The Acupressure Centre

03/04/2026

AUTUMN FOOD

How about a warm, spicy chai latte to warm you up on these cool autumn mornings? Pungent foods that are bursting with aromatic flavour are supportive of the Metal Element and its organs of Lung and Large Intestine, especially at this time of year.
For more, see my fifth and final blog in the series Five Element Foods. https://www.acupressure.com.au/wprss/
If you've missed any of the previous posts, scroll down and hit the back key.
Enjoy!

27/11/2025

BEGIN YOUR FIVE ELEMENT ACUPRESSURE JOURNEY IN 2026

Opportunities in three states to enter the program.

For more details go to:
https://acupressure.com.au/training-seminars/practitioners-courses/level-1/

07/08/2025

FIRST DAY OF SPRING

Today is the first day of spring in the Chinese almanac. It marks the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. For the next 6 weeks, Wood energy will be very palpable and available to fuel new plans and projects. Time to get started on those things you've been putting off.

Interestingly, the date 8/8 is a significant one for Chinese people who regard 8 as an auspicious number for prosperity. So here is a photo of my Chinese money plant.

23/06/2025

WINTER FOOD

In my latest blogpost I look at foods that support us in the cold months of winter. I list the foods that are warming, and those that provide the salty flavour and blue/black colour. These foods nourish the Kidneys which are the energy engines of the body from a Chinese medicine perspective.
Read it here:
https://www.acupressure.com.au/wprss/

And coming soon to the blog, a tasty recipe for my Five Flavour Soup.

28/05/2025

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF EATING

A new blog kicks off a series about using Five Element principles to inform cooking and eating choices. Over the coming year I will be exploring ways we can use foods as medicine, paying attention to foods that support us in the current season. I will be drawing on the Huang Di Nei Jing, a classic of Chinese medicine that offers a cornucopia of information on food and nutrition. There will also be recipes for each season.
Check out this introductory article here:

The Five Elements of Eating May 29, 2025Digestion, Five Flavours, Food, Nei Jing, Tastedigestion, five flavours, food, Nei Jing, tastejohn@acupressure.com.au As a child I learned the importance of good food from my parents. While we didn’t have spare cash for holidays, flash clothes, or even schoo...

09/12/2024

START YOUR ACUPRESSURE JOURNEY IN 2025

The 4-day FiveElement Acupressure Level 1 course will be offered in Melbourne, Sydney, Adelaide and Perth in 2025, so it's a great time to begin your journey with this powerful healing modality.
Check out details https://acupressure.com.au/training-seminars/practitioners-courses/level-1/

23/10/2024

The Five Element Acupressure program begins a new cycle in April 2025 with the Level 1 Foundation course. Even after this first 4-day course, you will be able to integrate this powerful modality into your treatments. Levels 2 and 3 and two other seminars can take you to a high level of understanding and competence. Non-bodyworkers are welcome. Make this the start of your healing-practitioner path.

DATES: April 26, 27, May 3, 4, 2025
TIMES: 9 am - 5 pm
VENUE: Lifeflow Meditation Centre, Frewville
COST: $1025 or $925 Earlybird
PRESENTER: John Kirkwood
CPEs available
Questions? john@acupressure.com.au
For details of content and to register:
https://acupressure.com.au/.../practitioners.../level-1/

18/10/2024

THE EFFECTS OF WIND IN SPRINGTIME

Wind is considered to be an external pathogen which can invade the body through the skin. Symptoms include headache, neck and shoulder pain and stiffness, cough, runny nose, sneezing and fever. My latest blog on Wind discusses these and other effects and looks at some acupoints that can clear wind from the body.

WIND October 18, 2024Agitation, Arm pain, Ear problems, Eye problems, Headache, Jaw, Neck pain, Shoulder pain, Throat, Wind invasionheadache, Neck pain, shoulder pain, Wind invasion, Wood Elementjohn@acupressure.com.au The other morning, I was woken at 5 am by a strong gusting wind swirling round th...

14/10/2024

TURKISH FIVE ELEMENTS
I recently received an email from a reader in Turkey who has read The Way of the Five Seasons in its Turkish edition. What a delight! Nil is a yoga teacher and is adding a segment to each of her classes to explore the Element of the season.
Thank you Nil for sharing the work.

You can have your copy for only 399 Turkish lira!

Fiziksel, Duygusal ve Manevi Uyum İçin Beş Element'le Yaşamak!

05/02/2024

A Seasonal Life

The beginning of autumn in Australia has me reflecting on aspects of the Metal Element, of breath, of meaning and spirit. In this latest blog, I look at the rhythm of the seasons of the year, and find therein some greater truths.

A Seasonal Life February 5, 2024Breathing, Cross Quarter Days, Equinox, Five Elements, Seasons, SolsticeAutumn, Ego, seasons, True Naturejohn@acupressure.com.au Yesterday, February 4th, marked the beginning of autumn in the southern hemisphere. “What?” I hear you protest, “yesterday was practi...

20/10/2023

The Three Gates of Qimen

Here is a link to the blog I've just published on the various locations of Liver 14. It may be a bit obscure for many, but I hope some of you find something of value. I certainly had fun doing the research for it.

The Three Gates of Qimen October 20, 2023Anger, Depression, Entry exit points, LV 14, Neck pain, Planning, Point Location, Psycho-emotional, Visionanger, depression, LV 14, Wood Element, Worsleyjohn@acupressure.com.au In 1988 I travelled to southern California to study Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupres...

31/07/2023

BRRR...

Feeling the cold this winter? My latest blog post looks at an important warming point in the lower back and other points that combine with it for an off-the-shelf treatment.

How Cold is Cold? July 31, 2023Cold, GV 4, Kidney, Low back pain, Water ElementCold, GV 4, Kidney Qi, Water Elementjohn@acupressure.com.au It has seemed a colder winter than usual in the Adelaide Hills. So it was a surprise when I looked at past records for July and discovered that the mean temperat...