Can’t put your finger on it? Perhaps you should!

Alex describes Acupressure Qigong, a gentle hands on technique for managing health & well-being.

I very recently completed some further training and qualified, at the Holistic Qigong Training Academy UK, in the use of Acupressure Qigong.  I thought, therefore, that it might be of interest to you to pen a short piece for this month’s newsletter to shed a little light on what this new skill is.

Accu What?

I am certain you will all have had or heard a conversation along these lines,

“Hello, how are you?”  “Oh, I’m okay, I suppose, but I have a bit of an ache”

“Oh, that’s a shame, where?” “I don’t know for sure; I can’t quite put my finger on it”

The Cambridge Dictionary describes the phrase thus.

“..to discover the exact reason why a situation (or thing) is the way it is, especially when something is wrong” ¹

Well, with the use of Acupressure Qigong perhaps you can do exactly that – put a finger on it!

Wait, I hate needles”

From the start it is important for me both professionally and morally to state broadly what Acupressure Qigong is and is not and by default what practitioners of the art are and are not.

Acupressure Qigong is not the same as going to a qualified Acupuncturist which is a highly skilled art, using needles, cupping, moxibustion and Gua Sha.  Any of the aforementioned, if applied incorrectly, can cause further problems and lead to unwanted reactions.  Hence why you will have to undergo an initial consultation.

Similarly, Acupressure Qigong is not the same as having an Acupressure therapist place their hands or other objects against your body to apply pressure or tapping at the specific points. Acupressure therapy is also used sometimes by Acupuncturists instead of needles.  Again, following a consultation.

Acupressure Qigong is a session led by a qualified person who guides you through some techniques to allow you to apply acupressure to yourself. There is at no time physical contact between you and anyone else. The aim is to provide general relaxation and easing of the body. Unless you are having a private 1 to 1 session then there is no initial consultation and only very general practices would be taught.  And, I guarantee, no needles will ever be used!

So, what will we do?

In Acupressure Qigong we use 4 main techniques to stimulate certain points and areas on our meridians.

Holding           –           Calms and restores

Pressing          –           Eases congestion

Stroking          –           Gently moves stagnation, ideal for delicate or sore areas or when weak.

Tapping           –           Stimulates and promotes movement

We do the above using either whole hands, parts of hands, fists, fingers, feet and even utilize if needed other tools such as a Tai Chi ruler, sticks, canes or even our fans.

As anyone who has trained with me will know one of my “Golden” rules is that “no pain, means no pain!”.  So, all of the above are done to individual levels of tolerance – what might be gentle for one person could be too much for another. For that reason whatever area we are working on, we start gently and gradually see what works.

Will I have to learn the points?

No, although you will probably pick up four or five of the main ones especially if they feel extra nice to you or help relieve some problem such as a blocked nose or toothache.

Why not?

Okay Einstein, to start with there are 12 paired meridians and 8 extra ordinary meridians with at least a different acupoint for each day of the year plus many more “extras”.  If you want to learn them all then of course you can! But there is no need as I will explain what the areas being stimulated are called so you can just relax and experience.  In short, its my job to know where we are going and read the map. It’s your job to enjoy the trip and scenery.

So, how do I try it?

I thought you would never ask!  Keep an eye on the Babacool website and newsletter for a pre-recorded simple session that you will be able to download and follow along with in the comfort of your own home.

Stay well,

Alex

 

1. Cambridge Advanced Learner Dictionary & Thesaurus (2022) Cambridge University Press. Available at https://dictionary.cambridge.org/ (Accessed 20 March 2022).