Combing therapy is an ancient method of healthcare. Combing Therapy is really an extension of Tui Na (Chinese medical massage) and self-care therapies often characterized as Dao Yin (guiding/leading or guiding/pulling), or Yang Shen (nourishing life) techniques.
These methods involve self massage and movement to regulate the meridians and harmonize the functioning of the internal organs, thereby preventing disease. In Dao Yin exercises the scalp is combed with the fingers in order to stimulate the brain and the meridians that flow through the scalp.
How combing therapy works
Combing therapy focuses on the head. Since all of the meridians in the body have either direct or indirect connections with the head, combing massages all of the acupoints of the head. Stimulating the scalp through combing can have positive effects on the entire body.
In the Sui Dynasty, physicians discovered that the simple act of hair combing produced beneficial results, including brighter hair, less hair loss and a reduction in headaches. They also found that Combing hair can help you to sleep well and recommended combing the scalp 100 times before going to bed in order to calm the mind and produce peaceful sleep.
In the spring, combing has the additional added benefit of clearing yang heat from the body. Combing helps yang energy rise up and move out.
About combs
A well-made wooden or horn comb should used for combing therapy. Wooden combs prevent static electricity and do not catch and pull on the hair. Different types of wood also have special energetic properties that influence your meridian energy. Horn combs are made from common domestic animal in Asia, where nothing is wasted. Plastic or metal combs can generate static electricity, scratch the scalp and pull the natural oils out of your hair.
Combing therapy to strengthen the liver
You might find yourself exercising less and sitting more nowadays, working long hours on a computer or looking at your phone. This focus of attention and energy on the head and eyes can lead to blockage in the meridians of the neck and head, which in turn leads to headaches, eye pain, fatigue, neck and shoulder tension and back pain.
The liver, the organ associated with springtime, connects to the eyes and can be harmed by all of the stress on the eyes. The gallbladder, also the organ associated with springtime, has a large number of meridian points on the head. By stimulating the scalp, the normal functioning of the liver and gallbladder can be enhanced, preventing and releasing stagnant liver and gallbladder qi and opening other essential meridians of the scalp.
Effects of Combing Therapy
- Increased energy
- Greater mental acuity
- “Wakes up” the brain in the morning
- Improves visual acuity
- Calms the body before sleep
- Calms the spirit
- Regulates the meridians
- Relaxes the neck muscles
- Prevents colds
- Clears sinuses
- Lowers blood pressure
- Relieves headache
- Stimulates the hair follicles
- Improves the strength and health of the hair
PDF of combing exercises: