How to locate and hold acupressure points

August 16, 2014Jan0 comment

Let me start with a discussion of how to

locate the acupressure points used in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
The first thing to know about holding acupressure points is that you shouldnt
worry excessively about finding the exact location. Because acupuncturists
insert needles below the skin and need to be careful to avoid nerves and
blood vessels, they locate points very precisely. With acupressure, you dont
need to be concerned about the exact location of a point. The surface area
on the skin that allows you to influence the point (to draw energy to the
surface) is about the size of a silver dollar or the width of three fingers.

Locate with one finger, hold with three

You can use your index finger to locate a point. At many points youll find a
slight indentation in the tissue, about the size of your fingertip. Also, the
directions I provide for locating a point often instruct you first to find a bodily
landmark (the inner end of the eyebrow, the tip of the ankle bone), which
you can do with the index finger. Once you find the point, however, hold it
with three fingers. You want to relax the tension around a point, and three
fingers is a more comforting touch than one finger. Since the size of the area
around a point that will be influenced by your touch is about the width of
three fingers, when you use three fingers, one of them will almost certainly
be directly on the point.
Its best not to use your thumb to hold a point. As mentioned below
under How long should I hold a point?, you will feel a pulse at the area you
are holding when the energy is drawn to the surface. If you are holding a

sequence of points, this is an indication that you can now move on to the
next point. The pulse in the thumb is much stronger than the pulse in the
fingers, so holding with the thumb does not provide useful information. Its
not wrong most of the photos I see online illustrating acupressure show
the thumb holding a point. Thats not necessarily ineffective. Its just not as
informative.

Locating points by measuring with your fingers

One more thing about locating TCM

acupressure points. The directions I give on this site instruct you to use your
fingers to measure distances on the body (e.g., four fingers up from the tip of
the ankle bone). Your fingers are the perfect measuring tool for your body.
The width of your thumb is one body inch (cun in Chinese) on your body.
Youll see instructions telling you to measure distances of two fingers, three
fingers, and four fingers. Three fingers up from the wrist crease, for example,
means that you start by placing the edge of your ring finger at the wrist
crease. Three fingers up takes you to the outer side of the index finger.
(Occasionally the instructions will indicate that the location of the point is
three fingers up, but under the center of the third finger, not at the outer
edge of the third finger.) The photo below shows measuring four fingers up
from the tip of the ankle bone.

Dont worry about all this right now or

try to remember it. Specific information is included in each set of
instructions, so the location of the point will be clear once you read the
instructions. What you might want to note, however, is that your fingers
measure distances on yourbody. If you are using acupressure on someone
else who is much larger or smaller than you are, you might want to notice
how the size of their hands compares to the size of yours.

How to locate and hold Jin Shin Jyutsu points

Now let me say a word about locating and holding Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) points.
These are not called points, as in TCM, but Safety Energy Locks (SELs).
Acupuncturists and acupressurists use hundreds of points (out of possibly as
many as 2000), but there are only 26 SELs.

Like TCM points, SEL locations are usually described in relation to

bodily landmarks. For example, theres a major point for shoulder tension
that I call the coat hanger point. You curve the fingers of one hand as if
they were the top of a coat hanger. Then you hang your fingers on the top of
the opposite shoulder. The side of your thumb should rest against the base of
your neck.

Some other examples of locating SELs: Measure four fingers

down (the width of four fingers) from the center of the collar bone; measure
four fingers up from the navel and then move straight out until you reach the
rib cage. The location of JSJ SELs is described in each JSJ self-help instruction
on this site.
In general, once youve located an SEL, you can hold it with all four fingers.
Some SELs are even held with the fist, such as SELs on the lower back or
under the hip.

How much pressure should I use?

The word pressure in acupressure is misleading. In acupressure, we are
using an energetic touch, inviting the qi (chi) that flows through the energy
channels to rise to the surface.
Acupressure points are precisely where energy comes to the surface most
easily. If you press too hard, youll be blocking the flow of energy rather than
relaxing the area that surrounds the point. An analogy that one of my
teachers liked to use is that of a plug in a wall outlet. Once the plug connects
with the electricity in the wall, you dont need to press hard on the plug.
Its the same with acupressure points. Youre making an energetic
connection. If there is considerable muscle tension in the area where the
point is located (e.g., the top of the shoulders), you can loosen up the area
with a little self-massage before holding the point.

How long should I hold a point?

There are three ways to know that energy is flowing through an acupressure
point (and no longer stuck).

You may feel a softening of the muscle or tissue. When the area around
a point relaxes, the energy can flow smoothly.
You may feel an increase in warmth in the area of the point. This
indicates that blood is flowing more readily in the area. Energy follows
blood. When blood flow is enhanced, so is the energy flow.
You may feel a pulse at the point. This is also an indication that the
blood is flowing in this area. But the pulse you are feeling is actually
the pulse of the energy. This is why I recommend using your fingertips

to hold points rather than the thumbs. When you use your thumb, you
may be feeling the pulse in your thumb, not the pulse of the underlying
point.
When you first start doing acupressure on yourself, dont expect to feel the
pulse. As you practice acupressure self-help and do it regularly, your energy
will become more balanced, and your pulses will become stronger. Once you
can feel pulses at the points or SELs, this tells you how long to stay in that
location.
When listening for a pulse, at first you will not feel anything. Then the
pulse will arrive. Once the pulse arrives, stay with it for a while, then if you
are holding a sequence of points/SELs move on to the next location. If you
are holdling a sequence and do not feel a pulse, hold for about a minute
before moving on.
This rule of thumb on how long to hold a point/SEL hold for a minute or
until you feel a pulse can vary. If you are holding only one point for a
specific condition (for example, the TCM migraine point in the foot), you can
keep holding the point as long as youd like (ideally until the pain
diminishes). Some JSJ flows call for holding an SEL for 15 minutes (e.g., the
flow I use for scoliosis).
Ive tried to include a brief indication in each acupressure self-help
description of how long to hold points/SELs. As with exact point locations, try
not to be overly concerned about how long you hold a point. Whats more
important is regular practice.
Image sources:
Holding with three fingers: Explore IM
Measuring with three fingers: Motion Sickness Guru
Measuring with four fingers: Explore IM