How to Perform Gua Sha

How to Perform Gua Sha



Learning to perform Gua Sha can promote normal blood circulation and metabolic activity in the body. Gua Sha is a healing technique of traditional Chinese medicine that involves stimulating the skin to rid the body of impurities. Practitioners also perform Gua Sha on a patient who has acute or chronic pain with symptoms of achy, tender or knotted muscles.









1


Apply normal pressure to the patient's skin using your fingertips. If your fingertips leave marks on the surface of the skin that fade away slowly, this reveals the need to have a practitioner perform Gua Sha.





2


Lubricate the area where you will perform Gua Sha. Peanut oil is traditionally used, but any lubricant that gives patients a feeling of peace will do.





3


Stroke the skin by applying pressure with a round-edged instrument. The instrument can be specially designed to perform Gua Sha, or something similar to a large ladle or soup spoon.





4


Perform Gua Sha with the instrument to see if you can create a small red area of raised petechiae, or small raised bumps, on the surface of the skin. This is known as Sha. If there are no petechiae on the skin's surface, then there is no blood stasis and the manipulated skin will simply turn pink.





5


Analyze the color of the petechiae to give a proper diagnosis of the Sha. Light colored Sha means a blood deficiency, purple or black Sha indicates blood stasis, brown Sha means dry blood and dark, red Sha indicates heat.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2189634_perform-gua-sha.html

How to Perform Easy Balance Exercises

How to Perform Easy Balance Exercises



Whether you realize it or not, balance is essential to all of your daily activities. However, balance works on a use it or lose it principle. As you get older, you tend to lose balance, which explains why older people often suffer hip fractures due to frequent falling. That said, it's not just older people who suffer from loss of balance. If you've ever sprained and ankle, you might find that you have limited balance on that foot. The good news is that balance exercise has become very popular. The bad news is that people will often attempt advanced balance exercises before developing basic balance skills. Since balance is directly related to core activation, it behooves you to learn to activate your core muscles prior to attempting balance exercises.







Things You'll Need:





Comfortable clothing







From a Standing Position




1


Activate your core. Take a deep breath. As you exhale, draw your navel to your spine. Hold your belly tight for ten seconds. Practice this ten times a day. This works your transverse abdominal muscle, which is your deeper abdominal muscle.





2


Activate you pelvic floor. These are the deep core muscles that support your pelvis. Imagine you are going to the bathroom trying to stop the urine flow. Perform ten repetitions. When you practice your balance exercises, you can use either use your pelvic floor or your transverse abdominal muscle to help you balance.





3


Stand up tall. Shift your weight back and forth from your heels to your toes, without actually lifting your heels or toes from the floor. This is called postural sway. It allows you to gauge how far you can let your weight shift in either direction, without losing balance.





4


Try the same exercise with your eyes closed.





5


Stand tall. Take a breath in. As you exhale, bend your right knee and lift your right foot from the floor. Draw your navel to your spine, and balance on your left leg. Hold for ten seconds, and then switch sides.





6


Try the same exercise with your eyes closed.





7


Open your eyes, and go back to the one-legged balance. This time, shift your weight from your heel to your toes, like you did in the two-legged balance warmup.





8


Perform the above exercise with your eyes closed.



Exercises on All Fours




1


Kneel on all fours.





2


Check your alignment. Shoulders should be relaxed and core muscles need to be engaged. Do not let your lower back sag.





3


Inhale to prepare.





4


Engage your pelvic floor as you exhale. Simultaneously lift your right leg so that it extends back behind you, and your left arm so that it reaches over head.





5


Repeat on the other side.








Tips & Warnings










When you get good at these exercises, try performing them on a balance board or a bosu.








Do not lean into either hip as you perform these exercises.








If you have knee problems, avoid performing the exercise on your hands and knees.



http://www.ehow.com/how_4448921_perform-easy-balance-exercises.html

How to Perform Ear Acupuncture

How to Perform Ear Acupuncture



Auricular therapy is a branch of acupuncture specifically related to the ear. It is based on Traditional Chinese Medicine and is used to treat a variety of conditions. Ear acupuncture is a holistic approach to medicine that attempts to treat the entire person with acupuncture points found on the ear.









1


Incorporate ear acupuncture with a regular acupuncture session in most cases. A few ear acupuncture points that are relevant to your condition may be selected.





2


Insert the needles into the acupuncture points corresponding to the affected body part and stimulate them manually. There are 130 acupuncture points on the ear that are generally arranged like an upside down body with the head represented on the lobe of the ear.





3


Use an electrical stimulation to treat the psychological aspects of addiction. Drugs, smoking and obesity may be treated by passing a high frequency electrical current through the acupuncture needle after it has been placed.





4


Stimulate the ear points for longer periods. Ear seeds come from the Vaccaria plant held in place for up to two weeks with adhesive tape. Ear tacks are tiny needles with an adhesive backing and may be held in place for up to one week.





5


Place small gold or silver balls over the acupuncture points with adhesive for patients who are apprehensive about needles. The patient can then stimulate them as required, although this is not as effective as the needles.








Tips & Warnings










As with any medical treatment, seek the expertise of a licensed professional.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2155278_perform-ear-acupuncture.html

How to Perform Breath of Fire Breathwork Exercise in Yoga

How to Perform Breath of Fire Breathwork Exercise in Yoga



The Breath of Fire (Kapalabhati) breath work (pranayama) is associated with Kundalini yoga. This rapid, rhythmic breathing exercise cleanses toxins and also energizes the body and mind. This breath work exercise can help you if you are feeling tired or unfocused and helps with clarity and concentration.







Things You'll Need:





Chair




or Yoga mat







Breath of Fire Exercise: Energizes and Cleanses




1


Sit on your yoga mat or chair. Place your right hand on your stomach. Take a few seconds to focus and center yourself.Inhale a deep breath through your nose. Feel your stomach relax and push outward as you inhale.





2


Exhale through your nose. Feel your stomach as it pushes inward as you exhale.





3


Inhale through your nose. As you exhale through your nose, pull the solar plexus (the spot above the navel) back toward the spine with a pumping action. The exhaled air should leave the nostrils with a forceful "sniffing" sound.





4


Relax the solar plexus and immediately inhale with a sniffing sound. Do not pause between the inhalation and exhalation. Practice one round of 15-20 repetitions.








Tips & Warnings










Do not pause between inhalations and exhalations. The inhalation and exhalation are equal lengths (2-3 times per second). The Breath of Fire is a rapid, dynamic breath work exercise.








This is a forceful, energetic breathing exercise and it takes time to adjust to the sniffing and pumping motions of the breath work. If you feel light headed, breathless or dizzy at any time, immediately stop the exercise, or take deep, relaxing breaths and then continue.








This is an advanced breath work exercise. If this breath work is too intense, practice 10-15 repetitions or less.








If you have any medical conditions, remember to consult a doctor before participating in this energetic breath work exercise. Pregnant women should not attempt this breath work exercise.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2304782_perform-breath-fire-breathwork-exercise.html

How to Perform Back and Neck Exercises for Neck Physical Therapy

How to Perform Back and Neck Exercises for Neck Physical Therapy



If you have suffered a neck or back injury, physical therapy exercises are an important part of your recovery; however, it is extremely important that you practice them correctly to prevent further injury. With a few simple tips, you can learn a simple exercise which will help to strengthen and heal your neck and back.









1


Use these physical therapy exercises when you begin to feel tense in the shoulders, upper back and lower neck. Maintaining your flexibility and range of motion is an essential part of your recovery and can also help to prevent injury in the future.





2


Cross your arms in front of your body, lifting the elbows slightly. Each hand should be placed on the opposite arm just above your bent elbows.





3


Round your shoulders forward as you lift up and push your elbows forward. Lower your chin to your chest as far as is comfortable. Do not move further than is comfortable, as these physical therapy exercises should not cause any pain whatsoever. If at any point you feel pain or discomfort, lift your head until the discomfort dissipates.





4


Breath in and out slowly and deeply as you hold the stretch. Feel how the deep inhale increases the stretch, and on the exhale, relax the muscles of your back, neck and shoulders, allowing your body to naturally fall deeper into the stretch.





5


Hold the stretch for a minimum of 30 seconds before lifting your head for a break. Lower into the stretch again, repeating the exercises at least 3 times each time, 2 or 3 times a day as needed for pain and tension relief.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2247502_perform-back-neck-exercises-neck.html

How to Perform an Upper Back Chiropractic Adjustment

How to Perform an Upper Back Chiropractic Adjustment



Quite often, stiffness, aches or spasms in the upper back, neck or shoulders could be the result of a misalignment of the spine in the upper, or thoracic, region of the back. You can relieve this pain by administering a chiropractic adjustment to the upper back. Following is one of the better methods used to adjust the upper back.









1


Relax any muscle tightness or spasms in the upper back by massaging, stretching or stimulating the area with electrical muscle stimulation. The upper back must be relaxed in order to correctly perform a chiropractic adjustment.





2


Stand at one side of the adjustment table. Have the patient sit up and cross his arms loosely over his chest and tuck his chin toward his chest.





3


Place one hand on the upper back at the spot where you will adjust the spine. Place your other hand on the patient's crossed arms. Instruct the patient to take a deep breath.





4


Bring the patient slowly back to a supine position. Have the patient exhale throughout the movement until he is lying flat and his breath has been fully exhaled.





5


Push straight down on the patient's crossed arms and up with the hand on his upper back until the adjustment is complete.





6


Recheck the patient to ensure the adjustment has been properly made and the body is reacting favorably.








Tips & Warnings










If this method does not work for a particular patient, try lying the patient on their stomach, place the palms of both hands on either side of the spine between the shoulder blades, and thrust downward as the patient exhales.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2216843_perform-upper-back-chiropractic-adjustment.html

How to Perform a Skin Patch Test with Essential Oils

How to Perform a Skin Patch Test with Essential Oils



Essential oils are used for various purposes, but they're not for everybody. Performing a skin patch test will reveal if you will have any adverse reactions to an oil. You only need to do a skin patch test if you will be using the essential oils on your skin. Research the essential oil before you use it to make sure that you don't have any health conditions that would be affected by the oil.







Things You'll Need:





Essential oil




Grapeseed or olive oil




Small container




Milk




Soap




Water









1


Pour a small amount of grapeseed or olive oil into a small container. You don't need more then 1/2 tsp., but it doesn't have to be exact. Then add 1 drop of essential oil and mix.





2


Dip one finger into the oil mix and rub onto the inside of you forearm. Repeat several times and rub the oil into the skin.





3


Leave the patch test area undisturbed. Wear a shirt with long sleeves or wrap a piece of gauze around the area to keep it undisturbed.





4


Pay attention over the next few hours to the patch test area. If you start to feel a burning sensation, itching or the skin gets red or the area becomes very warm, pour some milk over the area and then wash with soap and water. The fat in the milk will help remove the essential oil.





5


If you don't experience a reaction to the essential oil after a few hours, it should be safe to use.


http://www.ehow.com/how_2198504_skin-patch-test-essential-oils.html

How to Perform a Qi Gong Stress Reduction Visualization

How to Perform a Qi Gong Stress Reduction Visualization



Discover the anti-stress aspects of qi gong, an ancient and gentle form of meditation and movement that has been used for centuries in Chia to promote youthfulness and longevity.









1


Unlike traditional western exercise, qi gong visualization trains the energy of the body to invigorate internal organs to detoxify the body and promote less stress and greater health. This visualization is taken from my article on reducing stress and lowering blood pressure naturally.

Sit in a relaxed position, slightly off the edge of your chair with your back relaxed and slightly slumped.





2


Inhale slowly for a count of five. Exhale slowly for a count of five.





3


Remember to stay relaxed and breathe deeply and naturally. Exhale fully. Inhale fully.





4


Visualize a cool waterfall of energy: As you visualize this waterfall, imagine the serene water:

Flowing over your head and down the neck.

Soothing anger as it flows over the right side of your body through the liver and gallbladder (under the right rib cage).

Calming any sensation of anxiety as it flows over the left side of your body through the stomach and spleen (under the left rib cage).

Washing away any fear as the water flows down to the lower back and into the kidneys (in the lower back).

Cleansing and healing as it flows down the legs and out the feet, releasing all heat, all worry, all anxiety and all fears.





5


End the visualization with inhaling slowly for a count of five and exhaling for a count of five.





6


Place your hands on your lower abdomen with palms facing inward and rest for a few moments.








Tips & Warnings










Remember to keep your entire body relaxed not rigid throughout the visualization and breathe deeply.



http://www.ehow.com/how_2267574_qi-gong-stress-reduction-visualization.html