High blood pressure is a major predictor of heart disease and stroke. We already know that moderate exercise, careful diet, sufficient sleep and having a calm mind can prevent these. But did you know that pressing the right acupuncture points will also improve your blood pressure?

There are several acupuncture points linked to regulation of blood pressure:

1.GV20 • Bai Hui • Governing Vessel 20 Hundred Meetings. Meeting Point on the Governing Vessel with the six yang channels.
Location: On the midsagittal line, at the intersection of a line connecting the right and left ear apices.
# Chinese Name Bai Hui http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-23/2007823111037.html
# English Name Hundred Convergences
Actions & Effects:
# Main point for headache, dizziness, eye pain and redness, irritability, hypertension from excess yang in the upper body, often occuring with patterns of excess Liver yang or Liver fire. Combine with lower body points such as LV 2, LV 3, KD 1, GB 34, GB 41.
# Main point for internal wind which has some overlapping indications with the above entry, for headaches, dizziness, visual dizziness, tinnitus, vertex pain, windstroke, seizures.
# Main point for prolapse, anal, uterine, vaginal; main point for hemorrhoids.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to effect the association area (related to emotions, memory, behavior), useful for low energy, yang energy imbalances, parkinson’s, alzheimer’s, motor control issues.
Hold 5 fingers of each hand into a point, tap at Baihui lightly, alternating hands (left, right, left, right) for three minutes. Once in the morning and again at night.

2.KI1 • Yong Quan • Kidney 1 Gushing Spring. Jing Well Point on the Kidney Channel. Wood Point on Water Meridian.
Location: On the sole of the foot, between the second and third metatarsal bones, one-third the the distance from the webs of the toes to the heel.
# Chinese Name Yongquan http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-20/2007820145118.html
# English Name Gushing Spring
Actions & Effects:
# Descends excess from above, useful for LV Yang Rising or LV Fire – headaches, tinnitus, hypertension, epilepsy.
# Cooling KD empty heat – chronic sore throat, dry mouth, low back pain.
# Tonify KD/HT Yin – insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, poor memory, mania, rage w/desire to kill, hot flashes, night sweats.
# Loss of consciousness, yang collapse.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used to descend the energy in the body particularly after qi gong exercises, energy healing sessions, etc. Useful for headache, nausea, insomnia, etc.

First warm up your hands by rubbing them briskly together. Then use your right hand to rub your left foot. One rub is from heel to toe then back again to the heel. In total rub your foot thirty six times, then switch. After rubbing both your feet, use a thumb to press your foot’s Yongquan point. With medium force and speed, rub in a tiny circle thirty six times. Then stimulate your other foot’s Yngquan point in the same manner.

3.GB20 • Feng Chi • Gall Bladder 20 Wind Pool. Meeting Point on Gall Bladder Channel with the Triple Energizer Channel, Yang Linking and Yang Motility Vessels.
Location: At the posterior head, at the junction of the occipital and nuchal regions, in the depression between the origins of Sternocleidomastoid and Trapezius muscles. These points (left & right) are found at the base of your skull where it meets with your spine. They’re commonly used for treatment of the common cold, the flu, headaches, neck pain, regulating blood pressure and blood circulation.
# Chinese Name Feng Chi http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-24/2007824101115.html
# English Name Wind Pool
Actions & Effects:
# Dispel Exterior or Interior Wind – (exterior) – fever/chills, stiff neck; (internal) – paralysis, twitching, tremors, numbness, dizziness, vertigo.
# All issues of the head, brain (seizures, memory, mental/neurological disorders), face, throat and sense organs (eyes, ears, nose, tongue).
# Headache, especially occipital.
# Eye issues.
# Issues of the neck, shoulders a/or upper back – pain, weakness, stiffness.
# Hypertension, especially with LV Yang Rising.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Used most often in conjunction with the huatuo points of C1 and C2 to open the spinal cord, generally used to relieve neck tension.

Lace your fingers together, thumbs pointing up. Swing your hands to the back of your head so your thumbs rest just below your skull in the little hollows beside the central muscles along your spine. With medium force and speed, rub in tiny circles thirty six times.

4. LR3 • Tai Chong • Liver 3 Great Surge. Shu Stream Point on the Liver Channel. Yuan Source Point on the Liver Channel. Earth Point on Wood Meridian.
Location: On the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second metatarsal bones, approximately 2 cun superior to the web margin.(the “knuckles”of your foot).
# Chinese Name Tai Chong http://www.tcmadvisory.com/2007/8-22/2007822174331.html
# English Name Great Surge
Actions & Effects:
# Generally, resolves stagnation and tonifies Yin – balancing for all LV pathologies.
# LV Qi Stagnation / LV Yang Rising – headaches, dizziness, canker sores.
# Eye issues – blurred vision, red, swollen, painful eyes.
# Menstrual issues from Deficient Blood, Yin, Qi a/or LV Qi Stagnation – dysmennorrhea, amenorrhea, PMS, breast tenderness.
# Genital issues – pain/swelling, hernia, impotence, semianl emission.
# Stagnation in the middle warmer – subcostal tension, chest/flank pain, swellings in the axillary region.
# Digestive issues from LV attacking ST/SP – nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea w/ undigested food.
# Calming point – anger, irritability, insomnia, anxiety.
# With LI 4, four gates treatment – powerfully effects the flow of Qi and Blood in the body.
# Tong Ren/Tam Healing System: Important point to descend energy in the body, generally used after qi gong exercises, energy healing sessions, etc. Helps to avoid qi gong sickness (or running fire) where energy is stuck in the upper part of the head/body and causes issues such as shortness of breath, psychological issues, headache, etc.

It is treated to bring emotions into balance, to regulate menstruation and to reduce blood pressure. On both feet, simultaneously, use your thumbs to press your Taichong points for two to three minutes.

I hope by teaching you how to press these acupuncture points that you can improve your health. Every body can have a healthy body and peace of mind.
Below are some pictures to help you find the acupuncture points.

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