Mind, Body & Spirit | Naturegrooves

Breathing Techniques for Better Health

by Lucie | Oct 11, 2020 | Mind, Body & Spirit, Popular, Uncategorized

In this article, I’ll be describing four breathing techniques for better health, increased levels of happiness, deeper sleep, or even prevention of panic attacks. Most of us are not really aware of our own breath and end up breathing in a shallow, stressed way. However, being able to control our breathing can lead to a number of huge health benefits and improve many aspects of our lives.

Autopilot Breathing

We enter this life on an in-breath and leave it on an out-breath. Between these two breaths that symbolise our emerging and coming back, we mostly breathe in an automatic, unconscious way. This is because our breathing is controlled by our autonomic nervous systems – it happens automatically, all by itself.

There’s nothing wrong with breathing without thinking of it every second, but a lot of us are breathing in a stressed, anxious way, which then makes us even more stressed and can even result in getting ill.

A yoga teacher Lucas Rockwood illustrates this fact in his famous TED Talk ‘Change Your Breath Change Your Life’. He says that when we cross the street and have a narrow miss with a passing car, the shock causes our sympathetic nervous system to produce a shallow type of breathing, which is typical for the fight or flight response.

A lot of us are breathing this way – as if we were about to be hit by a car – all day long. From the moment we wake up, to the moment we fall asleep. We are responding to our environment on autopilot, and this can be detrimental to our health. It is no secret that many cases of cancer or other serious diseases are primarily caused by stress and unbalanced functioning of the involuntary nervous system.

Controlled Breathing Benefits

Fortunately, we can considerably improve the quality of our lives if we stop living on autopilot and start taking care of your body and mind more consciously. This includes specific breathing exercises mentioned in this article.

Controlled breathing, when done correctly, can have a highly positive effect on our mind (or moods and states of mind) and body, (e.g. our nervous system and our endocrine system).

It can help us with the following:

Changing the pH of our blood

I find it fascinating that the way we breathe can make a difference in our blood’s pH – i.e. being either more alkaline or acidic. The deeper we breathe, the more alkaline our blood becomes. If our breathing is shallow most of the time, it causes carbon dioxide to be trapped in our blood, and that can make our body highly acidic. I often remind myself that cancer thrives in an acidic environment, and this makes me remember to breathe deeply more often!

Oxygenating our blood

It is a well-known fact that cancer cannot thrive in a well-oxygenated environment.

Lowering our cortisol levels

Lowering our stress level by decreasing the amount of cortisol strengthens our immune system and makes us ‘cold-proof’.

Falling asleep and improving the quality of your sleep

I’ll be describing two powerful breathing exercises for falling asleep – feel free to try them tonight!

Creating ‘out of the body experiences’

This can be achieved by extreme breathing practices that should always be done under supervision of an experienced guide. However, even the simple techniques described in this post can create a feeling of a mild ‘high’, if not exactly an out of the body state.

Simple Breathing Techniques for Different Purposes

There are many ways of using breathing for improving our health and state of mind. I have selected a few of my favourite ones – the ones that I have tried and tested and that helped me in different situations.

The techniques are known as:

Water Breathing
Coffee Breathing
Whiskey Breathing
4-7-8 Technique

Water, Coffee and Whiskey Breathing

I guess you’re wondering about the funny names of the first three techniques. They’ve been named like that by a Lucas Rockwood, the yoga teacher who talked about them in the ‘Change Your Breath, Change Your Life’ TED talk.

Of course, L. Rockwood had not invented any of these techniques. They have been known since ancient times as pranayama, which comes from Sanskrit and means control of life force or regulation of the breath.

(The word prana translates as life force, and ayama can be interpreted as expansion, restraint, control, extension or stopping.)

The yoga teacher Lucas Rockwood, however, has decided to call the breathing practices in a rather more amusing, and therefore more easily memorable way. So let us start with the first technique:

Water Breathing

This technique will help you release stress and bring you into balance.

When to Do Water Breathing:

Anytime you feel you need to de-stress and feel more balanced.

The Procedure:

Sit back in your chair comfortably, relax your shoulders.
Put your hands on your lap and close your eyes.
Inhale through your nose to the count of four.
Exhale through your nose to the count of four.

If you want the exercise to be really effective, do up to 10 rounds of the inhale/exhale.

You can scroll to 4:09 to watch Lucas Rockwood talk about Water breathing.

How Often Can You Do Water Breathing?

This exercise can be done anytime throughout the day, as many times as you need.

One way to remember this is imagining a bottle of water that you carry with you the whole day and sip from it anytime you feel thirsty; you can use it anytime you feel like and you can’t really overdo it. This is similar to Water breathing – you can ‘carry it’ with you all day and use it whenever you need without worrying about doing too much of it.

How Have I Benefitted From This Exercise?

This exercise has helped me to feel calmer and less stressed in many situations. When something really upsets me, I use this technique in combination with an energy medicine technique called ‘Mellow Mudra’, which I’m describing in my post How to Relieve PMS. I highly recommend learning these two techniques together.

Whiskey Breathing

One of the techniques, which Lucas Rockwood calls ‘Whiskey Breathing’, is used specifically for falling asleep. Why Whiskey? Some people have a little ‘nightcap’ before going to sleep, as it’s traditionally considered to help with falling asleep.

I personally don’t find Whiskey the best sleep aid; although alcohol can help you fall asleep, it will make your sleep shallower, as alcohol can take several hours to metabolise, and it gives your kidneys and your liver extra job to process the alcohol while you’re asleep. If you like to drink alcohol in the evening, then allow at least an hour to have your last drink before going to sleep. (More on this in my article 20 Ways for Better Sleep.)

Anyway, back from booze to breathing. We’re using this exercise mainly for falling asleep. After about 10 rounds of the Whiskey breathing your heart rate slows, your blood pressure drops, and your parasympathetic nervous system is stimulated, helping you rest and digest better. (This is the opposite of your sympathetic nervous system which governs the fight or flight response.)

We should use this exercise with care – i.e. we should not do it throughout the day because it could make us drowsy or tired.

When to Do Whiskey Breathing:

Right before sleep – when you’re already in your bed.

Do not do this technique during the day because it will make you drowsy.

The Procedure:

Lie down and close your eyes.
Inhale to the count of 4.
Exhale to the count of 8.

Repeat this cycle several times. You can do this cycle 10 times in a row, or until you fall asleep.

You can watch the technique in the video further up – just fast forward to 5:27.

How Often Can You Do Whiskey Breathing?

Make sure you only practice this technique when you need to fall asleep, and not during the day.

How Have I Benefitted from This Exercise?

This has worked as a sleeping aid for me and helped me to enjoy better sleep. I also use it before meditation to get more centered.

Coffee Breathing

This breathing technique will stimulate you when you need a kick of energy. And like coffee, you should not over-use it. As Lucas Rockwood says, Coffee breathing is a technique that people get most excited about, but it should be used most sparingly.

Why is that? The technique uses fast, rapid breath that stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which is related to the fight or flight system. If we do too much of it, we might get overly agitated. (Imagine downing five espressos in a row.)

When to Do Coffee Breathing:

In the morning, and/or in the afternoon. When you need to get in the ‘clean the house, answer emails’ kind of mood and energy.

Important: It is not recommended to do it in the evening if you want to have a good quality sleep!

The Procedure:

Coffee breathing is different from the other techniques he presents. With this technique, we focus only on the exhale. The main point is to push the air out from your lungs in a similar way to sneezing, in a sharp, rapid way.

Do 20 rounds of fast and short out-breaths from your belly.

Try to keep your shoulders relaxed, don’t let them jump up and down. It’s your lower abdomen/diaphragm that should be doing all the work.

The exercise goes as follows – do this through your nose only:

Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale
Exhale

You can do three rounds of these 20 exhales, ideally in the morning and afternoon, when you feel that you’re getting tired.

In the video further up, scroll to 7:02 to watch Lucas Rockwood explain the mechanics of Coffee breathing.

How Often Can You Do Coffee Breathing?

Not too often – just a few times a day when you need a boost of energy. (Think about coffee – you shouldn’t drink it too often either) Morning and afternoon are ideal times for practicing this. Use it with care so you don’t end up over-agitated, which could even lead to a blackout or a panic attack.

How Have I Benefitted from This Exercise?

For me, this exercise is a life-saver! I do it almost every day when I work on the computer and need a refreshing break. It always fills me with fresh energy.

The 4-7-8 Technique

The following method that I’ve learned from Dr. Andrew Weill, can help people with sleeping disorders, such as insomnia, difficulty falling asleep, shallow sleep, or interrupted sleep.

The method is knowns as The 4-7-8 Technique and, like the Water, Coffee, and Whiskey breathing, it is based on the ancient yogic practice of breath control called pranayama (already mentioned further above, but why not having little recap:

Prana = Life Force

Ayama = Regulation, Expansion, Control, Restraint, Pranayama = Control of life force (or Regulation of the breath)

Dr. Andrew Weil talks about the 4-7-8 technique as a ‘natural tranquiliser for the nervous system’.

Many people fall asleep after just one minute of doing this technique, which decreases your tension and allows your body to relax, all of which improves the quality of sleep.

After 2 or 3 months of regular practice you are likely to notice significant changes in your physiology, such as:

Your sleep will improve
Your digestion will improve
Your heart rate and blood pressure will slow down
Your blood circulation will increase, so if you’ve suffered from cold hands, they may start to feel warmer thanks to improved circulation
You’ll be less susceptible to anxiety and panic attacks

When to Do The 4-7-8 Technique:

Right before going to sleep or before meditation.

The Procedure:

Place the tip of your tongue just behind your upper front teeth and keep it there for the rest of the exercise.
Let all air out first by exhaling.
Inhale through your nose to the count of four.
Hold your breath for the count of seven.
Exhale through your mouth for a count of eight (try to keep your tongue behind your front upper teeth)

Do four rounds of this technique (not more than that).

Watch Dr. Weill demonstrate this technique in the following video.

How Often Can You Do The 4-7-8 Technique?

For the exercise to be effective, you should do it at least twice a day.

How Have I Benefitted From This Exercise?

Dr. Weill has successfully taught the 4-7-8- technique to patients with severe forms of panic disorder. He presents it as a highly effective anti-anxiety technique as well as a sleep aid, and I can back this up by my won positive experience in both fields.

You can also read more about this technique in my article 20 Tips for Better Sleep.

Recap of All Four Techniques

Water Breathing

Purpose: To de-stress and balance you

Procedure: Inhale to the count of 4, exhale to the count of 4. Do this up to 10 times.

When/How Often: Anytime throughout the day.

Video: Change Your Breath, Change Your Life – Lucas Rockwood (4:09)

Whiskey Breathing

Purpose: To help you fall asleep

Procedure: Inhale to the count of 4, Exhale to the count of 8. You can do 10 rounds of this, or more if you want to fall asleep.

When/How Often: Right before falling asleep. Not during the day – may make you drowsy.

Video: Change Your Breath, Change Your Life – Lucas Rockwood (5:27)

Coffee Breathing

Purpose: To energise you

Procedure: 3 rounds of 20 short, sharp out-breaths

When/How Often: In the morning and/or in the afternoon when your energy starts dropping or when you need to get going

(e.g. clean the house, answer emails etc.)

Video: Change Your Breath, Change Your Life – Lucas Rockwood (7:02)

The 4-7-8 Method

Purpose: To help you fall asleep, to prevent panic attacks

Procedure: Inhale to the count of 4, Hold to the count of 7, exhale to the count of 8

When: Right before falling asleep or before a sitting meditation

Video: Asleep in 60 Seconds – Andrew Weil

Conclusion

If we can learn to control our breathing, we can dramatically improve our health – from our immune, endocrine, and nervous, system, to our moods and states of mind. The techniques mentioned in this article are simple, effective and available to everyone. Let’s hope the word gets spread and that more people will learn to use them to combat everyday stresses, prevent many health issues, and feel better on the whole. And if you happen to forget about these exercises, at least remember to breathe deeply more often, to keep your body more alkaline – which can help with preventing cancer!

Share Your Thoughts

I hope you have enjoyed this post, and above all, that you will take some of these breathing techniques with you and use them to improve your health and feel better. I look forward to hearing from you about how it has worked for you. Just leave a comment below – I look forward to reading about your own experience!

Other posts you may like:

Recommended books:

Titles by Sounds True Publishing
Titles by Better Listen Publishing

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. This means that if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. (The full Affiliate Disclosure can be read here.) If you’d like to learn more about affiliate marketing, e.g. how to earn extra income from blogging and promoting products you like and would recommend to others, which is what I do, check out Wealthy Affiliate, my favourite platform for online marketers. You can create a free account, which will enable you to make your own website in a few simple steps, and host it with them – free of charge – for as long as you like. You can test it right now by trying their free website builder SiteRubix. Thank you for visiting!

Free starter membership with Wealthy Affiliate

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

The Spleen Meridian

by Lucie | Sep 30, 2020 | Mind, Body & Spirit, Uncategorized

The Spleen Meridian – Description
The Pathway of Spleen Meridian
Symptoms of Spleen Meridian Out of Balance
Techniques for Balancing Spleen Meridian
Tracing Spleen Meridian
Flushing Spleen Meridian
Sedating Spleen Meridian
Strengthening Spleen Meridian
Three-pointing Spleen Meridian

This page is dedicated to the Spleen meridian and several techniques based on Traditional Chinese Medicine for using it to support our health. Although these ancient healing techniques can appear simple, they may cause important shifts in your energy and boost your immunity. Working with the Spleen meridian can sometimes even prevent an illness, e.g. stop an approaching cold from taking hold of you.

If you are short of time and can’t read the whole article, just watch this short overview of the Spleen meridian, including its pathway which you can trace with your hands, and, by doing so, strengthen the meridian.

The Meridian for Better Immunity and More Joy

The Spleen meridian is an energy pathway with strong nurturing and immunity-boosting qualities. It’s at its peak flow between 9 and 11 am.

The main functions of the spleen (as an organ) is the support of our immune and cardiovascular systems. The spleen is responsible for cleansing our blood and aiding our immunity. It removes old red blood cells and produces (and stores) white blood cells known as lymphocytes. The lymphocytes have an important function of cleansing bacteria from the blood in the spleen. They also facilitate tissue healing and other important immune responses throughout our whole body.

The Pathway of Spleen Meridian

The Spleen meridian begins at the big toe, in the lower, proximal part of the nail (see the illustration).

The energy pathway then continues to flow up the inner leg, across the groin, the stomach, and through the diaphragm.

The path of the Spleen (SP) meridian is marked in red colour on the following diagram.

Note: After the start of the journey on the big toe, (and before continuing to flow up the front of the body) the Spleen meridian pathway goes up the inner leg for a bit, which you can see on the picture below:

Important: This diagram shows the meridian pathway on only one side of the body. This is for clarity purposes only; in reality, it flows as a pair through both sides of the body, right and left.

Ancient Prints Depicting Meridian Pathways

It is fascinating to look at ancient Chinese prints and paintings that depict meridian pathways and compare them with modern acupuncture and acupressure diagrams.

We now have devices that are able to detect meridians including their acupressure points. What’s fascinating is that they are almost exactly the same as in those ancient illustrations.

The master energy medicine practitioner Donna Eden was born with the ability to see energies, and she had been able to detect meridian pathways even before she learned they existed!

Compare the pathways marked in these ancient prints with the modern-day diagram above it.

If Spleen Meridian is Out of Balance

If the spleen (both as an organ and energetic pathway) is out of balance, it can physically manifest by low immunity, susceptibility to colds, digestive problems (such as loose stools), weakness of the limbs, and fatigue.

An imbalance of the Spleen meridian can also manifest in the emotional areas: You can become over-worried, depressed, have low self-esteem, being too clingy, and wallow in self-pity.

Fortunately, ancient medicine has left us with a heritage of techniques for balancing the Spleen meridian, which will allow us to enjoy a better immune system, feeling more joyful, and having higher self-esteem. Yes, self-esteem is not only ‘in your head’, but can get a boost by strengthening this specific energy pathway!

Techniques for Balancing Spleen Meridian

If you suffer from any of the symptoms and issues mentioned above, try the following techniques:

Trace Spleen meridian
Flush Spleen meridian
Work with the acupressure points of Spleen meridian

Tracing Spleen Meridian

Tracing Spleen meridian will help you boost your immunity, vitality, get your energy going, and aid with removing toxins out of your body.

See the master practitioner of energy medicine Donna Eden (the one who can see energies) trace the Spleen meridian in this video (scroll to 1:44).

Flushing Spleen Meridian

How to flush a meridian:

Trace it backward once
Trace it forward three times

(If you don’t know how to trace it, watch the video above.)

Working with the Acupressure Points of Spleen Meridian

There are three ways we can work with the acupressure points:

Sedate
Strengthen
Use the Three-Point Technique

Below I am showing diagrams that will teach you how to sedate or strengthen the Spleen meridian, according to your needs.

Sedating Spleen Meridian

Generally, we don’t sedate the Sppeen meridian too often, because usually it needs to be strengthened. However, as you’ll see further down, sedating it can still be used for certain situations.

Step 1 – Sedate the Spleen Meridian:

Sedate (relax) the Spleen meridian by sending its excess energy to the next meridian, which is Lung. You’ll see how the flow works on the wheel diagram (The Five Elements Wheel) further down.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 5 and Lung 8) for 2 – 3 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. on your right foot + right arm).

Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body (your left foot + left arm), also for 2 – 3 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Earth element (Spleen meridian) flows into Metal element (Lung meridian).

This means that Spleen meridian is being freed from excess energy by sending it to Lung meridian.

You can also view it the other way – the helpful assistant Lung is ‘vacuuming’ excess energy from the overcharged Spleen meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from yellow to white, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Stabilise the Energy Flow by Holding the Control Points:

We now need to stop the flow of energy from the previous meridian. We’ll be stabilizing the shift in energy by holding the so-called control points.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 1 and Liver 1) for 1,5 minutes.

Do this on both sides of the body (like in the previous step).

Splleen 1 and Liver one acupressure points

What is happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Wood element (Liver) controls Earth element (Spleen).

This means that Liver meridian will ‘stop’ the flow of energy from the previous step, therefore preventing the Spleen meridian from having too much energy taken away. This intervention of the controlling element (Wood) will stabilise the energies.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from green to blue, inside the circle):

Strengthening Spleen Meridian

Step 1 – Strengthen the Spleen Meridian

This is one of the most important acupressure practices that you can use for self-healing.

How to proceed:

Strengthen the Spleen meridian by borrowing some energy from the previous meridian (i.e. Heart meridian).

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 2 and Heart 8) for 2 – 3 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (ideally the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. your right side) and then repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body, also for 2 – 3 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Fire element (Heart) flows into Earth element (Spleen).

This means that Heart meridian is strengthening the neighbouring Spleen meridian by sending its energy into it (or flowing into it).

Or, if you want, you can view it the other way – Spleen is getting some extra energy from its adjacent Heart meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from red to yellow, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 1 and Liver 1) for about 1,5 minutes.

As in the previous step, do this on both sides of the body.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Wood element (Liver) controls Earth element (Spleen).

Liver meridian will control the flow of energy from the previous step, therefore preventing the Spleen meridian from taking too much energy from the Heart meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from green to yellow, inside the circle):

You have probably noticed that this is the same procedure as when we were holding the control points after the Sedating procedure in the first example. The control points are always the same after sedating and strengthening a meridian.

Three-Pointing Spleen Meridian

The Three Point Technique is a combination of sedating and strengthening a meridian in one session. Sometimes a meridian needs to be cleared of stale or toxic energies first in order to receive strengthening energies. This means that we sedate it first to move the old energies out, and then strengthen it. In the end, we use the control points to stabilise the shift.

We often use the Three-Point technique to treat hormonal imbalances, such as during PMS or menopause.

Step 1 – Sedate the Spleen Meridian:

Sedate (relax) the Spleen meridian by sending its excess energy to the next meridian, which is Lung. You’ll see how the flow works on the wheel diagram (The Five Elements Wheel) further down.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 5 and Lung 8) for 2 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. on your right foot + right arm).

Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body (your left foot + left arm), also for 2 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Earth element (Spleen meridian) flows into Metal element (Lung meridian).

This means that Spleen meridian is being freed from excess energy by sending it to Lung meridian.

You can also view it the other way – the helpful assistant Lung is ‘vacuuming’ excess energy from the overcharged Spleen meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from yellow to white, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Strengthen the Spleen Meridian

After sedating it, you will strengthen the Spleen meridian by borrowing some extra energy from the previous meridian (i.e. Heart meridian).

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 2 and Heart 8) for 2 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (ideally the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. your right side) and then repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body, also for 2 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Fire element (Heart) flows into Earth element (Spleen).

This means that Heart meridian is strengthening the neighbouring Spleen meridian by sending its energy into it (or flowing into it).

Or, if you want, you can view it the other way – Spleen is getting some extra energy from its adjacent Heart meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from red to yellow, inside the circle):

Step 3 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

Gently hold the following two points (Spleen 1 and Liver 1) for about 1 minute. As in the previous step, do this on both sides of the body.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Wood element (Liver) controls Earth element (Spleen).

You can see this happening on the wheel (from green to yellow inside the circle):

Learn More About Meridians and Acupressure Points

I hope you enjoyed reading this page. If you’d like to find out a bit more about acupressure points, I highly recommend getting the folding laminated chart pictured below. It shows every single acupressure point on our body, including very poetic ancient Chinese names for each important point. I’ve found it a very valuable study guide, especially during my Energy Medicine Foundation Course.

Share Your Thoughts

It would be nice to hear about your experience. Have you used the techniques mentioned here, and if so, with what results? Let me know your thoughts, questions, or other comments in the comments below and I look forward to getting back to you soon. Be well!

Other posts you may like:

Recommended books and products:

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

The Kidney Meridian

by Lucie | Sep 3, 2020 | Energy Medicine, Mind, Body & Spirit, Uncategorized

The Kidney Meridian – Description
The Pathway of Kidney Meridian
Symptoms of Kidney Meridian Out of Balance
Techniques for Balancing Kidney Meridian
Tracing Kidney Meridian
Flushing Kidney Meridian
Sedating Kidney Meridian
Strenghtening Kidney Meridian
Three-pointing Kidney Meridian

In this post, I will share several ancient-healing techniques for working with the Kidney meridian. They are very simple yet powerful, and you will be able to try them immediately. These techniques cause a shift of energy which might energise you, relieve you from physical pain or diminish fearful feelings.

Reservoir of Energy and Centre of Courage

Traditional Chinese medicine regards the Kidney meridian as a reservoir of energy, as well as the centre of courage and willpower. Conversely, a dysfunction in Kidney meridian can result in feeling extremely tired, being overcome by emotions of fear or paranoia, or symptoms and ailments such as asthma, chronic inflammation, or tinnitus.

The good news is that we have tools to keep the Kidney meridian in balance, and thus enjoy a healthy energy flow, vitality, willpower, and courage to move forward in life.

The Pathway of Kidney Meridian

The pathway of the Kidney meridian starts under your foot, on its first acupressure point where energy enters the body. The point is called Kidney 1 (or K1). In the old Chinese medical terminology, which is much more poetic than modern medicine, the point is known as ‘The Wellspring of Life’, ‘Bubbling Spring’, or ‘Gushing Spring’.

Pressing or massaging it can bring you ‘back to life’. In fact, the master practitioner of energy medicine, Donna Eden, has described a situation when an unconscious, dying person was brought back to life after this technique was applied. (Energy Medicine, by Donna Eden, pg 125)

The Kidney meridian pathway then circles around your ankle, goes up via the back of the legs, and reemerges at the front of the body.

The meridian then flows up your body all the way under your clavicle. It finishes on the last (and very important) set of acupressure points called K 27.

The K27 are very important points, because they are is a junction point for all the other meridians and you can influence how you feel by working with these points. The K 27 are considered the “energy switch” of the body: If you thump or deeply massage these points, it will stimulate the energies of all the other meridians and get your body’s energy moving.

You will find these points right under the collarbone, near the U-shaped notch. Massage these points vigorously to bring fresh energy to your body. Remember this next time you’re feeling tired! Thump or deeply massage these points and you will soon feel the difference.

Please note: Although this diagram shows the pathway on only one side of the body for clarity purposes, in reality it runs on both sides of the body, right and left, in a pair. So if you’re massaging the K27, you’ll be massaging a set of two points (as in the picture below). The path of the Kidney meridian is marked in red colour.

Ancient Prints Showing Meridians

I find it fascinating to compare modern acupuncture/acupressure diagrams with ancient Chinese prints and paintings. Nowadays, we have devices that can detect meridians and their acupoints, and they are almost exactly the same as depicted ion the thousands’ of years-old medical illustrations. There are also people who can see energies, such as Donna Eden, who was born with this ability. She had seen meridian pathways even before she learned about them!

If Kidney Meridian is Out of Balance

In the traditional Chinese medicine, the emotion associated with Kidney meridian is fear.

When we experience a strong emotion of fright, our kidneys will struggle to hold their energy and we can even end up experiencing involuntary urination. (You’ve surely heard the phrase ‘I nearly peed myself’!)

Dealing with long-term fear can often result in kidney issues.

The other challenges associated with imbalance in the Kidney meridian are fear, edema, eye problems, tinnitus, lung problems, dry tongue, lumbago, constipation, diarrhoea, lower back pain during period, shoulder pain, and pain along the course of the meridian and its associated muscles.

However, working with the Kidney meridian and its acupressure points can often help you relieve pain and improve your health condition, and emerge from loneliness, depression, and fear.

Techniques for Balancing Kidney Meridian

If you suffer from any of the symptoms mentioned above, try the following techniques:

Trace Kidney meridian
Flush Kidney meridian
Work with the acupressure points of Kidney meridian

Tracing Kidney Meridian

Tracing Kidney meridian will help you get your energy going and remove toxins out of your body.

Donna Eden’s daughter Dondi shows you how to trace Kidney meridian.

Flushing Kidney Meridian

How to flush a meridian:

Trace it backward once
Trace it forward three times

Working with the Acupressure Points of Kidney Meridian

There are three ways we can work with the acupressure points:

Sedate
Strengthen
Use the Three-Point Technique

Below I am showing diagrams that will teach you how to sedate or strengthen the Kidney meridian, according to your needs. If you are in pain, it usually means that there is too much accumulated energy in your Kidney meridian, so holding the sedating points of the Kidney meridian would be your choice. It will also help release toxins from the meridian.

Sedating Kidney Meridian

I have successfully used this technique to help a friend with strong lower back pain during her period. If you suffer from back pain (whatever the cause), or shoulder pain, do try this technique.

Step 1 – Sedate the Kidney Meridian:

Sedate (relax) the Kidney meridian by sending its excess energy to the next meridian, which is Liver. You’ll see how the flow works on the wheel diagram (The Five Elements Wheel) further down.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 1 and Liver 1) for 2 – 3 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. on your right foot).

Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body (your left foot), also for 2 – 3 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Water element (Kidney meridian) flows into Wood element (Liver meridian).

This means that Kidney meridian is freed from excess energy by sending it to Liver meridian.

Or you can view it the other way – the helpful friend Liver is ‘hoovering’ excess energy from the overcharged Kidney meridian, this helping the Kidney meridian to relax. (This often diminishes pain in our body, like in the case of my friend with the back pain.)

You can see this happening on the wheel (from blue to green, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Stabilise the Energy Flow by Holding the Control Points:

Now we need to stop the flow of energy from the previous point. We need to stabilize the shift in energy, and we’ll do this by holding the so-called control points.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 3 and Spleen 3) for 1,5 minutes.

As in the previous step, do this on both sides of the body; on the right foot first, then on the left foot. (Or vice versa.)

What is happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Earth element (Spleen) controls Water element (Kidney).

This means that ‘good cop’ Spleen meridian will ‘stop’ the flow of energy from the previous step, thus preventing the Kidney meridian from having too much energy taken away. This wise intervention of the controlling element (Earth) will stabilise the energies.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from yellow to blue, inside the circle):

Strengthening Kidney Meridian

Step 1 – Strengthen the Kidney Meridian

Strengthen the Kidney meridian by borrowing some energy from the previous meridian (i.e. Lung meridian).

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 7 and Lung 8) for 2 – 3 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. your right side) and then repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body, also for 2 – 3 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Metal element (Lung) flows into Water element (Kidney).

This means that Lung meridian is strengthening the neighbouring Kidney meridian by sending its energy into it (flowing into it).

Or you can view it the other way – Kidney is ‘borrowing’ some energy from its neighbouring Lung meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from light grey to blue, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 3 and Spleen 3) for about 1,5 minutes.

As in the previous step, do this on both sides of the body.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Earth element (Spleen) controls Water element (Kidney).

You can see this happening on the wheel (from yellow to blue, inside the circle).

You may have noticed that this is the same procedure as when we were holding the control points after the Sedating procedure in the first example. The control points are always the same after sedating and strengthening a meridian.

Three-Pointing Kidney Meridian

We often use the Three-Point technique to treat hormonal imbalances, such as during PMS or menopause.

Step 1 – Sedate the Kidney Meridian:

Sedate (relax) the Kidney meridian by sending its excess energy to the next meridian, which is Liver. You’ll see how the flow works on the wheel diagram (The Five Elements Wheel) further down.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 1 and Liver 1) for 2 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. on your right foot).

Repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body (your left foot), also for 2 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Water element (Kidney meridian) flows into Wood element (Liver meridian).

This means that Kidney meridian is freed from excess energy by sending it to Liver meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from blue to green, inside the circle):

Step 2 – Strengthen the Kidney Meridian

Strengthen the Kidney meridian by borrowing some energy from the previous meridian (i.e. Lung meridian).

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 7 and Lung 8) for 2 minutes. Use the tips of your fingers (preferably the index or the middle finger).

Do this one side of the body first, (e.g. your right side) and then repeat the same procedure on the other side of the body, also for 2 minutes.

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Metal element (Lung) flows into Water element (Kidney).

This means that Lung meridian is strengthening the neighbouring Kidney meridian by sending its energy into it (flowing into it).

Or you can view it the other way – Kidney is ‘borrowing’ some energy from its neighbouring Lung meridian.

You can see this happening on the wheel (from light grey to blue, inside the circle):

Step 3 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

Now we need to stop the flow of energy from the previous two points. We need to stabilize the shift in energy, and we’ll do this by holding the control points.

The Procedure:

Gently hold the following two points (Kidney 3 and Spleen 3) for 1 minute.

As in the previous step, do this on both sides of the body; on the right foot first, then on the left foot. (Or vice versa.)

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Earth element (Spleen) controls Water element (Kidney).

You can see this happening on the wheel (from yellow to blue, inside the circle).

Learn More About Meridians and Acupressure Points

I hope you enjoyed reading about ‘The Wellspring of Life’, the mighty Kidney meridian. If you’d like to learn about all the ancient Chinese poetic names of the acupressure points, I highly recommend getting the folding laminated chart pictured below. It shows every single acupressure point on our body, so it’s a brilliant study guide. I found it incredibly useful during my Energy Medicine Foundation Course.

Share Your Thoughts

I would also love to hear about your experience – have you used the techniques mentioned here, and with what results? Or have you got any other questions or comments? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and I look forward to getting back to you soon. To your amazing health!

Other posts you may like:

Recommended books and products:

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been (very happily) built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

Disclaimer: Some pages on my website contain affiliate links. This means that if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. (The full Affiliate Disclosure can be read here.) If you’d like to learn more about affiliate marketing, e.g. how to earn extra income from blogging and promoting products you like and would recommend to others (which is what I do), check out Wealthy Affiliate, my favourite platform for online marketers. Thank you for visiting!

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

How to Relieve PMS

by Lucie | Aug 24, 2020 | Mind, Body & Spirit, Popular, Uncategorized

In this post you’ll learn how to relieve PMS using natural methods. I’ll be sharing techniques that I have found helpful for alleviating the typical, often unpleasant symptoms of PMS.

What is PMT or PMS

PMT and PMS refer to the same thing. PMT is an abbreviation of premenstrual tension, while PMS means premenstrual syndrome. I will be using the term PMS just because I use this term more often, although I often feel that the word ‘syndrome’ makes this completely natural process of female body sound like an ailment or a disease.

Yes, it can be unpleasant, but it’s not necessary to stigmatise the specific time of the natural monthly cycle. It’s not something we should be fighting against, try to stop it, but rather fully accept it, adjust to it, anticipate it, allow ourselves to ease up a bit during that time, and learn techniques for alleviating the emotional tension and physical discomfort.

Tips & Tools for PMS Relief

Neurovascular Hold

This simple exercise helps restore calm and reduce the jittery feeling. Place your palm on your forehead, the other at the back. The master practitioner of energy medicine, Donna Eden, explains and demonstrates it here:

Mellow Mudra

The word Mudra comes from Sanskrit and means ‘seal’, ‘gesture’ or ‘mark’. Yoga mudras, practiced in Hinduism, Jainism, and Buddhism, are symbolic gestures of the hands and fingers. They facilitate the flow of subtle energies in the body.

The exercise ‘Mellow Mudra’ is a combination of the previous exercise (The Neurovascular Hold) and a mudra, which activates specific energy pathways connected to the emotions of ‘letting go’, and helping with the release of grief.

This posture will also help you become less reactive, which, needless to say, is much needed during the premenstrual tension.

Donna Eden is describing this exercise in the following video:

Triple Warmer Smoothie

This is a super-simple yet effective technique which help you relax, lower your anxiety, and help relieve tension from your body.

It is based on a backward-tracing a meridian that governs the fight or flight response. After doing this, you will feel Doing this will more centered, grounded, and relaxed.

The technique is presented by an expert in the field of energy medicine, Prune Harris.

Blow Out

This technique called ‘Blow Out’ will help you release the built-up chemicals of stress from your body. By doing this simple exercise you will be engaging three important energy systems which will assist you with getting rid of stress (and possibly even preventing illness, because a large number of illnesses are stress-related). You will find it in this video (which I’ve already inserted to show the Neurovascular Hold) from 3:20 onwards.

Balance Your Meridians (Energy Pathways)

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, hormonal imbalances during PMS can be improved by calming and refreshing specific energetic pathways in your body, also called meridians or channels.

This can be done by tracing the meridians with your hands, or holding specific acupressure points.

Acupressure can clear the meridians of stale and toxic energies, ease the emotions as well as physical pain, and help the body return to a state of balance.

Donna Eden recommends focusing on a number of meridians during PMS.

For emotional problems such as stress, anxiety, sadness, and gloominess she recommends:

Calming (sedating) the Triple Warmer meridian
Strengthening the Spleen meridian

For the physical symptoms of PMS, she recommends focusing on the following meridians:

Kidney (for back pain)
Liver (for groin pain)
Stomach (for breast tenderness and cramps)
Small Intestine (for pain in the upper back combines with cramps)
Large Intestine (for pain in the lower back)
Circulation Sex (if your period is late)

Here is an example of how to work with your meridians:

If you experience tension or pain in your back during PMS or your period, a great way of relieving the pain is to sedate your Kidney meridian.

You may wonder how could a back pain be connected to the kidneys; This is because the kidneys have to filter more blood and hormones than usual and become full, overcharged and stressed, which leads to pain in the surrounding area.

So, sedating the Kidney meridian relaxes the kidneys by removing excess, tense energy, and provides relief to the nearby area – i.e. your back.

You sedate the Kidney meridian very easily by holding specific acupressure points. I have described the procedure (and other useful techniques) in my post called The Kidney Meridian.

I shall gradually add posts devoted to all the other meridians, including their sedating and strengthening points, so watch this space! ;).

Vitamin and Mineral-rich Foods and Supplements

Studies have shown that certain vitamins and minerals can assist with easing PMS symptoms from mood swings, anxiety, or insomnia, to breast tenderness and water retention.

These are:

Vitamin B-6 – found in chickpeas, oats, bananas, tuna, salmon, poultry
Magnesium – found in nuts and seeds, avocado, bananas, green leafy vegetables, legumes and seafood

Limit Your Caffeine and Alcohol Intake

It is a good idea to watch out for caffeine and alcohol during that week when you are more sensitive. If coffee usually lifts you up and gets you going, it could make you edgy and anxious instead. If an alcoholic drink usually cheers up up or relaxes you in your non-premenstrual days, it can have the very opposite during the sensitive week, making you easily angry or depressed! I am talking about my own experience.

Your Body Wants to Relax

If you notice that you’re within the week prior to your period then it’s time to honour it. Allow yourself an indulgent hot bath with relaxing essential oils and candles. Curl on the sofa with a cup of soothing herbal tea and a good book or a nice movie. All these little treats are well deserved and necessary.

By easing off for these few days, you will become more aligned with the natural rhytms of your body, and you’ll enjoy regaining your full strength and activity twice as much when this passes.

Allow Yourself to Go Within

Also, if it’s possible, try not to schedule any full-on social events, parties, family visits, etc during this period, because you may not enjoy it as much as you would at other times. Your body is inviting you to go within, get more introspective and quieter – basically, spend more time with yourself than with others. If others see you as ‘grumpy’, let them do so. It’s important to get synchronized with your body and recharge your batteries, so you can spring back to your active, cheerful, and extrovert self again soon.

Last But Not Least…

Anticipate PMS – Ideally With Your Partner!

What I highly recommend (because it’s worked wonders in my case) is to set a notification in your calendar about a week prior to your anticipated period. This little trick has saved me a lot of unpleasant surprises and disconcerted guilty feelings about my sudden mood drops, and low states.

It is comforting to get assured that the bad mood it’s not ‘you’, but your fluctuating hormonal levels, and if you learn to listen to your body, it will start ‘collaborating’ with you. For example, as soon as I feel that something is ‘not right’ in my world, that I feel on edge, irritable, or vulnerable, I look at my calendar and often get the reassurance I needed!

If you feel like, tell the people around you (the ones that may get most affected) that you happen to be in that sensitive week. Tell your partner about it.

The more open you are about this topic, the more you’ll be helping to destigmatize the ‘dreaded PMS’, especially if you treat the whole thing with humour.

Next time your loved ones see you burst into tears for seemingly no reason, they won’t think that they have done something wrong, but will know that a chemical storm inside you is to blame instead.

Your Own Experience

I hope you’ve found this post helpful. If you have any tips or ideas to share, do leave a comment below – I’d love to hear about your (or your partner’s, or friend’s) way of dealing with PMS.

Other posts you may like:

Recommended book:

Energy Medicine for Women by Donna Eden

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

20 Tips for Better Sleep

by Lucie | Jul 30, 2020 | Mind, Body & Spirit, Popular

Marie-Constance_Mayer-The_Sleep_of_Venus_and_Cupid

We all know how awful it feels to be dragging ourselves through the day when we are sleep deprived. In this post, I’ll be exploring 20 tips for better sleep. My sincere wish is that you’ll try to implement some of the ideas, experience a noticeable improvement in your sleep, and feel great during the day as a result.

Tip 1: Try to Keep a Regular Sleep Schedule

Many sleep experts say that the key to good quality sleep is a regular sleep schedule. This means going to sleep and waking up at approximately the same time every day. According to the ‘Sleep Doctor’ Michael Breus, consistent waking time is even more important than the time we go to bed.

Try to stick to it even at weekends, days off work, or if you work from home. This may seem rather restrictive, but I can tell you from my own experience that you will be doing a great favour to yourself. Your body will get used to the regular sleep-wake patterns and reward you with feeling really good during the day.

Tip 2: At Least 15 Minutes of Sunlight in the Morning

Exposure to the natural light in the morning will help you sleep better at night. Sunlight increases your levels of serotonin, a hormone associated with feeling happy, awake and focused. An interesting fact is that by the evening, this very same hormone, serotonin, is synthesized into melatonin, which is the hormone that regulates our sleep.

Getting exposed to daylight as early as possible contributes to good quality sleep. Try to get out in the morning even on cloudy or rainy days, because your body will still benefit from natural light, even if it’s not a sunny day. (I’m sure dog owners know about this alreday!)

Tip 3: Exercise

Regular exercise during the day is the best way to make you tired naturally and ensures quality sleep. Vigorous exercise is ideal in the morning.

Research has been made about the impact of exercise on our sleep quality. It involved three groups of people – the first exercised in the morning, the second at 1pm, and the third at 7pm. The group that experienced the best quality sleep was the one that exercised in the morning.

So, if you can, try to slot an exercise routine into your morning, or afternoon as a second choice. If you want to exercise before bedtime, gentle exercises like yoga, qi-gong or tai-chi will relax you and prepare you for rest without overstimulating your body.

Your exercise routine doesn’t need to be long. I do a five-minute routine, based on Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine, which sets all the important energy flows in motion and jump-starts your whole system. (You can watch a video of the Daily Energy Routine towards the end of this post, under Tip 18.)

I love this routine for several reasons: It’s an instant mood improver, it gives you energy straight away, and it also strengthens your immunity in the long term. So if you want to prevent colds, practice this routine every day. You don’t have to do the whole routine in one go; parts of it can be done even when you’re walking, going up the stairs, or taking a shower.

I also do a short set of yoga asanas, which you can check in my article on chronic back pain, under Point 4. I also use a rebounder, which gets my heart pumping in a few seconds of jumping.

Find the style of exercise that suits you the best. Any kind of physical activity can improve the quality of our sleep, and not only that; by exercising in the morning, you are doing a huge favour to yourself on many levels. You’ll notice that your mood is better, your thinking clearer, you have more mental and emotional resilience, and you can concentrate for longer periods of time.

Tip 4: Breathing Exercises

Breathing exercises can help you with falling asleep and improve the quality of your sleep. Oxygenating your body lowers your stress levels, which in turn strengthens your immune system and makes you feel good.

The following method, presented by Dr Andrew Weill, M.D., has been proven to help people with various sleeping disorders, such as difficulty falling asleep, interrupted sleep, shallow sleep, or insomnia.

The method is called ‘The 4-7-8 Technique’ and it’s based on yogic practice of breath control known as pranayama. Prana is a Sanskrit word for life force, and ayama for expansion, extending, restraint, control, or stopping. The whole word pranayma translates as ‘regulation of the breath’, or ‘control of life force’.

Dr Andrew Weil describes the 4-7-8 exercise as a ‘natural tranquiliser for the nervous system’.

Practising this method will decrease your tension and allow your body to relax, thus improving your sleep. Some people fall asleep in just a minute while doing this technique.

How to Do the 4-7-8 Technique:

Place the tip of your tongue behind your upper front teeth.
Let all air out first by exhaling.
Inhale quietly through your nose for a count of four.
Hold your breath for seven counts.
Exhale forcefully through your mouth for a count of eight, making a ‘whoosh’ sound.
Repeat this cycle four times.

In this video, Dr Weill explains and demonstrates the 4-7-8 technique.

How Often Should You Practice the 4-7-8 Technique?

For the exercise to be effective, you should practice it at least twice a day.

You can do it more often than that if you want, but never more than four breath cycles at a time. If you practice it regularly for at least a month, then you can increase the number of cycles to eight (but no more than that).

You can do the whole cycle more slowly than Dr. Weill presents it, depending on how long you can hold your breath. Ideally, your breaths should be slower than in Dr. Weill’s demonstration, but don’t force it if you are a beginner. You will manage to lengthen your breath through regular practice. The important thing is that you are comfortable when you breathe and when you hold your breath.

According to Dr. Weill, after practicing this exercise for 4 -6 weeks, you can start using this exercise for multiple purposes:

When you’re getting tense and feel you may overreact
When you experience cravings (nicotine, sugar, etc.)
When you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t fall asleep

Changes in Your Physiology

After 2 or 3 months or regular practice you will start experiencing significant changes in your physiology:

Your sleep will improve
Your heart rate and blood pressure will slow down
Your digestion will improve
Your blood circulation will increase (so if you’ve suffere from cold hands, they may start to feel warm due to improved circulation)
You’ll be much less susceptible to anxiety

According to Dr. Weill, the 4-7-8 Technique is the most effective anti-anxiety technique. He has successfully taught it to patients with severe forms of panic disorder.

As a reward of practicing this regularly, you may start experiencing a pleasant altered state of consciousness during the exercise. The results may not come instantly, but if you are diligent and practice it daily at least twice a day, you will experience noticeable results. It is the consistency that produces dramatic changes.

Even though it only takes 1 – 2 minutes twice a day, doing this regularly over the period of weeks or months changes involuntary nervous function and through that the physiology of the body.

Many diseases are rooted in the unbalanced functioning of the involuntary nervous system. By imposing rhythms of the breath on the voluntary system, these rhythms are slowly induced to the involuntary system – so over time we are able to change the function – or modify the activity – of the involuntary nervous system, and massively improve our health as a result.

I recommend trying the 4-7-8 technique right now following Dr Weill’s video, and then again in bed tonight.

Tip 5: Take Cold Showers

I’m sure some of you will refuse to even think about getting into cold water. However, cold water has been successfully used for hundreds of years to bring down fevers or as first aid for burns. Athletes often use cold showers or ice baths to speed up recovery after physical exercise. In the past, cold therapies were also used to calm patients with manic-depressive psychoses.

Here are a few examples of what exposure to cold can do for you:

Reset the nervous system
Decrease inflammation
Reduce swelling
Soothe sore muscles
Speed up metabolism
Improve your ability to focus
Strengthen your immunity
And, last but not least, improve the quality of your sleep!

Taking cold showers has been a game changer for me. I’ve got inspired by two amazing people: The ‘brain coach’ Jim Kwik, who has a cold shower as a part of is daily routine, and ‘The Iceman’ Wim Hof.

I am taking cold showers twice a day – after getting up and before going to sleep. Both times of the day have their specific advantages for exposing my body to cold.

In the morning it is a great way to wake up; while I’m taking the shower, I do intensive breathing, and several exercises from The Daily Energy Routine by Donna Eden (e.g. thumping my thymus to strengthen my immunity).

Cooling your body down promotes good sleep, so it is beneficial to have a cold shower in the evening as well, without stimulating the body with exercise.

If you have never taken cold showers before, and the idea just seems unbearable, start with a warm shower and finish with cold water. Deep, long breaths will help you feel less cold. You’ll soon start experiencing the fresh, liberating feeling that cold water brings, and feel fantastic afterwards! (You can tick it off as a first major achievement of your day!)

Water can cleanse more than just the surface. It is capable of cleansing your etheric energy field and flushing a good amount of negative energy from your body, which is, of course, another bonus for better sleep. (I recommend a beautiful book The Hidden Messages in Water by M. Emoto, which explores how molecules of water can react to energy, including your thoughts, words, feelings, and intentions.)

the hidden messages in water by masaru emoto

Tip 6 – Stop Caffeine by 2pm

Caffeine takes a long time to process. We are all different in terms of our ability to metabolise, but in general, caffeine can stay in your system for up to 10 hours. Therefore, be mindful of the time of the day you drink coffee or other drinks containing caffeine.

Personally, if I have a coffee at 1pm, I have difficulty falling asleep at 11pm. So, if I have a coffee, I prefer to have as early as possible – by midday at the latest.

Tip 7 – Stop Alcohol At Least 3 Hours Before Sleep

Alcohol can take several hours to metabolise. For example, a large glass of wine can take approximately three hours to break down, and a pint of lager between 2 to three hours. So it is a good idea to think of your sleep time and be aware of the time plan the time when you drink.

Tip 8: Avoid Sugary Foods and Refined Carbohydrates

We should be mindful of consuming sugar and refined carbs in general, but especially close to our bedtime. This includes biscuits, pasta, white bread, cakes, chocolate – anything containing sugar or processed carbohydrates.

When I was touring with bands, I often needed to stay awake at night (especially in countries like Spain or Italy) because we would often get on stage well after midnight. I ate a lot of sugary food and drinks to help me stay awake during the gig, and when I finally got to bed a few hours later, my heart would be racing and I would barely get any sleep.

However, you don’t have to go to bed on an empty stomach. In fact, it is not recommended. Feeling ravenous won’t do our sleep any good. You can have a light snack to feel cosy inside. I sometimes have a small bowl of oatmeal porridge, white yogurt, or a glass of warm milk.

Tip 9: Don’t Sleep With You Phone on (And Near You)

This might initially be very hard for many of us. But if we take our health seriously, we should stop the excuse that we need to keep your phone on – often near our head – because of the alarm clock. One tends to wonder, how did people manage to wake themselves up before the advent of smartphones?

Mobiles and laptops not only stimulate the brain when we use them; they also emit blue light which sends your brain constant signals to stay active – a guaranteed way to insomnia. Even if you have your device further from your bed, if it stays on while you sleep, it will communicate with your body and stimulate it by radiation and blue light.

I personally keep my iPhone switched off and outside the bedroom. I use either a traditional alarm clock or my ‘ancient’ Nokia phone, which, to my delight, I can switch off completely and it will still come to life at the time I’ve set the alarm for. No iPhone or Android smartphones can do this amazing feat. You have to keep them on. I often wonder, how is it possible that our modern day super-smart phones are not capable of this simple function?

I hope the time when we see the link between the over exposure to man-made electromagnetic fields and our health and mental wellbeing will come soon. You can read more in my article Is Wifi Dangerous to Health?

Tip 10: Don’t Check Your Email or Social Media Last Thing Before Going to Bed

It goes without saying that you should not use your laptop, iPad or iPhone in your bed, unless you want to toss and turn wide awake most of the night. But even if your devices are located outside your sleep temple, make sure you don’t glare into their bright screens just before going to sleep.

From my own experience, checking email, Messenger, WhatsApp, and all the other social media notifications or feeds is one of the most stimulating things which can well prevent me from falling asleep. A lot of things you see on social media can also stir negative emotions, which will affect your sleep.

Whenever I switch my mobile before going to sleep, I try to resist looking at all the notifications on the screen. Sometimes I even disable my social media notifications altogether – at least when it’s getting late and I know that I should be winding down.

This leads to the next tip:

Tip 11: Make Sure You Are Relaxed Before Going to Bed

To ensure you’ll have a good quality sleep, aim to go to bed relaxed. You could spend 20 minutes relaxing on the sofa reading a book, writing a diary – planner, listening to an audiobook, or going for a short relaxing walk. It is also nice to have little atmosphere enhancers prior to your bedtime, such as lighting a candle or switching on an essential oil diffuser.

Tip 12: Neither Relax nor Work in Your Bed During the Day

With the exception of the delights of love, your bed should be treated as a place for sleep only. Watching TV, or using your electronic devices, should not be done in your bed. It’s much better to train your brain to associate the bed with restoring your body, rather than mentally stimulating pursuits, otherwise you’ll find the natural act of going to sleep an onerous task.

Tip 13 – Don’t Keep Your Bedroom Too Warm

The idea of a warm bedroom might seem cosy, yet if we keep our sleep space fresh and cool, we’ll help our body get into a naturally hibernating mode much more easily. Ideally, we should have a window open at least a bit, to allow fresh air in, and stale air out. If the weather’s particularly cold, a hot water bottle by your feet can do wonders.

In the past, due to my dislike of being cold and my fear of catching a cold as a result, I used to sleep in several layers, which included a tracksuit and socks! No wonder I usually ended up feeling cold. Then I heard that the natural body temperature actually heats the space under the duvet much more effectively. I ditched all those North Pole expedition layers and never felt cold again.

Tip 14: Darkness

Having as little light as possible entering your bedroom can enhance the quality of your sleep to a great extent. This is because darkness encourages the brain to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for helping us sleep. (And vice versa – light stimulates the production of serotonin, which is later synthesized into melatonin.)

An ideal scenario is to have light-blocking blinds or curtains (or both) which don’t let any outside light in. Wearing a light-blocking sleepmask can also improve your sleep considerably. I also believe that my brain is recognizing the act of putting a sleepmask on as a signal to go to sleep.

When buying a sleepmask, consider one important fact: The sleepmask has to be shaped creating a hollow space between it and your eyes, so that your eyeballs are free to move, especially during the REM (Rapid Eye Movement) phase. Get yourself a good quality ‘3D’ sleepmask, similar to this one:

Don’t fall for those bulky, fancy ones which will only put pressure on your eyes and prevent them from free movement.

Beware of Tiny Lights in Your Room

Even when you wear a sleep mask, beware of tiny lights in your room, such as the light from a fire alarm, or any other electronic device. Your skin will still absorb the light.

The memory expert Jim Kwik mentions an experiment, where a person sleeping in a completely dark room has a little light under his knee. The sleep-quality measuring devices, which were part of this experiment, proved that this light caused notable disturbance to the person’s sleep.

Tip 15: Sleep-Enhancing Aromas

I swear by sleep-enhancing oils, mists, and sprays.

Magnesium-containing sprays in particular are very beneficial, because magnesium, a vital mineral for the healthy functioning of our body, has natural relaxing properties. It is also great for aching muscles, so before going to sleep, you can spray it on your shoulders, back, wrists, etc.

When you first apply magnesium to your skin, it may tingle a bit, but it’s a useful signal from your body telling you that you don’t have enough magnesium. If you persist, it will stop tingling, which usually happens very soon.

My favourite, Better You Magnesium Oil Goodnight Spray, also has clary sage essential oil in it, which promotes lucid dreams.

Then comes the traditional lavender essential oil. A drop or two on your pillow (or a small cloth or tissue near your head) can enhance your sleep considerably. Or, if you have a bath before going to sleep, you can use a few drops in your bath.

A recommended way is to use a carrier oil (e.g. almond, avodaco, or hemp oil) and mix a few drops of oil in it. Then you pour the mixture in the bath, which will make your skin soft and lustrous while retaining the essence of the oil on it.

You may also want to get a mixtire of essential oils for promoting sleep, such as ‘Wind Down’ essential oil mixture, which contains a blend of lavender, vetiver and clary sage.

Ellia.com also sell a wide variety of diffusers, which is another great way to fill your room with a relaxing aroma – something I do on a daily basis. I have one which I use at night before going to sleep. I usually fill it with lavender and other soothing essential oils. During the day, I use oils that uplift me and improve my focus, e.g. rosemary, grapefruit, orange, bergamot etc.

Tip 16: Sound Spas

Every parent uses soothing sounds to lull their baby to sleep; either by their own voice, or a sound produced by an electronic device. So why shouldn’t adults lull themself to sleep with soothing sounds as well? Research has shown that natural sounds are amongst the most effective sleep aids. The sound of the sea, rain, or a simple white noise can create the best sleep-inducing environment.

You can explore a vast range of sound spas and white noise devices on Amazon.

Tip 17 -Natural Sleep-Enhancing Remedies

Another tried and tested method for improved sleep is using natural remedies and sleep potions.

The herb Valerian has been used in traditional medicine for many years. You can get products containing Valerian extract, such as sleep tablets called Kalms.

These tables are so popular because they don’t cause drowsiness the following day.

Another popular calming potion is Bach Rescue Remedy, which contains specifically selected calming flower essences. This homeopathic remedy comes in many variations. The original Rescue tincture, in a form of dropper, is used for feelings of general stress or anxiety, and contains five traditional flower remedies, preserved in grape alcohol solution: Rock Rose (against terror and panic), Star of Bethlehem (to treator shock), Impatiens (to bring down irritation and impatience), Cherry Plum (against irrational thoughts) and Clematis (to restore focus).

bach rescue remedy traditional homeopathic stress reliever

The RESCUE Night Spray, which is alcohol free and comes in an easy to use spray format, is perfect for enhancing your sleep. It contains the same flower essences as the original Rescue Remedy, with an extra addition of the essence of the White Chestnut essence, traditionally used to help the mind from unwanted, repetitive thoughts, so you can fall asleep more easily and enjoy a peaceful night’s sleep.

Tip 18 – Energy Medicine Techniques

Energy medicine is another field that can help you with sleep issues. We all are made of energy, and you can easily influence and shift your energies through simple exercises. I have selected seven techniques that are frequently used by energy medicine practitioners.

Brazilian Toe Technique

A simple but powerful technique based on gentle holding of acupressure points on one’s toes. Almost everyone drifts off when their toes are held correctly and for the required amount of time. You can read the full description of the technique in the post Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation.

Connecting Heaven and Earth

Connecting Heaven and Earth is a good calming exercise that you can do just before climbing into your bed. Donna Eden demonstrates it in the video 6:44 onwards, as a part of The Daily Energy Routine that I have mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Expelling the Venom

This is an old technique from Qi-Gong. It releases tension and calms your nervous system. By doing this, you can release energy tied with many different emotions – from frustration, anger, shame, or guilt, to sadness or grief.

I recommend watching Patricia Janusz, who is an expert in vibrational medicine, showing the correct procedure:

The Crown Pull

Press the tips of your fingers into your forehead, and then drag them apart, all the way to your temples. Once you’ve reached your temples, shake your hands off.

Then continue a bit further up your head. To do this correctly, you can either follow Patricia Janusz from ‘Shift Your Life’ from the previous video, (1:00 onwards).

Smoothing Behind the Ears

In energy medicine, this exercise called ‘Triple Warmer Smoothie’. It is based on calming the energy pathway which is connected with the fight or flight response. Tracing part of the meridian backwards.

You can watch Donna Eden showing how to do this super-simple exercise:

Hold Your Palm on Your Forehead

There are many points on our forehead, which are connected to our nervous system. This super-simple act of placing your hand on your forehead will bring calm to your brain, thus helping you fall asleep better.

Watch Donna Eden demonstrate this technique at the beginning of this video:

The Mingmen Point

Mingmen point, also known as Gate of Life, is one of the most important points in Chinese Medicine. It lies about two inches below your belly button, but on the other side of your body – i.e. on your lower back.

There are several ways you can work with your Mingmen point to promote good sleep:

Place your hands on the Mingmen point and rub it vigorously to release energy, which will aid your sleep and prevent insomnia.

Or: Rub your hands vigorously and then place them on the point and let them rest there.

If it’s too uncomfortable laying your hands on your back while you’re lying, place your palms on your navel instead and imagine sending energy to the Mingmen point through your body.

Visualisation and imagining play a major part in the placebo effect, so don’t dismiss it as a hippy dippy nonsense. Our thoughts can be very powerful vehicles of energy and can help you heal your body as well as regulate your sleep.

If you have a partner or a child who suffers from insomnia, you can do this for them. Make them lie on their back, then rub your hands and slide them under their lower back. Hold your hands on their Mingmen point for a few minutes.

Tip 19 – Practice Meditation

One of the many benefits of regular meditation (together with stronger immunity, decreased anxiety, or even increase in your brain’s gray matter) is better quality, deeper sleep. Many people have reported that meditation has helped them cure their insomnia.

I’ve written about my own experience with meditation in the article The Physical and Psychological Benefits of Meditation. which includes a video of Russel Brandt describing what happened after he started meditating. Because of my own great experience with this ancient practice, including better sleep and needing less hours than before, I highly recommend trying it out!

meditation-levitation - Image by Benjamin Balazs from Pixabay

Tip 20: Try to Forgive

“Don’t let the sun go down on your anger” are words by St Paul in his letter to Ephesians.

Unresolved disagreements can affect our sleep more than we think. Either by disturbing dreams or by shallow sleep, or both. Freeing yourself from negative charges you hold against other people is a crucial act for healing many areas in your life. It’s similar to getting rid of the poison in your body. As the famous quote goes, “Holding onto anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die.”

You might even experience physical healing after you have profoundly forgiven someone.

In this video, the ‘father of motivation’, Dr. Wayne Dyer, speaks about how forgiveness dramatically changed the path of his life.

The next video shows the founder of Mindvalley, Vishen Lakhiani, talk about the scientifically backed power of forgiveness. (From 13:33 onwards.)

How Is It Working For You?

I would be delighted if you let me know about your experience with sleep improvement. Have you already tried any of the ideas from this article, and if so, with what result? Have you got another tried & tested tip to share? Please let me know in the comments below. I wish you a great, deep sleep tonight!

Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

RECOMMENDED SECTIONS:

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

How to Relieve Chronic Back Pain

by Lucie | Jul 10, 2020 | Mind, Body & Spirit, Popular, Uncategorized

Every one of us has experienced some form of short-term back pain, but for some of us, it is an ongoing, persistent problem. This article offers a number of tips on how to relieve chronic back pain and hopefully eliminate it.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. If you make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The full disclosure can be accessed here.

1) Using Magnets for Pain Relief

Magnets can be very effective tools for back pain relief, if used correctly. They have been successfully used by medical practitioners all over the world. They are frequently used in Chinese medicine, various forms of holistic therapy, and they becoming increasingly popular in Western medicine as well.

There’s no magic behind their successful use, just pure physics: Magnets have electromagnetic fields around them, which you can easily see when you place them near particles of metal. A shape depicting the magnetic field will immediately appear.

Given the fact that we are also electromagnetic beings – we are made of energy like everything else in this universe – magnets can influence the flow of our energy.

If we suffer from pain, which often means there is over-accumulated, stuck energy in our body, the North polarity of the magnet can draw the excess energy towards itself, thus alleviate our pain.

Vice versa, if we need to improve our circulation or speed up the repair of a broken bone, we can use the South polarity of a magnet, which disperses and amplifies energy.

It is very important to use the correct side (polarity) of a magnet according to our condition. For pain, we generally use the North polarity.

round silver colored analog watch next to compass

You can test a magnet’s polarity with a compass. The North polarity of a magnet is always south-seeking, so if you place one side of a magnet near a compass and see the south end of the magnetic needle (usually painted white) being attracted by it, it means that you are pointing the magnet’s North polarity to the compass.

Keep moving your magnet around the compass to make the needle follow it, so you can be double-sure about the correct polarity. If you’re pointing the Soth polarity of a magnet towards your compass, the north end of the magnetic needle (usually painted red) will turn towards it.

You can mark the North side of your magnet, e.g. by engraving ‘N’ into it, or using a nail varnish to mark it. Once you know which side of the magnet is the North polarity, you can use it for pain relief.

According to rules of Eden Energy Medicine (which I study), the North side of a magnet should not be attached to your body for longer than twelve hours.Whenere you feel hat the pain has gone, you should remove the magnet.

With the South polarity (which is amplifying energy and stimulating growth) the magnet should be on the body for much shorter time – 30 minutes only. This is because if someone has a cancerous growth and keeps a South polarity of a magnet near it for long, it could encourage the cancer cells to grow.

As this post is about pain relief, I’ll be concentrating on the North Polarity (South-seeking side of the magnet).

What Kind of Magnet is Safe to Use?

The magnet should be quite weak. Magnets that are stronger than 1000 Gauss could be harmful to your system.

You can get safe and still very effective magnets in Chinese medicine stores or on the internet. Amazon sells a set of therapeutic magnets that I have personally tried and can recommend. You can find them in the Health & Wellbeing Products section of this website.

To use, apply the plaster with the magnet on the area of strained or pulled muscles – for example, stiff shoulder, upper or lower back, around the knee etc.

I recommend reading customers’ reviews so you can see that these tiny magnets can be very effective for pain relief.

Another option is to tape a round ceramic magnet over the painful area. Although sold as a science toy for children, these magnets can also be used for pain relief therapy, as they are not too strong. They are frequently used by energy medicine practitioners.

Just tape one of the magnets over the painful muscle – but make sure the magnet is placed North side down. You can test this by putting the magnet near a compass. The North side of the magnet should attract the south end of the compass’ needle.

2) Block Therapy – Fascia Decompression

Block Therapy is one of the most intriguing self-care methods I’ve ever come across. In Block Therapy, you lie on a therapeutic tool called the Block Buddy for at least three minutes in various positions in order to decompress your fascia adhesions throughout your body. Fascia is a tissue netting all over our body, and it often becomes frozen and rigid, causing a whole number of health problems.

The Block Buddy is made from Bamboo, because, unlike artificial materials like foam or plastic, it shares a similar density to our bones. Using gravity and body weight, the Block Buddy is able to sink deeply into the tissue and address the root of your issues – such as chronic pain, inability, to lose weight, premature aging etc.

Increased Oxygen Absorption

The pressure of this Bamboo brick brings increased blood and oxygen into the area, warming the connective tissue and “melting” fascia adhesions and knots. You need to breathe diaphramatically while using this tool.

When you practice diaphragmatic breathing, you increase oxygen absorption up to 6 times the amount compared to breathing through the muscles of the upper chest. The combination of increased oxygen, the freeing of fascia adhesions, correct posture and alignment form the basis of Block Therapy. Check this amazing method out at www.blocktherapy.com.

Also, I recommend watching this amazing testimonial video by the founder of Block Therapy (also referred to as Fluid Isometrics), Deanna Hansen.

3) Supporting Your Back

Maintaining a correct posture is vital for preventing back pain, but it is impossible to always remember to stand or sit with our back straight. The good news is that nowadays there are plenty of devices that can provide proper support for the back, and simultaneously diminish pain caused by stress or bad posture.

Back-Up: A Simple Device for Back Pain Relief

There was a time when I suffered from intense pain in my back because of the frequent carrying of heavy musical equipment. The pain would often last for a number of days which seemed like an eternity.

A great discovery was thus a simple-looking, yet surprisingly effective accessory called Back-Up. It was made by a company called ‘Nada Chair’, who holds the World Chiropractic Alliance’s endorsement, and I now understand why!

‘Back-up Nada Chair’ supports the lower back, helps with maintaining correct posture, and diminishes back strain.

It can be highly effective for people suffering from chronic back pain, aching back muscles, pregnant women, or anyone who spends considerable time sitting. But what sparked my interest in particular was the fact that it has even been used by NASA astronauts.

You can read my review of Back-Up Nada Chair here.

4) Using Back Massagers

A good-quality back massager can provide considerable relief of your back pain without the side effects of medication. They must not be used on slipped discs or any type of injury that may worsen by external pressure, but they are ideal for chronic back pain or aches caused by strained muscles or stress.

A back massager will reduce your back pain by:

– stimulating the skin, muscles and ligaments and encouraging healthy blood flow into the area

– relaxing stiff and tightened back muscles

– dispersing stuck energy (which is often a major cause of pain)

What Type of Massager Is the Best?

There are plenty of variations of back massagers on the market, so it is a good idea to take some time to decide which one would be suitable for your specific needs. The most popular and effective are hand-held massagers and massager chairs.

I have both a hand-held massager and a massage chair, because both types have their own advantages.

The Backnobber

One of my best discoveries in terms of hand-held massage devices has been an S-shaped tool called The Original Backnobber II. Despite its funny name, it is one of the best tools for self-massage. It is designed for deep muscle therapy and it surely does its job. I always take it with me in the car when I have a long drive ahead of me and use it during my breaks. Stimulating my back muscles makes me less tired and prevents my back from becoming stiff after the drive.

The Backnobber is very easy to use: You simply hook this S-shaped tool over your shoulder, or sideways (to reach your lower back), and use its leverage to apply deep pressure the points of your choice, mainly in the muscles of the neck, shoulders or back. You can find out more from my review, where I describe my favourite ways of using this tool.

You can split the tool into two parts, which makes it easy to carry and store.

Watch the manufacturer’s video with an explanation how the Backnobber works and what benefits you’ll experience by using it.

If you like the features of The Original Backnobber II, and think you may find it useful, try it out and then let me know in the comments under this post how it’s working for you and what your favourite techniques are.

Finally, don’t forget to check my review of the Backnobber. It is full of tips on how to use it effectively, and I’ve also included quite a lot of customer reviews, both positive and negative – which is always worth checking out before you make a purchase.

Percussive Therapy Massager

If you’re looking for a mains-powered held-held device than I’d highly recommend getting a percussive-therapy massager. Percussion is more powerful and effective than just ordinary vibration. The difference between percussive and vibration massage therapy is that percussive therapy can reach about 60% deeper into the muscle than the standard vibration massagers.

The device I have and can fully recommend is called Hangsun Percussion Massager. You can read a review of it here.

Spinal Flush

A handheld percussion massager is perfect for a back-massaging technique used in Energy Medicine. It’s called Spinal Flush, and it’s incredibly relaxing and rejuvenating.

However, you can do Spinal Flush even if you don’t have a massager – just use your hands and apply firm pressure. Find out more in my article Two Simple Techniques for Deep Relaxation where I describe the procedure, and where you can also watch Donna Eden showing the technique in a video called ‘How to Connect with Your Partner Using Energy medicine‘. It’s really worth learning!

Easy Lounge Shiatsu Massaging Lounge Chair

Massage Chair

If you like a complex, luxurious style of massage with a number of massaging variations, optional vibration, and heat, a massage chair is an answer. I have a massage chair from Homedics and it’s a hit with every visitor of ours.

Most Homedics massage chairs offer several functions such as kneading shiatsu massage, or tapping percussion. You can usually select your own massage style, or have a pre-programmed massaging variation.

Perfect Touch Masseuse App-Controlled Massage Cushion with Heat by Homedics

You can get a deep neck, shoulder and back massage, and select from several different massage zones and spots, with optional heat function.

Gentle Touch Gel Deluxe Shiatsu Massage Cushion with Soothing Heat

You can choose from a wide range of Homedics massagers in their Amazon store.

Wherever you prefer a hand-held massager or a massage chair, both types are highly beneficial for your health and, needless to say, they make brilliant gifts. (I can still remember my parents’ expression when they tried their first massage chair!)

5) Yoga and Stretching

I believe that regular yoga or general stretching practice may help with getting rid of chronic back pain altogether. I would recommend the following asanas and exercises:

The Cobra pose

The Bridge Pose

The Candle Pose (Shoulder Stand)

Downward Dog

Connecting Heaven and Earth

Connecting Heaven and Earth is an age-old practice that has been depicted in ancient texts. It is brilliant for easing back pain because it allows old energy to leave, whole filling the body with new energy, and offering a great stretch at the same time. You can see how it is done in this video of Donna Eden’s Daily Energy Routine. (You will find it from 6:44 onwards.)

6) Tapping

Tapping, or EFT, (an abbreviation for Emotional Freedom Techniques) has been proven to help with a large number of issues like stress, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, trauma, and phobias, but also with physical pain. It has been successfully used for treating both chronic, and acute back pain.

Although there are still many people who have never heard of it before, the effectiveness of EFT is helping to make it an increasingly popular and scientifically verified therapeutic method. Over 100 clinical trials of EFT have been published in peer-reviewed medical and psychology journals.

The Science Behind Tapping

Tapping is applied by tapping your fingertips on specific acupressure points on the body, through which a signal is sent to the areas of the brain that are in charge of the ‘fight or flight’ stress response. This process often allows the body to relax and heal from both emotional and physical issues.

The clinical psychologist David Feinstein, Ph.D. is one of the practitioners who has been using EFT for years, and with great results. He is the author of The Healing Power of EFT & Energy Psychology, co-written with Donna Eden and Gary Craig, the original founder of EFT.

Another highly-respected researcher in this field of EFT is Dawson Church, Ph.D. He’s the author of a number of books about tapping, such as The EFT Manual, a book is based on Clinical EFT, a method validated in a large number of scientific studies.

Can EFT Help with Back Pain?

A large number of back pain sufferers who have been using EFT have reported quick shifts after using this technique. Through EFT, people suffering from pain can often identify the emotional root causes of their pain. It then helps them to make small adjustments, which often produces surprising results.

Apart from The EFT Manual, Dawson Church has also published EFT for Back Pain, a guide filled with the stories of many people who have experienced the benefits of tapping for their back pain and associated emotional problems. The book teaches the basics of EFT, and how to apply them.

Nick Ortner, an EFT expert and founder of ‘The Tapping Solution’ is the author of the book The Tapping Solution for Pain Relief, which addresses many forms of pain, back pain included, and contains plenty of success stories. The book got endorsed by Tony Robbins with the following words:

“If you are in chronic pain, I suggest you choose this book and follow the programme inside. Nick’s results with helping people relieve chronic pain speak for themselves. It’s that simple.”

In this video, Nick Ortner talks about EFT for pain relief and demonstrates the tapping process. Check some of the comments below his video (on Youtube), where quite a few people have shared how it’s worked for them. It’s rather exciting to read these testimonials.

7) Use CBD – a Natural Compound of Hemp

CBD (cannabidiol) is a chemical compound found in the cannabis (hemp) plant. Products made from CBD have been used to help people relieve pain, relieve stress and anxiety, and help with their sleep.

One of such products is the ‘Freeze Roll-On Pain Relief’ by ‘Just CBD’. The pain-relief cream is made with full-spectrum hemp-derived CBD, which has been known for relieving pain and inflammation.

The ‘Freeze Roll-On’ cooling cream has a lot of positive reviews; below is a screenshot of the first few pages. (You can check all of them on the product’s page. )

You can find this roll-on as well as other pain relief creams and gels on the JUST CBD website, under ‘CBD Topicals’.

8) Sedate the Kidney Meridian

An interesting approach to relieving back pain is to use the Traditional Chinese Medicine method for sedating your Kidney meridian.

You may be asking “What on earth have kidneys to do with back pain?” The answer is, if the meridian (energetic pathway) that goes through your kidneys becomes overcharged and stressed, it will lead to pain in the surrounding area.

Sedating the Kidney meridian will relax the kidneys by removing all the excess, stuck energy and provide relief to the back.

You can sedate the Kidney meridian by holding specific acupressure points. I am describing the procedure in my post called The Kidney Meridian. (Just look up “Sedating Kidney meridian” in the list of contents on the page.)

Let Me Know About Your Favourite Technique

I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about the list of ideas for combating back pain. As I’m writing this, I’m wearing my ‘Back-Up’ back-support and enjoying the sensating of being able to relax and keep my back the straight and strong at the same time. I’m glad I could share my favourite devices with you here, and hope that you too might find them helpful.

If you’d like to share your experience, please leave a comment below. I’d be so happy to hear if any of these techniques have worked for you. I would also appreciate it if you let me know about any other effective techniques or gadgets that you have found effective.

Other posts you may like:

BY LUCIE DUN

This site has been (very happily) built with DIVI, by Elegant Themes.

Disclaimer: This page contains affiliate links. This means that if you decide to make a purchase through my links, I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. The complete Affiliate Disclosure can be accessed here. If you’d like to learn more about affiliate marketing, check out my favourite platform for online marketers. Thank you for visiting!

Let’s keep in touch:

in alliance with

« Older Entries

Next Entries »

Breathing Techniques for Better Health

Autopilot Breathing

Controlled Breathing Benefits

Simple Breathing Techniques for Different Purposes

Water, Coffee and Whiskey Breathing

Water Breathing

When to Do Water Breathing:

The Procedure:

How Often Can You Do Water Breathing?

How Have I Benefitted From This Exercise?

Whiskey Breathing

When to Do Whiskey Breathing:

The Procedure:

How Often Can You Do Whiskey Breathing?

How Have I Benefitted from This Exercise?

Coffee Breathing

When to Do Coffee Breathing:

The Procedure:

How Often Can You Do Coffee Breathing?

How Have I Benefitted from This Exercise?

The 4-7-8 Technique

When to Do The 4-7-8 Technique:

The Procedure:

How Often Can You Do The 4-7-8 Technique?

How Have I Benefitted From This Exercise?

Recap of All Four Techniques

Water Breathing

Whiskey Breathing

Coffee Breathing

The 4-7-8 Method

Conclusion

Share Your Thoughts

The Spleen Meridian

Contents:

The Meridian for Better Immunity and More Joy

The Pathway of Spleen Meridian

Ancient Prints Depicting Meridian Pathways

If Spleen Meridian is Out of Balance

Techniques for Balancing Spleen Meridian

Tracing Spleen Meridian

Flushing Spleen Meridian

Working with the Acupressure Points of Spleen Meridian

Sedating Spleen Meridian

Step 1 – Sedate the Spleen Meridian:

The Procedure:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Step 2 – Stabilise the Energy Flow by Holding the Control Points:

The Procedure:

What is happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Strengthening Spleen Meridian

Step 1 – Strengthen the Spleen Meridian

The Procedure:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Step 2 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Three-Pointing Spleen Meridian

Step 1 – Sedate the Spleen Meridian:

The Procedure:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Step 2 – Strengthen the Spleen Meridian

The Procedure:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Step 3 – Stabilise the energy flow by holding the control points:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel:

Learn More About Meridians and Acupressure Points

Share Your Thoughts

The Kidney Meridian

Contents:

Reservoir of Energy and Centre of Courage

The Pathway of Kidney Meridian

Ancient Prints Showing Meridians

If Kidney Meridian is Out of Balance

Techniques for Balancing Kidney Meridian

Tracing Kidney Meridian

Flushing Kidney Meridian

Working with the Acupressure Points of Kidney Meridian

Sedating Kidney Meridian

Step 1 – Sedate the Kidney Meridian:

The Procedure:

What Is Happening on The Five Elements Wheel: