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April is Parkinson's Awareness Month so I am going to be sharing lots of information regarding Chinese Medicine and Living Well with Parkinson's, culminating in a free Qi Gong class at the end of the month, plus a whole month of Qi Gong, Acupressure and Food Medicine during the month of May.
Apathy and fatigue can be the nemesis of people with Parkinson’s.
Regular physical activity can help your mood, your energy levels, your balance and your motivation, but you need to plan it. You need to make sure it works around your medication timings and be careful that it is not so intense or tiring that you get thrown off course.
Chi Flow with Jo is a gentle daily exercise class with a dedicated community full of support, when you feel like giving up
My husband, Davy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s eight years ago; as a Qi Gong teacher and Chinese Medicine Practitioner, he and I work together so that he sleeps well, maintains flexibility, balance and strength plus working on the emotional aspects that are not so visible.
He practices Qi Gong every day in Chi Flow with Jo which helps him live with ease, confidence and flow, physically and emotionally.
But it’s not just about him, as his partner, I find strength and support practicing Qi Gong, which strengthens loving compassionate kindness, knowing my limits and how to stay healthy.
“I use Chi Flow with Jo to relax the body and help body move in a smooth way. Even when I’m out walking, I try to think about my Qigong moves so I walk in Qigong way, not a robotic way.”
Simple things like imagining he has little lemons under his armpits, gives Davy space so when he’s walking, his elbows don’t end up stuck to his waist, there’s more flow and less shuffle.
The Qigong practice that we do every morning helps to just bring centered ease to the body.
Research shows that exercise and physical activity can not only maintain and improve mobility, flexibility and balance but also ease non-motor PD symptoms such as depression or constipation.
There’s a super easy exercise demonstrated in the free mini ebook called “Pingshuai Gong: The pendulum swing”
Begin by inhaling and bringing your arms up to shoulder height, then exhale, letting the weight of the arms swing down. If you let them just swing effortlessly down and they naturally come back up. Repeat for at least one minute to get the blood and the energy moving.
By learning to match your breathing with movement into your daily life can help to reduce stress levels, improve focus and concentration, and boost overall physical and mental health.
Following the 5 element system, the nourishment of blood by the liver relies on Kidney jing. When Kidney jing is weak, liver energy and the strength of the blood also becomes weak.
Therefore is we strengthen Kidney energy through exercise, and acupressure we help vital blood to flow and nourish organs, ligaments, muscles, and tendons, relieving spasms, cramps, and twitching, improving sleep and ease of the body.
If you are a caregiver, you can do this for somebody and then swap, and let your partner do it for you. It calms anxious nerves and releases excess, stagnated or agitated energy.
The Kidney energy system in Traditional Chinese Medicine would also govern the bones, the brain, the hormones, glands. Studies have shown that using this complimentary therapy improves “Non-motor symptoms of PD include cognitive dysfunction, depression, sleep disorders, gastrointestinal, and bladder dysfunction, fatigue, sensory abnormalities, autonomic dysfunction, mentation, behavior, mood, and quality of life problems.”
☯️At the same time as stroking the bladder meridian either side of the spine try incorporating some acupressure points.
This is one you can do yourself of for someone else.
Begin by rubbing gently the occipital ridge, just where the back of the skull meets the neck. This whole area is great for relieving neck and shoulder pain, increasing blood flow to reduce headaches and migraines caused by tightness, tension or stress.
Then find the hollow area at the base of your skull, slide up until your thumb finds the bony protrusion and you have landed on Governing Vessel 16: Wind Mansion.
This point:
☯️ Nourishes the “sea of marrow” and the brain.
☯️ Eliminates wind (not flatulence but rather an internal chaotic energy that causes tremors, spasms, and dyskinesia)
☯️ Calms the spirit, relieving anxiety, worry, insomnia, and mania.
Traditionally we use the thumb to massage the acupoint with deep and steady pressure.
HOW TO PRESS A POINT:
Massage the point in a circular motion without removing the thumb from the skin. You can also hold and gently press, imaging energy travelling from the core of your body, out of your thumb and into the point you are connecting with.
Massage the point anywhere between 30 seconds and 3 minutes until you feel a change in the energy. This might be an all over body sensation, not just in the point. Remember consistency is key so massage your favourite points daily
There are many points that benefit the body but even without knowing their location TOUCH is the most important thing.
TOUCH FOR HEALTH:
Studies show touch can reduce chronic pain and it is recommended it as part of a daily routine.
If you are living with Parkinson’s get a regular massage. If you have a partner, give and receive a healing touch daily.
All touch, done with loving intention, is a healing touch. Connect with yourself and use touch, touch your own body, touch your chest, your arms, your legs, and your belly, and touch each other.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Joanne Faulkner is a Qi Gong teacher – Chi Flow with Jo – teaching live daily online Qi Gong classes to hundreds of people; a Shiatsu practitioner specializing in the energy of food in Traditional Chinese Medicine and a published Author. Her residential and day Wellness Retreats focus on Chi Gong, self-Shiatsu & Conscious Cooking Demonstrations, and are extremely popular.
Joanne is currently the Irish representative to the European Shiatsu Federation and until recently was the Chairperson of the Shiatsu Society Ireland.
“Good Food: Better Sex” and “Shiatsu & the Art of Conscious Cooking”, both written and published by Joanne, are modern cookbooks full of delicious recipes, Traditional Chinese Medicine plus acupressure points for health and well-being.
Chi Flow with Jo uses natural and easy Qi Gong movements, self acupressure point massage, breathwork and food medicine every weekday morning to nourish the blood, clear the Liver, support the Kidney and calm your nervous system.
Website: https://joannefaulkner.ie/