How Acupressure and Qi Gong Can Boost Immunity, Banish Coughs and Colds, and Stop Spontaneous Sweating

How Acupressure and Qi Gong Can Boost Immunity, Banish Coughs and Colds, and Stop Spontaneous Sweating

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How Acupressure and Qi Gong Can Boost Immunity, Banish Coughs and Colds, and Stop Spontaneous Sweating

When you think about winter sniffles, sweaty discomfort, and that dragging lack of energy, it might feel like you’re stuck in an endless cycle. But in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), these symptoms often signal something deeper, an imbalance in your body’s energy, or “Qi”. Let’s explore how acupressure, Qi Gong, and nourishing food medicine can help restore balance and improve your immune system.

Why Sweaty Bum and Frequent Colds Happen: A TCM Perspective

One of my podcast listeners shared that she suffers from frequent coughs, colds, low energy, and, quite uniquely, sweating around the top of her bum and sacrum. From a TCM perspective, these symptoms point to a deficiency in Kidney Qi. In TCM, the kidneys play a vital role in controlling the body’s energy reserves, immunity, and fluid balance.

Sweating around the sacrum often indicates Kidney Qi deficiency, which prevents energy from flowing smoothly up the spine. This stagnation can weaken your immune system, making you prone to external invasions like coughs and colds. But here’s the good news: there are simple, effective ways to restore Kidney Qi and improve your overall health.

Nourish Your Kidney Qi with Food

Diet is foundational in TCM. To strengthen Kidney Qi and support your immune system, focus on blue and black-colored foods, which are considered especially nourishing for the kidneys: For the full outline of which colour food supports which organ see my books.

  • Seaweed – A mineral-rich superfood that’s excellent for Kidney Qi.
  • Black Beans and Adzuki Beans – Perfect for soups and teas. (find the recipe)
  • Black Rice – Traditionally reserved for emperors, it’s packed with nutrients.

Blueberries and Blackberries – Delicious and full of antioxidants.

For additional warmth and nourishment, include:

These foods will fortify your Kidney Qi, giving you the vitality to fight off colds and flu.

Acupressure for Immune Strength and Energy Flow

Acupressure is a powerful tool to unblock stagnant energy and nourish your kidneys. Here are the key points to focus on:

  1. Bladder 31, 32, 33 (V of the sacrum):
    • These points are along the bladder channel and can be stimulated by tapping or rubbing the sacrum with your knuckles. This helps to warm and invigorate the Kidney Qi.
  2. Governing Vessel 14 (The Great Hammer):
    • Located at the base of the neck, this point is crucial for boosting immunity. Massage around the big vertebra at the top of your spine, moving in circles. This encourages the upward flow of energy.
  3. Bai Hui (Hundred Meetings Point):
    • Found at the top of the head, you can locate this by placing your thumbs on your ears and letting your middle fingers meet at the crown. Tap gently while visualizing a line of energy running through your body.

Qi Gong Exercises to Move Stuck Energy

Qi Gong combines breath, movement, and intention to promote energy flow and strengthen the immune system. Try these exercises:

1. Kidney Warming:

  • Rub your palms together until they’re warm, then place them over your lower back, massaging around your kidneys and sacrum. This simple practice is deeply nourishing for Kidney Qi.

    2. Turtle & Crane Neck Exercise:

    • Sit straight with your chin slightly tucked. Slowly roll your chin into your chest, then extend it outward as if you are a turtle emerging from it’s shell.  Then change direction letting the chin lead out like a crane’s beak and rolling it down and in to the chest. Repeat this rolling motion to release tension in the spine and encourage energy flow up the Governing Vessel.

    3. Microcosmic Orbit Breathing:

    • Align your spine and visualize energy traveling up from your sacrum to the top of your head as you inhale. On the exhale, guide the energy down the front of your body to your lower abdomen. This exercise balances the body’s energy and clears blockages.

    The Wisdom of Chinese Medicine

    As the ancient TCM saying goes, “When Qi flows, health follows; when Qi stagnates, disease occurs.” By nourishing your Kidney Qi with food, activating key acupressure points, and practicing Qi Gong, you’ll not only improve your immune function but also restore a sense of vitality and balance to your life.

    So, whether you’re battling winter colds or looking for relief from that awkward sweaty discomfort, these simple practices can make a profound difference. May your days be filled with warmth, health, and joy.

    WATCH/LISTEN TO ALL PODCAST EPISODES HERE

    Final Thoughts

    Acupressure and Qi Gong offer gentle, yet profound methods to manage incontinence by addressing its root causes. By nourishing the kidneys, stimulating chi flow, and balancing contraction with relaxation, you’ll find greater control and well-being.

    Explore these practices further and incorporate the recommended foods into your daily routine. Remember, contraction and expansion, flow and stillness—this is the way of the body and life. Let Qi Gong guide you to health and joy.

    For more tips, classes, and support, join Chi flow with Jo or contact Jo for individual support

    DO YOU HAVE A QUESTION?

    The Ask Me Anything podcast series has been created to answer your questions using my knowledge of Chinese medicine, Qi Gong, Qi Food therapy and Shiatsu. 

    You can ask a question by clicking on THIS LINK, or you can watch past episodes to see if your question has already been answered.

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    You can sign up for a FREE online qi gong class with the form below.

    Hope to see you in the Chi Flow!

    How to stop catching colds

    How to stop catching colds

    Recipes

    Have you ever wondered why some people catch more colds than others? or why you tend to catch colds more in the autumn? or most importantly, how you can protect yourself against those colds and flu’s?

    Well, I share some of my Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) to show you why and how.

    Just like western medicine which talks about our Immune system – Chinese Medicine has talked about Wei Chi for thousands of years. It’s the energy that forms a powerful boundary around your body, defending you against invading virus’s and pathogens. Chinese medicine likes to describe the body as a kingdom where each of the organs have particular roles: The Heart is the Emperor, the Lung is the Chancellor in charge of regulation, the Liver as the General for planning and executing orders and so on…… the Wei Chi is the wall that fortifies and protects the kingdom within.

    If your defensive system is robust and the pathogen weak, you don’t get sick. But if the pathogen is strong, and your boundaries are weak, the higher the chance the invading virus makes it into your body and you “catch a cold.”

    There are a few strategies to improve your defences such as good sleep plus being in-tune with your environment and dressing appropriately but most importantly, within the kingdom of your organs there must be balance.

    What I do as a Shiatsu practitioner is to listen to your body and diagnose which of your organs is out of balance; what is too Yin and needs support or what is too Yang and needs calming, thereby creating harmony in your internal environment.

    Without specialised training, you can do this by simply paying attention to your symptoms and following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, laid out clearly in my book, showing you what needs Yang warming and moving and what needs Yin cooling and nourishing.

    As we move into Autumn in the Northern Hemisphere, we can experience extreme external changes of cold winds, warming sunshine and drenching downpours, all in one day, so it is important to keep the internal system in balance.

    Following the 5 element system of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the pungent flavour moves and warms the internal body. It moistens the Lung & Large Intestine, the organs associated with this season and largely responsible, together with the Spleen, for the strength of Wei Chi Immunity. They stimulate blood circulation and prevent the accumulation of internal dampness which can be pernicious in Autumn.

    These pungent foods include onions, scallions, radishes, ginger, wasabi mustard, garlic and horseradish. Here I share one of my favourite Autumn recipes from my first, smaller 5 element cookbook – Vegetarian French Onion Soup, which strengthens the Lungs, warms the Large intestine and fortifies your Wei Chi.

    All through the month of October in Chi Flow with Jo every morning we are practicing Qi Gong exercises, recipes and acupressure points to benefit breathing. In November we will move specifically to focus on the Immune system. Doors are closed to join Chi Flow with Jo until Sunday 24th October but you can join the wait list and receive free classes at the end of the month.  (see form below)
    If you can’t wait that long you can always buy my books which lay out clearly what foods to eat for which organ and time of year or why not book an online consultation or in person Shiatsu if you’d like a personal diagnosis.

    In the meantime try this wonderfully warming, pungent soup and fortify your inner kingdom

    As you are cooking the miso, you retain the delicious flavour, but will kill most of the probiotic contained within the paste. So just before cooking use a mug to remove some of the soup, dissolve a further tablespoon of miso into the mug of removed liquor, turn off the heat and stir back into the soup. Remove the twiggy stalks of thyme and serve with delicious spelt bread which is the following recipe in Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking.

    Vegetarian French Onion Soup

    25 g butter
    1 tablespoon sunflower oil
    1.5 kg onions
    Large sprig of fresh thyme
    4 crushed Bay leaves
    Good splash of toasted
    sesame oil
    2 pints miso stock (to taste)

    Melt the butter together with the oil, add the onions and fry for a minute or so on a high heat. Give them a shuffle and a stir, making sure the butter doesn’t burn and the onions don’t stick.

    Throw in the herbs, bay leaves, a splash of sesame oil and turn the heat down to the lowest possible setting leaving the lid on. The onions need to cook for at least 20 minutes until they are a toffee colour and sticky consistency. Pour in the miso stock and simmer for at least another 20-30 minutes.

    The longer the better. A slow soup in the making but worth the wait.

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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.