Ear Acupressure for Whole Body Wellness

During your acupuncture appointment, your practitioner may stimulate points on your ear. They might also send you home wearing ear seeds. In this simple guide, we’ll talk about what ear acupressure/acupuncture and ear seeds are. We’ll also cover all of the healing benefits of this simple practice that you can apply by yourself at home or on the go whenever you need it.

Our ears, as small as they are, keep wondrous secrets to the rest of our bodies. Every part of your body is connected. Top to bottom, back to front, in and out. Because of this connection, we’re able to work with different body parts to influence the whole.

“Your ear is a microcosm of the rest of your body.” - The Way of Yin

What is acupressure?

Acupressure is the practice of applying varying levels of pressure (touch/massage) to stimulate acupoints along the body’s meridians. We can also use tools to apply acupressure such as ear seeds, magnets and teishins. We can do this to help move or build vital qi energy. You can read more about acupressure here.

Why the Ear?

Our ears represent a microcosm map of our bodies. Our whole body is mapped on our ears. Pretty wild, right? There are nerves in our ears that connect with reflex centers in our brain which then sends messages through the spinal cord to the part of the body being targeted in the ear. 

Auriculotherapy helps our body's homeostatic mechanism. There are tiny little pressure points that stimulate different organ systems, body parts and areas. Stimulating these points can help to move stagnation and improve the functionality of the area being targeted. In East Asian Medicine, stagnation is one of the main root causes of physical and emotional imbalance. There’s a famous saying that says, “when there is pain there is no free flow and if there is no free flow, there is pain.”

What are ear seeds?

Ear seeds are traditionally made with Vaccaria seeds (Wang Bu Liu Xiang) but can also be made from tiny gold or silver pellets. They are attached to tape and then placed on the ear. They are used to stimulate nerve endings and pressure points. Some common conditions treated by this therapy are anxiety, insomnia, chronic pain, substance abuse, depression, infertility, migraines, and stress. These magical tiny seeds even have the ability to stimulate melatonin in your body for restful sleep, aid back pain, harmonize hormones and even help your metabolism. Ear seeds can significantly enhance your wellness goals.

How and When to Apply

It’s ideal to see an acupuncturist the first time you apply ear seeds. They will know the specific meridian points for your needs and the correct location of those points. After you learn where to place them, you can do it at home as part of your self care ritual. You just need to massage them gently by using a circular rubbing motion or you can hold pressure until you feel the tissues relax.  You can press the seeds 3 to 5 times a day, but you don’t want to leave them on for more than 5 days at a time. Allow your skin to breathe for a day before re-applying.  To purchase ear seeds, you can visit EarSeeds.com here.

NADA Protocol

One of the most famous auriculotherapy protocols is called the NADA protocol (nothing in Spanish) This involves the gentle placement of needles or ear seeds into five specific points of the ears: Sympathetic, Shen Men, Kidney, Liver, and Lung. This simple technique was first used as a treatment for drug addiction by acupuncturists and doctors, and then its use expanded to the realms of mental health and stress management. Some of the benefits of its application are the decrease of cravings, promoting a sense of calm, better sleep, less anxiety and stress. One of the main healing benefits of the NADA Protocol is the way it holistically supports emotional distress and trauma. Many Veterans Medical Clinics will use the NADA protocol to ease the challenges of PTSD.

It’s such an effective protocol that this type of therapy is normally applied in large group settings. This also makes it more affordable, and also gives everyone a sense of community healing. Studies find that patients report feeling more energy and positive about their overall health after receiving the NADA protocol. Needles are removed after 30 to 45 minutes, while Ear Seeds can be used for longer. 

Applying ear seeds is an easy way to help your body’s ability to heal. I send all of my patients home with ear kits so that they can be a part of their healing journey. It’s a practical and effective way to extend the length of your treatments beyond that day. It’s like homework for your body. Ear seeds can be used in conjunction with movement practices, food therapy, acupuncture, herbal medicine and cyclical living in general. You can purchase your kit here.

~ Written by The Way of Yin Team