Acupressure for digestion.

In Chinese medicine we each have about 400 acupuncture points on our bodies. Each point has its own personality and can do different actions. Out of the 400 points on our bodies, a personal favorite is a point called Stomach 36.

In Chinese, the name of the point is Zu San Li in Pinyin. Translation: Leg Three Mile. Named so, because according to legend, you can press on this point and you’ll be able to walk or run three more miles. Pretty neat, right?

Stomach 36 is one of the most powerful points on your body. It helps strengthen qi, strengthens your digestion, strengthens the body, relaxes you spiritually, and relieves pain.

It is located on the lower leg, about one-hand breadth below the patella and one-finger breadth lateral of the anterior crest of tibia. You can stimulate this point yourself using acupressure. It is a fantastic point if you feel fatigued, have any gastrointestinal concerns, or pain anywhere in your body.

A perfect addition to your pre- and post-workout stretch. I recommend to press lightly (5 lbs. pressure) on this point for about 5 seconds the first thing in the morning. Try it and see for yourself!

Another important acupoint is Spleen 6 (known as the yin counterpart to the stomach's yang because rather than dealing with energy and movement it deals with fluids and substances)

In TCM theory, the cause of insomnia is an imbalance of Yang [阳] and Yin [阴], therefore the treatment of insomnia is to regulate the balance of Yang and Yin. Lower and inner parts of the body indicate Yin in TCM, and the sixth point of the Spleen meridian, Shanyinjiao (SP 6), is an acupoint where three Yin meridians (spleen, liver and kidney meridians, which run from the foot to the head) and converge near the inner ankle, so stimulation of SP 6 could activate the three Yin meridians and used as an optimal point for balancing Yin in the whole body. SP 6 is known to have an association with sleep because of its location and efficacy on coordinating Yang and Yin in the body.