Table of contents
1 About our immune system
2 Strengthening the immune system with acupressure
3 Why do we get sick?
4 Exercises to strengthen the immune system with the acupressure mat
5 Is the acupressure mat dangerous?
6 Does acupressure also help with colds and sniffles?
7 What is good for the immune system
"Our appointment with life takes place in the present moment. And the meeting place is exactly where we are right now." - A phrase often attributed to Buddha that reminds us in times of illness - or the desire to protect ourselves from it - that we must first look at where we are in order to successfully take the next steps.
Where there is turmoil on the outside, we humans want security on the inside. Colds, viruses, inflammations and injuries - like a fortress in battle, our immune system protects the body from damage that could be dangerous to us.
But this interplay of all our bodily functions to ensure our mental and physical health demands a lot from our immune system.
Nature has given us countless important tools to help ourselves. Fears become quieter through simple, deep breathing. Tension fades - through the warmth of a hug, the touch of our own hand, feeling a sunbeam through the window. Acupressure is also such a natural tool that many people find helpful.
From ancient Chinese and Indian traditions, pressure on the body through nail boards or with the hands is often described as healing for the entire system body. Even today, it is worth trying out whether you can help your own immune system with acupressure.
What exercises you can do with the acupressure mat ShaktiMat at home, as well as a small series of exercises for pressing acupressure points with your hands, we show you in this article.
Our immune system - what is it actually?
Immune system is an umbrella term we use to group together many different body functions that work together to fight off infections. You can think of it this way: All around us, there are...
- Viruses
- Bacteria and
- other pathogens
...for which our body is a dream place to live, where they would like to settle and multiply. The disadvantage? The intruders often cause us harm. To protect us from this, nature has set up the immune system.
We divide the work of the immune system into two different types of immune defense.
We call the so-called non-specific immune defense the first defensive measures our body takes when an infection occurs. For example, when we cut ourselves or bang our knee when we fall down. Foreign invaders of all kinds are recognized by our body, surrounded by cells sent specifically for this purpose and broken down by enzymes.
When the body's own helpers clean up destroyed tissue, pus is produced - almost everyone has been able to observe this on themselves. All healthy people have this reaction of the non-specific immune defense from birth, it is our built-in first aid.
The second pillar on which our body's own security system stands is the specific immune defense.
This is not innate, but is learned in the course of life. Similar to how a child painfully learns that a hot stove top is dangerous by touching it, our specific immune defense system also remembers exactly what harms us and learns to recognize and prevent this early on in the future.
If we cannot get a disease again, because after a single experience with the viruses or bacteria, the body is so well prepared for it that it is no longer dangerous to us, then we call this "being immune".
It literally means to be "insensitive to something". These lessons that the body learns from its experiences are individual to each person.
In order for the two systems to be in contact with each other, your lymphatic system with the lymph nodes and organs such as the thymus gland, the bone marrow, your spleen, as well as the tonsils in the roof of your mouth make an important contribution - you can think of it as your body's coordination system for self-care.
It ensures that the two types of immune defense can kick in at the right place for your health.
But how do you support your immune system to function properly?
How to strengthen the immune system with acupressure
Probably the most important function that acupressure can perform for your immune system is stimulating blood flow and relieving tension in your tissues at the same time, as both ensure a good flow of the lymphatic system and also provide less pain.
The positive effect of an acupressure mat on blood circulation has long been appreciated: In a study of 200 participants at the Community Wholistic Health Care Center in Carrboro, it was determined as early as the late 1990s that 98% - almost all - of the acupressure mat users experienced pain relief due to increased blood flow.
Using a smaller but very specific control group of 36 people who had been suffering from pain for more than 15 years on average, it was shown at Karlstad University in Sweden that different versions of acupressure mats all led to the same result: 15 minutes of daily rest on the mat helped the patentees reduce the number of painful areas in the body after just three weeks.
The absence of pain regained through acupressure has an enormously positive effect on our well-being. Pain relief automatically leads to the fact that the affected person relaxes and the tissues can be optimally supplied with fluid again.
This gives the immune system the opportunity to resume its work properly, as we have described to you above, and to take care of every corner of the body.
Why do we often get sicker as we get older?
The older we get, the wiser our immune system becomes. It collects indispensable information, catalogs viruses and bacteria - and yet it is especially the older among us who fall seriously ill if the immune system cannot react quickly enough.
As we age, many people drop the priority of taking care of their own body's circulation and movement.
Everyday life has to be managed, daily work forces us into the same movements and positions over and over again. We become stiff, the blood circulation falters and the lymph can no longer flow properly - one of the most important communication channels of our body no longer functions smoothly.
It is a creeping process that prevents our immune system from actually doing its job so well that we can brave illnesses even at an advanced age. And this is exactly where the ShaktiMat comes in.
Exercises to strengthen the immune system with the acupressure mat ShaktiMat
Much like a computer that needs regular updates to keep it working well, our immune system needs regular training to best protect us.
One type of this training, i.e. the stimulation of our immune system through increased blood circulation, is offered by the acupressure mat. We have summarized the exercises that work particularly well for you below.
Exercise 1: 15-20 minutes supine position on the ShaktiMat
Probably everyone who has an acupressure mat at home already knows this exercise: Simply lie with your back on the mat.
If you are very tense, breathe through the first uncomfortable pain and let your back sink deeply and relaxed on the tips of the mat while taking calm breaths.
It hurts too much? No problem - leave a T-shirt on or put a thin cloth between your bare skin and the mat. Especially for beginners, the effect is quite sufficient. The better you can relax, the less uncomfortable the beginning of the supine position will feel.
Why at least 15 minutes? Since we want to vigorously stimulate the immune system, we need to give the body enough time to really relax on the tips.
After a few minutes, even those muscles that sometimes initially tense due to the pain relax and the body begins to release endorphins, or happy hormones.
How exactly it works and what it does to your body, we have described to you in this article.
Exercise 2: Acupressure points sequence to keep the immune system of the aging body going.
As we described above, it is especially important to help our bodies hydrate all tissues as we age.
The following acupressure points support your body and help you stay fit or get fit again:
- Press for one minute the Three-Mile Point (St36). You will find it a hand's width below the knee and a finger's width on the outside of the shin. You can press the point on both sides at the same time or one after the other.
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SP4 underhook. Feel about one and a half finger width below the joint of the big toe for the bone that can be felt on the outside of the foot. Grasp this bone firmly and apply upward pressure. Take five deep breaths. Then repeat the exercise on the other side.
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Chicken wings wiggle for strong lungs. The points are located on both sides of your rib cage about two finger widths inward from the inner edge of the shoulder joint and about two finger widths below the collarbone. Press the points with your fingers or thumbs - it looks a little like you're trying to play chicken. Now slowly wiggle your "wings" - that is, your elbows - for a minute or two, breathing as deeply as you can. It's best if you do it with the window open.
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H7 Press hard. You will find the point on the inside of the wrist in extension of the little finger in a hollow between two bones. Hold strong - but not uncomfortable - pressure for 10 slow breaths.
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Press the center between the nipples. The point C17 is located on the sternum exactly in the middle between the nipples.
Form a fist to press on it and increase the pressure with your second hand if you like. Again, breathe deeply for one to two minutes. As you breathe, make sure you notice a slight to moderate resistance from the pressure as you inhale, so that your lungs have to work a little harder than usual to do their job. This will result in more blood flow and more strength in the long run.
- Neck massage: To finish the exercise, massage your neck vigorously with your hands, making sure to keep your head loose - the muscles should be relaxed and warm.
Exercise 3: 5 minutes standing on the ShaktiMat
Similar to the supine exercise, you can also put a towel underneath or leave socks on. Since the pressure is particularly high due to your body weight, five minutes of standing on the mat is usually enough to achieve a strong blood circulation in the soles of the feet.
Especially those who are often stuck in tight shoes and rarely go barefoot usually have problems with good lymph flow in the area of the feet, which often extends up the whole leg. If standing feels uncomfortable at first and you feel the urge to move, you can also step from one leg to the other on the mat.
Is an acupressure mat dangerous?
There is no scientific evidence that an acupressure mat is dangerous for the body, on the contrary, it stimulates blood circulation.
In a study conducted by the University of Essen, 8 out of 91 participants dropped out prematurely because they found the needles painful or uncomfortable, but there were no signs of negative consequences. Of course, as always, you should listen to your own body and avoid unnecessary stress, especially if you are pregnant, have heart problems or severe skin problems. All others can use the acupressure mat without hesitation and if it is felt too painful can simply put on a T-shirt and get used to the feeling of the needles over time.
Acupressure for colds and runny nose
Many people swear by acupressure at the first signs of a cold or sniffles. To clear the nose, it helps many to press several times for 10 seconds on the point between the two eyebrows, and then with the thumb and forefinger to the right and left of the root of the nose.
If you want to perfect your technique, you can have a professional show you. This gentle method has no side effects and can help clear the nose in the short term. This technique cannot protect us from diseases. Here we need more holistic approaches that strengthen our immune system.
Breathe in - breathe out. Why physical rest is good for the immune system, especially in times of external unrest.
Let us leave you with a few words in closing. Words for a time when your thoughts revolve around your immune system, your health and that of your loved ones:
Our body is a marvel. It continues to breathe ceaselessly while we sleep. Its protective layers house our fragile inner life and all its muscles, ligaments, vision, glands - they help us express feelings.
They show others with a smile the joy we feel inside and share with tears the sadness that overwhelms us. Our body grows and shrinks with us. It catches what this life throws at us physically, brings us to work every day and is a transport vehicle for the intentions of our soul and heart.
Over the time we live with it, we often take our body and its immune system for granted. We deny it the rest it needs to regenerate. We make it work for us incessantly, it too rarely hears a thank you from us. Instead, it experiences disappointment far too often when it doesn't function as it should.
Let's also see illness and the fear of it as a reminder that our bodies can only protect us properly if we take care of them, too.
Let us take a few breaths each day to be aware of what this miracle does every day. And let us ask ourselves again and again how we can support our immune system so that it remains a reliable partner for us.
Because just as in a relationship between two people, the relationship with our body needs to be nurtured and nourished.
Whenever you wish someone else a "stay healthy" - don't forget to wish it for yourself, too, and consider whether you've already done something today to help your body grant you that wish.
You want to learn more about how to use the acupressure mat ShaktiMat to strengthen body and circulation? Then take a look at our blog, where we have compiled a lot of information for you and explained it clearly with examples to follow.
If you would like to share or ask questions about acupressure and acupressure mats, feel free to leave us a comment here on the blog or join our acupressure group on Facebook, where many thousands of people are already sharing about acupressure.
Antje Wickboldt is a freelance writer from Berlin. She has been working with the body's self-healing powers for over 10 years and, as a lecturer, explains in interactive lectures for companies and offices how tension can be released with the help of acupressure and massage.
Sources for this article:
Andrews, Synthia and Dempsey, Bobbi: Acupressure & Reflexology for Dummies. Wiley Publishing, Indianapolis 2007. p. 262 f.
Dr. Ramaiah, Savitri: Acupressure in daily Life. New Dawn Sterling Publishers, 2nd edition, New Delhi 2010, p. 94 f.
Dr. Stein, Aaron: Acupressure Guide. Alleviate Headaches, Neck and Joint Pain, Anxiety Attacks and Other Ailments. Mobile Reference, 2nd edition, Canada 2009. p. 96.
Kaminoff, Leslie: Yoga Anatomy. Tissue of Life. 3rd edition, Riva, Munich 2009 p. 10 ff.
Studies:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/233934675_Reflexo-Therapy_With_Mechanical_Cutaneous_Stimulation_Pilot_Study
https://www.pagepress.org/journals/index.php/ams/article/view/ams.2011.e5
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1876382016301172