acupoint Archives - Mend Acupuncture

Clear Heat With LI 11
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Clear Heat With LI 11

acupoint, Acupressure

Clear Heat With LI 11

By Alexandra|2023-08-23T14:50:23-04:00August 23rd, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure|Tags: damp, Heat, Late Summer, LI11|

Here we are. In the absolute depths of summer heat. The season when yang reaches its pinnacle, affecting our bodies and minds in a variety of ways. Large Intestine 11 (or Li11) is one of the most powerful points for clearing any type of heat. Even its name is cooling, Qu Chi, which means "Pool At The Bend," because the point is located at the bend of the elbow. One thing that I love the most about acupuncture points is that some of the most commonly used points have such a wide gamut of indications, and Li11 is certainly [...]

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7 Acupoints for Mental Balancing
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7 Acupoints for Mental Balancing

acupoint, Mood

7 Acupoints for Mental Balancing

By Jaime Kauffman|2023-05-23T12:42:07-04:00May 23rd, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Mood|Tags: acupoints, mental health, Mental Health Awareness Month, mind-body, TCM|

Acupuncture has been used for centuries to promote physical and mental well-being. While this complementary treatment should not replace working with a professional mental healthcare worker, there are specific acupoints believed to have positive effects on mental wellness. These acupoints, when stimulated, are thought to help calm the mind, reduce stress, alleviate anxiety, promote emotional balance, and enhance cognitive function. Yintang (M-HN-3) Located between the eyebrows, in the center of the forehead, Yintang is often referred to as the "third eye" point. It is believed to calm the mind, relieve stress, and promote clarity [...]

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The Spring Season: An Overview
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The Spring Season: An Overview

acupoint, Mood, Organ, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care

The Spring Season: An Overview

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-03-09T16:58:47-05:00March 1st, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Organ, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care|Tags: anger, gallbladder, liver, spring, tips, Wood|

Photo by Ulises León Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) places great emphasis on the concept of balance and harmony between the body and the environment. In TCM theory, each season is associated with different elements, organs, emotions, and health concerns. Spring, considered a time of renewal and growth, is associated with the Wood element, the Liver and Gallbladder organs and the emotion of anger. Issues that tend to pop up in the springtime include irritability, migraines, colds, sinus issues, worsened PMS symptoms, tendonitis flare-ups, and insomnia. Element of Spring: Wood During the spring season, our environment is buzzing and brimming [...]

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Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium
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Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium

acupoint, Mood, Organ

Our Heart’s Protector: The Pericardium

By JaimeRoslyn|2023-02-09T08:28:13-05:00February 9th, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Organ|Tags: emotion, fear, Heart Protector, PC 6, Pericardium, TCM, Valentine's Day, winter|

We're less than a week from Valentine's Day, with all focus it's focus on the ❤️/heart. However, an organ that deserves some major props around this time of year is the Pericardium. Physically, the Pericardium is a double-layered sac of fibrous tissue that surrounds the heart. Spaces between the layers are filled with fluid, which lubricates as well as protects the Heart from external shock or trauma. Of course, in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the idea of protecting the Heart goes much deeper. A Bit About Zàng-fǔ One of the most central tenets of TCM is zàng-fǔ. Within this concept, [...]

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Zhi: The Energy of Will, Purpose and Destiny
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Zhi: The Energy of Will, Purpose and Destiny

acupoint, Seasonal Changes, Wellness

Zhi: The Energy of Will, Purpose and Destiny

By JaimeRoslyn|2024-01-09T10:51:09-05:00January 3rd, 2023|Categories: acupoint, Seasonal Changes, Wellness|Tags: acupoint, bladder 52, destiny, kindeys, water, will, winter, zhi|

The spirit of the Water Element is zhi (pronounced zhur). This is one’s will, ambition, purpose, and destiny – a force that moves a person towards their destiny without much conscious thought or effort. In this blog, learn more about zhi and ways in which you can cultivate this powerful energy. Additionally, zhi is thought to be the innate power of life itself – life that wants to live and survive. Zhi is housed in The Kidneys. Therefore, a person with strong Kidney strength has strong zhi, i.e. a drive to be alive; a person with less Kidney strength may [...]

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Stomach 36: Point of Endurance
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Stomach 36: Point of Endurance

acupoint

Stomach 36: Point of Endurance

By JaimeRoslyn|2022-11-16T15:56:17-05:00November 16th, 2022|Categories: acupoint|Tags: acupoint, digestion, endurance, stomach 36, strength|

One of the points we often use in the treatment room is Stomach 36 (ST36, Zu San Li, “Leg Three Mile”). Commonly used for gastrointestinal discomfort, nausea and vomiting, stress and fatigue, ST36 is located four finger widths down from the bottom of your knee cap, along the outer boundary of your shin bone. If you are in the right place, a muscle should pop out as you move your foot up and down. Although this point has a strong association with digestion, in traditional Chinese literature and practice, ST36 is frequently stimulated for [...]

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Summer Acupoint Highlight : Heart 8
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Summer Acupoint Highlight : Heart 8

acupoint, Acupressure, Seasonal Changes

Summer Acupoint Highlight : Heart 8

By Alexandra McElwee|2022-11-15T14:04:43-05:00July 6th, 2022|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Seasonal Changes|Tags: acupoint, acupressure, heart, Heart 8, Heat, summer|

Heart 8 is a perfect summer point because it is used for Heart heat. The season of summer is associated with the element of fire, and the element of fire is connected to the Heart. In Chinese Medicine, the Heart is emotionally associated with the Mind + Spirit (also known as Shen). Heart heat and the indications for using Heart 8 often show up as: Mental restlessness High anxiety Agitation Feeling manic Nightmares or vivid dreams Insomnia Combined with symptoms like: Palpitations Feeling overheated or aversion to the heat Chest pain Thirst Any of those babies sound familiar? Fear [...]

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Du20: To Raise Yang in the Yin of Winter
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Du20: To Raise Yang in the Yin of Winter

acupoint, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness

Du20: To Raise Yang in the Yin of Winter

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:17-05:00January 11th, 2022|Categories: acupoint, Seasonal Changes, Self-Care, Wellness|Tags: acupoint, du20, winter|

It seems important to start out by saying that there’s definitely something to leaning into the Yin of winter. That might look like letting ourselves feel less energetic and motivated, perhaps feeling inward and wanting to spend more time alone. Chinese Medicine is all about living in harmony with the seasons. That being said, in order for balance to exist, Yin cannot exist without Yang. This acupoint is just one tool to help balance the Yin of winter with a little bit of Yang. What is Yang? It’s the opposite of Yin. It is warmth, it is light, it [...]

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Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer
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Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer

acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness

Drain Yo Dampness: Spleen 9 for Late Summer

By Alexandra|2022-11-15T14:05:35-05:00August 16th, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Acupressure, Self-Care, Take Home TCM, Wellness|Tags: acupoint, acupressure, dampness, sp 9, spleen 9|

The season of late summer is associated with the Spleen organ, which is related to dampness. (If you live in Baltimore, you are no stranger to the pathogenic factor of humidity!) Dampness in late summer injures the Spleen organ and can affect us with symptoms of fatigue, heaviness in our bodies, foggy heads, low appetite, bloating, loose stools, UTIs and yeast infections. In this context, we are talking about how the climate of dampness can affect us, however, it must be said that we can also have symptoms of dampness due to our constitution or from diet (most notably [...]

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Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter
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Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter

acupoint, Mood, Pain, Take Home TCM

Bladder 58 – Fly and Scatter

By mca_sarah|2022-11-15T14:05:36-05:00August 3rd, 2021|Categories: acupoint, Mood, Pain, Take Home TCM|Tags: acupoint, anxiety, bladder 58, pain|

Photo by Sohel Patel from Pexels Bladder 58 is a point I was trained to consider when a patient describes feeling “scattered,” specifically when the scatter comes after a period of overwork or stretch of active anxiety. From this overtired place we can scatter our energy ineffectively, the mind can fly off in a thousand directions, and we can catastrophize all that could happen unless we do something about it all. This point is thought to restore order and containment and calm the urge to react and over-do. A glass of water is only a useful resource when in [...]

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