Using Your Hands To Relieve Stress
Did you know that stress relief is in the palm of your hands or rather within your grasp? As the old saying goes “sometimes the answer is in your hands.” We have all heard of the various spa treatments that are aimed at relieving your stress. In fact many spas now offer 3, 5 and 7 day spa retreats designed to decrease your stress and improve your well being however I am here to tell you that you do not have to go to a spa or go on a spa retreat to relieve your stress, in fact you can do it everyday as often and needed and the best thing of all it is “free.”
I am so excited to share this with you because I know how much damage stress can do on the mind and body. When I work with a client, one of the first things that I do is an assessment on them. I take a look at every aspect that is important to my Ayurvedic assessment of the person. As part of my assessment I examine the hands. I look at the nails, the shape and width of the hand and I look at the fingers. I can tell a lot about a person’s wellbeing by doing this. The reason I share this with you is to help you to bring awareness to how fabulous your hands are, how much your hands say about you and your wellness status.
Because our hands are so important to us it only makes sense that we should be able to use them as healing tools for the body and the mind. By now almost everyone has heard of reflexology. Reflexology is a specialized foot massage focusing on various points on the foot that correlates to organs within the body and bodily functions. It is believed that when you massage certain points, that particular area of the body and be stimulated and if there is any blocked energy it is able to be released. If you have not had a reflexology treatment, I highly suggest that you do. Reflexology is not just a foot massage, it is so much more.
I mention reflexology as a way to let you know that it is not just for the feet alone. Giving yourself a hand reflexology treatment is a sensational way to relieve your stress and can be done just about anywhere. . In Ayurveda we believe that each finger represents one of the 5 elements as well as corresponds to a particular organ. For example, the thumb correlates to the element of ether and the brain. When the thumb is massaged it helps to balance the ether quality within the body and the brain. Below is a method that I use and share with my clients to help them stay joyful and calm.
The sequence outlined applies to each finger starting with the thumb. You can choose to do either the left hand first or right hand first, it does not matter. Just remember to follow the sequence for each finger on one hand before moving to the next hand.
1) Start at the thumb. Very slowly pin the tip of the thumb with gentle pressure.
Then pinch the side of the thumb with your finger tips.
2) Moving from the base to the tip, rub the tops and bottoms and then the sides of the thumb, using a vigorous back and forth motion.
3) Next grasp the digit at its base and tug firmly with your opposite thumb and index finger, then loosen your grip slightly and move along the length of the digit to the tip, then release.
4) Again using the thumb and the index finger of the opposite hand grasp the webbed between each digit. Tug gently for a couple of seconds, then release. Repeat for each finger.
5) Now rest whichever hand you are working on palm down and use your opposite thumb to massage the back of the hand. Start by leisurely manipulating the knuckles and work downward.
6) Turn your hand over and cradle your wrist inside and massage the inner wrist very gently with the opposite thumb.
7) Next massage the palm, starting at the base of the fingers and working downward.
8) Finish by pressing the opposite thumb deeply into the center of the palm of the hand that you are working on, holding the position for a few seconds. Let your hand hang by your side gently shaking it out and taking a few cleansing breaths before moving to the next hand.
9) Repeat the above steps for each finger and then for the opposite hand.
This little hand reflexology treatment will do wonders for your mind and your body. You will immediately feel a relief in your stress level and your hands will feel great.
Wishing you much health and wellness!
Namaste,
Rochél Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS
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