Freedom for the Soul

Abdominal palpation provides a highly effective and fascinating way to diagnose and treat imbalance in Chinese medicine. It has a rich tradition in both Chinese and Japanese acupuncture (and probably Korean, as well), and there are practitioners today who use it with great success.

Unfortunately, most practitioners today do not use abdominal palpation. Recently, I have become reinvigorated with a love and deep respect for this ancient tradition, and I have been using it on everyone who comes in to my office. So far the results have been superb, beyond what I expected, and I am absolutely thrilled.

So what is abdominal palpation? It is, simply put, pressing gently into the upper and lower abdomen (sometimes extending into the chest) to see if there are spots of irregularity. Things I look for include:

• Overall temperature, skin texture and health, muscle tone and health and general level of vitality
• Temperature hot and cold spots
• Hard spots
• Empty spots
• Lumps
• Pulsing/Throbbing spots
• Distended spots
• Painful spots (and if/where they radiate to or from)
• And more

Beyond the sheer beauty of seeing how something so simple can be so powerful, I love this modality because it provides a way for you to care for yourself between treatments. I’ve been asking patients to practice it on themselves daily, and the results have been spectacular. After all, how often do you touch your own abdomen with the intention to heal and give love? And who touches your abdomen for you in this way? Everyone I’ve asked has said, “No one has ever touched my abdomen, not even me, with a loving heart and the intention of healing.”

The abdomen/chest houses all of your major organs. It is the center of your body, the center of your vitality, and from it flows blood, nutrients and more. Wouldn’t it be great if you knew a tool to care for your abdomen and your health, so that you weren’t as dependent upon doctors and practitioners?

Personally, I am totally into self-care. I feel that no one is responsible for my health except for me. It’s my job to make sure I’m getting what I need, not my doctor’s or my acupuncturist’s, or anyone else. Abdominal work gives us a way to work on ourselves every single day, and further our health, without any other intervention. Try it yourself and see!

I’m about to see another patient, so I have to go, but later tonight or tomorrow I will post detailed instructions on how to use abdominal palpation on yourself! All my love to you.

Filed under: 5 Element medicine, Acupuncture on September 18th, 2007