Avra's Way: Acupressure, Reflexology & Massage Therapy for women

09/28/2023

08/10/2023

I enjoyed another great week of teaching Daily Open Classes at Omega in July!

07/09/2023

I was so grateful to spend 2 weeks at Omega Holistic Institute teaching staff classes and Daily Open Tai Chi/ Qi Gong classes to the guests of Omega. What a wonderful experience💜☯️🌠

07/08/2023

This article explains the benefits of sighing. Qi Gong practitioners intentionally practice sighing. The ancient people naturally knew about the benefits :)

Research shows that intentional sighing can help the body and mind recalibrate, reducing stress and increasing feelings of control.

02/11/2023

4 acupressure points to try with your partner tonight

One of the most effective ways to show love for your partner is through touch. (This is Max, the writer by the way.)

I try to touch my wife as much as possible. It could be giving her a full-on back massage or even just running my fingers along her arm as we're about to fall asleep.

One big misconception is that touch always leads to hanky panky. That's simply not true. Touch is not just a precursor for getting down. It's for anyone who loves another and wants to connect to their partner!

When you touch your partner, you are connecting your Qi to theirs. Western science backs this up. According to WebMD, when you engage in touch, you release oxytocin, commonly known as the "love hormone." Touch also makes you feel good, lowers anxiety, and strengthens your emotional bond with your partner.

So, I asked our resident acupressure expert and Holden QiGong Teacher Training Liaison, Jenny Bertram, which points she recommends for infusing love into your partner through touch. She enthusiastically agreed to share and believes that touch is a vital key in maintaining loving partnerships.

So, here are Jenny's four acupressure points to try with your partner tonight. She included descriptions of the points with love in mind. She also tells you where you locate the point on the body. You can also Google the points for additional information and location images.

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Pericardium 6

Neiguan (Inner Frontier Gate) is the inner pass to our hearts. The spirit of its function is to balance and restore the heart and mind and empowers one to regulate the boundaries of the inner frontier of the heart. Stimulate P6 for a peaceful and harmonizing heartfelt journey of the inner world, allowing for that which will serve to enter and that what doesn't serve will be rejected and sent to where it is needed.

Location: On the inner wrist, two finger widths above the wrist crease between the two tendons on the inner forearm.

Stomach 25

Tianshu (Heavenly Pivot) empowers grace and skill by strengthening the relationship and love to the center. It brings balance and rhythm and allows for free fluid movement from the center. Stimulate this point to bring in celestial energy that is fresh and creative in addition to delicious nourishment that will ground the spirit so one can reach for the stars while staying planted on earth.

Location: Two finger-widths to the side of the belly button.

Spleen 4

Gongsun (Yellow Emperor) is the master point of the Chong meridian and can give a sense of royalty and richness. Stimulate this point for a sense of richness and certainty for a future bountiful harvest. The harvest to come is in motion. Many believe this point to be the most beautiful point of the body as the loving healer of the "land."

Location: Found on the inside of the arch of the foot, about halfway between the toes and the heel.

Du 20

Baihui (Hundred Meeting point), also known as Tian Man (Celestial Fullness.) Stimulating Du 20 activates the pineal gland and puts one in touch with the inner wisdom of the elders and spiritual resources, restoring unity and equanimity of the inner domain. This point clears the mind, calms the spirit, and lifts the chin.

Location: On the top of the head, directly between the ears.

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Have a wonderful time exploring and practicing these four points with your partner. I recommend doing it tonight while it's fresh in your mind… and being on the giving and receiving end if possible.

If you need any help locating the points, just reach out to our support team at support@holdenqigong.com.

Also, if you want to dive deeper and learn even more points with your partner, check out the self-guided Acupressure & Self-Massage Online Course: https://qigo.ng/acupressure-online-course-021323

Talk soon,

Max, Jenny, and The Holden QiGong Team
www.HoldenQiGong.com

02/05/2023

In Yoga Mat Companion Book 2: Anatomy for Hip Openers and Forward Bends, I mention an old Chinese proverb that says, “If you are unable to attain a goal, do not abandon the goal. Rather, change your strategy to reach it.” A specific example of this would be working to bring the knees closer to t...

02/02/2023

Treating the Earth January 31, 2023Digestion, Earth Element, Entry exit points, Nausea, Reflux, Seasons, Transitions, WorryEarth Element, grounding, nausea, Reflux, seasons, worryjohn@acupressure.com.au In Australia we are deep into Late Summer, season of mellow fruitfulness, when nature offers up i...

01/22/2023

Happy Chinese New Year of the Rabbit (starts January 22)!

Photo by Ken Cohen, Chinese New Year at Jasmine Seafood Restaurant, San Diego ©Kenneth S. Cohen Calendars, whether written or symbolized by solstice markers and stone circles, are probably as old as humanity. Although today we think of calendars as ways of remembering holidays and other important d...

01/16/2023

太極拳的五弓 Archery terms or images are common in the martial arts. As early as the Zhou Dynasty (1122-256 BCE) a superior person 君子 was expected to master the Six Arts: Ritual, Music, Mathematics, Calligraphy, Charioteering (or Equestrian Arts), and Archery. Confucius practiced archery. Lao Zi probably did as well.

In Taiji Quan, one of the postural principles is called “the Five Bows.” This is generally understood as the potential and spring power (like a drawn bow) of the two arms, two legs, and back. But the term is more complex and nuanced than first appears. For example, a well constructed bow must be made of a material (usually wood) that can withstand tremendous compressive force (the inside of the bow) and expansive force (the outside of the bow) without breaking. Thus, I believe that the Five Bows implies that all parts of the body have the potential to compress/store (yin) and expand/release (yang).

What about the back bow? Some practitioners have implied that the upper and lower spine should arc inwards like a bow: tailbone tucked, lower back rounded while the upper back is also arched forwards. This makes no sense to me and results in poor posture. Rather I believe that the martial artist makes skillful use of the two natural bows (the lumbar and dorsal curves), without trying to eliminate either.

Or it may be that the back bow refers to a slight rolling under of the hips that occurs naturally and effortlessly when the knees bend, and the chin is ever so slightly and invisibly lowered towards the chest to lengthen the cervical vertebrae and protect the neck during combat. This creates a feeling of springy power without adverse effects on posture.

Your view of the Five Bows? (Photo by Mikhail Nilov)

12/17/2022

Breathe Easy December 13, 2022Anger, BL 17, Breathing, Breathing difficulty, Diaphragmanger, armouring, Breathing, diaphragm, Emotionjohn@acupressure.com.au Bladder 17 Geshu Diaphragm Shu Focus on the breath is a cornerstone of meditation practices, martial arts, Tai Qi and Qigong. This points to th...

12/15/2022

During her lifetime, Mrs. Takata taught Reiki healing to thousands of people

On December 11, 1980, Reiki Master Hawayo Takata made her transition after a long and venerable life of service. Mrs. Takata was responsible for bringing the spiritual healing art of Reiki from Japan to the West, first in her her home of Hawai'i, and later to the mainland United States and Canada.

During her lifetime, Mrs. Takata taught Reiki healing to thousands of people, and initiated 22 Masters, including her granddaughter, Phyllis Furumoto, who carried her legacy forward.

One of the things Mrs. Takata admonished her students was: "Let Reiki teach you." It can be hard to trust the innate wisdom and guidance of something we cannot see. Our rational mind wants to make sense of it, categorize, and place it within a context we can understand.

But Reiki is more than just what we might define as a sacred energy. Certainly, this "God Power" as Mrs. Takata called it can always teach us a thing or two. However, as transmitted by Chujiro Hayashi and later brought to the West, Mrs. Takata gave us the gift of a spiritual practice that is simple, elegant, and deeply profound.

The practice of Reiki teaches us everything we need to know about being more loving, grateful people who show up for our lives with honesty and integrity. Our Reiki practice is what sustains us and restores wholeness to our body, mind, and heart.

Without Mrs. Takata's dedication, devotion, and vision, the healing art and practice of Reiki would not have spread throughout the world as it has in the 40+ years since her death. May her great bright light always continue to shine for eternity.

Arigato gozaimasu, Takata Sensei. I am forever grateful. 🙌🙏❤

12/05/2022

5 Reflexology Points for the Common Cold (The Original) Get instructions and pictures for 5 reflexology points to get over a cold fast–brought to you by the original creator of this routine. If you’ve got a cold, this quick 5-minute reflexology routine based on Traditional Chinese Medicine helps...

12/05/2022

Monday reminder. Soft is strong.

Drop a ☯️ if this messages resonates!

10/14/2022

Thinking of buying a ticket to Party in Pink and need a fun new option to change things up on the 19th?!
Check out Tai Chi Reset with Avra! This class will focus on gentle flowing movements to connect with and cultivate our internal energy. We will warm up with movements for breast health followed by a simple, short Tai Chi sequence as a moving meditation. We’ll go deeper and deeper into a relaxed state which will allow our bodies and minds to reset. We will finish by learning a few acupressure points for calmness and breast health.
Hope to see you there!

Breast Cancer in Numbers:
On average, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetime. And while breast cancer is the most common cancer among women worldwide, it’s actually the second leading cause of cancer death among women. In recent years, breast cancer rates have increased by 0.5% per year, according to the American Cancer Society.

Understanding the Risks:
Cancer can affect anyone at any age, but there are certain factors that increase the risk of a woman developing breast cancer. Increased risk factors include increasing rates with age, obesity, harmful use of alcohol and smoking, family history of breast cancer or any cancer, high-risk cancer BRCA genes, reproductive history and harmful exposure to radiation.

Get to Know Your Breasts:
Being breast cancer aware is so important when it comes to breast health. Turning your awareness into action by examining your breasts regularly will get you in tune with your body and breasts, and will also help you identify any changes that may seem out of your normal. Performing a self-breast exam at the same time every month is always a good idea, so make it routine, make it part of your self-care.

We hope our event next week can be a conversation starter, create more awareness and be something special that everyone can participate in to help find a cure! So, whether you’re signed up for class on the 19th or making donation, together, we hope to make a BIG impact.

Link in Bio for tickets!

09/20/2022

World Reflexology Week is now.