When you think about getting healthy, you probably think about your diet or activity level, but what about your ears? Our aural appendages are an important part of our bodies. They contribute to our experience of the world around us, but we often forget about them. That’s a big mistake. There are some serious ailments that can crop up in our hearing canals.
The most common ear issues are tinnitus (ringing in the ear) and vertigo (a condition that can cause a spinning, dizzy sensation). Apart from just allowing you to hear external stimuli, the ears are crucial when it comes to balance and spatial awareness. The ears are a truly underrated organ, but you’ll really learn to appreciate them if something goes wrong. Don’t wait for that to happen.
There is an ancient Chinese method for improving ear health known as “Beating the Heavenly Drum.”
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You can perform this technique on yourself every day, and it has been linked to improvements in ear ringing and partial deafness. This activity is reported to help the ears stay healthy throughout the lifetime, by providing the inner ear a break from stimulation during rest. When you press your ears closed you should be able to hear a slight whoosh.
With enough practice, “Beating the Heavenly Drum” should quiet that whoosh.
This exercise has been known to promote a sense of calm and relaxation. The pineal gland (an important spiritual center) is located between the ears. “Beating the Heavenly Drum” is thought to stimulate it, creating a feeling of tranquility. In this context, the head is known as the Heavenly Drum, which means that this exercise attempts to stimulate the Qi (energy) in that region, causing improved health and happiness.
Here’s how to “Beat the Heavenly Drum”:
- Take your pointer finger and place it over your ear hole, pressing down the inner flap over the opening.
- Then take your middle finger and use it to drum on the index finger that is blocking the opening of your ear (drumming with the middle finger on your index finger nail).
- Do this steadily in a rhythmic fashion for a dozen up to 36 beats.
- Take a pause and then repeat this method 3 times.
This practice can be done as much as you would like throughout the day. The more you do it, the more that ringing should fade. Some may use this practice as a proactive measure for keeping the ears healthy into old age.
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The ears may be a largely neglected organ when it comes to proactive health, but this exercise is a good example of something fairly easy and non-invasive that has stood the test of time for the benefit of overall good ear health.