Acupressure!

Howdy Friends! I don't know about you, but it is weird to say that it is the middle of July already! What. The. Heck.

The last two weeks, I have had the great honor of assistant teaching next to my long time favorite instructor/mentor/friend, Rhonda Mickelson. She is an incredible massage therapist/energy worker and I can never get enough of what she has to say. She is such an incredible woman with such an incredible story! I was almost depressed at the class ending, not only because I was working along side Rhonda, but because each individual in this class is so amazing. I don't think I could have asked for a better experience at a better time.

So! What was this class? What the heck are you talking about?

For those that don't know, besides having my massage practice, I also work at a massage school in Des Moines. I fell in love with the school, the atmosphere, and the people while I was completing my courses that I decided I just couldn't stay away! This has lead down many paths and alleys to learn and assist along side Rhonda in Acupressure.

Acupressure? Do you mean acupuncture?

Nope! But similar concept! AcuPUNCTURE uses needles along the meridians of the body while acuPRESSURE uses mainly fingers/knuckles/hands or sometimes other tools such as stones or thai sticks.

Both Acupressure and Acupuncture were thought to originate back in 100 BCE, but a recent discovery has researchers believing the practices could be much older. For more information on this, I encourage you to look up Otzi the Iceman. It is a fascinating story and discovery that I could get more into, but I would stray too far from my topic at hand.

So earlier I mentioned meridians: In short, a meridian is an energy channel, or "highway". that runs throughout your body. There are 12 meridians with 361 points that run all through your arms, legs, organs, etc. This energy may also be called Qi (pronounced "chee").

Acupressure uses different sequences of these points and meridians to help aid your body energetically. Chinese medicine believes that most every illness and ailment is due to your Qi not properly flowing. I am not an expert on Chinese medicine by any means, but I have studied Acupressure and continue to do so, so that I can bring that into my practice and help my clients as much as possible.

So, what does an Acupressure session look like?

A little different, but much more comfortable in my opinion! The main thing is that the client remains fully clothed throughout a full Acupressure session. We may start with a conversation and then a deep breathing exercise to get into the proper headspace. I then get to work while the client rests. Acupressure is a slow, meditative practice where I move along the chosen meridian line and points, one by one. Contrary to usual massage, I may find a point and stay on it for a few seconds to a few minutes, depending on what you need. These points can feel like pressure points and are sometimes in the same general area (example: the pressure points in your neck are also Acupressure points).

However, I can also add Acupressure points into a "standard" massage and typically do! This has a great effect for the targeted area, it just doesn't always give that full energetic release that an Acupressure session would.

How do I book an Acupressure session? How do I know if I even need or want one?

Just let me know before or at your next appointment! Here's my personal experience: The last Acupressure session I received, I was feeling pretty good already, but knew I should treat myself to a tune up - HOLY. COW. It took me a good five or more minutes to get off of the table. My legs felt like cinderblocks, my headspace was clear, and I could have laid there forever. I was already dressed pretty comfortably and I had a light blanket over me so I was ready for the express train to dream land - ha ha!

To sum it up: You might not feel like you need it, but you can still benefit from Acupressure. I encourage you to try it if reading any of this piqued your interest. If you still want to know more, just ask! I love acupressure and could probably talk about it all day!

So here is where I will end it for this post. Like I said, if you have any questions, please reach out! I have some wonderful resources I use and also highly recommend Rhonda Mickelson if you are in central/southern Iowa. She's incredible inside and out!

Have a wonderful day and THANK YOU so much for reading!

~Tabbatha