Boost Your Brainpower With Acupressure During Your Workday

Sitting at your desk flagging … or feeling overwhelmed? Here is a great little acupressure routine that you can do for yourself as an effective brain-hack to get your focus back on-point and keep your creativity flowing.

Acupressure points are based on the ones used in acupuncture, an ancient healing technique that originated thousands of years ago and still widely used today. These points and their associations are recognised by the World Health Organisation [1].

You can enjoy this routine any time of day… Spend about 2 minutes on each point (you can do right and left simultaneously for those that are on either side of the body).

• DU 20: ONE HUNDRED MEETING POINT – For Mental Clarity [point 1]

Locate: This point can be found by locating the vertex of the head, tracing up from the back of the tops of the ears and finding the midpoint, where you will find a very slight indentation. You may have to move back a little to find the hollow as everyone’s ear placement varies. Use your middle finger on the spot, making mini circular movements.

Benefits: Clears the mind, refreshes the senses, harnesses focus and aids concentration.

• SI SHEN CONG: FOUR ALERT SPIRIT – For Mental Alertness [point 2]

Locate: These are a group of four acupressure points located on top of the head, called “Extraordinary Points.” about 3cm in front, behind and either side of the midpoint DU20. You can group your fingertips to stimulate the whole area at the same time.

Benefits: These are strong, stimulating points to help to calm the mind, collect your thoughts, and give you better mental acuity.

[The middle point is point no 1. and the surrounding  4 points are collectively no 2.]

• GB 14: YANG WHITE – Good For Recall [point 3]

Locate: Find the middle of your eyebrows on each side with your fingertips and slide upwards about 1-2 cm. Just press and make tiny circular motions.

Benefits: Assists recall, focus, creativity, and brightens the eyes if you’re suffering from eye strain. Doing this gentle exercise may help coax the information from your mind that you are looking for.

• TAI YANG: GREAT SUN  – For Clearer Thinking [point 4]

Locate: This point is located at the depression of the temples, about 1 cm away from where the eyebrows end. Apply light pressure with fingertips.

Benefits: A great remedy for when you feel overwhelmed, drained and are struggling to think clearly. It can also help alleviate headaches.

• THIRD EYE POINT – YIN TANG – Memory Booster [point 5]

Locate: It is located between the brows where the bridge of your nose meets your forehead. Press and hold or use small circular movements.

Benefits: Sharpens your mind and boosts your memory. Especially good for when you’re feeling detached and need to bring your awareness back to the present moment. Enhances creativity and imagination.

• DU 26: MIDDLE OF PERSON  – Mental Energy Boost [point 6]

Locate: In the vertical groove between the bottom of your nose and upper lip. You can press and tap the area with moderate force using your index or middle fingertip.

Benefits: Helps to energise your mind and feel centred and focused. Can also ease tension in the lumbar spine due to sitting for long periods.

• BL 10: HEAVENLY PILLAR – Tension Relief [point 7]

Locate: This pressure point is situated approximately 4 cm below the skull base and 1-2 cm away from the spine on both sides, on the ropy muscles.

Benefits: A great stress-relieving point, releasing tension held in the neck helping to allow greater circulation to the brain, clearing the heaviness in your head and help you focus on your work.

• GB20: GATES OF CONSCIOUSNESS – Stress Buster [point 8]

Locate: Below the base of the skull, in the hollows on both sides of the head.

Benefits: Another great release point for stress, neck strain, and headaches. Stimulating this point also increases circulation to your brain, lowering stress levels and thereby improving your cognitive ability.

BONUS POINT:

If you’re feeling off-balance and a little tight in the chest, this Master Yu point can help you feel more grounded, centred and calm…

K27: Shu Mansion – For Reconnection

Locate: Place your fingertips below your collarbone on both sides, just a few centimetres out from the midline of the body and feeling for an indentation. It will likely be quite tender to the touch and you will feel your chest and throat relax as you gently massage this point.

Benefits: Opens and relaxes the chest, good for fatigue, exhaustion and for that ‘disconnected’ feeling many people experience during stressful times. This point helps the release of endorphins, making you feel more relaxed and at peace. On a more traditional level, it is thought to help you reconnect your mind and spirit through tonifying your ‘chi’.

How To Get The Most From This Regime: 

Take your eyes of your screen, sit quietly and give yourself a few minutes to do these points for yourself. Slow, deep breathing, in and out through the nose will calm your nervous system and increase your receptivity to the acupressure.

Acupressure is an empowering tool for you to use in your workday, or even on your days off to keep you feeling fresh and motivated. This routine can be done every day, and the more you do it the more responsive to the points you will become. Always use comfortable, bearable pressure… and enjoy the benefits of this wonderful ancient wisdom in your everyday.

REFERENCE:

1. Sabina Lim. WHO Standard Acupuncture Point Locations. J Evid Based Complement Alternat Med; 2010. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2862941/