One of the reasons that Chinese Medicine has enjoyed such a long, uninterrupted history is its ability to adapt to the needs of a changing world - ensuring the longevity of the Emperor, getting peasants back to work in the fields quickly, and incorporating Western-based diagnoses into treatment protocols.

The application of simple finger pressure, small beads, or tacks to specific acupuncture points during air travel can prove very effective in helping the body adjust more quickly and easily to a new time zone.

Certainly the ancients would never have considered the use of acupressure to resolve jet lag. During the early days of Chinese medicine, of course, journeys were made by horseback or boat. Now we can travel across the United States in less than ten hours, and to the other side of the world in less than twenty-four. While air travel has definite advantages over these earlier modes of transportation, it does result in the stress known as jet lag - the disturbance of our usual rhythms of sleep, hunger, and elimination.

The application of simple finger pressure, small beads, or tacks to specific acupuncture points during air travel can prove very effective in helping the body adjust more quickly and easily to a new time zone. I have worked with this practice myself recently, and have instructed a few of my clients on these methods as well with good results.

How does this work? Chinese Medicine understands that energy flows through a system of 12 circuits or channels (known as acupuncture meridians) in a 24 hour cycle. Each of these meridians runs through and regulates a particular organ at a particular time of day. For example, energy is flowing most strongly in the Stomach Meridian from 7am-9am (one reason why breakfast IS the most important meal of the day!).

Whenever we travel to another time zone, our body is forced to re-calibrate this cycle, taking into consideration the time of sunrise and sunset, the season of the year, and the social environment at our new location. The feeling of “jet lag” that occurs after a trip is the result of our body’s attempt to adjust our energy cycle so that it flows in accordance with our new environment. We can expedite this process by encouraging the body to adjust in small increments throughout our journey, rather than expecting it to automatically re-calibrate in one fell swoop once we reach our final destination.

Acupuncture points along each of the twelve meridians are responsible for different functions relating to that meridian. One point on each meridian, known as the “element” point, has the ability to bring energetic focus to that particular meridian. To help the body recalibrate its internal clock, we apply pressure to these points at specific times throughout our journey, gradually re-setting our meridian flow.

There are 12 points, located on the hands/wrists and feet/ankles, that are used in this technique. Depending upon the length of your journey, you may use only one, two or three points. Once you learn the pattern of the body’s meridian flow and the location of the element points, you can very easily figure out how to use this protocol yourself on each and every trip that you take!

I will be teaching this information at workshops on Saturday April 4 (10:00am-11:15am) and Wednesday April 8 (7:00-8:15pm). Both workshops will be held at my studio space, 443 Carlisle Drive in Herndon on the first floor. Cost is $20. Please bring an itinerary (real or imagined), paper, and a pencil or a pen. It will help if you wear clothing that allows easy access to your wrists and ankles. I can also work with you on an individual basis to help you plan for a specific trip. The cost of an individual consultation is $40. If you have any questions, or wish to register for one of the workshops, please call me at 703-623-8340.