Chinese Self Massage

All Chinese healing methods make use of the internal energy called by the Chinese, Ch'i or Qi. To us it is plain old life force or energy which controls or internal wellbeing. More or less of this wonderful stuff and we become well or remain ill.

A gradual depletion of this Qi will see a robust young man slowly turn into a decrepit old man as his yang energy is taken away through simply becoming older. Most people will never know what it's like to be really healthy, in fact the normal outlook seems to be that we expect to buckle under to disease in our older years. Not so, the Chinese tell us. Even into very old age and when the external body is unable to move as fast as it used to, the internal organs should be still healthy and capable of giving one a rich and rewarding older life.

There are two ways that we are able to use Chinese healing methods. The first and least common is to make use of the Qi by having another person (usually a Chinese doctor) put some of this amazing substance (or rather non substance as we are talking about electrical energy) into us via the points of least electrical resistance called the acupuncture meridians. These tiny portholes of the body are places whereby the energy is able to penetrate and thus give our ailing system a needed hit of energy. Certain points pertain to particular organs and so the Doctor is able to use the right point for the right organ.

Manipulate various points

The second more common way is to simply manipulate the various points to cause more of our own life force to be routed along the correct meridian to heal the particular organ. We can either build up our own body's supply of Qi by using various exercise methods such as Qigong or T’ai chi or we can manipulate our own points to stimulate the Qi we already have.

From China we are given a precious pearl, something so simple that it is often overlooked. How many times have you bumped your leg or arm and immediately your palm is rubbing the affected area to wellness. Try not touching the area, it will remain sore for much longer. Upon this basis is the self-healing art of CHINESE SELF-MASSAGE based and the method is as follows.

Relax palms and imagine a flow is running

Firstly you must completely relax your palms and imagine that some sort of flow is running along your arms and out of your fingertips on each out breath. When you lift your arms to perform the massage, try and use only those muscles, which are absolutely necessary for that job of work. The shoulders should not rise.

The tongue should be placed gently onto the ridge just above the upper tooth line on the hard palate and the breathing should be regular, deep, not forced and through the nose. They eyes may be slightly closed and looking slightly downward. Sit in a lotus or half lotus position. If this is too difficult, just sit cross-legged on a soft surface with your back vertical and chin pulled in slightly. This finger should be touching at the thumb and longest finger and placed gently onto each knee.

After a short period of meditation, slowly take the palms and rub them together to cause some heat to be generated, about 10 seconds. Then place the index and middle fingers of each palm onto the forehead.

Meditation then head massage

Rub the fingers across the forehead in the same direction for about ten seconds, then take the palms back down to the knees in a circular motion and meditate again for about ten seconds, breathing deeply and gently. Next, rub the palms together again and place the same fingers over each eye and rub gently for 10 seconds, covering the whole eye socket. Take the palms back to the knees as before.

After the short meditation and the rubbing of the palms, take the fingers back up again and this time gently rub the ears.

The right fingers rub the left ear while the left fingers rub the right ear. Include just below the ear on the jaw line.

Take the fingers in the same position and after the usual meditation and rubbing together of the palms back up and gently rub the whole back of the neck and front up to the medulla.

Rub the palms and repeat this whole process to include the mouth, chin and cheekbones. To massage the head, we start by rubbing the palms together and then leaning forward as we press the fingers into the ground for about 3 seconds.

Now take the fingertips and tap the whole of the skull beginning at the centre and working the way out to the sides of the head. You should feel a slightly uncomfortable feeling as if the tapping is a little too hard.

Clack the jaw

For the teeth, we 'clack the jaw' 36 times. With the hands on your knees as before, open your mouth and clack your teeth together 36 times. You should hear the sound quite loudly. Even if you have false teeth perform this massage as it works upon all of the vital points around the jaw. It is also important for normal functioning of the bowel.

Begin by rubbing the palms and closing one of your palms into a light fist. Rub the whole of your arm with a firm pressure first on the outside of the arm and then on the inside or soft side.

Keeping the same fist and only after the meditation and rubbing, place both fists onto your chest and rub the whole of the chest area with a firm pressure.

Fists rub kidney area

With the same light fists take the fists around to the back and rub the whole kidney area with the same pressure but do not dig the knuckles into this area, as it is quite sensitive.

Take your palms back to your knees and repeat the meditation and rubbing. This time place the left palm onto your left knee and using the right thumb and forefinger, rub the 'dragon mouth point' or 'colon 4'. Just between the thumb and forefinger.

Hand Massage

Repeat this procedure for each of your fingers rubbing the whole of the finger area. Then complete each finger's rub by squeezing the tip of each finger horizontally and vertically just to the point of pain. Finish by rubbing the back of the same palm with the other lightly closed fist. Lightly punch the underside of the thighs and rub the tops with the closed fist. Work your way right down the whole leg. Rub each toe and squeeze each one as for the fingertips. Finish by taking each foot and gently shaking the whole foot. Keep the foot relaxed so that it will shake.

Press all over the sole of the foot with as much pressure that you are able to take and especially the point known as 'Kidney 1'.

Complete with breathing

To complete the self-massage, place each fist onto your chest and breathe in. As you gently throw each fist out to the sides bend forward at the waist as far as you are able to go and breathe out. Hold this posture for about ten seconds and as you breathe in, sit back up again and repeat.

Stand up and in a very relaxed manner, swing each arm in turn until the fist of the left palm strikes the top of the right shoulder activating the colon and gall bladder meridians around this spot. Repeat this using the other arm and shoulder. You should feel a sort of shock as the fist strikes the shoulder.

Self-massage is the beginning to good health and a large part of one's self help to self-healing.

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