Acupressure Institute

Massage Therapy Points
A highly skilled massage therapist can use ancient acupressure points to release tension, increase the circulation of blood, and heighten the body's life force energy to aid healing. Acupuncture and acupressure use the same points, but acupuncture employs needles, while acupressure therapy uses gentle but firm finger pressure. Advantages of integrating massage therapy with acupressure trigger points include relieving pain, trauma, burnout, and maintaining good health through self-care. By relaxing the body and relieving stress, acupressure strengthens resistance to disease and promotes wellness. Tension tends to accumulate around these massage therapy points. When a muscle is chronically tense or in spasm, the muscle fibers contract due to the secretion of lactic acid caused by fatigue, trauma, stress, chemical imbalances, or poor circulation. For instance, when you are under a great deal of stress you may find you have difficulty breathing. Certain acupressure points relieve chest tension and enable you to breathe deeply. As a massage therapy point is held, the muscle tension yields to the finger pressure, enabling the fibers to elongate and relax, blood to flow freely, and toxins to be released and eliminated. Increased circulation also brings more oxygen and other nutrients to affected areas. This increases the body's resistance to illness and promotes a longer, healthier, more vital life. When the blood and bioelectrical energy circulate properly, we have a greater sense of harmony and well-being. There are several different kinds of acupressure and Chinese Massage (Tui Na) currently practiced throughout Asia, all of which use the same healing points. Varying rhythms, pressures, and techniques create different styles of acupressure, just as different forms of music use the same notes but combine them in distinctive ways. Shiatsu, for instance, the most well-known style of acupressure, can be quite vigorous, with firm pressure applied to each point for only three to five seconds. Other kinds of acupressure gently hold each point for a minute or more. Pressing with an intermittent, fast beat is stimulating; a slower pressure creates a deeply relaxing effect on the body. To learn how to integrate massage therapy with pressure points and their amazing applications, study at the Acupressure Institute. Although most students start with the Basic Training, Massage Therapists can choose a 200-hour Specialization Program or the 850-hour Acupressure Therapy Program. You can take the 200-hour programs in a 30-day Intensive Training. Get started learning acupressure now, with a discounted Home Study Acupressure Package consisting of a book, CD, video, flashcards, and a laminated chart of the points. To receive a free catalog and class schedule, fill out a School Info Request Form.
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