Relaxation at your fingertips

Relaxation at Your Fingertips: 25 Pressure Points to Calm Your Mind and Body

In today's fast-paced world, stress and anxiety can easily build up and affect our overall well-being. Fortunately, there's a simple and effective way to promote relaxation and reduce tension: pressure points. By applying gentle pressure to specific points on the body, you can stimulate your vagus nerve, calm your mind, and soothe your body.

Here are the top 25 pressure points to relax using your hands:

## Face and Head

1. Third Eye Point (GV 24.5): Between the eyebrows, where the bridge of the nose meets the forehead.

2. *Hall of Impression Point (Yintang)*: At the center of the forehead, about 1-2 inches above the eyebrows.

3. *Temples*: On the sides of the head, just in front of the ears.

## Neck and Shoulders

4. *Carotid Sinus Point*: At the base of the neck, where the carotid artery divides into two branches.

5. *Sternocleidomastoid Point*: On the side of the neck, about halfway between the earlobe and the collarbone.

6. *GB 21 (Jianzhongshu)*: At the base of the neck, in the depression below the seventh cervical vertebra.

7. *Shoulder Points*: On the tops of the shoulders, about 1-2 inches out from the neck.

## Hands and Wrists

8. *LI 4 (Hegu)*: On the web between the thumb and index finger.

9. *Pericardium 6 Point*: On the wrist crease, about 1.5 inches below the crease, between the tendons.

10. *Heart 7 Point*: On the wrist crease, on the ulnar side (toward the little finger).

## Feet and Ankles

11. *Bubbling Spring Point (K1)*: On the sole of the foot, in the center of the ball of the foot.

12. *Kidney 1 Point*: On the sole of the foot, in the depression when the foot is flexed.

13. *Kidney 3 Point*: On the inner ankle bone, in the depression.

## Abdomen and Lower Back

14. *Conception Vessel 6 Point*: On the abdomen, about 1.5 inches below the belly button.

15. *Solar Plexus Point*: In the center of the abdomen, about 1-2 inches below the diaphragm.

16. *Stomach 25 Point*: On the abdomen, about 2-3 finger-widths lateral to the belly button.

## Additional Points

17. *Vagus Nerve Point on the Ear*: On the outer rim of the ear, about one-third of the way down from the top.

18. *Inner Wrist Point*: On the inner wrist, about 1.5 inches below the crease.

19. *Suboccipital Point*: At the base of the skull, in the hollow just below the occipital bone.

20. *Sacrum Points*: On the lower back, on either side of the spine, in the sacral area.

21. *Bladder 40 Point*: On the back of the knee, in the crease.

22. *Stomach 36 Point*: On the lower leg, about 3-4 finger-widths below the kneecap.

23. *Spleen 6 Point*: On the inner leg, about 4 finger-widths above the ankle bone.

24. *Liver 3 Point*: On the top of the foot, in the web between the big toe and second toe.

25. *Gallbladder 21 Point*: On the shoulder, at the highest point of the shoulder blade.

## How to Use These Pressure Points

1. Find a comfortable position, either sitting or lying down.

2. Use your fingertips or thumbs to apply gentle pressure to each point.

3. Hold each point for 1-3 minutes, breathing deeply and slowly.

4. Release the pressure slowly and move on to the next point.

## Benefits of Pressure Points

- Reduces stress and anxiety

- Promotes relaxation and calmness

- Improves sleep quality

- Relieves pain and tension

- Boosts mood and energy

By incorporating these pressure points into your daily routine, you can take control of your stress and anxiety and promote overall well-being.