1. Life-Saving Point – Ren Zhong (Philtrum)
Ren Zhong is an important emergency acupoint. Pressing this point with your finger can be used in emergencies such as heatstroke or fainting.
2. Kidney Supplement Point – Tai Xi (Tai Xi)
People who often experience heel pain may have weak kidneys. Massaging or moxibusting Tai Xi can greatly nourish the kidneys.
3. Universal Point – He Gu (LI4)
He Gu is a vital acupoint that regulates the entire body, calms pain, promotes circulation, and alleviates symptoms like motion sickness and toothache through pressure.
4. Longevity Point, Stomach Strengthening Point – Zu San Li (ST36)
Regularly pressing or moxibusting Zu San Li can prolong life. There is a saying, “Pressing Zu San Li is better than eating old hen,” as it also nourishes stomach qi.
5. Lower Back Pain Point – Fei Yang (BL58)
Regularly massaging or moxibusting Fei Yang can alleviate lower back pain.
6. Spleen Strengthening Point, Abdominal Distension Point – Gong Sun (SP4)
Massaging or moxibusting Gong Sun can strengthen the spleen and stomach, quickly alleviating symptoms of stomach acid and bloating.
7. Pain Relief Point – Dan Zhong (Ren17)
For chest pain, difficulty breathing, rapid heartbeat, and other symptoms, frequently pressing Dan Zhong can regulate qi, open the chest, and relieve pain.
8. Paralysis Point, High Blood Lipid Point – Huan Tiao (GB30)
For lower back and leg pain, hemiplegia, wind rash, athlete’s foot, and sciatica, frequent massage of Huan Tiao can strengthen the waist and knees, tonify qi, invigorate blood, and relieve pain.
9. Blood Supplement Point – Xue Hai (SP10)
People with insufficient qi and blood can frequently massage or moxibust Xue Hai.
10. Qi Dissipation Point – Tai Chong (LR3)
When feeling frustrated or angry, pressing Tai Chong can help.
When liver fire flares up, it can lead to various ailments. During the transition from spring to summer, liver fire is strong; here are six effective methods to easily eliminate liver fire.
During the transition from spring to summer, how to nourish the liver and dispel liver fire? First, avoid behaviors that harm the liver, such as prolonged screen time and staying up late, and follow the liver’s characteristics to nourish it. In daily life, we should harmonize liver qi, avoiding anger and outbursts. Take breaks at work to walk outside, do chest expansion exercises, stretch, and kick your legs.
1. Massage the Tendons
The liver governs the tendons, and regulating the tendons nourishes the liver. There is a saying in Daoism, “The tendons are hidden in the feet.” When we turn our feet over, a hard tendon appears; this is the tendon that actually travels along the liver meridian. How to regulate this tendon? The simplest method is to buy a rolling pin and place it on the ground. While watching TV, roll your foot over it. As this tendon gradually softens, your liver will also improve.
2. Push the Liver Meridian
The liver meridian starts at the Da Dun (LR1) point on the big toe, which is the endpoint of the gallbladder meridian, then travels up the dorsum of the foot, along the inner side of the calf, entering the perineum, circling the genital area, entering the lower abdomen, then rising from the stomach area to the nasal cavity, reaching the Bai Hui (GV20) point at the top of the head, where it intersects with the Governing Vessel.
We can clear the liver meridian by massaging the inner thigh daily. The method is as follows: use the palm to push from the thigh root to the knee. You can also make a fist and push down with the second joint of your four fingers. Do this 300 times. If the pain is unbearable or you are afraid of scratching your skin, you can apply some soap or other lubricating oil.
Scraping the liver meridian not only dispels liver fire but also opens the liver meridian, allowing the qi and blood to flow smoothly. When the qi and blood of the liver are unobstructed, the liver’s function of storing blood becomes stronger, and the tendons in the body become more elastic, leading to better health and strength.
3. Rub the Palms to Nourish Blood and Protect the Liver
From the perspective of meridians, the center of the palm contains the Lao Gong (PC8) point, which governs blood. Rubbing the palms until warm promotes blood circulation.
Method: Extend both hands, palms facing each other, rub up and down, then front and back, and finally perform the “negative yin embracing yang” motion – right hand covering the left hand.
Time: 6 AM to 8 AM, and 11 AM to 1 PM.
4. Massage Tai Chong (LR3) and Xing Jian (LR2)
Xing Jian and Tai Chong both belong to the Foot Jue Yin Liver Meridian. Xing Jian is the Ying point of this meridian, while Tai Chong is the Shu point (source point) on the dorsum of the foot. Both points have good therapeutic and regulating effects on conditions caused by liver fire. Tai Chong is also the largest detoxification point in the body, effective in clearing liver fire. If there is liver qi stagnation leading to excess heat, massaging Tai Chong and Xing Jian is very necessary.
Method: When massaging, rub from Tai Chong to Xing Jian, which means rubbing downwards 30 times, or directly pressing Tai Chong 50 times.
After learning the movements, it is also important to pay attention to diet to soothe the liver and dispel heat.
5. Nourish the Liver with Diet, Less Sour and More Sweet
“Green enters the liver meridian,” so we should eat more green vegetables. Although “sour flavor enters the liver,” eating too much sour can actually increase liver qi, which can harm the spleen and lead to spleen deficiency. Additionally, sour flavors tend to constrict, which can hinder the generation of yang qi. Therefore, we should consume less sour and more sweet.
Sweet foods such as jujube and yam are highly recommended. Jujube is neutral in nature and can nourish the blood vessels and strengthen the spleen and stomach. It can be eaten raw or made into jujube porridge, jujube cake, or jujube rice. Yam is also an excellent food for nourishing the liver, benefiting the spleen and qi, nourishing the lungs and yin, and tonifying the kidneys. Yam can be made into yam porridge or yam and jujube porridge.
6. Liver Nourishing Tea and Rice
Nourishing the liver focuses on “growth”; it is advisable to consume more warm-natured foods that have growth-promoting effects and can nourish the spleen and liver.
For example, a tea made from Tai Zi Shen (Pseudostellaria heterophylla), dried tangerine peel, and jujube: select 15 grams of Tai Zi Shen, 5 jujubes, and 3 grams of dried tangerine peel, boil and drink as tea to nourish the liver. Another dish is yam and lentil rice: select 100 grams of japonica rice, 20 grams of lentils, and 50 grams of fresh yam. Add an appropriate amount of water, boil on high heat, then simmer until cooked. Since excessive liver qi can easily affect the spleen and stomach, nourishing the liver also emphasizes strengthening the spleen and benefiting the stomach, which is the brilliance of this dish.
When liver fire flares up, it can lead to various ailments. During the transition from spring to summer, liver fire is strong; here are six effective methods to easily eliminate liver fire. As the saying goes, nourishing the liver is nourishing life; give your liver a good cleanse!