April Serenity Points: Recovery Through Acupressure – Yin Tang

April Serenity Point #1

It’s Officially SPRINGTIME! Time to AWAKEN your Recovery through Acupressure!

What does Spring mean in Chinese Medicine?

In Chinese Medicine, springtime represents the Wood element and is associated with the Liver and Gallbladder organs. It’s a time of renewal, growth, and cleansing, both physically and emotionally.

During the Spring, I see a lot of people who tell me they feel like they are coming out of the fog of winter.  This is a common response to longer days, more sun and a little more warmth (depending on where you live). However, while some people THRIVE when spring hits, I also see a lot of people struggling with anger, depression and rage. 

Why is that? Each organ in Chinese Medicine has emotions attached to it.  If that “organ” is not balanced, the emotions can run high.  Spring can be a season of “should” for some people. 

“I should feel better since we have more daylight.”

“I should get outside because it is so nice out.”

“I should be happy, it’s spring!”

When we “should” ourselves, the emotions we are running from or trying to fight tend to drive deeper into our body and become harder to work through.  It has been my experience in my clinic that depression is actually worse in Springtime not Winter based solely on people “should-ing” themselves.

The Serenity Point this week is a simple one to begin to ease the imbalance and move out of the “should” place. 

First Step:  Let’s calm our mind.  We can’t begin to awaken with a racing mind.

Point Name:  Yin Tang

Location:   It is at the midpoint (the center) between your eyebrows (aka: the Third Eye)

Benefits:  Calms the Spirit, Activates Intuition, Provides Mental Clarity, and Helps to reduce Stress and Anxiety.

Technique:  Place yourself in a comfortable position. You can sit, stand, or lie down.

1. Using either hand, place your thumb at the midpoint (the center) between your eyebrows. If you have trouble finding it, make sure your thumb is on your forehead. Do not put your thumb on the bridge of your nose. 

2. Press down on this point with your thumb. Move your thumb in a circle while applying pressure. You can move it in clockwise (to the right) or counterclockwise (to the left) circles. Do this for 30 seconds to 2 minutes, as often as you feel necessary.

This point can be a game changer for many people.  It can also be a difficult one, as I find that those of us who are type A (wink, wink me included) are not huge fans of this point.  I am still trying to figure out why that is…I have theories but I won’t bore you with those! 

Hope this helps to transform your recovery, one point at a time!  As always, please consult your trusted healthcare provider before tying anything new.

SERENITY POINTS: Serenity Points Introduction – Transforming Recovery, One Point at a Time by Sober Curator Contributor Lauren McLaughlin

SPIRITUAL GANGSTER: Welcome to the ‘Spiritual Gangster’ wing of The Sober Curator, a haven for those on a sober journey with a twist of spiritual sass. Here, we invite you to plunge headfirst into a world of meditation, astrology, and spiritual reflection – all while keeping your feet (and sobriety) firmly on the ground.

Each month, our very own Analisa Six, better known as the Lady of Leosure, graces us with ‘The Sobercast with Six.’ It’s like horoscopes, but with less hocus-pocus and more sober reality checks for the coming month. And let’s not forget Daniel G Garza, or as we affectionately call him, ‘The Card Divo.’ He delivers snappy, under-a-minute weekly sober tarot card readings that’ll have you saying, “Hit me with another round…of cards!”

The newest star of this spiritual show? That’s Derek Castleman, our resident ‘Sober Stoic.’ After finding enlightenment in the Serenity Prayer and its connection to the Steps, he realized stoicism wasn’t just about keeping a stiff upper lip – it was a roadmap for leading a fulfilling life, no matter the roll of the dice.

SOBERCAST WITH SIX  brings you astrology updates from our resident astrologer, tarot card reader, and Sober Curator Contributor Analisa Six.

THE CARD DIVO brings quick-hitting and intuitive horoscopes for sober people on the go. (Seriously, 1-minute once a week)

THE SOBER STOIC Sober Curator Contributor Derek Castleman is a writer, educator, scientist, data analyst, and philosopher. Struggling with drug addiction and alcoholism for over fifteen years while at the same time suffering from being bipolar, he was finally able to achieve recovery in 2018. From mental hospitals to rehab, county jail to sober living, 12 Step Programs would be his foundation, but he would eventually discover the path of Stoicism to be the key to his sobriety and sanity.

ALTAR & EGO explores topics surrounding recovery, spirituality, and mental health. We hope you will consider this section of our site as food for your sober soul. Brought to you by Sober Curator Contributor Staci DesRault

THE DAILY LLAMA brings you short, one-word weekday meditations for your complete wool-being! Brought to you by Sober Curator Contributor Staci DesRault

COMING SOON! SPIRITUAL SUBSTANCE with Lane Kennedy

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