Absolute Beginner's Guide to Alternative Medicine

Mind-Body Connections

In the pressure point tradition, the mind, body, spirit, and emotions are never sepa-

rated. Thus, the heart is not just a blood pump; the heart also influences your capac-

ity for joy, sense of purpose in life, and connectedness with others. The kidneys

filtrate fluids but they also manage your capacity for fear, will and motivation, and

faith in life. The lungs breathe in air and breathe out waste products, but they also

regulate your capacity to grieve, as well as acknowledgment of self and others. The

liver cleanses the body, and it influences one’s feeling of anger as well as that of

vision and creativity. The stomach has a part in digestion of food and influences

your ability to be thoughtful, kind, and nurturing as well. These are just a few of the

mind-body connections that pressure point practitioners recognize.

What Happens During a Pressure-Point Session

The initial consultation involves a holistic assessment, because no part of the self is

considered a neutral bystander when the body is in a state of imbalance. A detailed

medical history is an important part of the diagnostic process. Special attention is

paid to the connection between body, mind, emotions, and spirit.

If pressure point therapies are done within the context of Traditional Chinese

Medicine, palpation is the major diagnostic method. Reading the pulses provides a

remarkable amount of information about the person’s condition. Imbalances in the

160 ABSOLUTE BEGINNER’S GUIDE TOALTERNATIVE MEDICINE

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21

(^2019)
18
(^717)
6
7
1 2
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16
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FIGURE 12.3
Now hear this:
ear reflexology
points.