Kikou Face Massage

How do you finish off your meditation, kikou (the Japanese name for Qigong) or other energy exercises? Floating around in space and then WHAM! You’re back on earth? The kikou face massage is designed to bring you back down to earth gently and to focus the energy you have been working with. I teach this technique to all my Reiki students and hopefully you (Reiki Masters reading this) will too. (Reiki students are welcome to share this technique with your teachers as well).

First of all, when we practice kikou our eyes should always be closed. Energy is released through the eyes, tongue, heart centre, palms and feet. While practicing kikou we normally lock the hui yin point (the area between Ren1 and Du1. See previous blog on the meridians.) and the tongue touches the roof of the mouth lightly (connecting Du 28 and Ren24) to close the circuits, so to speak, and to allow the energy to circulate in the body (from Du1 to Du28 and then from Ren 24 down to Ren1). On completion of the kikou exercise/s we want to bask in the energy (Reiki Undô – experiencing/expressing movement of spiritual energy) and just enjoy it… The build-up of energy in the body while doing this kind of energy work will manifest as vibrations and shaking and even swaying of/in the body. Just enjoy the feeling. When you feel ready to ground and come back to earth you start the face massage (keeping your eyes closed at all times!).

Before we start, a quick note about the measurement system used when working with the energy points.

In Acupuncture, Acupressure and Shiatsu the body is measured not in absolute units, but in the relative, proportional units of a given person. The distances are determined by anatomical-topographical landmarks. The basic unit of measurement is the cun (寸 cùn). The measurements are obtained from the measurements of the thumb and fingers of the person/patient.

cun 

1 cun = The width of the thumb at the level of the interphalangeal joint.
1.5 cun = The width of the index and middle fingers at the level of the interphalangeal joint.
3 cun = The width of the four fingers held together at the level of the proximal interphalangeal joint of the longer fingers.

Kikou Face Massage and Sounding the Heavenly Drum

See images below

  1. Briskly rub the palms of your hands together.
  2. Place your warm palms over your closed eyes and apply light pressure 2 or 3 times.
  3. Using two or three fingers together and starting from the inner, lower corners, massage the rims around the eyes, starting with small circles and making them bigger and bigger until you are massaging the whole face, them move up the head from front to back, through the hair and down the neck.
  4. Use your index or middle fingers to massage the BL1 (睛明 jīng míng – Bright Eyes) energy points located in the depression 0.1 cun1 medial and superior to the inner canthus of your eyes a few times to stimulate energy flow.
  5. Massage the BL2 (攢竹 cuán zhú – Gathered Bamboo) energy points at the medial end of the eyebrow in the incisura frontalis.
  6. Stroke the eyebrows a few times with your fingers, moving from medial end of the eyebrow in the incisura frontalis to the lateral end of the eyebrow, near the bony limit of the orbit.
  7. Massage the meizhong (眉中 méi zhōng – Centre of the Brow) energy points located on the eyebrow in the incisura frontalis, 1.5 cun from the midline (in the centre of the brow).
  8. Move along the eyebrows to the lateral end of the eyebrow and massage the SJ23 (絲竹空 sī zhú kōng – Silken Bamboo Hollow) energy points located on the posterior border were the temple meets the hairline, verntral to the anterior border of the root of the ear muscle, dorsal to the superficial temporal vein.
  9. Massage the GB1 (瞳子髎 tóng zǐ liáo – Pupil Cervice) energy points located 0.5 cun lateral to the outer canthus of the eye, in the depression at the lateral end of the orbit.
  10. Massage the ST1 (承泣 chéng qì – Container of Tears) energy points located directly below the pupil, between the eyeball and inferior infraorbital foramen.
  11. Return to the BL1 (睛明 jīng míng – Bright Eyes) energy points, thus making a complete cycle around the eyes.
  12. Use the thumb and the middle or index fingers to stroke the naso-labial groove from the BL1 (睛明 jīng míng – Bright Eyes) energy points to the LI20 (迎香 yíng xiāng – Welcome Fragrance) energy points a few times. The LI20 energy point is located in the naso-labial groove, near the midpoint of the lateral border of the ala nasi (wing of the nose).
  13. Massage the LI20 (迎香 yíng xiāng – Welcome Fragrance) energy points.
  14. While holding the LI20 (迎香 yíng xiāng – Welcome Fragrance) energy points hook your thumbs around to the SJ17 (翳風 yì fēng – Wind Screen) energy points located dorsal to the earlobe, in the depression between the mastoid process and the lower jaw.
  15. Bring your middle or index fingers around to the SJ17 (翳風 yì fēng – Wind Screen) energy points, release the thumbs and massage.
  16. Bring your thumbs to the SJ17 (翳風 yì fēng – Wind Screen) energy points and release your middle or index fingers and bring the palms of your hands around to the EX-HN5 (太陽 tài yáng – Supreme Yang) energy points located in the depression approximately one middle finger width dorsal to the midpoint between the lateral border of the eyebrow and the outer canthus of the eye. Release your thumbs and slide your hands up and massage the EX-HN5 energy points with the broad bases of your thumbs (at the base of your palms).
  17. Finally perform “Sounding the Heavenly Drums” by covering your ears with your palms, your middle fingers over the BL9 (玉枕 yù zhěn – Jade Pillow) energy points and your index fingers over the BL10 (天柱 tiān zhù – Celestial Pillar) energy points. Ensure that your middle finger tips do not touch. The BL9 energy point is located 2.5 cun within the ideal posterior hairline, at the level of the upper ridge of the external occipital protuberance, 1.5 cun lateral to the midline. The BL10 energy point is located 0.5 cun within the ideal anterior hairline, 1.3 cun lateral to the midline in the depression at the lateral edge of the trapezius muscle.
  18. Place your index fingers on your middle fingers and using the middle fingers as pivots, flick your index fingers down on the back of your head, gently hitting the BL9 and BL10 energy points 24 times.
  19. Only focus on the positive thoughts while Sounding the Heavenly Drums. Think about yourself, family and friends and send love and healing thoughts your way.
  20. A soon as you completed sounding heaven’s drums immediately start moving around… stomp your feet… rub your hands together… walk around… do the dishes… sweep the floor… whatever… Just move.

Click on the images below to see larger versions:

face front side of face back of head
Images created / designed by Markus van der Westhuizen. © copyright Markus van der Westhuizen

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