Struggling to catch your Breath?
Feeling like you’re out of breath all the time?
Can’t do much because of it? In our most recent episode of Ask Me Anything, Marie reached out with the same problem. She said that once a week she was out of breath, not able to do much but relax because of it.
For Marie, this sounds like an energy rising causing that feeling of congestion in the chest. Ideally, the kidneys should be able to grasp the breath so we don’t get congested and cause heart problems.
So let’s address how to manage that! We are mainly going to focus on acupressure for this issue.
Kidney 27 Acupoint
One of my favorite points is Kidney 27, which we will be focusing on.
Kidney 27 is the Shu Mansion or Elegant Mansion.
You can massage this point and press into it to connect with your own energy and feel relief.
You can also massage along the other kidney points between the ribs.
In Chinese Medicine the Kidneys hold your essential energy. This is the energy you were born with that you inherit from your parents. This is where we want to have our vitality coming from. If we are going non-stop all the time, this energy is going to weaken and won’t be able to grasp the breath. Making it difficult to breathe and feel settled.
CV 17 Acupoint
In Chinese Medicine each organ has a flavor, a time of day, an element. The kidney is the water element. Through massaging into that point of Conception Vessel 17 – Centre of the Chest, you are helping balance the water and fire element. If we don’t have enough kidney energy, then there’s nothing there to ground that fire. If we let the fire get out of control you could find you have insomnia, hot flushes, and anxiety.
With these acupoints, you want to do them everyday. They are very simple and an easy exercise to practice.
Grief can be stored in the Chest
A lot of sadness and grief can be stored in the chest area. With these points we can help to move that sadness out of the chest.
One thing that can also really weaken the kidneys and doesn’t help balance heart fire, is coffee. This is not me saying coffee is bad or good but maybe just look at how much coffee you are consuming. Coffee is one of those substances that keeps us going, and going, and going, when really we should be resting. So, if you’re drinking 3 cups of coffee a day, I would really recommend changing that out and try dandelion root coffee or chicory root coffee.
In conclusion
In conclusion, when dealing with a struggle to breathe it is important to nourish the kidneys. We can do this through acupoints that help calm and move energy along.
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Self-administered acupressure or Chinese Medicine is not a substitute for visits to qualified healthcare practitioners.
Knowing how to treat yourself and your loved ones with complimentary therapies like acupressure can be greatly beneficial and convenient. However, for serious and chronic conditions, you’ll want to visit an Shiatsu therapist / Acupuncturist or other qualified healthcare practitioner who can develop a treatment plan based on your unique medical history and combination of symptoms.
The information provided should not be considered medical advice.
