This self-massage program will help to increase the circulation of Qi energy throughout the body.  Daily application will improve overall health and help to prevent indigestion, insomnia, constipation, headaches, colds and flu.

Follow the sequence prescribed here for best results.  Pressure is applied in only one direction for all linear movements unless otherwise noted.  Repeat each motion 36 times to begin with while applying 81 repetitions to troublesome areas.

1) Eyes
Place the base joint of each thumb at the inner end of the eye brow and massage in one smooth circular motion moving outward following the upper edge of the orbital bone and then inward following the lower edge of the orbital bone to complete the circle. One revolution should take about two seconds.

2) Nose
Interlock the fingers of both hands with the thumbs touching at the tips and separated at the base. Clasp the hands in this position so that the base of each thumb is just above the root of the nose. Move the hands downward so that the nose gradually causes the thumb tips to separate and move apart. Continue the downward movement until the tips of the thumbs reach the tips of the nostrils. Then move upward, without pressure, to the original starting position. Each up and down motion should take about one second.

3) Ears
First, place the palms of the hands flat on the ears and massage in a counterclockwise circular motion. Only light pressure is needed here.  Second, place the hands so that they straddle the ears with the index finger behind the ear and the middle finger along the line formed by the anterior portion of the ear. Move downward toward the earlobe where the index and middle finger will almost touch before moving upward (without pressure) to the starting position. Each up and down motion should take about one second.

4) Wind Mansion
Use either hand and place three fingers as to cover the depression just below the occipital protuberance, with the middle finger in the center of the depression. Massage in a clockwise circular motion without leaving the point.

5) Wind Pool
Repeat the same procedure as for Wind Mansion but this time use the right hand on the right depression just lateral to the trapezius muscle and the left hand on left depression. The right hand circles clockwise and the left hand counterclockwise.

6) Neck
Next, place the two hands fingertip to fingertip behind the head and rub the line of the three wind points left and right 36 times. One time is defined as a left and right combination. The friction of this massage should be hard enough to warm the back of the neck but not cause skin pain. One back-and-forth motion should take about one second.

7) Abdomen
With the right hand massage the entire abdomen (from the bottom of the rib cage to the top of the pubic bone) in a clockwise direction.

8) Kidney Area

Place the backs of both hands on the lumbar area on either side of the spine.  Using the back of the hands and wrists, rub inward and downward toward the spine and then upward and outward.

9) Sacrum
Rub up and down over the Ba Liao region, applying pressure when rubbing so that hands remain in contact with the skin, but do not cause pain. Rub up and down about two hundred times until the skin feels hot.

10) Left Sole
Start with the palm of the right hand on the sole of the left foot and in a single motion, rub down to the heel and back over the balls of the foot. Equal pressure is applied to both strokes. Each back-and-forth motion should take about one to two seconds. Since there is little danger of irritating the skin on the soles of the feet, slightly more pressure can be applied here than at other places on the body.

11) Right Sole
Use the left palm to repeat the same procedure on the right sole.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Insomnia is becoming a major health problem in our modern society. And here in the Portland, the problem is particularly pervasive in the summer when daylight arrives as early as 5:00 A.M.

There are many possible reasons for insomnia. But in all these cases, the common factor is too much activity in the brain at night, during sleep time. In traditional acupuncture terms, the heat in the body is not grounded and is rising to the head at night. In western medical terms, there is an over stimulation of the sympathetic nerves leading to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system.

Japanese acupuncture and shiatsu work well together to balance and ground the body’s energy and often this is enough to restore a normal sleep pattern. But sometimes, a client will come to me after years of sleep disturbance and several other therapies. In cases like this, insomnia is usually more stubborn and in addition to acupuncture and shiatsu treatments, I will suggest diet and lifestyle changes and possibly herbal supplements for a brief period, to help correct the imbalance.

If you have difficulty getting a restful night’s sleep, here are a few home remedies that can be helpful.

1) Diet – For many people it’s important to avoid all stimulants, particularly after the noon meal. Aside from the obvious stimulants such as coffee, tea, chocolate and soft drinks, certain spices stimulate the nerves or create heat in the body, which can disturb our sleep. Try to avoid spicy foods or at least try to eat them in the middle of the day, so that by bedtime, their effect has diminished. In the evening, eat a lighter meal and avoid fried, broiled or greasy foods, alcohol, black pepper, cayenne, ginger, cloves and garlic. Also, try to keep salt to a minimum.

2) Supplements – People with insomnia often have a calcium and/or magnesium imbalance. First, I suggest magnesium citrate (200 mg in the morning and 200 mg before bed). If magnesium alone does not help after a few days, add 200 to 400 mg calcium at bedtime, either in the form of coral calcium or calcium citrate.

3) Exercise – Of all the self-help advice, nothing is more effective than daily exercise in order to balance the body’s energy, improve the circulation and assist in the elimination of toxins.  If you have a serious health condition, it is important to exercise carefully and not over do it.  Discuss exercise with your health care professional in order to design a program that is best suited for your particular body type and condition. But for sleep problems, avoid exercise after 6:00 P.M.

4) Hot Footbath – Soak the feet and ankles in a bucket or tub of hot water for 20 minutes before bed.

5) Foot Rubbing – Before bed, sit cross-legged, or in a chair, and stroke one foot at a time (with the opposite hand) lengthwise and with medium to strong pressure, at least 200 strokes.  Use two drops of sesame oil on each foot during this process.  Then put on some old socks and go to bed.

6) Avoid napping during the day, avoid eating after 7:00 P.M., avoid exercise after 6:00 P.M. and avoid hot baths. (Warm baths are fine but hot baths are counter productive)

7) Above all, if you can’t sleep for a few nights, don’t worry. No one ever died from insomnia. Even if you just lay quietly in a dark room for 6 to 8 hours, you are getting more rest than you might imagine. And the next day, you’ll probably function better than you think.

If you have tried these suggestions and still can’t sleep, a series of acupuncture and/or shiatsu treatments can be very helpful. Or consult with an Ayurvedic or Chinese herbalist.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805

Indirect Moxibustion

Although not well known in the west, the art of moxibustion plays an important role in traditional medicine of Japan. Moxibustion is a form of heat therapy in which the dried herb “mugwort” (artemisia vulgaris) is burned near the surface of the skin in order to stimulate specific acupuncture points and to trigger natural healing responses in the body. The use of moxibustion is at least as old as acupuncture, with records of the practice dating back many centuries B.C. In China and Japan, the word (or characters) for acupuncture actually includes the word for moxibustion, thus illustrating how closely linked are these two modalities.  According to the classical texts, moxibustion and acupuncture are complimentary, each one enhancing the effects of the other.

The mugwort plant grows wild here in the Northwest and is often seen as an ornamental plant in front yards. The herb is considered “Yang” in Chinese medicine and as such, it is both warming and moving.  When the dried leaves are ground and sifted, a fine wool is produced (commonly referred to as “moxa”) which can easily be rolled into various shapes for burning.  The most common shapes are cones and sticks.

In Japan, scientists have studied moxibustion under laboratory conditions and have found that the infrared radiation from burning moxibustion is almost exactly the same wavelength as the infrared radiation in the human body.  And, the warming qualities of the dried mugwort itself enhances the warming effects of the combustion.  The result is that the heat from moxibustion penetrates deeply into the body, giving both an immediate warming effect and a continuing warming effect, which lasts for several days after the treatment.

From a western medical perspective, we know that when we sustain a significant burn, all the biological systems of the body join together in a defensive response to protect the body from further damage and begin production of new blood and tissues.  Over two thousand years ago, the physician sages of China discovered that many of these profound healing reactions will occur even if the body sustains only a very small burn.

The very idea of burning the skin to produce a beneficial effect seems primitive and outrageous to most people in the West. But let’s put the concept into perspective. First, we are talking about a very mild burn, about as severe as a sunburn. Second, we are talking about very small areas of the skin, no larger than 2 – 4 millimeters in diameter. Japanese scientists have found that a small and mild burn from moxibustion, at specific points, can dramatically boost the body’s immunity and trigger a cascade of profound healing effects. These effects include a significant increase in white blood cell production, an increase in platelet count, a reduction in blood coagulation time, increased activity of the adrenal glands and many other biochemical reactions that assist the body in healing.

In traditional Asian medicine, moxibustion is indicated for any condition of pain, low energy or obstruction, where coldness or stagnation is a primary causative factor. Likewise, moxibustion is used for cases of blood deficiency or blood stagnation, since it is considered to move blood and stimulate blood production.

As an acupuncturist in Portland, I have found that moxibustion lifts the spirits and is very effective for many types of mild depression or fatigue. And for stiff or painful muscles and joints, acupuncture combined with moxibustion is one of the best treatments available.

Moxibustion is a powerful form of therapy which, when applied correctly, can stimulate the body’s own healing potential. If you are interested in the ancient medicine of Asia, you may want to receive a treatment in order to experience for yourself the wonderful healing effects of moxibustion. Moxibustion is also an effective and inexpensive home therapy, which is easy to learn from any licensed acupuncturist who has studied Japanese moxibustion therapy.

Thank you for visiting my blog. If you have questions about acupuncture and shiatsu, or if you have a specific health concern, please contact me at:

Bart Walton, L.Ac.
Licensed Acupuncture & Shiatsu
Portland, Oregon
503/939-5805