The Cherry Blossoms were outstanding this year even though they came a little early with the heatwave we experienced here in Philadelphia. With that also came an avalanche of pollen. I know some people who are experiencing seasonal allergies for the very first time this year.
Fun fact about the word Gesundheit from Miriam-Webster: Gesundheit was borrowed from German, where it literally means “health”; it was formed by a combination of gesund (“healthy”) and -heit (“-hood”). Wishing a person good health when they sneezed was traditionally believed to forestall the illness that a sneeze often portends.
In addition to whatever traditional or herbal remedies you are using to alleviate your symptoms, there are some acupressure points that you can self massage to give you some further relief. Yes please!
- Resting your elbows on a table, place your thumbs on the inside corners of your eyebrows and gently push in and slightly up. You can lean your head slightly in to add more pressure. Another option is to gently pinch the inside corners of the eyebrows and hold for a minute or so.
- Place your middle finger on the cheekbone, in the little hollow, lining up with the pupil of your eye. Press inward and gently up. You can also use the same position as above with the elbows on the table leaning in if that’s comfortable for you.
- Slide the middle fingers over to the corners of your nose, you will feel a little hollow spot on each side. Apply gentle pressure there as well.
Holding these points for as little as five minutes will help drain the sinuses, relieve congestion and stuffiness and help with headaches.
If you want to kick things up you can add some essential oils. DoTerra™ has a fantastic blend called Past Tense which is a blend of Wintergreen, Lavender, Peppermint, Frankincense, Cilantro, Marjoram, Roman Chamomile, Basil, and Rosemary. It comes in a roller bottle and I love to roll it across the base of the skull where it meets the neck and I massage it in. Then gently rub in to the temples (don’t get too close to the eyes or they may become watery). Lastly, I rub my hands together and cup them under my nose and inhale the fresh minty uplifting scent. It really helps open things up. I also use this protocol on the rare occasion that I get a headache or if I’m extremely fatigued and need a lift. You could use lavender and peppermint if you don’t have Past Tense. I could also hook you up with Past Tense if you feel that it needs to be part of your life – it’s a lifesaver!
Wishing you good health this allergy season – Gesundheit!
