"A couple who can make love ecstatically together are likely to provide each other with peace and harmony in every way and hence their loving attraction for each other may increase and become a more permanent one." ~ Jolan Chang, The Tao of Love and Sex
Sexuality truly being a blessing from the Divine, this amazing work by Dr. Gach teaches how to bring our awareness of and communion with the sacred back into our intimate relationships.
Whether you are long-time partners looking for a way to deepen your connection and bring a greater level of consciousness and intimacy to your lovemaking, or just starting out on your sexual journey together, (or looking to cultivate your own sexuality), A for L can teach you how to care for each other (and for yourself) through instruction in the use of specific acupressure points and massage, breathing, meditation, stretching, holding and just being together with presence. (No prior knowledge of acupressure necessary!)
Dr. Gach, through the use of lots of photos, illustrations, exercises, quotes and detailed instructions, gives techniques for approaching all phases of lovemaking - before during and after - as well as for self-care, and common issues like infertility, impotence, premature ejaculation, pain and discomfort, and inhibition.
This book is a wonderful gift for your loved one or to yourself.
There are pet care care books, and then there are pet care books.
Four Paws, Five Directions, by Chery Schwartz, DVM, is a comprehensive guide to Chinese medicine for cats and dogs. I picked this book up in hopes of saving a small kitten from a fatal disease (unsuccessfully), but I continue to be impressed by the scope of the material covered.
All the basics of Chinese medical theory that you would find in a guide written for humans are here as they pertain to your fuzzy companions: the Chinese meridian system, five-element theory, herbology, and food therapy, as well as important acupressure points and massage techniques for a wide variety of conditions that befall cats and dogs.
Photographic (and often amusing) illustrations outline the meridians as they translate to an animal's body, and numerous case studies and examples assist the reader in viewing their animal's condition through the lens of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine).
From the cover: "... a surprising number of behavioral problems are actually physiological in origin. Instead of costly remedial training, a change in diet or the addition of acupressure of herbs to the animal's care may be the solution... Used as either an adjunct to Western medicine or on its own, Four Paws, Five Directions helps you being your animal friend's body into balance through a treatment-and-prevention approach that saves both of you from undue distress."
My own experience has also shown me that becoming involved in an animal's health in this way is empowering and has the added benefit of strengthening the bond between humans and the cats and dogs who love them.
It has been said that the origins of hands-on healing, including shiatsu, began when humans first instinctively soothed a headache by rubbing the forehead, or administered pressure to a place of pain or discomfort. We continue to do this, perhaps not knowing anything more technical than that we expect it will feel better. Even when we sense someone else is hurting, our first impulse is often to reach out and place our hands on them.
Shiatsu, at its heart, is no more than this healing touch overlaid onto a roadmap of lines of energy, intuited in ancient times to be powerfully accessible and efficient pathways to the body's self-healing mechanism.
The Self-Shiatsu Handbook, written by shiatsu instructor,Pamela Ferguson, gives understandable and effective techniques for relieving such common problems as headaches, insomnia, congestion, indigestion, back pain, 'the blues', and women's health issues.
Ferguson also offers suggestions for preventing injuries incurred while jogging, frequent flying, and regular computer usage. The last chapter gives advice for using simple shiatsu techniques on family members: children, elderly.. through birthing and dying.
At just 137 pages, this easily-digestible book will equip you with the basic tools with which to administer this ancient healing technique to yourself and your loved ones.
In yesterday's post, I talked a bit about the catch-22 cycle of pressure and overwhelm creating a posturing of contraction, which then leads to more perception and experience of pressure and overwhelm.
As our bodies adapt a 'curling-inward' type of form.. hunched shoulders, rounded back, stooped posture.. with the associated symptoms of tight neck, shoulders, and back (as well as restricted breathing, impaired digestion and headaches), our mental processes tend to reflect contraction as well. I mentioned yesterday that the yin (receptive) meridians which run along the front of our bodies are being pulled inward, almost protectively. Add stress and tension to the equation and you have chronic pain.
Let's take a closer look at those meridians.
If you're not familiar with the idea of meridians, here is a brief explanation. But suffice it to say, they are specific pathways believed to carry energy... each meridian being associated with a specific organ or organ function as the ancient Chinese understood them.
In the front upper body, the area that becomes the most pulled in and protected, are the Lung, Heart and Heart Governor meridians. These run from the area of the upper chest along the inside of the arms.
Functionally speaking, the Lungs are all about receptivity. They are our first interface with the external world from the moment we take our first breath, and the necessity of breathing makes us extremely and immediately vulnerable to our environment. (I've heard it said that smoking, which, through the introduction of heat, is yang-izing, and therefore means of feeling less yin: receptive and vulnerable).
The Heart, of course, is our center. Believed by the ancient Chinese to be the supreme organ, it is referred to as the Emperor, and represents our innermost core. The Heart Governor (or Heart Protector), which would be most closely associated with the pericardium, is given the title of Prime Minster, as it protects the heart, and governs which influences are allowed to come into the presence of the heart.
So, you can see our natural tendency, in the face of what we deal with on a daily basis, to adopt a stance of protectiveness, even unconsciously... and how many of our daily activities reinforce this posture. It is a good thing to be compassionate and appreciative to our bodies for what they do to serve our emotional needs, but important to recognize that the pain and suffering we experience as result is a signal of imbalance.
Some ideas for relief.
See the above photo? That is a beautiful illustration of those three meridians being brought out and stretched in the light of day.What does that picture say to you? To me it speaks of openness, expansion, and trust (one of the key emotional associations with the Lungs is trust), letting go, and yes, surrender. Just releasing yourself into this pose causes a deep inhalation, and is an affirmation of the above qualities.. a temporary release of control, and an acceptance and trust in the rightness of things, regardless of our momentary perspective.
A brief exercise you can do.
Begin in a standing position, arms at your sides, with your middle fingers and thumbs touching lightly. On the inhale, step your left foot forward, bringing your arms up gracefully overhead. On the exhale, release your arms, letting them swing at your sides, and replace your left foot to stand next to the right. On the next inhale, repeat this with your right foot. You can do this several times until you experience a sense of calm and relaxation. For a little more challenge, at the inhale you can give a little lift with back foot, like a dancer, as if you were going to leap off a cliff. This is a good visualization to accompany that, too. This might feel silly, but it is a very clear kinesthetic message to your body of your intention to trust in letting go.
Self massage.
I said that these yin meridians run down the inner side of the arms from the upper chest. Most of us feel our tension in our backs and neck, but this frontal area is where we get contracted. (See here for a post about this.) Applying deep pressure along these lines will help to get the energy flowing along these meridians and facilitate opening.
You can start at the points under the collarbone, closest to the midline of your chest. Apply circular motions with your index and middle fingers, working out toward you armpit. This area may feel surprisingly tender. The Lung meridian begins between your first and second ribs, three finger widths below the outer tip of the collarbone, in the pectoral muscle. It continues down the inner length of the arm to the thumb. Even simple massage at this point will invoke a sense of release.
The Heart Governor meridian can be traced from a point just outside of the nipple, over the armpit, and along the length of the inner arm to the tip of the middle finger.
And the Heart meridian begins in the armpit, along the inner arm, in line with the outer part of the hand to the tip of the pinky. A light tapping with a loose fist, and a firm grasping massage down the length of the arm will stimulate these meridians.
(By the way, firm pressure with the thumb in the center of the opposite palm - Heart Governor 8 - brings relief from anxiety.)
Play with these techniques for a bit, and tomorrow I'll show you some ways to relieve tension on the yang side.
....In which we begin to explore methods to relieve the physical experience and pressure, and shift our posturing in relation to the world and what it is offering us... sound like fun?
Beginning with my own experience of feeling "pressured", which I can only describe as feeling like a part of myself is running ahead, and getting away from me. I'll start off the day feeling centered and energized, and once the momentum gets going, if at any point, my thoughts turn to all of the other things I still have in mind to accomplish... whoosh!... I feel almost an immediate sense of panic and anxiety, especially in my chest, accompanied by either paralysis, sinking mood or irritability. So, in this scenario, it's really a need for grounding and a reining in of my energetic body into myself.
** So, the first thing I would do is to just stop for a minute. And breathe. Not deeply, just gently and intentionally. Maybe even spend a few moments in Mountain Pose.
** I would then get a sense of my feet on the floor, maybe even go outside for a minute, barefoot if the weather allows, and reconnect with the earth.
** In these few moments, I might ask myself 'what is the reality of the sense of urgency I feel?' What is really important to accomplish on this day, and what can I just allow to flow or wait.
** A good grounding pressure point is Spleen 6, located three finger widths above the inside ankle bones, and just along the shin bone. Pressing into this spot or massaging it, as well as just general massage around the ankle and the feet, will bring some of that upward moving energy which leads to irritability, downward into the feet.(Pressure on Spleen 6 is also good for relieving menstrual cramps, but should be AVOIDED in pregnancy).
(Interestingly, one of the characteristics of an imbalance in the Earth element, of which the Spleen meridian belongs to, is pensiveness, or too much thinking...)
** Another efficacious point for sending energy downward, and relieving headaches from too much thinking, is the Hoku point, or Large Intestine 4. This point is located on the fleshy mound between the forefinger and the thumb. This point also should be avoided during pregnancy.
** Next, to further nurture the earth element and a sense of expansiveness, would be to have a small snack or meal with a sweet taste. Sugarr is most definitely expansive, and great to relieve mental contraction after a lot of cerebral activity (can't you just feel it in the front of your head?), but refined sugar can be too extreme, and I find that it really exacerbates that breathless, tight chest feeling. But something whole and higher in carbs is good for grounding, like an organic PB & J. (I also like almond or cashew butter...!)
Ttomorrow, I will give some tips to deal with the sense of feeling boxed in and contracted. Stay tuned!!
Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 07:22PM 
Click to buy from Amazon!Acupressure for Lovers: Secrets of Touch for Increasing Intimacy, by Michael Reed Gach, Ph.D. is simply a beautiful book.
