What is Acupressure ?

1. Acupressure Therapy (Introduction)

        Acupressure is an ancient therapy discovered by the knowledgeable Sages and ascetics and is of great importance, because it is based on the science of Spirituality. In Kaliyug (Present era of strife), besides physical and psychological sufferings, everyone suffers from spiritual distress in varying proportions. One can overcome the physical and psychological sufferings with moderate and light touch respectively, and reduce the spiritual sufferings through Acupressure Therapy (without touching) based on spiritual prowess acquired by praying, chanting, meditating etc.

A. The only purpose of human life – Obtaining Anand (Bliss)

        Man constantly strives to obtain the highest state of happiness. This happiness is known as Anand, and efforts made to obtain this Anand are known as spiritual practice. Appropriate guidance on obtaining this can be provided initially by Saints and later by a Guru (Spiritual master).

B. Importance of the physical body

        Physical body is the medium to perform spiritual practice. The human body exists at the physical and subtle levels. Even if the physical body is destroyed, subtle-body continues to exist and function.

2. History

        The scripture called Sushrut Samhita says that Acupressure Therapy has existed in Bharat for over five thousand years. Acupuncture Therapy developed from Acupressure Therapy. In the 16th Century, the Red-Indian community in America, knew about Acupressure Therapy. Unfortunately, this ancient therapy was not preserved appropriately. Over a period, this reached Sri Lanka in the form of Acupuncture Therapy. The Buddhist Ascetics, Sages and travellers carried it to China and Japan. Upon realizing the importance of this therapy, research was conducted in China, which led to its development and spread. In 1949, Mao-Tse-Tung, the Chinese visionary, political leader and staunch Communist, started the revival of Acupressure and Acupuncture Therapy, which man had forgotten till the early half of the 20th Century. Then, till 1971, these forms were established all over China. In China, Japan and Korea, Acupressure and Acupuncture therapies were given official sanction. These therapies were also given official recognition as standard forms of therapy. Today, these therapies are used widely in hospitals in these countries. This therapy reached a developed country like USA from China, and then it spread rapidly all over the world. Acupressure and Acupuncture are sciences officially recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO) as well.

3. Meaning of ‘Acupressure Therapy’

A. What is Acupressure ? Acupressure therapy means applying pressure on specific points on the body of an individual, thereby activating his internal organs and through this process, improving the health of the individual.

B. Acupressure therapy involves applying pressure on the energy points (henceforth referred to as ‘pressure points’) situated on the physical body that are related to respective organs.

C. A point represents Deity Shiva’s energy of Dissolution. Applying required amount of pressure on the pressure point where chetana in the form of energy associated with the respective organ has congregated, and thereby overcoming the disease, is known as Acupressure Therapy.

D. Acupressure Therapy means treatment (administered to a patient) with the use of hands and the Panchatattva (Five Cosmic Principles) that are at the sagun-nirgun level. This technique involves sagun in the form of the body and nirgun at an indirect level, by using spiritual healing affected by applying pressure. Hence, these healing techniques are perceived at the sagun -nirgun level.

        There are many techniques to activate internal organs with certain pressure points in the physical body, such as Acupressure Therapy, Acupuncture, Shiatsu, Zone Therapy, Reflexology etc. Of these, Acupressure Therapy is the most ancient & easy technique.

• Vulnerable points – Delicate and important spots in the human body :

        Some organs and some portions of the human body are very delicate and important. In case of an attack on these organs or portions, the individual can get seriously injured, lose consciousness, get crippled permanently or even die. These spots are known as the ‘vulnerable points’. These are also the points where Acupressure Therapy can be applied. Sages and Ascetics had knowledge about these vulnerable points thousands of years ago. They have given each point a specific name. Ayurveda too provides detailed information on the important points and delicate spots on the human body.

• Knowledge of these vulnerable points is used in combat during self-defence :

        Chinese have knowledge about these vulnerable points, which when pressed, can make an individual either unconscious or lose life. People in Korea and Japan use this knowledge in self-defence combat like Judo and Karate.

4. Acupressure : Absolute necessity during times of adversity

That influence of Raja-Tama components will increase in Kaliyug is a foregone conclusion and hence, the present times are an adverse period for all human beings. This period is terrible as well as sorrowful. When severe adversities will start befalling the world, it will become necessary to fight every physical, psychological and spiritual problem efficiently at the individual level, because in this period, massive destruction will start, and even basic amenities will not be available to the average person. In such times of calamity, Acupressure Therapy will become a very useful and necessary aid. Acupressure Therapy is the need of the coming times. Realizing this need, each individual should not only study this to make himself / herself independent, but also practice it.

5. Purity in human life and Acupressure Therapy

A. Acupressure Therapy was discovered by Sages and Ascetics to purify the physical body

        Ancient Sages and Ascetics studied the human body through spiritual practice and suggested Acupressure Therapy as a means to keep the physical body healthy so as to perform spiritual practice and purify the body.

B. Preserving purity in human life with a sattvik mind and intellect and through Acupressure Therapy

        The human body can be kept pure with the use of the mind and intellect. This skill is indeed an ideal human lifestyle and code of daily conduct. If there is a change in this lifestyle, the purity begins to decline. Acupressure Therapy helps preserve the purity.

C. Process that takes place after applying pressure on the chetana point

        The chetana point is capable of not only alleviating physical suffering but also imbibing maximum possible Chaitanya (Divine consciousness) and spreading it all over the body. Applying pressure on this point leads to generation of sattvik Shakti (Divine Energy) vibrations. These vibrations get converted into Chaitanya, which then begins to move all over the body. Consequently, the centres created by negative energies in the physical body disintegrate, and with time, Chaitanya spreads all over the body. ‘With individual basic nature comes perversion. Perversion obstructs the joint functioning of the Pruthvi (Absolute Earth Principle) and Apa (Absolute Water Principle) in the individual. This obstacle is eliminated with the help of Acupressure Therapy, which streamlines the flow of chetana in the body.

1. Subtle-benefits obtained by the physical body upon applying pressure on the chetana point :

   • Elimination of obstacles in the respiratory tract and spreading of Chaitanya in the body.

   • Flow of Chaitanya to the heart, liver, urinary bladder and other organs through blood vessels.

   • Obtaining prana-shakti (Vital energy).

2. Subtle-benefits to the mind upon applying pressure on the chetana point :

   • The mind becomes steady and imbibes sattvik thoughts from outside.

   • Positive response to events taking place.

   • Ripples of Anand created in the mind.

D. Acupressure Therapy is employed to eliminate obstacles in the flow of Kundalini-shakti (Dormant spiritual energy in the subtle-body)

        Chaitanya-shakti (Energy of Chaitanya) in the human body has one main channel of flow. In addition to this main channel, it also flows through two other channels. It then spreads all over the body through a network of 72,000 nadis (Energy channels). This Chaitanya-shakti is neither visible to the eye nor can be measured. This Chaitanya-shakti is known as ‘Kundalini’ in Yoga terminology. The main flow of this energy is known as Sushumna (The central channel of the spiritual energy flow system, which extends from the base of the spine to the top of the head), while the other two channels are known as Ida (The Moon channel, one of the main channels of the spiritual energy system located to the left of the body and carrying soothing energy) and Pingala (Sun channel).

        In the human body, this Chaitanya-shakti is concentrated at seven specific points. Hence, these points are energy centres. In Yoga terminology, these energy centres are known as ‘Kundalini chakras’ (Centres in the body through which the spiritual energy flows). These chakras are associated with the organs in the human body, and it is this association that helps human beings evolve spiritually. Any obstacle in the functioning of the chakras leads to generation of impurity. In reality, the chakras, mind and intellect are all interdependent. Obstacles in the Kundalini-chakras alter the proportion of virtues and vices in human beings. The obstacles in the chakras can be eliminated by behaviour through application of the human intellect that leads to change in the proportion of virtues and vices. Thus, Acupressure Therapy can eliminate obstacles in the smooth functioning of Chaitanya-shakti in the human body. Hence, Acupressure Therapy is regarded as one of the best techniques of eliminating the obstacles in the flow of Kundalini-shakti.

Reference : Sanatan Sanstha’s Holy text ‘Acupressure therapy for common ailments‘