New Art of Massage

This healing technique, meaning “finger pressure,” is based on traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, judo and Do-In, and it is known for its effectiveness, pragmatism, and scientific and spiritual approach.

Although it came to be known a thousand years ago, the first texts on this type of massage date back to 2300 BC in a Chinese treatise on internal medicine called Huangdi Neijing (“The Emperor’s Inner Canon”).

• The human body is nourished by qi energy flowing through twelve meridians or energy rivers connected to the organs and internal organs with specific functions.

• The meridians have points called tsubos that are pressed, soothed, or stimulated in order to balance energy flow.

• The tsubos may be empty or filled (kyo or jitsu), so we need to tone them when they are empty (clockwise) and sedate them when they are full (counterclockwise).

• Strong emotions (extreme joy, depression, fear, anger, worry, boredom, criticism, anger, etc.) have a negative impact on the meridians, which in turn negatively affect the organs and cause disease.

• Shiatsu is based on sustaining perfect health through the constant balance of yin energy (female) and yang energy (male). When energy balance is altered, disease occurs. So, shiatsu helps to restore harmony the body through pressure, holds, decompression, kneading, and friction.

• The meridians are located on all sides of the body (behind, in front, inside, and outside). They are on the second body (life energy), not on the physical body itself.

• In the twenty-four hours that make up each day, the twelve meridians feed on qi for two hours every day.

• Meridians work in pairs. Since energy is never lost but simply transformed, when we soothe a meridian we are also toning its corresponding meridian.

• Qi energy is related to five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, and water).

According to Oriental medicine, qi energy is a fundamental concept that governs the universe (macrocosm) as well as human life (microcosm). It is the basis of our physical health and it is essential for mental and emotional balance.

Qi (see its symbol on page 72) is made up of small energy particles that are found in the air, it is neither oxygen nor nitrogen, and it consists of two complementary poles: yin and yang. Yin is the energy of the Earth and yang is the energy of the sky, the Sun.

Everything in life is governed by balancing both energies. For example, an electric plug has a male part, yang, and a female part, yin; and when it is plugged to a power source, an electric current moves through the wire, producing light. Similarly, in the human body, electricity flows through the meridians producing the light of life.

Scientifically, it has been found that the essence of each atom is light. Therefore, we are moving light. When that light, qi energy, does not flow normally through the meridians, blockages occur.

Qi circulates throughout the twelve meridians, twenty four hours a day, following a set cycle of two hours each. So energy comes from the lung meridian. This is the first meridian that begins working when we are born, given that our first act out of the womb is to breathe.

- 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.: Circulatory and sexual meridian (also called the pericardium).

Twelve meridians form a continuous power supply for everyone’s life energy. There are also two extraordinary meridians that make up a microcosmic orbit:

• The governing vessel, a yang energy reserve circulating inside the spine, starting at the head and ending under the nose

• The conception vessel, which starts from a point on the lips, runs down the front and reaches the sexual organs where it joins the governing vessel.

The lack and excess of qi determines whether there is kyo (empty, deficient) or jitsu (fullness, excess). When qi is well distributed throughout the body, it is in perfect health. But qi blockages undo this balance and produce kyo or jitsu in some body parts, and we can become ill because of it.

Overall, in a strong body, jitsu shows up as high blood pressure and diseases related to overwork. Meanwhile, in a weak body, diseases, exhaustion, helplessness, and depression are kyo.

To restore energy balance you will have to tone kyo to make up for lacking energy and also disperse jitsu to remove excessive energy.

There are two ways in which we can work on the meridians by using our thumbs: sedating and stimulating, or pushing and pulling.

The amount of pressure you should apply varies between 6 and 19 pounds (3 and 9 kilos). In a physically strong person, we may exert more pressure, while with others we have to be gentler.

Obviously, in many cases the recipient may feel pain as a result of releasing blocked energy.

Apply pressure for three to five seconds, exhaling as you press and inhaling as you release.

In shiatsu massage, you will also work using your elbows, manually kneading, creating friction, and using your knuckles. You will practice them using various techniques.

According to Chinese medicine, five primordial elements play an important role in the human body and its functions. The five elements rule indicates that qi is manifested in the universe through water, earth, fire, wood, and metal. Any imbalance in these elements will be manifested as a symptom of illness on the organs and meridians. For example, qi imbalance in the wood element can affect the liver and its meridian, or the gallbladder and its meridian, or both. Anger affects not just the liver; muscles will also tend to tighten into fists, causing eye problems through tears. Similarly, these negative reactions can occur to the various elements.

Below are a set of techniques we call “basic” because they help everyone and they cover a comprehensive practice for the entire body. Later we will see “special massage” techniques for specific problems. Each technique is to be repeated ten to twelve times.

1. Figure “X”: Warm up the oil in your hands and place them both on the middle of the back. Slide one hand down to the buttock and slide the other up to the opposite shoulder, so that your hand movement forms an “X.” Then switch to the other shoulder and buttock.

2. Figure “8”: Slide both hands (one over the other) forming a large number “8” across the back. This movement symbolizes eternity, past and future, meeting at this point in the present and generating heat in the back that allows energy to begin to mobilize.

3. Back openings: Eliminates tension in the back by “opening” it in three parts. With both hands forming the wings of a dove, make three movements: first, from the sacrum outward; then from the sacrum to the dorsal area; and lastly, from the sacrum to the shoulders.

4. Back massage: Place both hands on the sacrum and place your fingers toward the neck. Slide one hand up and then the other along the vertebrae, but not over them. In doing so, create energy in a portion of the bladder meridian and warm up the chakras.

5. Knifehand: With the back of the hand, “open up” the back into three parts (sacrum, dorsal, cervical) to release energy in this area. Use the edge of the hand to “chop” away any energetic tension.

6. Fork: Place the index and middle fingers of one hand on the cervical area and place the other hand over it to increase the pressure. Slide your finger down the spinal region (but not over the vertebra) toward the sacrum. This technique stimulates the bladder meridian so that the recipient can then eliminate toxins through urination and begin a purification process.

7. Spoons: With a cupped hand, gently hit the side of the spine, moving upwards. This creates air that eases tension through suction.

8. Stamping: With clenched fists placed on the spine, press down with one first and then the other, starting at the sacrum. Rotate you one fist up and the other down while moving the hands up along the spine to the neck area. Be sure to always keep your hands together.

9. Rake: Place both open hands flat on the lower back area and move them up along its entire length until you get to the shoulders; then work your way back down, making zigzag movements. This technique allows you to explore the back and increase blood flow and energy.

10. Knuckles: Slide the knuckles along the spine (never directly over the vertebrae), in a straight line using your fists.

11. Figure “U”: With one hand over the other, make a big “U” across the back, without touching the vertebrae.

12. Slide along the trapezius: Move up and down, sliding the three middle fingers from the trapezius to the shoulder to start decompressing the upper area.

13. Move along the trapezius: Using four fingers, form counterclockwise circles around the trapezius.

14. Knead the shoulder: With the base of the hands, knead the whole deltoid area, which is where tension builds.

15. Shoulder blade cleansing: Place a hand on one shoulder and lift the shoulder blade. Then, with the four fingers of the other hand, sink into and move the shoulder blade. Pressing only with the thumb, massage any knots and muscle contractions in a counterclockwise motion. If this area is very tense, apply this technique for longer since it is retaining repressed emotions and unresolved situations.

16. Knead the arms: Knead the entire arm by starting at the top (biceps and triceps) and then the forearm. Do it as though you were taking off one of their gloves. This technique eliminates stress.

17. Opening of the hand: Open their hand with your thumbs, starting at the center and moving outward.

18. Stimulate the fingers: Using your thumb and index finger, stimulate each of their fingers. There are meridian beginning and ending points at the tip of each finger.

19. Wave on the back: With both hands well supported, move up and down from the sacrum to the neck while making rocking motions across the back.

20. Wave on the spine (kembiki technique): Using your thumbs and all of your fingers, grab the skin along the spine and go up along the entire back until you reach the neck. It is as if you were walking on the vertebrae.

21. Circular movements: Draw a large imaginary circle on the entire back from the sacrum to the neck.

22. On eagle wings: Place your hands like eagle wings in flight and move down along the spine with your thumbs. Press down slowly to stimulate with your thumbs to release any muscle tension.

23. Cleansing movement: With the palms well supported on both sides of the sacrum, slide upward along the spine to the shoulders, and then slide down the arms to the hands. When you reach their hands, shake your own a few times and then continue.

24. Figure “S”: With just one hand, move up from the palm of the hand to the shoulder, then down the spine to the sacrum, and then up from the sacrum to the neck. Through the hands, this technique lets in new energy that moves to the spine.

25. Pinching: Using both hands, pinch down the entire back, except on the area of the vertebrae. This technique increases and moves blood supply.

26. The great “V”: Place your thumbs in the middle of the back, on both sides of the spine, make a V-shape up to the shoulder: stagnant energy will be recycled, and there will be a significant increase in blood circulation.

27. Separate the vertebrae one at a time: With the thumb and forefinger, separate each of the vertebrae as though you were stretching them. Initiate the movement from the sacrum (fixed vertebrae) to the neck (moving vertebrae).

28. Mobilize the neck: Using both hands at the same time, or first with one hand and then the other, make two circular movements.

29. Elbow sliding: Bend the elbow and move down along both sides of the back without touching the vertebrae. Start at the trapezius and stop at the buttocks. You will notice that the muscles gradually soften and relax.

30. Chopping between the vertebrae: With the edge of the hand, strongly rub from the neck area to the middle of the back. This movement produces tremendous pain relief, and it activates the circulation of blood and vital energy.

31. Slide along the entire back: Slide both open hands from the center of the back to the sacrum, and then upward to the neck along both sides. Repeat this move again.

32. Hammering: With clenched fists, gently tap the entire upper back area, except over the vertebrae.

33. Sustained pressure: Press with both thumbs along the entire back (five seconds on each point), from the neck to the sacrum. This technique activates a portion of the path between the meridian and the bladder.

34. Lateral slide to the arms: Slide both hands from the sacrum to the neck; first one side and then the other. Work on the entire sides of the back, up to the shoulder, and go down the arms until you reach the hands.

35. Hot stone massage: Have on hand a couple of stones and heat them in a saucepan over low heat (two minutes is enough to bring them up to a soothing temperature). Cover them in oil and glide them along the back, buttocks, and legs. You can switch between two sets of stones so that when one set cools off, there is another heated pair ready to be used. Work with a stone in each hand, making slow circular and undulating movements. This technique is very pleasant because it has a dual effect of pressure and enveloping warmth.

This is one of the most difficult problems to treat because the sciatic nerve is an essential part of our being, and when it does not function properly it causes pain that runs down the leg from the sacrum to the heel.

Below are several shiatsu techniques that are very effective in treating this ailment.

1. Warm up: Alternating both hands, rub the sacrum area with horizontal movements.

2. Knead the buttocks: We mobilize this important muscle group because it is often a great source of stress. Knead the buttocks with both hands, or stamp down on them with clenched fists, by pressing then sliding your knuckles repeatedly over the entire muscle area, making a half circle motion.

3. Stamp the buttocks: With clenched fists, press then slide your knuckles repeatedly over the entire muscle area, making a half circle motion.

4. Open the sacrum: Do this opening movement with both hands, first in one direction and then the other, placing the weight at the base of the hand.

5. Sacral foramina: The sacrum is the strongest bone in the body. It has four foramina on each side. Press down with your thumbs on each foramen to relieve tension. Remember to either push and pull or rotate in a particular direction.

6. Press the sacrum: Make circular movements over the sacrum with the base of the hand. If there is pain and tension, the movement should be counterclockwise, but if the recipient’s energy is low, go clockwise.

7. Flatiron: With one hand over the other, quickly create stimulating friction that feels nurturing, warm, and energizing to the sacral area. The flatiron can also be used on other areas of the body, especially the back and chest.

8. Thumbs: With both thumbs, go up and down from the sacrum to the lower back. Go along the sides of the spine, not on the vertebrae.

9. Vibration: Glide three fingers (ring finger, index, and middle) from the center of the sacrum to the sides, making a zigzag motion.

10. Figure “V”: With both hands, make a V-shape starting at the sacrum and ending at the dorsal area so as to ease pain.

11. Ocean waves: While doing a rolling motion, slide your hand from the sacrum, down the leg until you reach the heel.

12. Friction: Slide your hands up and down over the leg, starting at the buttock. This movement will generate heat and reactivate energy circulation.

13. Knead the feet: Knead one foot and then the other as though you were wringing out clothes.

15. Stimulate the feet: Using your knuckles, flick along the entire foot to stimulate the area.

16. Knead the heel: Alternating both hands, knead the heel to relax it. This very important area is where the entire body weight accumulates.

There are three unique main points that can eliminate all kinds of ailments. Working on them, sedating, or stimulating them contributes to restoring health and brings almost instant pain relief because they regulate energy circulation. These points are as follows:

Throughout the centuries, Eastern cultures have demonstrated their love of beauty; case in point is the name ST 36 was given: divine indifference, which contains in itself a philosophy of life.

This point is one of the most important ones when it comes to circulating energy, so it is often used in acupuncture and shiatsu. It is used to treat almost every disease.

It is found at the intersection of two lines: two inches (six centimeters) from the protruding part of the patella and one inch (three centimeters) away from the tibia. Although these measurements vary according to height, weight, and bone size of each recipient, it is a hollow bone that responds to pressure.

Once located, press on it with your thumb, applying 6 to 8 pounds (3 to 4 kg) of weight on it for a few minutes.

LI 4 is located in the gap between the bones of the thumb and forefinger. Pressure almost always feels painful here.

This point governs the large intestine meridian, and it is often used to relieve headaches, toothaches, earaches, and shoulder pain, as well as digestive disorders and circulation problems of the arms.

The third point of the liver meridian is located in the gap between the bones of the big toe and the second toe. It is particularly useful for treating liver and stomach problems or eye disorders, but it is also used for a variety of other problems.

• As with all shiatsu points, press for three to five minutes to tone, and for five to seven minutes to sedate.

• Be aware that you are working with energy, so always assume a meditative, thoughtful, and perceptive state toward everything that happens.

• Do not use shiatsu points on pregnant women, and always remember that every recipient is God in human form.

Below you will find a detailed list of points that counteract certain ailments and problems. Look them up on the meridian charts to familiarize yourself with their locations (starting at page 119). Memorization comes with practicing, learning, and loving your work.

MAIN DISORDERS AND THEIR TREATMENT THROUGH ZEN SHIATSU

Asthma: BL 13, BL 17, BL 23; CV 17; LU 5, LU 6, LU 7, LU 9; ST 36; GB 21, GB 34; LI 4; LI 10.

Sciatica: BL 25, BL 36, BL 37, BL 54; 30 VB, GB 31, GB 34, GB 40; ST 30, ST 31, ST 34.

Diarrhea: ST 25, ST 36; SP 9; CV 6; BL 23, BL 25, BL 32; KI 16.

Headache and migraine: GB 8 GB 20, GB 21; BL 10, BL 17, BL 60;

LI 4; LU 6 LU 7; LV 3; GV 20; TE 3 TE 5; ST 36.

Neck pain and trapezius: GB 20, GB 21; BL 10, BL 11; SI 3, SI 11, SI 12, SI 14; LU 7; LI 4; LI 11; HT 3.

Shoulder pain: LI 4; LI 11 LI 14; LI 15; TE 14; SI 9, SI 10, SI 11, SI 12, SI 14.

Elbow pain: LI 10 LI 11; GB 34; LU 5.

Pain in the tow: LV 3; 4 SP.

Pain in the thumb: LI 4; LU 10.

Rotate the thumb and pull vigorously several times mobilizing the joints.

Ankle pain: GB 34, GB 40; ST 41; KI 3, KI 6, KI 7; SP 6; BL 60.

Wrist pain: LU 7; HT 7.

Pain in the lower back: BL 23, BL 25, BL 32, BL 36, BL 37, BL 40, BL 54, BL 57, BL 60; GB 30; GV 4.

Knee pain: ST 34, ST 35, ST 36; KI 10; LV 8; BL 40, BL 57; GB 34; SP 9, SP 10.

Constipation: ST 25, ST 36; LI 4; BL 25.

Insomnia: SP 6; ST 36; HT 7; LU 6 LU 8; KI 1; LV 3.

Irritable bowel: ST 25, ST 36; CV 6 CV 12; SP 6; LI 4; LI 10 LI 11; KI 16; BL 20, BL 21, BL 25, BL 32.

Sinusitis: LI 4; LI 20; BL 2; LU 5.

Hara or dantian is a power center that is very important in the East. It can be divided into two zones: the upper hara (in the stomach) and lower hara (3 inches below the navel).

This point is the center of life and death, hence its designation as a point where to commit suicide, the so-called harakiri.

If the hara is well-balanced, we get to enjoy good health, self-esteem, vitality, smooth breathing, positive attitude towards living, creative drive, determination, and good mood. However, this point also holds psychological remnants: repressed anger, worry, anxiety, low emotions, fear, sexual repression, and low self-esteem. All these deteriorate the hara and overload it with negative energy.

Massaging this point is called ampuku and its purpose is to unlock, clean, and boost energy. This technique moves and releases low energy, first through urine, and then through breathing, fasting, and any other technique that is put into practice.

To do the ampuku technique, imagine a clock and place one hand at 12 o’clock, on the pit of the stomach, and the other at 6 o’clock, below the navel, on the lower hara. Apply gentle pressure on these two points using three fingers (Figure 1), rotate counterclockwise to sedate, and clockwise to stimulate.

Locate 1 o’clock to the right of 12 o’clock, at a distance of two finger-lengths, and continue this way until you get to 5 o’clock. Work on these points using your right thumb (Figure 2). The remaining points (7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 o’clock) are also worked on with the thumb.

Two important things can happen in this zone: palpitation or crackling. Palpitations indicate that it has gotten enough energy and we must switch to the next point; while crackling (like when you are hungry) indicates that it is welcoming energy through stimulation and we can continue.

Work on each point for one or two minutes, pushing and pulling, or rotating with the thumb.

The head has the most yang in the body and it keeps all energy needed for daily mental activity. Massaging it helps relieve tension caused by thoughts, especially negative thoughts.

Thought is energy. When a thought is held for long enough, it forms an idea that in turn becomes a belief. Beliefs keep us from truly living and experiencing life.

The purpose of my work is getting people to give up their beliefs and start living in the present. Conflicting beliefs have led to countless deaths and unnecessary wars. Consumed with stereotypes and false pretenses for the future, humans have lost the ability to live in the present. The unknowable future causes anxiety and concern, while living in past memories makes us feel melancholy. The present is eternity.

The education we received, as well as fear itself, projects our thoughts forward into the future or backward into the past: “You have to study so you can become somebody”; “Save money so you can take care of yourself later”; “Life used to be better”; “If you do not have a degree, no one will respect you”; etc. These messages have destroyed the minds of people and caused divisions among them, offering them something that they will never attain: being the best in comparison to their peers. The future always has the same pattern.

Both Zen and shiatsu place a special emphasis on the fact that the mind does not stop to savor the delights of the present.

The head massage silences the mind and stops the messy uninterrupted flow of thoughts. The recipient can come closer to living in the present by practicing breathing. This massage also works on the head’s nerve endings, allowing the yin and yang energies throughout the body to become harmonized and act as a team.

For cerebral, deep thinkers who are concerned with their future, start the massage at the head. This is where they have accumulated an excess of energy (stress).

• Relaxes the nervous system and eliminates fatigue brought on by mental stress and exhaustion.

• Improves circulation of the protective element that is the cerebrospinal fluid, which is our lifeblood.

• Increases the secretion of growth hormones and enzymes necessary for the development of brain cells.

1. Opening of the head and back of the neck: Grab the head with both hands and glide them gently, first one and then another, along the nape. This technique allows the recipient to start “opening up” the contents of the head.

2. Stimulate the scalp: With all ten fingers, massage the entire scalp as if you were washing the head. This will stimulate all the nerve endings of the skull and relieve tension. It also helps move and release stagnant yang energy. It is very pleasant.

3. Forehead opening: Open the forehead with both thumbs, from the third eye outward. This helps relieve continuous thought flow by centering the recipient.

4. Circles: With your index and middle finger, make very gentle circular movements on the temples.

5. Taps: With the index and middle finger, tap gently several times on the third eye.

6. Press on the eyes: With your thumbs, press lightly and smoothly under the eyes.

8. Lip opening: Massage the lower and upper lip under the nose, opening with both thumbs. This last area is important because it joins the conception vessel and the governor vessel.

9. Press the ears: Stimulate both ears simultaneously, starting at the lobes. Just like feet, ears hold all of the body points.

10. Press the hair: Slide the hands through the hair, then grab it all. This technique provides a feeling of great release and helps eliminate stress because hairs function like antennas where energy enters and exits.

11. Stimulate the middle of the head: Gently press your thumb on the middle of the head, from the hairline to the top of the head.

12. Tap the crown: Using the index and middle finger, tap on the crown area (seventh chakra).

13. Press the neck: Using both middle fingers, press the hollow area of the neck. This will relieve headaches.

14. Pinch the eyebrows: Using your index finger and thumb, pinch along the eyebrows.

15. Relax the face: Slide your hands gently from the chin to the top of the skull. You must perform this massage with love and gentleness. Then place your hands on the recipient’s closed eyes for a minute, visualizing that their head is full of light and serenity.

Holds help decompress joints and strengthen muscles. They also have a beneficial effect on the meridians because the movements stimulate the them and activate the flow of qi.

• It is especially beneficial to athletes and physically and emotionally rigid people.

• For all holds, make a good foundation with your legs, inhale before straining, and exhale when you stop.

1. Grab them by their hands (or above the wrists) and lift them up, letting their head hang down. Go up and down in this manner several times.

2. Take one arm and the opposite foot and lift simultaneously. Then switch. This allows for an excellent stretch.

3. Lift both legs by the heels. Walk back until they are fully stretched but never forcefully, make every movement very gently.

4. Hold the hip bones and lift then lower them several times to decompress blockages in the area of the sacrum and hip. Then make small rotations. This technique is important because many people feel “anchored” in this area due to repression, sexual fears, and traumas.

5. Stand behind the legs and bring both heels up to the buttocks. This hold stretches the quadriceps deeply.

6. Place the legs at a 90° angle and push the toes toward the ground. This hold stretches the calves and releases cellular toxins that cause fatigue. It also increases blood circulation.

7. Grab each foot by the toes and move them sideways. Loosen and relax the leg muscles. This movement is very pleasant for the recipient.

8. Position yourself above the recipient’s head, grab both arms, and bend backwards to stretch them.

9. With clasped hands and arms at the neck, grab both of their elbows and lift them simultaneously.

10. Kneel and place one leg on your shoulder, grab it with both hands to raise and lower it gently. This hold deeply stretches the leg joint.

11. While kneeling, gently place a hand on the recipient’s sacrum. Then place one knee on the biceps femoris and the other knee in the middle of their calf. With your other hand, press down on the heel area. This helps to relieve sciatic pain.

12. Run your hands under the recipient’s back and lift up to open and arch the chest area. Let their head fall back, relaxed, allowing greater energy flow and the opening of the throat. It also deepens breathing.

13. Grab their ankles and bring their knees up to their chest. This hold massages the digestive organs.

14. Grab their ankles and shake them lightly while their legs are kept straight and elevated. This hold is very pleasant, easing tension and relaxing the area.

15. Sit behind the recipient and slide your hands down their neck, stretching the vertebrae as much as possible, but without causing pain.

16. Take the recipient’s hands and bring them down to their ankles. Then rub their back to stretch the vertebrae. Keep them still in this pose for one to two minutes to increase flexibility.

17. Grasp the hands and raise the arms above the head. Make sure you put one of your legs behind the spine to support it and keep it upright. This hold helps stretch the spine and arm muscles.

18. This hold is similar to number eight, although in this case the recipient will be facing up.

19. The recipient will rest in the shavasana pose to relax before getting up and finishing the exercises.

Today, seven out of ten people suffer from problems and pain in the upper back area. This is because it is an area of the body that retains a lot of pain brought on by poor posture, mental stress, emotional conflicts, stiffness, and blockages that we create around us.

The affected area is of vital importance for the proper functioning of the mind. It also holds old emotions that accumulate between the shoulder blades.

Applying shiatsu to this area decompresses obstructed qi, stirring up and activating circulation. Blood flow will also improve, resulting in a feeling of lightness, freedom, and increased energy as it goes from the head to the body. Using your thumbs, press and hold on the points in a bilateral manner, from the neck down. Do a counterclockwise circular motion to sedate each point.

• LI 16: Also called the “shoulder pit,” this is a point for decompressing the entire upper back. It resembles two holes at the top of the shoulder.

• GB 20: Located on the openings of the bottom of the skull. It feels like slumps that are an inch under the previous point and an inch from the top of the cervical vertebrae.

• GB 21 and TH 15: Two points that are close together in the middle of the trapezius.

• GV 15 and GV 16: Located on the center of the spine, at the start of the neck (in the middle and bottom of the skull).

SUITABLE FOR: Breathing problems, colds, bronchitis, cough and asthma; shoulder and arm pain.

SUITABLE FOR: Pain in the abdomen, mouth, and throat, headache, rheumatic pain on the shoulder, nasal congestion, constipation, lowering high fever.

• LI 4: Treats most head problems: facial pain, headache, toothache, nasal discharge, congestion, and poor hearing; thumb pain, constipation, and paralysis of the hand. This is one of the strongest points for overall wellbeing. Do not use during pregnancy.

• LI 11: Fever brought on by colds and flu. Skin conditions, eczema, and urticaria. Abdominal pain and diarrhea. High blood pressure.

SUITABLE FOR: Digestive diseases, vomiting, bloating, and stomach pain; facial paralysis, headaches, and nosebleeds. Sore knees.

• ST 29: Hernia, irregular menstruation, uterine prolapse, and male impotence.

• ST 36: Stomachache; gastric and duodenal ulcers; diarrhea and constipation; water retention. Any kind of prolapse, irregular menstruation, and knee pain. This point is the most powerful and effective of all. It strengthens the immune system, strengthens the kidneys, and regulates the spleen and stomach, improving digestion.

SUITABLE FOR: Abdominal bloating, stomachache, vomiting and diarrhea; swelling of the legs, menstrual problems; insomnia.

• SP 6: Diarrhea, abdominal swelling; hemorrhoids; hernia; insomnia and restless sleep. Menstrual irregularity. Impotence and premature ejaculation, difficulty urinating.

• SP 10: Itchy skin, eczema, psoriasis and urticaria. Irregular menstrual cycle.

SUITABLE FOR: Heart problems, insomnia, depression, pain of the wrist and elbow.

• H 7: Worried mind, insomnia, and light sleep; depression, pain and heart palpitations; speech problems.

• SI 3: Pain in the outer hand and arm; paralysis of the little finger and neck stiffness.

ROUTE: From the sides of the eyebrows, behind the back and legs, to the little toe.

SUITABLE FOR: Headaches. Sprains, lower back pain, aching thighs, poor circulation in the legs, and cold feet.

• BL 10: It relaxes tense muscles at the base of the skull, reduces pain, and eases tension.

• BL 11: Helps eliminate qi blockages in the bones and joints of the neck, shoulder, and back.

• BL 15: Cardiac disorders, anemia, epilepsy, chest tightness, and insomnia. It calms the mind.

• BL 20: Removes tiredness, lack of energy, indigestion; relieves vomiting and diarrhea.

• BL 23: Improves proper functioning of the kidneys, relieves chronic pain in the lower back. Relieves hearing problems, ringing in the ears, and poor hearing.

• BL 25: Relieves sciatic pain, letting qi flow through the lumbar region, sacrum, and buttocks. Regulates the large intestine, effectively treats diarrhea and constipation.

• BL 32: Relieves lower back pain. Treats infertility, excessive vaginal discharge, and uterine disorders.

• BL 37: This point is very effective as a treatment for pain in the lower back, sciatica, and lower legs.

• BL 60: Pain caused by ankle sprains and heel problems. Relieves headache, lower back pain, and sciatica.

ROUTE: Starts at the bottom of the foot, goes up the inner leg, and across the abdomen to the chest, ending under the collarbone.

SUITABLE FOR: Coughing, back pain, sprains, pain in the joints of the legs, edema, asthma, cold hands and feet.

• KI 1: Fainting, shock, agitated mind, epilepsy, convulsions in children, and acute pain such as toothache. Aids sleep and appetite.

• KI 3: Pain in the lower back, frequent urination, ringing in the ears, poor vision, insomnia, and irritability.

SUITABLE FOR: Heart palpitations, vomiting, anxiety, mental confusion, unstable emotions, sprains in the arm joints, heart and chest problems, and anxiety.

• CS 6: Nausea, dizziness; emotional pain resulting from love conflicts, concerns; insomnia, irregular heartbeat.

• CS 7: Anxiety, heart palpitations; wrist pain and paralysis of the fingers (especially the thumb, index, and middle).

ROUTE: Starts on the ring finger, crosses the back of the hand and arm, runs through the dorsal midline, through the shoulder to behind the ear, and then to the outer corner of the eyebrow.

SUITABLE FOR: Headache, deafness, ear problems; eye pain; tonsillitis, rheumatic pain, arm pain; pain at the hips, neck, and joints of the arm, wrist, and elbow.

• TH 3: Ear disorders, poor hearing; migraine, general pain, and paralysis of the hand.

• TH 17: Ringing in the ears, deafness; facial paralysis, toothache, neuralgia in the lower jaw.

ROUTE: Starts at the outer corner of the eye, goes to the ear, outlines the ear three times, reaches the neck, crosses the clavicle, reaches the armpit, and zigzags down the side of the torso. Then it passes over the outer leg to the outer corner of the fourth toe.

SUITABLE FOR: Headache, deafness, muscle disorders, eye pain, intercostal neuralgia, hip pain, biliary colic, knee pain, liver problems; pain in the neck, shoulder, leg, knee, and ankle.

• GB 20: All kinds of headaches; problems of the eyes, ears, and nose; tense neck muscles and neck problems. Cold and flu, Parkinson’s disease, epilepsy, and facial paralysis.

• GB 30: Lower back pain, sciatica, pain in the hip region, weakness in the lower leg.

• GB 34: Cramps and spasms in the lower leg, ankle and knee pain, neck pain, sciatica and pain in the muscles of the hip. Overall, this point works as a muscle relaxant.

ROUTE: Starts at the toe, ascends the inner tibia, the inner thigh, and the abdomen, goes through the intercostal space where it ends.

SUITABLE FOR: Back pain, diarrhea, pain in the female genital area, urinary retention, anger, headaches, dizziness and facial spasms.

• LI 3: Calms down emotional problems, especially anger. Headaches and migraines, liver problems, hepatitis, irregular menses, and gallbladder problems.

• LI 5: Excess of libido, impotence in men. It is important for the external genitalia.

ROUTE: Starts at the end of the tail bone, goes up the spine to the neck, continues to the head then down the face to the upper gum.

ROUTE: Starts in the genital area (between the anus and genitals) and goes up along the midline to the chin.

• CV 3: Retention and dripping of urine, impotence, seminal discharge, irregular menstruation, and reproductive problems.

KYO AND JITSU ON THE MERIDIANS
MERIDIAN	KYO (DEFICIENCY)	JITSU (EXCESS)
Lung	Cough; chills.	Congestion and bad breath. Strong and painful cough; catarrh.
Large intestine	Pain in the shoulders and arms; heaviness; bloating.	Dry and chapped lips; noisy digestive tract.
Stomach	Lack of appetite; weak legs.	Gluttony; fever; pain on the outer legs.
Spleen	Craving for sweets; drowsiness. Gastritis; numbness in the legs.	Fickle appetite; heavy body. Desire to rest.
Heart	Depression; anxiety; inability to make decisions.	Chest pain.
Small intestine	Pain in the temples, neck, shoulder and arms.	Earache; ringing in the ears.
Bladder	Frequent urination. Back pain.	Pain in the legs and waist.
Kidney	Lack of sex drive. Impatience. Neck tension and cold feet.	Ringing in the ears. Dark urine.
Circulatory and sexual	Restless sleep or nightmares. Vertigo. Diarrhea.	Headache and stomach ache. Light sleep; fever.
Triple heater	Cold and weakness.	Hearing difficulty. Pain on the shoulders and ears.
Gallbladder	Low energy; heaviness when walking; chills. Bad breath.	Feeling of a full stomach. Heavy head.
Liver	Insecurity; slippage in the legs. Aggressiveness.	Wanting to cry, irritability, and workaholism.