The AuthorMichelle Locke (Dip PA Dance, Dip Shiatsu, Dip Shamanic

Stud, Dip Mass Thpy, Cert Chinese Herbs)

Michelle Locke was a ballerina with the WA

Ballet Company until she was forced into

early retirement in 1987 after sustaining a

serious back injury. Looking to find some

relief for her back pain, Michelle discovered

Shiatsu, a Japanese form of massage.

Impressed with the improvement in her back

she went on to study the technique and later

founded The Shiatsu School of WA.

In 2000, Michelle turned her attention to

research and development, bringing together

Oriental Medicine with dance and music to

create Wu Tao - The Dancing Way ®. Her

innovative dance therapy program based on

Chinese Medicine.

Michelle has trained over 200 teachers in her

method and helped thousands of people to

restore health and balance through Wu Tao.

Wu Tao is now available world-wide.

Michelle can be contacted at

www.wutaodance.com

Info@wutaodance.com1

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

What is Stress?

Stress is a whole body response to anything that poses a challenge or a threat to

our well-being. Some stresses are positive and can be good for you, however,

when stresses become chronic and our system remains in a constant stressful

state, stress can be damaging to our physical, mental and emotional health.

The way you respond to challenges in your life can also trigger a stressful

response. For example if you resist an experience because you don’t want it or

like it, this can set you up for having a physiological stress response that affects

your physical state.

When faced with a challenge or a threat, your body activates resources to

protect you - to either get away as fast as you can, or fight. This is our bodies

sympathetic nervous system’s reaction to a stressful event known as the fight-or-

flight response.

When this happens, our body produces extra cortisol, adrenaline and

noradrenaline. These hormones trigger a higher heart rate, heightened muscle

preparedness, sweating, and alertness - all designed to help us protect ourselves

in a dangerous or challenging situation.

Non-essential body functions such as our digestive and immune systems slow

down when we are in fight-or flight response mode. All resources are

concentrated on increasing breathing, blood flow, alertness and muscle use.

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When we are stressed the following physical responses happen:

• Blood pressure rises

• Breathing becomes more rapid

• Digestive system slows down

• Heart rate (pulse) rises

• Immune system goes down

• Muscles become tense

• We do not sleep (heightened state of alertness)

The problems arise when we remain in a constant or chronic state of stress. Our

levels of stress hormones stay high which depletes our adrenals, our blood

pressure remains heightened, we can’t sleep and we have problems digesting

our food.

It’s important to find ways to reduce stress and improve our response to stress.

Massage can help as can other methods such as meditation, exercise and

relaxation techniques. Wu Tao Dance is a great stress reliever!

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

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Self Massage for Stress Relief

This Routine has been especially designed to improve your immune system and

reduce stress. It takes only 10 minutes to do and can be done sitting on a chair or

on the floor.

Many of the points used are common acupressure points that may improve your

general physical health as well as treat specific conditions such as headache. (A

common stress symptom).

Enjoy giving some love and nurture to your precious self as you learn the

massage!

Start by sitting comfortably on a chair or on the floor. If you prefer to sit on the

floor, you may like to sit cross legged on a cushion. If it’s possible make sure you

won’t be disturbed for 10 minutes, put your favourite relaxing music on in the

background and turn the TV, computer and your phone off.

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Use the side of your hand thumb side down to chop gently on the top of your shoulder, working along the trapezius muscle and up the side of your neck.

Repeat movement on the other side.

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Now squeeze along the top of the shoulder using your whole hand. squeeze hard and then relax. Repeat 3-4 times and then do the whole movement on the other shoulder.

Make your hands into a fist and gently knock all over your head using your knuckles. Knock along the mid-line of your head (the bladder meridian lies either side of the mid-line), and around the ears (gall-bladder meridian is here)

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

If you like something a bit softer, try using your fingers instead of your knuckles

Lean your head forward and press your index finger into the inside corner of your eye, just below your eyebrow. (bladder point no 2)

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Squeeze along your eyebrow ridge from the inside of your eyebrow to the outside 3-4 times.

Press down from your eyebrow along the side of your face, pressing and making circular movements on your temples and pressing into the jawbone

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Press firmly up underneath your cheekbone 3-4 times. (stomach meridian point 1)

Squeeze along the chin from the mid-line out towards the jaw 3-4 times

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

roll out your ears starting at the top and working down to the lobe

Rub your hands together vigorously until they feel warm. (This intensifies the flow of qi)

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Cup your hands over the ears and see if you can hear the sea! (You can close your eyes now)

Rub your hands together again.

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Cup your hands over the eyes, keep your eyes closed and relax

Find the hollow spot in front of your shoulder in from your arm. Rub in small circles for a minute. This is the first point on the Lung meridian and very good for stimulating the immune system.

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Rest your arm in your lap withe the thumb facing up (the position is important to access the right meridians), and squeeze down the arm 4-5 times towards the hand. This movement stimulates the flow of energy in the Lung and Large Intestine meridians, both part of the immune system in Chinese Medicine

Squeeze along each finger from base to the tip. 2-3 times each finger.

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

Repeat the sequence from the circling movements on the Lung 1 point, squeezing down the arm and the fingers and ending with the Large Intestine 4 point on the hand on the other side.

Press in the web between your thumb and index finger. This point is called Large Intestine 4 also known as the Great Eliminator. It’s good for moving energy down and through the body so excellent for headaches, nausea, vomiting and constipation.NOTE: THIS POINT IS CONTRAINDICATED IN PREGNANCY

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

If you are sitting on a chair, lean forwards and rest your forearms onto the tops of your legs. Use your weight and press alternately on each leg.

Make your hands into fists, lean forwards and gently pound your fists up, down and around the lower back area.

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The Routine

Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

If you are sitting on the floor, put your feet together into the ‘frog’ position. Rock your body side to side moving your weight from 1 buttock cheek to the other to get a momentum. As you are rocking, use your forearms or elbows along the top of your legs from your thigh down towards your knees. (This stimulates the Spleen meridian)

After 3-4 times , lean forwards a bit more and bring your elbows into the inside of your leg and repeat the movement, rocking side to side and using the movement to help you lean your bodyweight into your legs. (This stimulates the Liver Meridian).

Use your forearms or thumbs down your lower leg toward the foot.

Using the thumb press into the Liver 3 and Spleen 6 points as indicated below. Both these points help to move and tonify Qi. NOTE: CONTRAINDICATED IN PREGNANCY

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Learn Self Massage for Stress Relief

You have complete the Self Massage for Stress Relief routine and should now be feeling very relaxed and calm.

Before you get up and go about the rest of your day, take 5 more minutes to sit quietly with your eyes closed and concentrate on your breathing.

Take deep breaths into your belly and with every breath out let go of every thought and feeling, releasing every tension in your body and give yourself permission to be in a state of complete relaxation.

Have a beautiful rest of your day and remember to come back and do this massage for yourself whenever you are feeling stressed, tired or over-whelmed.

If you want more information about how to reduce stress and improve your health visit www.wutaodance.com or email me at info@wutaodance.com

Blessings and love,

Michelle LockeWu Tao International

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Well Done!