Eye acupressure massage
Many years ago I read a magazine article about doing acupressure facelifts. I remember clipping the article and putting it someplace safe so that I wouldn’t lose it. I remember the article was about a technique actress Lindsay Wagner was using. As so often happens, I haven’t been able to locate the article. In the intervening years, I found a section in Dr. Stephen T. Chang’s book, The Complete System of Self-Healing: Internal Exercises that dealt with acupressure massage of the eyes and of the nose. I have been using the technique ever since on an irregular basis. The book is available through Amazon.com and also through The Great Tao website. If you are at all interested in what acupressure can do for you, the book is a must.
There are many good things the eye massage will do for you, the least of which is it relaxes you and makes you feel good. It revitalizes your skin and improves blood circulation. I have used it in combination with the nose massage for years, whenever my eyes feel tired or when I feel a swelling in my sinuses as if a cold is coming on. Dr. Chang recommends using a natural, healing cream as a lubricant when you do the massage. I use Vaseline Intensive Care Baby Oil or Johnson & Johnson Baby Oil as a lubricant. Just five or six drops massaged into your hands will do the trick. With that amount, my fingers slide easily over my skin.
Acupressure points are easy to find. As you move your fingers over the point, you will feel a small divot. That’s the acupressure point. Illustration 1 indicates the location of the major acupressure points around the eyes. I’ve only indicated the points on one eye; the points are identical on each eye and should be massaged at the same time. The following instructions are excerpted from Dr. Chang’s book, The Complete System of Self-Healing: Internal Exercises.
Illustration 1: Eye Acupressure Points
- Locate and apply pressure with your thumbs to point no. 1. Massage the point for a count of 10. Stop for a moment, then massage for a second count of 10. Do this three times. I always massage in an outward direction.
- Locate and apply pressure with your index fingers to point no. 2. The point is on the rim of the eye socket. Be sure not to poke your eyes as you massage. Massage the point for a count of 10, stop for a moment, then repeat two more times. Again massage in an outward direction.
- Locate and apply pressure with your index fingers to point no. 3. The point is on the eye socket rim almost to the corner of the eye. Massage the point for a count of 10, stop for a moment, then repeat two more times. Massage in an outward direction.
- Locate and apply pressure with your middle fingers to point no. 4. The point is located on the upper eye socket a short distance in from the corner. The divot seems quite pronounced in this area. Massage the point for a count of 10, stop for a moment, then repeat two more times, again taking a short break between each count of ten. Massage in an outward direction.
- Locate and apply pressure with your middle fingers to point no. 5. The point is a short distance from the outer edge of the eye socket in the temple area. The divot is easy to find in this area as it is pronounced. Massage the point for a count of ten, stop for a moment, then repeat two more times in the same manner as the other points. Again, massage in an outward direction.
- Rub your palms together to generate heat then cup your hands over your eyes for a count of 10. Repeat two more times with a break in between. Enjoy the warmth going into your eyes from your hands.
- Quoting directly from Dr. Chang: "Rub the bones around the eyes in a circular motion, starting from the inside corner of each eye next to the nose. Rub up the bridge of the nose, across the eyebrows, towards the temples, down and back around the lower rims of the eye sockets to the nose again. Do this 10 times. Pause. Repeat for a total of 3 cycles." I can tell you that when you’ve finished with massaging around your eyes like this, they feel wonderful. Dr. Chang further notes: "Rubbing in the opposite direction will weaken the eye muscles and cause wrinkles to appear. Always use a natural, healing cream as a lubricant."
Illustration 2: Massaging Your Eye Area
Nose acupressure massage
Illustration 3: Nose Acupressure Massage
When I’ve finished doing the eye massage I move directly to the nose massage/exercise. The points are indicated on the above in Illustration 3.
- Locate and apply pressure with your index or middle fingers to point no. 1. Massage for a count of 10. Again, I massage the three nose points in an outward direction. Repeat two more times with a break in between as with the eye massage.
- Locate and apply pressure with your index or middle fingers to point no. 2. Massage for a count of 10, pause for a moment, then repeat two more times.
- Locate and apply pressure with both index fingers to point no. 3, commonly called the "third eye". Massage for a count of 10, pause, then repeat two more times.
- Rub back and forth along the line of the the points starting at point no. 1. I usually massage back and forth 10 times and repeat 3 times as with the other points. Dr. Chang suggests 3 times only.
When I’ve completed the massage, I use a Pond’s Clean Sweep cleansing & make-up removing towelette to remove excess baby oil from my face and hands. A statement on the package says "No leading cleanser is better!" I’m here to attest that statement is true. I’ve tried others. Pond’s is the best. I buy the 15 towel travel pack even though buying two of the smaller size is a bit more expensive than buying the larger 30 towelette package. The reason is that by the time I get to the last of the 30 towelettes, the self-sealing closure on the larger packages tend to lose their stickiness so air can occasionally get into the package.
The Lindsay Wagner facial massage technique
A couple of months ago I decided I’d try to see if I could find the Lindsay Wagner magazine article about acupressure facelifts. I didn’t find the article, but I was thrilled to discover Ms. Wagner had written a book about the technique she uses. Lindsay Wagner’s New Beauty, the Acupressure Facelift was written jointly by Lindsay Wagner and Robert M. Klein, and was published in 1987 by Prentice Hall Press. I was able to find a copy of the book and eagerly ordered it. There were a few copies available through Amazon.com when I last checked. If you can’t obtain a copy of the book, perhaps it would be worthwhile to write to Prentice Hall Press to request another printing of the book. If you are interested in acupressure massage, this is certainly a book worth adding to your personal library. You may also wish to borrow the book from your local library.
The technique Ms. Wagner and Mr. Klein use for doing an acupressure facial uses all of the major acupressure points of the face plus a number of points on the body. Illustration no. 4 shows you the location of the acupressure points of the face only.
Illustration 4: Wagner/Klein Facial Acupressure Technique
The technique the Wagner/Klein team recommends is to apply pressure to each point and massage each point in a small circular manner using either your finger tips or your knuckles. You can work both hands at the same time and you are to massage each point for one minute. After massaging four points, give your hands break with a shake and a little rest, then continue with massaging the points, taking a break after each four points.
- Starting with point no. 1 at the hairline, you make small inward circles as you apply pressure.
- At point no. 2, you also make small inward circles as you apply pressure.
- For all the remaining points, apply pressure and make small outward circles except for points 8, 10, and 12.
- For points 8 and 10, make small circles in a clockwise direction using the finger of one hand.
- For point 12, apply pressure and make small circles toward the back of the head.
The Wagner/Klein team recommends doing the above massage once a day for a month, then two or three times a week afterward. They say that you "will begin to feel the energy and increased circulation in your face. [You’ll] Feel your face come alive. You will be aware of the new vigor, health, and beauty in your face."
One of the things I like so much about the Wagner/Klein acupressure facial is that it involves the whole face and it can be done anywhere since you don’t need to use a lubricating cream. So, if you feel a headache coming on, you can lean back in your chair at work, relax for a moment, and massage the points at locations 1, 2, 3, and 4. If you’re driving you can always pull off at a rest stop and do the massage, then continue on your way refreshed and restored.
Lavender Eye Pillow
When my eyes are tired or swollen, I lie on my bed or in my recliner and cover my eyes with my lavender-scented eye pillow. The weight of the flaxseed-filled eye pillow on the acupressure points around the eyes is said to help to relieve eyestrain, swelling, headaches, tension, and insomnia. I suppose it could be simply the fact that I’m taking the time to lie back and smell the lavender, as it were, but the fact is that lavender has been used for centuries to help relieve headaches and migraines, and flaxseed has been harvested for its nutritional oils.
I made my own elegant, lavender-colored brocade eye pillow and so can you with only the most basic sewing skills. You don’t even need a sewing machine. You can sew the pillow by hand. I made eye pillows and heat wraps for many friends and family members for Christmas gifts one year. For the men, I made the pillows out of black satin. You can use the pillows either hot or cold. I keep mine in a plastic bag in the freezer so that it is ready for use whenever I need it. If I need to use it cold, it is ready. If I need it warm, it takes about 10 seconds to heat it in a microwave. Here are detailed instructions about how to make your own Lavender Eye Pillow and a heat wrap to go with it.
Lavender Mist
One rather luxurious thing that I do for myself is spray a lavender mist in my bedroom. I have a small, dark blue glass spray bottle that I fill with distilled water and into which I put seven to eight drops of Pure Lavender Essential Oil. I spray it into my bedroom air before I go to sleep. There is just a hint of lavender in the air. There is something nearly magical about the soft scent of lavender suspended in the air. Treat yourself, you’re worth it!!!!
Head Massage
When I’m relaxing outside in the screen porch or out on the deck, or when I’m taking a break from writing at the computer, the head massage is easy to do. I spread my fingers and curve them slightly, like the shape of a leaf rake. I then place my palms over the upper half of my ears and let my fingers go into my hair. From that position it is easy to feel the acupressure points of the head. Massage these points by just moving around the skin of the scalp. Don’t lift your fingers from your scalp. Then move your hands to the back of your head. Keep your fingers spread and curved like in the first part of the massage. With your thumbs, find the acupressure point divots at the base of your scull, behind your ears, then place your fingers on the acupressure points that you can reach on your scull and massage in the same manner as the first. I massage each location perhaps 30 seconds each. You don’t need much massage to immediately feel your scalp reinvigorated.
Olive oil treatment
If you are at time during your day that you can wash your hair, this olive oil treatment is a nice finishing touch. I’ve read claims that massaging your scalp with olive oil will prevent hair loss. I don’t know if the claim is true; I haven’t as yet had a problem with losing head hair. This is what the mother of my Peruvian-American friend did regularly when she was alive and she had gorgeous hair.
She massaged her scalp with just enough olive oil to moisten her entire scalp. She heated a bath towel in the microwave and wrapped it around her head, leaving it in place until the towel cooled. She then washed her hair. You can also heat the towel in the clothes dryer or with hot water but it is difficult to wring out the hot towel without burning your hands. When I heat my eye pillow, heat wrap, or towel in the microwave, I put a couple of layers of paper toweling on the microwave tray to prevent any residual food particles from getting on the fabric.
No one wants to be sick during the holidays when there is so much joyous activity all around. Here’s a few of the things I do year round to keep the common cold away. I suspect it is the most common illness during the holidays.
