Guided Meditation and Self-Acupressure for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Reduce stress, anxiety and depression with this 10-minute podcast! Join us for a guided self-acupressure session with a focus on deep breathing and meditation led by experienced acupuncturist Colleen Curran from Upper Chesapeake Health’s Kaufman Cancer Center.
Featured Speaker:
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc
Colleen Curran is a Licensed Doctor of Acupuncture from Maryland University of Integrative Health (formerly Tai Sophia). She has been in practice for over 10 years at her private practice Zen Path Wellness in Fallston. She has been the main acupuncturist/manager at Kaufman Cancer Center at Upper Chesapeake Health since 2016 while also serving as an MUIH faculty member, supervising the Doctorate Acupuncture Student Clinic. Additionally, she developed Acuseed Therapy Acupressure, a non-needling modality used for those contraindicated for needling or by preference. Transcription:
Guided Meditation and Self-Acupressure for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to Live Greater, a health and wellness podcast brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We put knowledge and care within reach, so you have everything you need to live your life to the fullest. This podcast is sponsored by UM Upper Chesapeake Health.
Reduce stress, anxiety and depression with this 10-minute podcast. Join us for a guided self-acupressure session with a focus on deep breathing and meditation led by experienced acupuncturist, Coleen Curran, from Upper Chesapeake Health's Kaufman Cancer Center.
So doctor, stress, anxiety and depression are, of course, very rampant in our society with the pandemic and just life in general these days, so you're going to be guiding us through a self-acupressure session with some meditation. Can you tell us a bit about what we're going to be doing today?
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: Yeah. Very honored to be sharing this medicine. I think the most important thing to remember is that this exercise can be done at any time. And all you need is to be seated and just have a few minutes to access, you know, this very special acupoint that I'm going to take you through and then we'll do some deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing to oxygenate the body and lightly touch upon the acupoint with inhalation and then releasing with exhalation.
Caitlin Whyte: Beautiful. Well, I am sitting down and I know my therapist is always asking me to meditate more and I never do it. So I'm excited to finally get some training. Other than that, I'll let you get into it.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: Okay. Thank you. So everyone, find a comfortable seated position with your feet flat on the ground.
Close your eyes. What are you noticing in your body?
Are you feeling stressed? Are you feeling anxiety? What does that feel like in your body? How do you know that you're stressed? How do you know that you have anxiety? Where is that located in your body? Connect with that area. Just bringing your noticing to your body.
Making sure that you're sitting up straight with your hands on your knees. Eyes still close.
You're going to take a deep breath pulling from your diaphragm, inhaling through your nose for four counts. So inhale, 2, 3, 4. Holding for four, 2, 3, 4, and releasing naturally.
Taking another deep breath. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4, and release.
We're going to access an acupoint now on the chest. So wherever you feel comfortable, it will be in the center of the chest, below the throat, on the sternum. So taking your hand and lightly touching, you're going to inhale, taking your deep diaphragmatic breath. And then as you exhale, you'll open your hand outward.
So let's take our deep breath, touching the chest. Inhale, pressing, 2, 3, 4. Hold and press, 2, 3, 4. Release. Open your hands. Connecting again, placing your hand on your chest, lightly pressing. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4 and release, opening her palm.
Now, placing your hands on your knees. Eyes still closed. Connect. Connect with your body. What are you noticing in your body?
That area where you felt stress or anxiety, is it still calling to you? Does it feel as stressed or anxious or tense?
You're able to access this medicine at any time whenever you're noticing what it feels like to be stressed or anxious in your body. Take a few minutes to have a seat and engage in this treatment protocol with breathing. Thank you.
Caitlin Whyte: Oh, my gosh. Wonderful. It's so easy. It seems so easy.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: It is. It is. It is that easy.
Caitlin Whyte: Beautiful. Well, doctor, thank you so much for all the work you do and taking the time to guide us through this meditation and acupressure session. That was really interesting. And we appreciate that so much.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: You're welcome.
Caitlin Whyte: This episode is sponsored by UM Upper Chesapeake Health. Through an unparalleled combination of high quality care and leading edge technology, UM Upper Chesapeake is improving the health of North Eastern Maryland residents by providing an exceptional patient experience for every person, every encounter, every day. Find more shows just like this one at umms.org/podcast. And thank you for listening to Live Greater, a health and wellness podcast brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We look forward to you joining us again.
Guided Meditation and Self-Acupressure for Anxiety and Stress Relief
Caitlin Whyte: Welcome to Live Greater, a health and wellness podcast brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We put knowledge and care within reach, so you have everything you need to live your life to the fullest. This podcast is sponsored by UM Upper Chesapeake Health.
Reduce stress, anxiety and depression with this 10-minute podcast. Join us for a guided self-acupressure session with a focus on deep breathing and meditation led by experienced acupuncturist, Coleen Curran, from Upper Chesapeake Health's Kaufman Cancer Center.
So doctor, stress, anxiety and depression are, of course, very rampant in our society with the pandemic and just life in general these days, so you're going to be guiding us through a self-acupressure session with some meditation. Can you tell us a bit about what we're going to be doing today?
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: Yeah. Very honored to be sharing this medicine. I think the most important thing to remember is that this exercise can be done at any time. And all you need is to be seated and just have a few minutes to access, you know, this very special acupoint that I'm going to take you through and then we'll do some deep breathing or diaphragmatic breathing to oxygenate the body and lightly touch upon the acupoint with inhalation and then releasing with exhalation.
Caitlin Whyte: Beautiful. Well, I am sitting down and I know my therapist is always asking me to meditate more and I never do it. So I'm excited to finally get some training. Other than that, I'll let you get into it.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: Okay. Thank you. So everyone, find a comfortable seated position with your feet flat on the ground.
Close your eyes. What are you noticing in your body?
Are you feeling stressed? Are you feeling anxiety? What does that feel like in your body? How do you know that you're stressed? How do you know that you have anxiety? Where is that located in your body? Connect with that area. Just bringing your noticing to your body.
Making sure that you're sitting up straight with your hands on your knees. Eyes still close.
You're going to take a deep breath pulling from your diaphragm, inhaling through your nose for four counts. So inhale, 2, 3, 4. Holding for four, 2, 3, 4, and releasing naturally.
Taking another deep breath. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4, and release.
We're going to access an acupoint now on the chest. So wherever you feel comfortable, it will be in the center of the chest, below the throat, on the sternum. So taking your hand and lightly touching, you're going to inhale, taking your deep diaphragmatic breath. And then as you exhale, you'll open your hand outward.
So let's take our deep breath, touching the chest. Inhale, pressing, 2, 3, 4. Hold and press, 2, 3, 4. Release. Open your hands. Connecting again, placing your hand on your chest, lightly pressing. Inhale, 2, 3, 4. Hold, 2, 3, 4 and release, opening her palm.
Now, placing your hands on your knees. Eyes still closed. Connect. Connect with your body. What are you noticing in your body?
That area where you felt stress or anxiety, is it still calling to you? Does it feel as stressed or anxious or tense?
You're able to access this medicine at any time whenever you're noticing what it feels like to be stressed or anxious in your body. Take a few minutes to have a seat and engage in this treatment protocol with breathing. Thank you.
Caitlin Whyte: Oh, my gosh. Wonderful. It's so easy. It seems so easy.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: It is. It is. It is that easy.
Caitlin Whyte: Beautiful. Well, doctor, thank you so much for all the work you do and taking the time to guide us through this meditation and acupressure session. That was really interesting. And we appreciate that so much.
Colleen Curran, LAc, DAc: You're welcome.
Caitlin Whyte: This episode is sponsored by UM Upper Chesapeake Health. Through an unparalleled combination of high quality care and leading edge technology, UM Upper Chesapeake is improving the health of North Eastern Maryland residents by providing an exceptional patient experience for every person, every encounter, every day. Find more shows just like this one at umms.org/podcast. And thank you for listening to Live Greater, a health and wellness podcast brought to you by the University of Maryland Medical System. We look forward to you joining us again.