Pathways to Health practitioners encourage you to take care of yourself between treatments. One way of doing this is to massage the active ear acupuncture points. This gives you control over your own treatment.

• •    Close your eyes and concentrate on the sensations in the ear.
• •    Massage the whole ear starting from the top and working your way down (make sure to include both the front and back of the ears).
• •    Scan/feel the ear using the pad of your index finger. Notice how you respond to the different areas.
• •    Stimulate the areas you are drawn to.

There is no right or wrong way of doing this. Just work the points as feels natural and appropriate to you. For example, some points might want a soft and still touch using the whole pad of your finger, while others require a more rigorous workout using the fingertip or nail.

Another way of focussing on yourself is the practise of Five Finger Qi Gong (Shou Yin). Make sure you are sitting or lying comfortably. Place your feet squarely on the floor.

• •    First place the index finger on the thumb and close your eyes. Hold this position for 2 minutes, or until you feel good. You don't have to do anything than observe how you feel. Notice what happens to the sensations in your fingertips and hands. Feelings of warmth, heaviness and tingling can occur, and colours, aromas, and memories, etc could also arise.
• •    Next place the middle finger on the thumb and observe the sensations in your hands, forearms, feet and lower legs. Hold this position for two minutes and sense any feelings of warmth, heaviness and tingling.
• •    Then place the ring finger on the thumb and hold this position for two minutes. Notice any feelings of warmth, heaviness and tingling anywhere in the body.
• •    Finally place the little finger and thumb together and hold this position for two minutes or until you feel good. Observe any changes in mood: calming, centring, elation, joy, etc.

Gently open your eyes and be aware of how well you did.

Herbal teas are simple, safe, and give warmth and support. They can be used as a tea, in a bath, or as a compress or poultice.

Normally Pathways to Health offers a cup of herbal detox tea to everyone that comes to our clinics. This tea calms the nerves and clears the body of toxins.

The tea contains the following herbs.

• •    Camomile  (2oz)  Calms the nerves, reduces nervous tension; poor digestion, gas and stomach cramps, menstrual pain; soothes the eyes and skin; increases urine flow and sweat.
• •    Scullcap  (1oz)  Calms the nerves; heart tonic; insomnia; epilepsy; delirium; palsy; PMT; strengthens the brain; breaks addiction.
• •    Peppermint  (1oz)  Helpful with the flu-like symptoms of withdrawal; headaches; gas; fevers; indigestion, vomiting; nervous tension; spasms; diarrhoea; stimulates circulation.
• •    Catmint  (1oz)  General tonic; calms the nerves; helps with colic; irritation; spasms; menstrual flow; gas; headaches; colds; hysteria; insomnia.
• •    Elderflower  (1oz)  Stimulates sweating and relief of colds and fevers; stimulates urine flow; clears the skin.
• •    Yarrow  (1oz)  Helpful with flu, fever and colds; eruptive diseases; inflamed mucous membranes; diarrhoea and gas; intestinal tonic; respiratory and kidney haemorrhage; menstrual cramps; hyperacidity.
• •    Hops  (¼oz)  Calms the nerves and stimulates the liver; insomnia; tension pain; stimulates bile flow; diuretic; indigestion; antiseptic; ulcers; general tonic; anxiety; restlessness; mucus; colitis. (Note: Do not exceed this dose as it may cause feelings of depression and vomiting.)

To make your own detox tea, mix all these herbs together in the proportions given and shake well. Take 1 teaspoon to 1 cup of boiling water and steep until cool enough to drink. Strain off the liquid and drink three times daily or hourly during acute withdrawal.

The same herbs can be used in a bath or as a compress or a poultice on the liver and/or kidneys for further effect.