Summer Acupressure Point : Heart 8

Written By Courtney Morgan

The season of summer is associated with the element of fire, and the element of fire is connected to the Heart. In Chinese Medicine, the Heart is emotionally associated with the Mind + Spirit (also known as Shen). Heart 8, located just below the heart line of the palm at the base of the pinky, is an excellent summer point because it is used for Heart heat.

Heart heat often shows up as:

  • Mental restlessness

  • High anxiety

  • Agitation

  • Feeling manic

  • Nightmares or vivid dreams

  • Insomnia

Combined with symptoms like:

  • Palpitations

  • Feeling overheated or aversion to the heat

  • Chest pain

  • Thirst

Heart 8 balances the excess heat of summer - and all of its associated symptoms of overheat - with its cooling and clearing properties to help you to feel more grounded, relaxed, and easy-going. One of the amazing things about this point is that it is very, very fast acting. You will likely feel the effects of it almost immediately after a needle is inserted here, or pressure is applied. 

You can easily apply pressure at this point when you’re having any of the acute symptoms of Heart heat listed above. Heart 8 is on the palm of the hand and can be found where the tip of the pinkie finger lands when a loose fist is made. The point typically lies between the two palmar creases. You can use your thumbnail to dig into this point and massage it on one or both palms.

Courtney Morgan

A natural teacher with an intuitive and relaxed presence, Courtney teaches the synthesized awareness of the body and mind as pathway to the heart. Introduced to meditation in 1997 and yoga in 2001, Court received her foundational certification from YogaWorks and went on to study and apprentice with master Ashtanga teacher and YogaWorks Co-Founder Chuck Miller. She completed advanced teacher training under the guidance of Jason Crandell, whose trainings and workshops she was fortunate to assist for several years, and continues to train in the yoga lineage with Tias Little. She is the founder of Revolver Yoga Studio in Walla Walla, Washington, where she taught from 2013 - 2019.

As a movement teacher, she is regarded for her anatomical expertise, humor, and physically powerful, graceful approach to movement practices. She offers an intuitive, pragmatic and light-hearted approach to living from the heart, and emphasizes exploring the idea of sustainability in every part of life. Her philosophy as a teacher is to help students access, trust, and understand their natural inner resources for wellness through personal investigation of the processes of body and mind. Courtney currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island, with her partner and fellow teacher, Laura Williamson.

http://www.courtmorgan.com
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