Ever felt
like you’re moving underwater? Or maybe just your brain is? It can hit you in
the middle of the day, after the morning coffee has worn off and your lunch is
happily sitting in your stomach—productivity slows
and brain fog rolls in. Or maybe you’re a Monday morning brain fog person,
where you just aren’t moving as quickly as the day and people around you.
Either way, it can be frustrating and overwhelming when your
brain isn’t firing the way it should be. When I have patients complain of brain
fog (which is different from headaches),
I immediately look into diet, as there are many things hidden in our daily
meals that can contribute to slower-than-usual thinking. The main culprits are
typically dairy, gluten, sugar, and many other additives to foods we ingest.
The best way to alleviate brain fog with diet is to consume mostly whole foods,
fresh produce, and to buy from local farms and gardens. That way you can be
sure your food isn’t traveling from far and wide, which typically requires
preservatives that make their way into your system. Once your diet is cleaned up,
and even if it’s on its way to being clean, these quick acupressure techniques
can help excite and clear your brain fog on the spot.
To help lift your
brain fog, stimulate each of those points for 60 to 90 seconds with moderate
pressure, then move to the next one in the cycle. You can do this cycle two to
three times when you are feeling tired and sluggish and then get up, move
around the room, and take some deep breaths. Moving chi (or energy) with
acupressure and then oxygenating yourself is a sure way to liven up your body
and get the brain juices flowing again! These three acupressure hot spots will
help you clear your mind and fight brain fog:
1. Si Shen Cong, 4 Extraordinary Points on the top of your head.
Si Shen Cong are a
group of four acupuncture points located on top of the head. They belong to a
group of points, called "Extraordinary Points." The Si Shen Cong
points have a strong stimulating effect on all aspects of the mind and spirit
or "Shen." They are also used for headache, vertigo, insomnia,
epilepsy, and of course, brain fog. They also help to clear the mind and calm
the Shen, which can help with decision making in stressful situations.
Locate these points: You can locate these points
by locating the vertex of the head, finding the midpoint (this location is the
acupoint DU20 below), then finding a group of four points, about one inch
respectively anterior, posterior, and two points lateral to the midpoint DU20.
2. DU20, the vertex of your head.
DU20
is also a powerful point for the brain and has a calming effect on the Shen. It
has a very strong raising function, which makes it excellent for stirring up
the mind and bringing your attention back. It can increase yang energy in the
body, which leaves you feeling warm and invigorated. It is located at the
vertex of the head, or very top of it.
Locate
these points: The easiest way to find DU20 is to gently fold over the ears
back to front and from the top where they come to a point when you have folded
them, connect that line to the top of the head and that where you will find DU20.
The DU meridian starts below the tip of the tailbone and runs up the midline of
the body, over the head and ends on the inside of the upper lip where the
frenulum joins the upper lip and gum.
It’s an incredibly powerful meridian for brain
fog and all cognitive functions as it is said to innervate the brain.
3.
KI 1, or Kidney 1, on the bottom of your foot.
Kidney 1 is the lowest and most grounding point on the body. The
kidney meridian begins on the bottom of the foot at kidney 1 and innervates the
kidneys, the reproductive organs, runs all the way up the body and terminates
under the clavicle at Kidney 27.
Locate
these points: You’ll find Kidney 1 on the sole of the foot, between the
second and third metatarsal (foot bones), approximately one-third of the
distance between the base of the second toe and the heel, in a depression
formed when the foot is plantar flexed, like when you make a step-down motion.
Applying pressure with your fingers is an excellent way to
stimulate this point. Stimulating Kidney 1 floods the body with kidney energy
that has many beneficial effects including improving memory, strengthening
focus, and improving hearing.
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