How do we heal with acupressure? In times of stress, grief, anxiety, or deep transformation, many of us search for ways to reconnect with ourselves—ways that are safe, gentle, and deeply attuned. One such healing practice comes from the wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM): acupressure, a non-invasive therapy that can offer relief for not just physical discomfort, but also emotional and spiritual imbalance.
Unlike acupuncture, acupressure uses finger pressure instead of needles, and it can be practiced at home, during meditation, or as part of your existing self-care rituals. By stimulating specific acupressure points linked to emotional patterns and energetic blockages, you can restore internal balance and bring clarity to your inner life and heal with acupressure.
What Is Acupressure—and How Would One Heal with it?
Acupressure follows the same meridian system as acupuncture. It recognizes that energy—Qi—flows through the body, and when this energy becomes stagnant, blocked, or depleted, we not only experience physical symptoms but also emotional and spiritual unrest.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body and spirit are not separate. Emotions are stored in the organs, and organs are connected to both physical function and spiritual virtues (e.g., the liver stores anger but also governs vision and ambition; the lungs hold grief but also cultivate courage and integrity).
By activating the right points, we can release emotional tension, encourage spiritual insight, and move toward greater self-awareness and peace.
Top Acupressure Points for Emotional and Spiritual Healing
Below are five powerful acupressure points you can use to support your psycho-spiritual health. Each one can be pressed gently for 1–3 minutes, on both sides of the body, while breathing deeply.
1. Heal with Acupressure at the Heart 7 – “Spirit Gate” (Shen Men)
Keyword focus: emotional release, anxiety, insomnia, spiritual calm
Located on the inner wrist, at the crease below the pinky, Heart 7 (Shen Men) is a primary point for calming the heart and anchoring the spirit. In TCM, the Heart houses the Shen, or “spirit,” and when disturbed by fear, worry, or heartbreak, we may experience restlessness, panic, or insomnia.
Pressing this point can ease anxiety, open emotional flow, and reconnect you to your center of love and joy.
2. Pericardium 6 – “Inner Gate” (Nei Guan)
Keyword focus: emotional regulation, overwhelm, nausea from fear
Situated on the inner forearm, about three finger-widths below the wrist, Pericardium 6 supports those who feel emotionally overwhelmed, especially during periods of loss, transformation, or psychic opening.
Known to reduce both nausea and emotional shock, this point is often used for trauma integration. Spiritually, it opens the gate to the heart—allowing emotions to rise and release safely.
3. Heal with Acupressure in the Kidney 1 – “Gushing Spring” (Yong Quan)
Keyword focus: grounding, anxiety, dissociation, spiritual safety
Located on the sole of the foot, in the indentation just below the ball, Kidney 1 is the lowest point on the body and one of the most powerful for grounding. If you’re feeling disconnected, dissociated, or mentally overwhelmed, pressing this point can help draw energy down and anchor you in your body.
In Taoist alchemy, the Kidney system holds ancestral memory and the will to survive, making this point vital in reconnecting to your body’s deepest intelligence.
4. Liver 3 – “Great Surge” (Tai Chong)
Keyword focus: anger, frustration, creativity block, emotional flow
On the top of the foot, between the first and second toe, Liver 3 helps clear stuck energy, particularly related to anger, irritability, or creative stagnation. Since the Liver governs the smooth flow of Qi, stimulating this point can aid emotional release, physical tension, and even unblock intuitive insight.
It is especially helpful during times when emotions are trapped or denied, and can guide you gently back to authentic self-expression.
5. Third Eye / Yin Tang – “Hall of Impression”
Keyword focus: mental clarity, intuition, spiritual vision, emotional fog
While not officially part of the meridian system, Yin Tang, located between the eyebrows, is a widely used acupressure point for mental rest and spiritual insight. Pressing here helps reduce worry, overthinking, and opens space for meditation and intuitive clarity.
In modern terms, it calms the prefrontal cortex; in spiritual terms, it awakens the third eye, allowing you to sense beyond the surface.
When and How to Practice Acupressure for Emotional Health
You don’t need to be an Acupressure practitioner to use these points. However, setting the right intention and environment will make your time to heal with acupressure even more effective.
Tips for Self-Practice:
- Create a calm space: dim lights, soft music, incense, or natural sounds
- Set an intention: what emotional pattern are you releasing or transforming?
- Use both hands when possible: alternate sides or hold with both thumbs
- Breathe deeply: inhale peace, exhale tension
- Visualize energy flow: imagine light or warmth moving through the point
Over time, these practices will deepen your sensitivity and open pathways to emotional honesty and spiritual growth.
Healing with Acupressure With Western Psychology
Many people wonder: can acupressure really address emotional issues? The answer is: yes—and even more so when used in tandem with modern psychology.
In fact, practices like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), which combines cognitive affirmations with meridian tapping, have shown clinical results in treating trauma, phobias, and depression.
Additionally, body-centered psychotherapy and somatic experiencing both echo acupressure’s wisdom: that the body holds the memory, and that healing requires more than words.
Conclusion: A Gentle Touch Can Heal with Acupressure
While pharmaceuticals or therapy may play important roles in mental health, acupressure offers a timeless, gentle gateway into our emotional and spiritual terrain. It requires no prescription, no equipment—only your presence and your willingness to listen.
These sacred points on the body are like doorways to the soul. By learning how to heal with acupressure, we honor a truth often overlooked in modern care: that the body is not a machine—it is a story, a compass, and a temple.
Take This Practice Further
Try a 7-day acupressure ritual:
- Day 1: Heart 7 for emotional calm (Palm side below the pinky at the wrist)
- Day 2: Pericardium 6 for openness (Centered and about a thumbs length below the wrist)
- Day 3: Kidney 1 for grounding (Sole- 1/3 below the web between the second & third toes)
- Day 4: Liver 3 for flow (top of foot between the first and second toes where the bones meet)
- Day 5: Yin Tang for clarity (Third eye- between the brows)
- Day 6: Combine 2–3 points in a custom sequence
- Day 7: Reflect and journal your insights
Further Resources for Exploration
- Meditation for Empowerment to transform pain (Internal Link)
- The truth about Medications and their Role with Detoxing (Related External Link)
- “The Way of Energy” by Master Lam Kam Chuen (External Link)
- “Energy Medicine” by Donna Eden (External Link)
- “Tapping In” by Dr. Laurel Parnell — (External Link)
- Online app: “Tapping Solution” (for EFT-style acupressure) (External Link)
- Be sure to click “X” to close & go to the next window instead of signing up for the free trial.
- It can be 100% free, and if you prefer to keep the free trial, just don’t forget to unsubscribe if or when you know for sure you don’t want it using Settings> YourName (Apple Account)> Subscriptions (and it’s always helpful to check this to be sure you’re not paying for extra apps.)
- Spiritual Depth Movement is not affiliated with the “Tapping Solution” and is only providing this suggestion to aid with discovering alternatives for self-care.