In Eastern Medical theory, there are channels often
referred to as meridians that move energy or Chi through the body.
When
the
Chi is flowing freely through the body, we are healthy. It is
when Chi slows down or flows poorly, the potential exists for
disease to develop. (Please realize this is an overly simplified
explanation.)
From this Eastern perspective, the disease process
can be disrupted before disease actually manifests in the body.
This is a very different idea than the ideas with which many
of us were raised.
According to eastern theory, we can learn to help keep our own
meridians moving and flowing. We can do this through movement
exercises and we can also do it through
massaging or holding certain spots on our bodies along these channels/meridians
where
the energy/chi flows. Imagine that we can give ourselves energy “tune
ups” and keep chi moving though our breasts and chest area!
You may have to feel around to find the spots. No two bodies are
exactly alike. The trick to finding them is that they are sore
or tender. Once you locate them, you don’t have to rub hard
and hurt yourself. It is better to massage them gently. If they
are sore, rub them gently for a few minutes every day for a week.
At first, try finding and massaging the points on only one side
to see how different it feels after these points are stimulated.
Look at the diagram below and notice how many points run through
the chest. Try to find these points on your own body. They may
be sore! Start along the breast bone in between each rib. Go from
the top of the breast bone, near the collarbone all the way down
between your breasts (1 – 5). Poke around to find tender
spots. Massage them gently or simply hold them for fifteen seconds.
Then, move all the way down to the bottom of the
breast. See how there is one point in each corner of the breast
and a point
right underneath the nipple at the bottom of the breast (6-8).
Feel around to find those points. Are they sore? If you have
trouble finding the one in the middle (7), try moving just a
bit under the breast, there may be a ridge underneath the breast.
Try feeling just above that ridge.
On the outside of the breast, under the arm there
is another spot (9). To find it put your thumb on the edge of the
breast
tissue, directly across from the nipple. In the upper outer
quadrant of the chest, there are two points (10 –11).
If you have tight shoulders, those points are probably sore.
Try stimulating these points on a regular basis. Some people like
to do this in the shower and combine these points with lymphatic
breast massage. You will notice that there are more points on the
diagram than the ones we recommend. Feel free to try more points,
some of them may be helpful to you.
There is a magic point in the very middle of your chest, on the
breast bone. It would be directly across from the nipple (or where
my nipples were…when I was eighteen!) Hold that point, take
a deep breathe and feel your heart open. Breathe love into your
heart and breathe love out into the world. Do this as often as
you like, overdosing on this point is more fun than sniffing glue
and much less toxic!
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