How do I hold acupressure points?
How do I locate a point?
Because acupuncturists insert needles below the skin and need to be careful to avoid nerves and blood vessels, they locate points very precisely.
With acupressure, don't be concerned about the exact location of a point. The surface area on the skin that allows you to influence the point, drawing energy to the surface, is about the size of a silver dollar or the width of three fingers. It often helps to use one finger to locate a point, since at many points you'll find a slight indentation in the tissue, about the size of your fingertip. Once you find the point, hold it with three fingers. We usually want to relax the tension around a point, and three fingers is a more comforting touch than one finger.
How much pressure should I use?
The word "pressure" in "acupressure" is a bit misleading. Use pressure only if that's what feels good to you on a point. In acupressure, we are using an energetic touch, calling the Chi from the energy meridian that runs through the tissues to the surface of the body. In fact, acupressure points are precisely where the energy comes to the surface easily.
If you press too hard, you'll be blocking the flow of energy rather than relaxing the area that surrounds the point. An analogy that my teacher (Janet Oliver) uses is that of a plug in a wall outlet. Once the plug connects with the electricity in the wall, you don't need to press hard on the plug. It's the same with acupressure points. You're making an energetic connection. If you want, you can loosen up the area with a little self-massage before holding the point.
How long should I hold a point?
There are three ways to know that the energy is flowing through an acupressure point.
You may feel a softening of the muscle or tissue. When the area around a point relaxes, the energy can flow smoothly.
You may feel an increase in warmth in the area of the point. This indicates that blood is flowing more readily in the area. Energy follows blood. When blood flow is enhanced, so is the energy flow.
You may feel a pulse at the point. This is also an indication that the blood is flowing in this area. But the pulse you are feeling is actually the pulse of the energy. It's best to use your fingertips to hold points rather than the thumbs. With the thumb, you may be feeling the pulse of your thumb rather than the pulse of the point.
When you first start doing acupressure on yourself, don't expect to feel the pulse. As you practice acupressure self-help regularly, your energy becomes balanced, and your pulses will become stronger. Once you can feel pulses at the points, this tells you how long to hold a point. First you will not feel any pulse. Then the pulse will arrive. Once the pulse arrives, stay with it for a while, then move on to the next point.
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