Su Jok therapists believe your body holds key points for healing itself. Sushama Divekar explores this Korean way of healing.
Imagine that! Your body cures itself! All you have to know is how to push the right buttons!

After 20 years of research and practice in acupressure and acupuncture, Prof Park Jae Woo , a Korean doctor, discovered that our body was equipped to repair itself by just stimulating certain pain points in our hands and feet. He used this knowledge to construct Su Jok therapy .
THE POWER FIVE The five main external parts of our body — the arms, the legs and the head form the base for Su Jok therapy. The five toes on each foot and the five fingers on each hand connect key points for different cures. For example, the index and little finger are points that control our hands. The two inner fingers are linked to our legs.
Each joint in our finger is connected to a certain part of our body. Like the upper most joints of our second and third fingers are linked to the hips, the second to the knees and the third to the ankles. Similarly, the joints of the index and little finger correspond to the shoulder. The next joint works on the elbow and the next on the wrist. Confused? Well, it’s not that hard to decipher once you’ve learned the logic behind this therapy.
THUMBS DOWN TO A HEADACHE Let’s illustrate how Su Jok really works: Most of us have, at some point in time, had a headache. So the next time you have one, just probe the tip of your thumb with a ball point pen or a blunt pencil. You’ll find one or two points on your thumb that are quite painful.
Now, if you probe on these painful points, clockwise and anti clockwise for a minute or so, you will be surprised to discover that the headache and the pain in your thumb gradually subside. You can treat a stomach ache similarly: Talk the palm of one hand. With the finger of the other hand, lightly scratch the palm. In a few minutes, you’ll find the stomach ache less.
So, whether you suffer from a minor headache or a more chronic problem, you might find the approach to cure may not lie in medication but using your own body to heal itself.
SU JOK-ING AROUND This South Korean form of alternative therapy is catching on pretty fast. Su Jok has been accepted as another form of healing by the armed forces and the police. In fact, a group of police officers’ wives have initiated a holistic centre. Regular classes on this therapy are held at Andhakshi Ashram, at Andheri, in Mumbai (tel: 022 6703817). Check their website www.sujokindia.com too.
Unlike acupressure, Su Jok can be practised by anyone and it takes just half an hour to learn. In acupressure, you need to remember 150 points in the body. And acupuncture works with needles for which you need to see a doctor.
PHOTOGRAPH COURTESY TITAN
THE VIEWS EXPRESSED IN THIS ARTICLE ARE THE AUTHOR’S AND NOT NECESSARILY SUBSCRIBED BY FEMINA.
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