Time on your hands? Then play with your fingers!
We often find ourselves waiting around to meet someone, do something, go to an appointment, hang out just to see what happens…….valuable minutes spent doing nothing at all. While we all need time off to daydream, rest and recover from our daily hectic schedules, sometimes a few minutes here and there can be very useful for giving ourselves some extra TLC. Doing some simple hand and finger exercises not only helps with their flexibility but is also a great way to renew and refresh other areas of the body.
- Several meridians begin or end in the finger tips and run through the hands into the neck. The more flexible the fingers remain, the less tension there will be in the neck area. Try spreading and stretching all fingers out and wriggling them from time to time.
- Our hands and fingers have a direct connection with our lungs and heart. Stiff hands and fingers as we age may indicate problems leading to heart disease and osteoporosis. Crooked hands can cause difficulties with breathing. Try the following exercise to strengthen the heart, expand the lungs and re-energize the mind…..Inhale and place hands with fingers outstretched in front of your chest. Hold your breath and stretch arms out to each side horizontally. Exhale making a tight fist with each hand. Breathe normally as you open fists and lower arms to the side. Repeat this exercise three times. Then clasp hands, stretch arms out in front of you with palms of hands turned outward. Relax.
- Do the following if you get a stiff neck from sitting at a computer too long….. Grasp the web between the fingers with thumb and index finger and massage firmly. Repeat with each web at the root of the fingers (four on each hand).
- With index, middle and ring finger, gently massage the grooves lengthwise on the back of each hand – do this back and forth a few times. This will help regulate blood pressure.
- To stimulate qi in meridians for lungs, large intestine, heart, small intestine, triple burner and pericardium, clap hands together and tap fingers against each other. Start by clapping in rhythm at least eight times. Then, with wrists loose and hands relaxed down, gently clap back of hands together. Do this with backs of fingers and tips, knuckles, sides of hands, wrists, etc. Have fun with it and beat out a tune.
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