I’m here to tell you, it’s not. Meditation is simply the quieting of the mind. The focusing of thoughts, or more often the absence of thoughts, combined with guided breathing is the foundation of all good meditation. You may hear people talk about their meditation “practice”, you know that old phrase practice makes perfect;) Don’t have any expectations for what meditation will be like the first few times you do it, just do it and see if you notice a change. You might feel more calm, centered, less anxious or depressed- meditation is probably the best at home tool you have to move your qi. 

Start by finding a comfortable spot, either in a chair with both your feet planted on the ground or in a crossed leg seated position on the floor. Envision your feet or seat having roots and connecting with the ground below you. Start at the top of your head and envision all of your muscle tension melting into these roots. Take a few grounding deep breaths from your abdomen, let your belly get big as you inhale from your nose and then exhale through your mouth. Now try to focus all of your attention on your breath. Try to push out all other thoughts. Set a timer and see if you can do that for 2 minutes, then 4 minutes, etc.

Here is my favorite guided breathing meditation. This other link is a colleague of mind from acupuncture school explaining her meditation practice. Meditation can be done a few times a week or a few times a day, it’s up to you.

Qigong & Tai Chi
Qigong and Tai Chi (or Taiji) have been around for centuries. Both are centered around specific small movements that move the body’s energy and restore balance that lead to improved health, fitness and wellbeing. Both practices cultivate the qi, the body’s energy and life force that flows through the meridians, by combining movement, breathing and meditation. Qigong and Tai Chi are meant to be slow and intentional. Qi gong is more focused on incorporating specific breathwork, whereas Tai Chi is a series of postures and liquid movements that tries to harmonize the mind with the body.  

Qigong literally means “life energy work” - a way of working with qi, the life energy. It is a healing art, a way of cultivating physical, spiritual, emotional and psychical health, that originated in China about seven thousand years ago. Qigong is part of Traditional Chinese Medicine and was first detailed in an ancient Chinese medical text book, the Huang Di Nei Jing or Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon,that has been regarded as the fundamental doctrinal source for Chinese medicine for well over two millennia and is still in use today. I would recommend beginners to use guided video tutorials on the internet, here is qigong for beginners.

According to the Tai Chi for Health institute, the ancient Chinese created tai chi based on their knowledge of traditional medicine, Qigong and martial art. Some people see it as a meditation, some as an exercise you do in the park, others as a form of relaxation. But to put it simply, tai chi is one of the most famous Chinese martial art of the internal style. External styles concentrate on the external form, featuring vigorous body movements and harsh punching actions. Internal styles place emphasis on breathing and the mental component of their training.

Numerous studies have shown tai chi improves muscular strength, flexibility, fitness, improve immunity, relieve pain and improve quality of life. Muscle and ligament strength is important for supporting and protecting the joints and is essential for normal physical function. Flexibility exercises enable people to move more easily, and facilitate circulation of body fluid and blood, which enhance healing. Additionally, tai chi movements emphasize weight transference to improve balance and prevent falls. Here is a good beginner tutorial for Tai Chi.