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I've heard it said that one reason our parents seem to be able to "push our buttons" is that they were the ones who installed them in the first place! However true this may be, even before our parents had a chance to shape our destinies, we came into this world with other special "buttons" pre-installed. These "buttons" are specific spots on the surface of the body that can be used to regulate the flow of energy in the body and improve your state of health.

G-Jo acupressure is one of several forms of Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), which also includes acupuncture, Chinese herbs and nutrition, and massage. It is designed for re-balancing the body?s structure (sinews, muscles, and bones) and energy ("chi") to optimize health and healing. Until recently, Western doctors learned little, if anything, about disease prevention, Eastern or Western. Western medicine focuses on controlling symptoms and treating diseases once they manifest. The concept of preventing disease by rebalancing the body?s energy flow is as alien to traditional Western medicine as alien abductions are to NASA. But in the past 10 years, American medicine has begun to embrace alternatives such as chiropractic, massage, acupuncture, herbs, and other natural forms of healing.

Acupressure is a classic Chinese therapy for "fine-tuning" the body. Though not as well known in the West as acupuncture, it is based on the same concepts of energy flow through channels and regulation of the flow at meridian points. For an excellent guide, read Integrative Acupressure by Sam McClellan with Tom Monte (Penguin/Putnam, 1998).

Your reset buttons (or acupressure points) can become your personal, mobile, first aid assistant, always available when you need help. All you need to do is learn how to find the buttons and activate them. Best of all, this form of health care is 100 percent safe, non-toxic, and easy to use. Although it?s not what we?ve come to expect -- a magic pill in a bottle from the neighborhood drug store, it does the job as well or better. You don?t have to take our word for it -- thousands of years of Chinese medical experience back us up.

Most of us have no idea that these reset buttons exist. We were not taught about them in our health classes in school and our parents didn't tell us about them, either, because they knew nothing at all of their existence, unless they had roots in the Far East. Yet, once we recognize these buttons, we can use them to rapidly relieve everyday symptoms such as headache, upset stomach, lower back pain, eye strain, and much more. The method has some definite advantages compared to "over-the-counter" medications. First of all, you always have them with you! There is nothing to remember to bring along when you are traveling or to purchase to restock your medicine cabinet. Once you learn where the reset points are located and how to stimulate them, you will have all that you need to reverse your troublesome symptoms.

This is one type of health care that is truly universal medical coverage, available to everyone, no matter what their ability to pay. You can reset the points on yourself or on someone in your family, in your community, at school, or at work. Even young children can learn the method and utilize it safely. There are no unwanted side effects -- no downside of any kind -- when the method is used responsibly, following a few simple precautions.

Resetting Your "Buttons"

Here are a few reset buttons you can learn to use right now. They are described in a system called G-Jo acupressure, which literally means "first aid". The G-Jo system includes many points --- more than a hundred in total, but by learning just a few of the most useful and easy-to-locate points, you can relieve a wide variety of symptoms. Naturally, this is not meant to replace conventional medical treatment when needed. First aid is exactly that. Something you can do to manage distressing symptoms until you can get to professional help, when needed.

But first, here are some precautions to consider when using G-Jo points: avoid stimulating the points immediately after eating a heavy meal, doing strenuous exercise, taking prescribed medications, or bathing in hot water. It is also a good idea to avoid using the points within several hours of consuming alcoholic beverages, and wise to avoid them altogether during pregnancy.

Headache Spot

The first reset button is for relieving headaches. It is located on the back of either hand, in the mound of flesh between the thumb and forefinger. To find it, squeeze the thumb and forefinger of one hand together and place the tip of the other thumb at the place where that mound is the highest. Then, relax the hand and stimulate the point by pressing firmly with the thumb tip, with the other four fingers wrapped around the underside of the palm. The stimulation will be most effective by applying a firm, even pressure with the thumb tip, while moving the skin underneath it in a back-and-forth or clockwise direction. You will know that you have the right spot when it "announces" itself with a twinge of sensitivity, not unlike the feeling of a toothache. You need only stimulate the point for a few seconds. Then do exactly the same thing on the opposite hand. The headache will often be relieved instantly! If not, wait several minutes and apply the technique again.

Goodbye Heartburn & Insomnia

The second "re-set button" can be found on the forearm, the width of two thumbs above the wrist crease and in line with the middle finger. This point is very useful in relieving minor cough, heartburn, nausea, and motion sickness. It may be of help, too, in relieving insomnia. As before, locate the point and stimulate it with the thumb tip, first on one forearm, then on the other. It doesn?t matter which point you stimulate first. Move the thumb tip, which stays in contact with the skin, back and forth in a clockwise direction, over the point. You will likely find a specific place of sensitivity as this point announces itself to you. It may feel either like a sharp sensation or more like a dull ache.

Soothe the Stomach & Digestion

The third point is located on the leg, very close to the inner edge of the shinbone (tibia), located one hand-width above the top of the inner ankle bone (medial malleolus). It is easily found because it is generally quite sensitive when pressed. I have found this reset button to be an all-purpose point for abdominal complaints -- everything from upset stomach, to indigestion, cramps, flatulence (gas), constipation, hangover, and nausea. As with the other points, always repeat the process on both sides of the body.

Now you can add this gentle technique to your personal, health promotion toolkit. Once you?ve mastered these buttons, you may want to try some others. Self-health techniques such as this are based on the old-fashioned idea that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, a concept immortalized in the two thousand year old Yellow Emperor?s Classic of Internal Medicine, the Neijing, which observes, "To cure disease is like waiting until one is thirsty before digging a well, or to fabricate weapons after the war has commenced."

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Putting Out the Fire of Addiction: A Holistic Guide to Recovery
by Barry Sultanoff, MD.

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