Skin Detoxification
We can use the hands to spiral into knots on the abdomen. This technique is a great way to detoxify tightness in the skin. Using the fingers, palm, edge of the hand, or a thumb, we gently press into any knots in the abdomen and spiral clockwise and counterclockwise. The hands can also pass warm energy into or from the abdomen. The hands can also absorb cold energy from the abdomen.
I have practiced using my hands on tension in my abdomen for years. I have found it helpful in detoxifying knots in the skin above the small intestine. By adding more pressure, it is detoxifying to the organ itself. This technique can also loosen up the liver, reduce pain in the solar plexus, and move fecal matter out of the large intestine. One can even use a stone, wooden, or plastic implement to provide more resistance into the tension.
Following the flow of the large intestine can help someone with constipation. Extra attention can be given to the corners of the large intestine where the ascending, transverse, and descending colons all meet each other. If someone has diarrhea, they can massage the entire large intestine in the reverse direction that fecal matter flows and this will slow down their watery bowel movements.
A tight, hard, and nervous abdomen has too much pent-up energy. The self-massage can be combined with other Taoist exercises to move stuck energy. Exercises such as the microcosmic orbit and the six healing sounds draw energy away from the abdomen. A cold, loose, sagging abdomen has too little energy. Warming the hands, then massaging the lower back and the navel in a circular fashion will pass the warmth from the hands to the vital organs. Healing is about restoring balance.