Dr. Mercola October 25 2008 62,241 views
This stems from a taoist cosmological understanding of the body though the time periods of the 24 hour clock. The time when the Heart meridian is at its fullest is from 11:00am to 1:00pm during the day. So it makes sense to find 11:00am at the destination time and stimulate the Heart meridian at that time, to gently remind it that NOW is its time to gather cosmic Qi and function at its highest. It is simple, easily taught, and accessible to someone in public. The "pinky" point--Jing Well-might be too stimulating though.
There are other more complex systems that involve stimulating the "Source" points of each meridian as you pass through its time in the 24 hour clock. Source points are places on each meridian where primordial Qi is gathered--they are on hands and feet and easily assessed through clothes to be massaged. I never suffer from jetlag anymore, but you'd have to be a chinese medicine practitioner to know these points or have a detailed cheat sheet. Keeps you busy during the flight!
Plane travel is hard on the body in many ways, and I put lots of effort into being in a healthy state during the flight. I support what Mike Boddington wrote about relaxing during the flight. I also support just relaxing--NOT SLEEPING--but just be in a calm meditative state. Why little or no sleep? Because you do not protect your airway during sleep and the sinus and mucus membranes get dried out. When the mucus dries up--the tissues become damaged and bugs have an easy entry. It is more important to stay meditatively conscious and monitor your hydration. Don't guzzle water! But stay moist. I also urge people to get up every two hours and walk around the plane. Be on your feet as much as you can. Try to do some tai chi in your head if you're too embarassed to try to do it in the bulkhead area. This helps prevent blood clots in the calves that can lead to pulmonary embolism. And of course..eat and drink at your new destination to get the local vibration into your body.
OK, this is an excerpt from the heart meridian chapter of the Encyclopedia of Dim Mak, specifically in reference to heart pt. 8:
Location: On the palmar surface, between the fourth and fifth metacarpal bones. When the hand is supine and the fingers are cupped in a half fist, this pionts is found on the palm just below the tip of the little finger...
Damage: ..this point strike will upset the body's clock, showing symptoms of jet lag! (It can also be used to combat jetlag in the healing sense.)
Antidote: Use the opposite of Ht8 with finger pressure...
How simple is that! Just stimulate Ht8 in the back of your hand by tapping, kneading, or massaging. YOu don't have to do the whole heart meridian. Just do the point that counts then go about your regular routine.
I wasn't aware that ancients had jets.
I see you got negative points, but I thought it was LOL funny. These people need a sense of humor...or maybe just some sleep.
I wondered about the ancient connection too.
I spent much of my life flying around the world, crossing multiple time zones. I soon established my own method of beating jet lag - completely. And it was very simple - much simpler than the methods described here.
1. At the beginning of the journey, set your watch to the time at your destination: from now on, that is the time it is (but don't miss your flight!)
2. Totally relax on the journey - DO NOT WORK! People boast about how much work they get done on the flight - they are dumbos
3. When you arrive, fit immediately into the time of the country, eating breakfast, lunch and dinner etc at the appropriate time in the country, go to bed when they go to bed, get up when they get up, and attend to their work hours
4. Never, ever, ever, think about what time it is in the place you came from (unless you want to call someone on the telephone!)
5. Never, ever, ever take any special medications when you are travelling if you can possibly avoid it (I have never heard of melatonin).
6. Never, ever, ever think that you have jetlag: jetlag is for wimps who have heard that it exists and therefore adopt it as the mark of the international traveller ('Ive just arrived from Umbo-umbo and I'm suffering from extreme jetlag: talk to me in three days') it does not exist and true international travellers do not suffer from it. Jetlag is in the mind, only, and the mind can overcome it, easily.
Mike
I wish I had whatever it is that you have. I can't even adjust to my own time zone - I've had cronic insomnia for about 8 years now. I'm currently not working (due to the strain from the insomnia)and I'm able to sleep 8 hours pretty regularly, but often can't get to sleep until between 1 and 3 in the morning (note that it is 1:30 am now), therefore I often sleep in until 11 am. I chalk it up to diminishing hormones. I also understand that women's hormones cause them to have a natural sleep cycle that is later than the early rising men anyway. I've always had difficulty adjusting to the man's world hours. Any women out there with recommendations?
Slinky33, I reckon your solution might be a polyphasic sleep cycle..check out the google group below:
groups.google.com/.../Polyphasic
Slinky, it sounds like your body is just more of a night owl than most people. I am exactly the same way--your hours are what I would keep as well. Consider getting a second shift job. It's what I did, and I feel much better. You are doing your body a disservice to keep trying to force it into something unnatural for itself.
Another thing that causes fatigue while flying (I can't say whether it causes jet lag or not) is the continual noise. I feel much better at the end of the flight if I've worn effective ear plugs or a noise reducing headset for the whole flight.
I also bring my own headphones for music or movies and wear them over the ear plugs.
Greg
ronaldneil.. see www.theyfly.com. That would have given them beamship-lag. I use 3 to 5 times the usual melatonin and hops/valerium for the flight, and also have a large shot of nano- reduced, (by aerating with an aquarium pump during processing), colloidal silver to keep the bugs away,for the flight., and to aid the the whacked immune system from the time-change. Anybody studied that? I sleep most of the flight and feel quite good on arrival. I then get into the gym every day at about the same local time as previous local time training. Then slowly reduce the melatonin, (rapid and time release) and hops/ valerium over a few days. Melatonin and hops works better taken 20 minutes before a meal. I will definitely try the Taoist Tickle next time. As a retired airline training Captain, I appreciate todays knowledge, and available nutrients. In the old days, early seventies, the air. MD just gave us opiates, which knocked us out, dulled our brains, and took 5 years to kick, after stopping flying.