One Point Could Change Your Life
by Alan Levi

It's the fundamental acupressure point, called the hegu (the "joining valley").

This point is one of the key acupressure points to be taught in traditional Chinese medicine, and is remarkably easy to locate correctly. By the time you finish reading this article, you'll be able to confidently find and massage this point effectively yourself.

How do acupressure points work?

The body can be likened to a freeway operating under optimal circumstances: Traffic moving smoothly between points A and B, no delays, disruptions or jams.

A smooth-running freeway may be hard to visualize for our readers in Los Angeles.

Now let's say we have an accident on our ideal freeway. A manure truck hits the divider and overturns, spilling its cargo all over the road. Before long, traffic backs up for miles. The Chinese would say that "energy blockage," or stagnation, has occurred.

This is in accordance with the "mother and son" principle of Chinese medicine, which states that the trouble may not manifest itself at the immediate point, but instead show itself in some other (apparently) unrelated dysfunction.

Let's take eczema as an example. Western medicine classifies it as a skin disorder, but it's considered a lung dysfunction by Eastern medicine (as the skin is considered the third lung). Have you ever wondered why most people with eczema also have asthma or hay fever? Now you know!

Western medicine would approach our traffic jam by redirecting traffic, opening up another lane, or closing a junction. The effect would be that the initial problem would remain, but the traffic would start to flow again.

However, the Chinese medical approach would be simply to remove the manure truck, and restore the initial flow of traffic. Rectify the root cause, and the secondary dysfunction will clear up. The balance of energy in the body will thus be achieved.

Acupressure stimulates the junction points in the body to increase energy along the twelve meridians (main highways) of your body, thus preventing stagnation and overcoming blockages.

The martial arts of hsing-yi, bagua and tai chi chuan all utilize rhythmic combative movements to stimulate the flow of this energy throughout the body, using it both to heal internal imbalances and also to inflict lethal blows on aggressors.

Tai chi chuan: beautiful and deadly.

Qi gong (breath work) seeks to use simple postures and related breathing to also stimulate the energy flow throughout the body, healing everything from tension to life-threatening diseases. There are even qi gong clinics in China that specialize in fighting various cancers!

Now that we have a general overview of how acupressure, qi gong, and tai chi work, we can apply these principles and stimulate the meridians by gentle acupressure on the meridian points.

Where is the hegu point and how do I massage it?

The hegu (pronounced "huh goo") is located on the dorsum of the hand, approximately at the midpoint of the second metacarpal bone, in the belly of the first interosseus dorsalis muscle.

If you haven't been in an anatomy class for quite some time, I'll explain in plain English.

Place the crease that marks the joint of your left thumb against the webbed area between your index finger and the base of your right thumb of your (as if you were making an L shape with your right hand — fingers pointing up, thumb pointing to the side). Find a point midway along the web and press the crease of the left thumb joint into it.

Now, without moving up or down, roll your thumb until it's resting on its tip on the point, as illustrated below.

You've found the hegu point. Grip the hand firmly, placing gentle pressure on that exact point. You should feel a sore or "bruised" sensation,

Apply pressure for one second, release for one second. Repeat this 20 times on both hands.

What can hegu do for you?

The hegu point is point four on the large intestine (LI) meridian. It sends energy coursing up the channels into the head, stimulating the brain, alleviating headaches and toothaches, and is incidentally very good for soothing a hangover. Not that any readers on this site would ever need to do that, right?

The hegu point (left) lies along the LI (large intestine) meridian (right).

It also alleviates abdominal pain, amenorrhea (absence of menstruation), arm pain, constipation, eye disorders, intestinal disorders, and throat soreness.

These exercises are especially valuable to elite athletes who are looking to improve performance and maintain harmony within the body.

Bear in mind that fat storage is dictated by hormonal imbalance. Qi gong, tai chi, acupressure and other Eastern arts can moderate cortisol output, and therefore have a reducing effect on the key site of fat storage for the stressed: the umbilical area.

Combine this with the maintenance of your circadian rhythms (getting to bed by 10:30 p.m., and sleeping in a totally dark room with no electrical items to disturb your natural energy) and you'll feel like a new person.

So, what are you waiting for? Get pressing today, twice a day (morning and evening, though not just before bed), and within a week you'll notice a difference.

Warning: The hegu point has long been used in Chinese medicine to induce labor. Do not use this pressure point if you are (or suspect that you are) pregnant.

About the Author

Qualifications:
Y.M.C.A Advanced Personal Trainer Award (Reps Level 3)
Poliquin Performance (BioSignature Modulation)
Premier Resisted Movement Training: Functional Training
1st Degree Black Sash in Chinese Kung Fu and Qi Gong
Core training

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