A Recipe for Calm

Spring is here and the earth is thawing! Even though the weather is delightful, a few of my friends are still in their stalls looking outside with longing, due to very muddy conditions. They have been requesting that I bring Chamomile to them to help them remain calm and patient. I’ve been feeding them handfuls and they are highly recommending it! Chamomile is also very soothing for dogs. Click here for an excellent article on the uses of chamomile for dogs.

Chamomile for Horses

Actions: Sedative, caminative, anti-inflammatory, relaxant,bitters, vasodilatory, analgesic,                                                                                   antispasmodic

High in calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron, potassium and manganese. An anti-inflammatory aids DIGESTION especially of nervous hyperactive horses. Chamomile s a well known and effective CALMATIVE without making the horse dozy. Eases cases of tension, anxiety and stress. Use for aches and pains.

 


Acupressure for Nausea in dogs

A lot of my lovely canine friends who travel in vehicles have requested that I post this link. It is an excellent article on preventing nausea. In my practise, I have used these points on dogs in cars who are experiencing motion sickness, on pregnant dogs who are queasy and in the airport on a dog who had just flown for 22 hours. This site, www.animalacupressure. is also super helpful in all things to do with acupressure! The dogs and horses highly recommend it! They love acupressure as it is preventative, which in the case of vomiting is highly beneficial. What I love most about acupressure is that anyone can do it, anywhere, at anytime! It gives us an immediate tool to assist our animal friends. Acupressure also considers the whole, incorporating mental, emotional, physical and spiritual into the equation of healing. It has been around for over 3,000 years, therefore it works!
Here is the link…

Acupressure article for motion sickness in dogs


Immune System Boosting Acupoints for Dogs

Acupressure is an ancient healing art developed in Asia over 3,000 years ago, using the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force energy (Qi or chi) to promote health and healing. Using the same points as Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupressure applies a comfortable range of pressure from gentle to firm. Acupressure is safe, non-toxic and definitely habit forming… And dogs absolutely love it!

Be aware that there is no “right” location in acupressure. The exact location of equine, canine, feline and human acupressure points depend on the source. Acupressure drawings offer you a guide, not an exact map. Do your best and trust your intuition. To perform acupressure,  place the ball of your thumb or middle finger on the acupressure point. Gently apply direct pressure to the point while exhaling. Use prolonged pressure directly on the point; gradual, steady, penetrating pressure for approximately three minutes is ideal. Slowly release the point while inhaling.

GV 14- Big Vertebra Location: On the midline of the back, where the neck vertebra meets the vertebra of the back. Lifting the head up and down, find the hinged place just in front of the “big” vertebra. Place your finger into the big hole there. Benefits: Supports immune system.

B 23- Sea of Vitality Location: On the middle of your dog’s side, locate the last rib, then go straight up to the spine. find the point in the indentation beside 2nd lumbar vertebra. Benefits: Fortifies the immune system as well as relieves lower back ache and fatigue.

LI 4- Joining the Valley Location: Inside the first toe, in the web between the dewclaw or where the dewclaw would be. Benefits: Improves immune system, relieves pain in face, foreleg and toothaches.

P6-Inner Gate Location: Find the sole pad behind the wrist on the front leg. Move up the leg to the depression between two tendons that run up the back of the leg.  Benefits: Boosts immune system, relieves nausea, vomiting, balances internal organs and calms the spirit.

TW 5- Outer Gate Location: Run your hand down the outside of a front leg. The point is in the indention between the bones, about a sixth of the distance between the wrist and elbow. Benefits: Improves immune system, ear problems, nausea, vomiting, stiffness in head, shoulders and neck, regulates and relaxes entire body.

LI 11- Crooked Pond Location: Lift the foot, flex the elbow, and you’ll find a crease forms on the outside of the elbow. Feel for the depression at the end of the crease, just in front of the bony prominence. Benefits: Relieves immune system weaknesses, allergies, infections, constipation and fever.

CV 6- Sea of Energy Location: On the midline of the belly.  Benefits: Boosts immune system,  relieves lower back ache, fatigue, constipation, replenishes energy reservoirs.

Liv 3- Bigger Rushing Location: On the inside hind paw, above the innermost toe. Find a slight depression about a third of the way between the top inside toe and the bottom of the ankle joint. Use broad strokes on the side and front paw area. Benefits: Improves immune system, relieves headaches, eye and reproductive disorders, irritability and arthritis.

K 3- Bigger Stream Location: On the inside of the hind leg, just above the ankle in a large pocket. Benefits: Boosts immune system, relieves ear problems.

St 36- Three Mile Point Location: On the outside hind leg, just below the knee, in a clear depression in the middle of the muscle toward the front of the leg. Benefits: Boosts energy, strengthens the whole body, especially immune system, aids digestion and relieves fatigue.


Dog Acupressure Points for Hearing and For Airplanes

Today, the horses would like me to talk about flying and inner ear imbalances. A few days ago, I spoke to a dog, who was born in France and flew to Canada as a 6 month old. She was experiencing inner ear imbalance from the flight. The description she gave me was of when pressure builds in the ear canal while the plane is taking off, adjusting to alitude or landing and you yawn to clear it. She never cleared it. She was experiencing loss of hearing, clumsiness on stairs and jumping on and off the couch, it confused her and was causing some mental and emotional distress. So, these acupressure points are for all those lovely dogs, who have flown in airplanes. They are very beneficial to be aware of if you are intending to travel with your pet. Do them before the flight, during, if the pet is on the plane with you and a several times after landing and settling into the environment. These points are also beneficial if your dog is experiencing loss of hearing.

Acupressure is an ancient healing art developed in Asia over 5,000 years ago, using the fingers to press key points on the surface of the skin to stimulate the body’s natural self-curative abilities. When these points are pressed, they release muscular tension, and promote the circulation of blood and the body’s life force energy (Qi or chi) to promote health and healing. Using the same points as Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine, Acupressure applies a comfortable range of pressure from gentle to firm. Acupressure is safe, non-toxic and definitely habit forming… And dogs absolutely love it!

Be aware that there is no “right” location in acupressure. The exact location of equine, canine, feline and human acupressure points depend on the source. Acupressure drawings offer you a guide, not an exact map. Do your best and trust your intuition. To perform acupressure,  place the ball of your thumb or middle finger on the acupressure point. Gently apply direct pressure to the point while exhaling. Use prolonged pressure directly on the point; gradual, steady, penetrating pressure for approximately three minutes is ideal. Slowly release the point while inhaling.

GV 20- Hundred Meetings Location: On top of the head, in a notch just forward of boney protuberance on the midline, between the ears. Use back and forth motion in the notch. Benefits: Clears the mind and calms the spirit.

TW 21-Ear Gate Location: In front of the ear above SI 19

SI 19- Listening Palace Location: In front of ear below TW 21

GB 2- Reunion of Hearing Location: In front of ear below SI 19 Benefits: All of these points relieves ear aches, hearing problems, pressure inside ear, also alleviates jaw tension, toothaches and headaches.

TW 17- Wind Screen Location: Just below the ear, in a well defined hollow Benefits: Deafness, all ear diseases, invigorates energy, clears the sensory openings and relaxes facial tension.

TW 5- Outer Gate Location: Run your hand down the outside of a front leg. The point is in the indention between the bones, about a sixth of the distance between the wrist and elbow. Benefits: Ear problems, nausea, vomiting, stiffness in head, shoulders and neck, regulates and relaxes entire body.

K 3- Bigger Stream Location: On the inside of the hind leg, just above the ankle in a large pocket. Benefits: Relieves ear problems.

H 7- Spirit Gate Location: On the outside back of the the lower front leg. Bend the wrist and feel for the large, natural depression formed slightly above and behind the wrist crease. Benefits: Relieves anxiety and fear, quiets mind, calming and strengthening the spirit.



Aspirin Acupressure Point for Dogs

My lovely little friend Holly has put in a request for dogs today. ‘What about us? About us dogs? It’s important to let dog lovers know about the aspirin acupressure spot on us too!’  Holly is very funny. Five years ago, she’s the reason I returned to Canada, from working with elephants in Thailand. She had surgery and had both hind knees replaced and had requested my return to give her Reiki and acupressure to speed up her recovery. She’s a trooper, she went from slow hobble to chasing her squeaky toys in no time flat. She has aged and slowed some since,  but still loves playing everyday. Every few days, she’ll sit at my feet and want some healing. So, I blend Reiki and acupressure together into a treatment. She loosens, stretches out, relaxes and soaks it up.

BL60 for Canines

The benefit of being able to hear Holly,  is that she often asks me to work a particular point, she will guide me through a session. She has often requested BL60, which is the Aspirin Acupressure Point. It’s a natural pain reliever, relaxes muscles, eases headaches, is great for pain in the back, hind limbs and ankles, and can assist in labor. All right at your fingertips!

If you are curious about dog acupressure, a great starting off point is http://www.luckydoghealth.com/dogacupressurechart.htm . I absolutely love the drawing of the dog and it’s been very helpful in my practice with dogs.