(Only English version available)
Picture above: points according to acupuncture
1. Bladder 1
2. Bladder 2
3. Yuyao
4. Triple Heater 23
5. Taiyang
6. Stomach 2
This time I would like to share with you a little DIY (do it yourself) shiatsu massage. The nice thing about it is that you can do it yourself anywhere, anytime! When you work, study, while waiting, or simply when you are by yourself.
It’s a shiatsu massage for your eyes. Through your eyes a lot of information is brought in about the world around you. The brain tries to process all this information, so you can move through your world. It takes a lot of eye movement to scan through your environment, see things and interpret what you are seeing. It is a workout for your eyes (and brain)!
Try riding a bike through the center of Amsterdam during rush hour…
Also we take in a lót of information via the screens of our phones, computers, etc. Plus, looking at screens for a long time is tiring for the eyes. When the eyes are tired it will affect the body too and you’ll start feeling overall tired. The same applies when you read or write a lot.
Therefore, I’d like to share with you this first aid eye shiatsu massage to relieve any eye fatigue. A little reset for the eyes!
The more relaxed your eyes are, the less your brain has to process things like the fatigue signals from strained and fatigued eyes. Doing this little shiatsu massage just before going to bed, may help you fall asleep easier. Give it a try!
Okay let’s get started…!
The 8 steps to take
Try to work with relaxed hands. That way you can penetrate deeper into the body and you feel better what is going on.
If your skin feels very dry, you might like to use a bit of oil or cream
1.
It’s best to work with warm hands. To warm your hands you can rub the palms of your hands together. You can also massage the outside of your hands, and fingers. Or simply hold a cup of tea for a minute or so to warm up your hands.
2. Cover your eyes with the palms of your (warm) hands and let the warmth ‘flow’ into your eyes, into your body. If you still see light while your eyes are covered (flashes, shapes, colors etc.), keep the eyes covered until your sight is completely black. This way the eyes get a break from taking in the environment. Keep your eyes covered for at least a minute or as long as you like. After opening the eyes, do you feel any different?
3. Rub down your entire face with the whole inside of your hands, like you are washing your face. You can do this quite vigorously. Don’t forget to massage around the ears. You can include your head and neck if you like.
>This is not specifically for the eyes, but to wake up the whole face, head, neck.
4.
Put your fingers on the upper lids of your eyes (onto the eye bone). Don’t press with your fingers, but bring your face to your fingers.
5.Take your eyebrows between your thumb and index finger and massage with both hands at the same time from the inside of your eyebrows towards the outside. You can try different ways of massage; for instance your thumbs being more dynamic or the other way around (your index finger being more dynamic). You can do circular motion with your fingers or pinching or… do whatever feels good to you!
6. Slide with your thumbs or fingers from the inside to the outside of the eyebrows while giving pressure at the same time.
7.
Now put your fingers on the eye bone below your eyes. Give pressure if you were pulling your wrists down. If you feel like one of the spots needs more pressure or attention, just do so.
8. Slide with your fingers below your eyes from the inside to the outside of your eyebrows while giving pressure at the same time.
And you are done! How do you feel?
There are many varieties possible. You can make your own variation if you like. Above is an example. You could also add some eye gymnastics to the DIY eye shiatsu massage (YouTube ‘eye gymnastics’ and you will find many examples). The purpose is that you start feeling more refreshed.
Experiment and enjoy:-)
Resources:
– Meridian Exercises, The Oriental Way to Health and Vitality – written by Shizuto Masunaga and translated by Stephen Brown
– Kum Nye, Tibetaanse yoga – Tarthang Tulku
– Diverse
