Do-In: self-massage that’s really in!

Do-In: self-massage that’s really in!
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The constantly double-booked urban dwellers we all are nowadays means that we simply don’t have the time to lie down and receive a sublime massage in the place to be, Zen! Luckily there’s a self-massage technique with proven benefits that you can carry out at home in your very own personal spa, without needing to be a professional. Do-In

Do-In is a technique developed by the Chinese 5000 years ago, which helps us to preserve good circulation of Qi, our vital energy, simply through applying pressure with the fingertips. Three pressures with your fingertips in two stages and you’re away! You’ll be the master of acupressure in no time!

Do-In: the principle of inner energy

According to Taoist theory, at the heart of Chinese energy, our bodies have 12 meridian roadways. These meridians allow our vital energy to circulate. Do-In consists of stimulating acupuncture points situated on the routes of these meridians.

Each of these points is associated with a different organ in the body. If you’re feeling tired, irritable, or suffer from insomnia... simple pressure applied to the correct area will re-establish the harmony in your body, which has obviously been upset.

Do-In: proven health benefits

The pros are all agreed: Do-In revives the body’s main functions, including respiration, circulation and digestion, and it also regulates the nervous system. In practice, or “real life”, you adopt the reflex of Do-In when you are feeling a little shatter, and this low energy is “interrupting” the rhythm of your day, or when you get heavy legs because of standing up all day.

An amazing solution for stress, acupressure brings calm before a meeting, especially during a stressed time at work. In cases of insomnia also, Do-In can avoid all those sleepless nights, and for those suffering digestive discomfort, little problems can be put to rest finally... As for people who deal with jet-lag on a regular basis, they swear by the Do-In technique.

Do-In: How do you do it?

The originality of the Do-In method resides in its simplicity. To become the master of acupressure, it is really very straightforward! Oriental Schools advise using the thumb, or even the index finger and middle finger together. Pressure is briefly applied with the fingertips, in an interrupted but rhythmic pattern. Basically you press the skin firmly, then take your fingers away from the point you have just stimulated. This is all done with a certain gentleness.

Of course, between each time you apply pressure, you can’t just pick up your phone or get back to your nail varnish... Your full attention must be on what you are doing during the whole session, your fingers should stay in contact with the skin, and your mind should be in tune with all the inner sensations.

There are numerous books which explain the exact routes of energy for your particular objectives. A pause to do Do-In does not have to be hours. Five minutes is enough if you are pressed for time, and a quarter of an hour once you have returned home. Nothing is stopping you from extending this though!

Do-In: 5 minute self-massage at the office

There is no need to wait until you have lots of time, five minutes once a day at the office will be enough. In order to get your vitality back again, stimulating the point “stomach 36” (underneath the knee, on the external side of the tibia) is very effective.

If you’re overloaded with things to do, pressure applied to a few places on the route of the small intestine meridian (covering the inside arm) will allow you to find your inner calm and sang-froid. Massaging these pressure points will provoke the secretion of endorphins as well, which act as natural analgesics for the body.

To learn more about Do-In:

• Do-In Way: Gentle Exercises to Liberate the Body, Mind, and Spirit, Michio Kushi, Deep Books, 2007 – £12.59
• DoIn: A Form of Self Massage, Francine Milford, Lulu, 2006 – £8.46

Catherine Maillard

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