WHAT’S THE POINT!

You have the Power to Awaken Your Body’s Natural Healing Abilities through Acupuncture Points that Lie Along Your Body.

At specific locations along the meridians (energy pathways), there are points or ‘gateways’ where Ki-energy can be influenced.

In Japanese these specific points are called Tsubo (pronounced soo-bo). It is in these points that Ki gathers. These tsubos are where Ki can be stimulated to affect some aspect of the Body-Mind-Spirit.

Imagine A Vortex Of Ki That Is A Vase-Shaped Swirl Of Energy

If you could see the actual shape of a tsubo it would resemble a vase: the opening is a mouth that leads into a narrow neck, which widens into a broader pool. The tsubos are like the pools found along a stream.

Tsubos act as gateways, which allow you to immediately regulate the flow of energy, blood and other fluids within your body. 

Three hundred-sixty one tsubos have been identified; this includes the fifty-two points on the Governing Vessel and the Conception Vessel. Each tsubo has a name, number and recognized affect on the body, mind and spirit when stimulated.

For example, each tsubo’s number begins with the first point according to their position along the meridians: LV 1 is the first tsubo on the Liver meridian. These points carry out specific jobs to help serve the balancing process of the overall energy within the channel.

The specific job or action may include moving Ki in a specific direction, heating or cooling the body, reducing pain or balancing the elemetal-phases.

The tsubos found on the hands and feet up to the elbows and knees, tend to have greater effect since Ki is closer to the skin and is more easily affected with gentle pressure.

Not all of the tsubos are of the same importance. There are some that I never use, mostly because they treat issues that are rare. Other tsubos are in constant use because their action regulates the flow of ki beyond where it is located.

As a teacher and practitioner I have witnessed many healings by harnessing the power of tsubos. These techniques include stimulating the tsubos in combination with breath and energy-exercises to improve the condition of the body, mind and spirit.

Sometimes a tsubo feels lifeless and empty to the touch. This often indicates a lack of Ki in the general area. It may feel stiff or soft but the overall sensation is a weakness, or lifeless feeling. There are specific techniques used to ‘re-fill’ the missing energy.

In the case of too much Ki, the tsubo will feel more ‘full’ to the touch. This fullness may feel like a tightness or a constriction at that location, there may even be sensitivity to the touch. When there is pain you can use certain methods to displace the excess of Ki.

Overtime you will become more sensitive to Ki and notice a pattern of hot and cold within the tsubos. Sometimes the full areas emit a warmth and the weak areas will feel cool.

The focus of using the tsubos is to maintain a natural balance of internal energies, which keeps your body’s natural healing abilities at their peak!

Stimulating different tsubos regulate multiple functions in the body, mind and spirit. In the West, using tsubos for pain relief has made Pressure Point Therapy very popular.

In my practice I’m often asked, “How does stimulating a tsubo eliminate pain?”

The answer I give to both health professionals and to clients curious about the physiology of tsubos may seem complicated because it explains how stimulating a tsubo is effective in managing pain from a scientific perspective.

Scientific research confirms that stimulation of a tsubo:

• releases pain-relieving endorphins into your brain  Endorphins are the natural way for your body to handle pain.  For most people, tsubo-pressure manages pain.  That means being able to use fewer pain killers (with all their side-effects) or even stop using them altogether.   

• displaces fluids and energy concentrated in your muscles.  Swelling results from the normal flow of bodily fluids and energy being disrupted by a sprain or strain. Tsubo-pressure teaches specific techniques to push the circulation through the blockage and restore the natural flow through the stagnation and to other areas of your body. 

• blocks pain messages from reaching your brain. “Ouch, I hurt my ankle!” is the sort of message that makes it way to your brain via a little gate within your spinal cord that allows all your pain messages to travel immediately to your brain. Luckily, there are large nerves that are stimulated by stimulating specific tsubos and by positioning your limb in a static stretch, which sends messages to close the gate and crowd out some of the competing pain messages. (Blocking these pain messages is crucial to activating your body’s self-healing mechanism.)

Harnessing the power of the tsubos for self-healing or during a healing session with a client is a non-invasive and natural method to re-balance the activity of Ki and re-vitalize the body, mind and spirit.

In Lesson 2, I will explain the importance of being connected with and moving energy from your vital energy center, known as HARA.