Acupuncture to boost brain power/ memory/mental clarity
Ko Ching Lu EAMP, L.Ac.
As the year ends, parents are working hard and students are in school, learning hard. This is a good time to get acupuncture treatments to enhance their memory and focus. According to Chinese medicine, there are four organ types that are closely connected to memory. The organs are spleen, heart, kidney, and liver. And each of those organs controls their own emotions. For example, the spleen controls worry, the heart controls happiness, the kidneys are in charge of fear, and liver is associated with anger. Also, those four organs types have mutual relationships. For example, if the spleen is deficient, it will not be able to provide blood to the heart and can lead to insomnia and poor memory.
The spleen’s major function is to transform and transport nutrients to different organs. If the spleen is weakened by excessive worrying then it will not be able to provide qi (vital energy) and blood to the organs and can lead to insomnia and poor memory.
The heart is in charge of the shen (the sprits) and memory. Overjoy can cause damage to the heart qi and can cause poor memory and disturbed sleep.
The kidneys are the essence that produce marrow to nourish the brain. If the kidney’s qi is weakened, the brain will feel empty and more likely to have poor concentration. The kidney’s needs to be healthy to provide strong qi to the other vital organs.
Finally, the liver is important on keeping a smooth flow of qi. When liver qi is stagnate, you will notice more sighing and circulation tends to slow down.
Acupuncture can help to bring your body to balance and improve mental clarity.
Here are some acupressure points to help with memory and mental clarity:
Instructions: Just apply firm pressure on those acupressure points for couple seconds throughout the day.
- Sishencong (Four Alert Spirit)
Sishencong consisted of four points and are located on the top of the head.
The indications of these points are great for poor memory, insomnia, dizziness and brain fogginess. If you are feeling any of those symptoms, you can simply apply firm pressure couple times a day on those four points.
- Yin tang (Hall of Impression)
The point is located in center of the two eyebrows. (Image 2) The actions of yin tang helps calms the sprit, mental restlessness and headaches. Yintang helps with restlessness mind the night before huge finals or work projects.
- Liver 3 (Great Rushing)
This point is located on the top of the foot, distal to the junction of first and second toes. (Image 3) This point is on the liver meridian and is great for mental clarity and brighter eyes. It also helps with stress especially before taking exams.
Diet for memory boost:
Spleen qi deficient: yellow foods like potatoes, sweet yams, bananas, rice, congee, cooked foods, warm drinks and avoid processed/cold/uncooked foods.
Heart qi deficient: red foods like strawberries, raspberries, tomatoes, purple grapes, beets, lotus roots, red meat, and dragon eye fruits.
Kidney qi deficient: seafood like shrimps, salmons, halibuts, and black beans.
Liver qi deficient: lots of green vegetables.
In addition to a healthy diet, we need to get enough sleep and regular exercise to maintain a sharp mind and healthy body.