Spa lifestyle is about relax, renew and rejuvenate the body and mind. In this section 'Zen at work', inspired from the smart witty book “Office Spa” by Darrin Zeer, here are easy-to-do tips that will help you prevent stress with exercises stemmed from well-balanced nutrition, aromatherapy, acupressure, meditation, and reflexology.
This time, I invite you to try easy Acupressure and Shiatsu tips.
Originated in Asia over 5,000 years ago, acupressure is an ancient healing art using the fingers to press key points which stimulate the body's natural self-curative abilities. Below, you will find a few basic massage techniques to practice easily at work.
Anxiety: use knuckles to drum across top of head using light and rhythmic movements. It will bring courage, relaxation and calm your anxiety.
Clear thinking: use thumb and index fingers; pinch the bridge of the nose. Hold it and let go. Repeat 3 times. It will help restoring concentration, intellectual focus and creative ideas.
Creative thinking: press against your cheekbones with both hands and increase the pressure. Hold and let go for 10 seconds, and repeat. It will help restoring intellectual focus and sharp your mind.
Creativity: Hold a finger of your right hand between the index and the middle finger. Pull outward and hold. Apply pressure. It will bring back mental energy, balance and ideas.
Eyes relief: rub your palms together quickly to warm them; place them gently on your closed eyes and hold; relax and take a relaxing breath for a few minutes.
Headaches: hold the sides of your head in your palms and push in. Shift your fingers across the skull. Press and repeat. Also, use a roll-on filled with essential oils, such as the Aesop ones. It will ease pain, headaches and restore fresh energy.
Jet lag: press your fingers against the temples. Hold your ears between the index and the middle finger and rotate gently. Also, use a roll-on filled with essential oils, such as the Jet-Lag Aesop one. It is excellent for balancing the mind and the body clock.
Stomach: also an important part of the body to massage clockwise. It releases tension, pain, eases digestion and menstruations. With the palm of your hand, hold the pressure on painful spots while breathing deeply.
Tension: hold your head in both hands and gently pressure with fingers. Rotate slowly the thumbs on your temples while breathing deeply. It will ease tensions, lighten the mind and relaxes the muscles.
Bonus hint!
Have you ever heard of Su-Man? A Dancer, Shiatsu master, and Pilates practitioner, she is one of the leading facialists around the world and a skin care pioneer. Known for taking care of Juliette Binoche and Frieda Pinto’s luminous beauty, she has created the art of facial massage, a smart combination of Asian wisdom and Western innovation. Her specific technique is described by Elle magazine as “a non-invasive alternative to Botox”, and by Joely Richardson as “Pilates for the face”.
Watch the film below and learn this two-minute self-facial created to purify, energize and awaken your skin!