One doesn’t need any knowledge of acupoints to benefit from a foot bath. But it’s fun to think about it, and I have found that the act of “thinking about it” itself is already good, in an awareness building kind of way.
These points are truly awesome. I don’t think I ever give a session without using Kidney 1, for example. Everyone needs some love at Kidney 1. It grounds and brings calmness. It nourishes and gives a bit of energy. If you pay attention, you too will feel the difference.
You will see in the list below that the reason we want our foot bath vessel to be a little deeper is Spleen 6. It is one of the main points used for obgyn conditions. It gives you a little bit of a lift. As in, you may find yourself wanting to stand taller, wanting to look forward into the future. I use it often for people with backache, too.
So here are some of the awesome points* of the feet.
Kidney 1 (gushing spring, yong quan, yusen 湧泉)
Indications: Energy depletion, Urinary problems, emotional release, revival for fainting and shock, later period, etc.
Kidney 6 (shining sea, zhao hai, shoukai 照海)
Indications: Insomnia, swollen throat, tonsilitis, dry or painful eyes, gynecological problems, ankle pain or swelling.
Liver 3 (great surge, tai chong, taishou 太衝)
Indications: Master tonic point, allergies, yin energy deficiency, foot cramps, tired eyes, toxicity, headache. (It’s supposed to be great for easing hangover symptoms. I’m waiting for an opportunity to try it myself.)
Spleen 6 (three yin crossing, san yin jiao, saninko 三陰交)
Indication: Labor (do not use during pregnancy!), genital and menstrual pain, nervous depression, nourish blood. Helps spleen, kidney and liver.
Bladder 60 (Kun Lun mountain, Kun Lun, konron 崑崙)
Indication: Headache, stiff neck, eye inflammation, back pain, sciatica and Achilles tendonitis, conditions of the uterus.
Gall Bladder 40 (Mound of Ruins, qiu xu, kyukyo 丘墟)
Indication: Sprained or painful ankle, weak joints, muscle spasms. Also diseases and conditions of the gall bladder, heartburn, shoulder discomfort, eye conditions, depression, weakness of the mind, irritability.
Note
- The term “awesome points” was invented one afternoon by the beloved instructor at McKinnon, Carl Johns. These really are awesome, so I call them that, too. They are used all the time, by pretty much all practitioners.
- The points have many names. WHO standard numbering is the better known one in the US, so I have put it first. It is followed by – meaning of traditional name, Chinese reading, Japanese reading, Japanese writing. Those with knowledge of the Chinese writing system should be able to recognize most of the written Japanese names, too, since they were originally Chinese.
References
- All the point location images come from the giant and wonderful book, A Manual Of Acupuncture. There is an app for it, too.
- Many of the indications were taken from the McKinnon Acupressure Manual. It is a concise and friendly guide for beginnners. Too bad it isn’t sold outside the school.
Kirin Bodywork 