Acupuncturist claims ‘Q-tip in the cave’ trick can calm anxiety
Calling all stressed folks and restless sleepers, a TikTok acupuncturist is here to welcome you to the calm cave of easy spirits and peaceful sleep.
Dr. Eileen Li (@anew.acu) is a Connecticut acupuncturist, Chinese medicine herbalist and licensed physical therapist and used a giant model of an ear to teach her 680,000 followers a little trick.
“Having trouble calming down or sleeping at night?” she said. “Let’s relieve the self-pressure by releasing the pressure in the ear.”
Acupuncture can help soothe the central nervous system and send you to slumberland. Yuliia – stock.adobe.com
Acupuncture practitioners consider the Spirit Gate the most calming and relaxing ear point. TikTok/anew.acu
Li explained that the pressure release point can be accessed using a Q-tip.
“At the top of the ear, there’s a little cave,” she explained, noting that the point where pressure should be applied is also known as the Shenmen Point, which translates as “Spirit Gate.”
Many acupuncture practitioners consider the Spirit Gate the most calming and relaxing ear point.
“Place the Q-tip in the cave and swirl 20 to 30 times,” Li instructed.
She assured viewers that if they don’t have a Q-tip, they can repeat the motion with their thumb and index finger, placing them at the “tippy top” point of the Spirit Gate and massaging in a circular motion.
“Remember, this is a gentle process. Close your eyes and appreciate yourself. You are enough!”
Li’s followers posted an ear full of positive feedback in the comments section, with one user gushing, “Immediately better! I love this! Thank you for sharing so efficiently.”
@anew.acu Whenever I felt stressed as a kid, my mom would rub this one point inside my ear for a few minutes and I instantly felt calmer. Shen men (神门) aka “Spirit Gate” is a famous acupuncture/acupressure point that can help regulate your body’s production of stress hormones, thus taming your fight or flight response. Rub this point every day as much as you need to throughout your day. If you gently massage this ear point daily, you’ll notice your anxiety lower over time and your sleep will also improve. But remember to also set boundaries and pour into yourself. Take it one day at a time. And do something you love and celebrate! safe for little ones 👧🏻 safe for those who are expecting 🤰🏻 #anxietyrelief #stressrelief #mentalhealth #anxietyhack #insomnia #sleephack #acupressure #chinesemedicine ♬ Daydreams – Gentle State
“I got acupuncture done on my ears & OMG, the next thing I knew, I was waking up bc I was snoring so loud! & I can’t fall asleep anywhere but my bed. I was so relaxed!,” said another.
“My body felt lighter after doing this,” claimed another.
Li previously shared her acupuncture hack for feeling awake, claiming that by pressing what she calls the “reset button” between your nose and upper lip, you can “stimulate alertness.”
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Acupuncturist Sara Reznikoff, who runs her own practice in Brooklyn, told The Post, “Acupuncture is fantastic at triggering the body’s innate healing abilities, helping with inflammation, and calming the nervous system.”
In addition to soothing the mind, acupuncture on the outer ear has been shown to reduce weight, ease food cravings and lower body mass index.
In addition to soothing the mind, acupuncture on the outer ear has been shown to reduce weight, ease food cravings and lower body mass index. Brastock Images – stock.adobe.com
Researchers believe acupuncture also may help cure women’s lack of libido, claiming the Chinese treatment helped every woman who participated in a study published in the journal Sexual Medicine in August.
Acupuncture may also lessen the effects of COVID-19.
In 2019, the World Health Organization formally recognized traditional medical therapies such as acupuncture and herbal supplementation medicine, conferring more mainstream recognition of the practices, which date back more than 2,500 years.
