James Boelter
10-12-2003, 08:08 PM
This is just an idea, has worked for me in the past...my old sifu used to recommend a recovery practice after serious hand conditioning work (makiwara, working a heavy bag, Iron Palm preconditioning) which I am using to keep my hands healthy as my clinical hours as a massage therapy intern start to add up. (Here, too, the idea is to substitute grace over power, but it's a preventative measure).
Sifu Starr used to recommend 'cooking' your hands in a ginger tea/tisane after practice. Ginger tea is very easy to make - just get yourself some ginger root from the grocery store, peel the skin off (much easier than you would think), cut yourself several slices (say an oz or two) and boil these slices in a quart of water for 10-12 minutes. Soak your hand(s) in this tisane, as hot as you can stand it, for several minutes, being careful not to scald yourself. Repeated short immersions over very low heat will also work, again, being very conservative the first few times you try it.
Ginger will open up the circulation and get a lot of fresh blood into the area that is hurting...it is also a potent anti-inflammatory. If this sounds too radical, you could try a hot ginger poultice instead...almost as good.
As a follow up, spend several minutes in a 'pushing palms' standing meditation position. This is simple; bring your hands up to shoulder level in front of your chest, and then extend them out to the sides, wrists flexed to 90 degrees, as if you were Samson about to push down the pillars on either side of you (only without the tension - just 'feel' as if you were exerting force). Hold this position for several minutes, trying to stay relaxed in your shoulders and neck. Practice your performance breathing to make the meditation even more effective. This position encourages chi (and fresh blood) out to the palms, since chi follows intent, and blood follows chi, and it takes serious intent to keep those palms extended out there. You should feel major tingling in your palms within a minute or two.
When you are done, relax, and do some 'shaking' of the hands to keep chi from stagnating there.
Hope this helps; feel free to discard if it seems too goofy. Ginger is like my weapon of first resort for any major or minor ache or pain, and it never lets me down, so I thought I would share.
Sifu Starr used to recommend 'cooking' your hands in a ginger tea/tisane after practice. Ginger tea is very easy to make - just get yourself some ginger root from the grocery store, peel the skin off (much easier than you would think), cut yourself several slices (say an oz or two) and boil these slices in a quart of water for 10-12 minutes. Soak your hand(s) in this tisane, as hot as you can stand it, for several minutes, being careful not to scald yourself. Repeated short immersions over very low heat will also work, again, being very conservative the first few times you try it.
Ginger will open up the circulation and get a lot of fresh blood into the area that is hurting...it is also a potent anti-inflammatory. If this sounds too radical, you could try a hot ginger poultice instead...almost as good.
As a follow up, spend several minutes in a 'pushing palms' standing meditation position. This is simple; bring your hands up to shoulder level in front of your chest, and then extend them out to the sides, wrists flexed to 90 degrees, as if you were Samson about to push down the pillars on either side of you (only without the tension - just 'feel' as if you were exerting force). Hold this position for several minutes, trying to stay relaxed in your shoulders and neck. Practice your performance breathing to make the meditation even more effective. This position encourages chi (and fresh blood) out to the palms, since chi follows intent, and blood follows chi, and it takes serious intent to keep those palms extended out there. You should feel major tingling in your palms within a minute or two.
When you are done, relax, and do some 'shaking' of the hands to keep chi from stagnating there.
Hope this helps; feel free to discard if it seems too goofy. Ginger is like my weapon of first resort for any major or minor ache or pain, and it never lets me down, so I thought I would share.