Since the first man massaged his injured body in an attempt to relieve the pain, the idea of Do-in was already formed. After feeling that a simple touch was not only comforting but also therapeutic, primitive man began to perceive the existence of a direct relationship between certain points distributed throughout his body and a kind of energy flowing between them.
The knowledge of these points allied to the gradual understanding of the instinctive movements of the bodies, such as the act of stretching, scratching and a whole variety of manifestations of the cup, provided ancient peoples with the development of a self-stimulating practice that constitutes a basic part of human culture: the ability to heal oneself and harmonize inner movement with the cosmos itself.
The word Do derives from Tao. The Tao is not defined. However, an attribute was created: “apparent path of sun”. The “apparent path of the sun” brings the idea of movement, the idea of a circle.
The word In means house. Thus, the DO-In can be defined as “Home Path”. The house is a reference to the body itself.
To complement the above definition: Do-In is a set of physical activities with the aim of achieving self-knowledge, internal balance and disease prevention.
What are physical activities? Physical activities are physical exercises; breathing exercises and meditative exercises combined with self-manipulation techniques.
The practice of Do-In – Self-massage:
Place: Preferably, perform your practice always in the same place. Choose the most peaceful and ventilated place in your home. If you want, light some incense.
Time: It is advisable to practice Do-In in the morning on an empty stomach. The body will be fully awake and drowsiness, which sometimes lasts all day, will be eliminated. If you have little time, wake up 1 hour earlier, as the Do-In practice advantageously replaces 1 hour of sleep. The series can be repeated in the afternoon, to eliminate the tensions of the day. The important thing is to always do it. Take care of yourself, don’t delay.
The manipulations used in Do-In consist of seven basic maneuvers:
- Friction;
- Pressure – Continuous or repeated pressure with fingernails, or fingertips, precisely on energy points.
- Percussion – With fingertips or flat hands.
- Twisting and Kneading.
- Pinch – pinching and shaking the skin in certain specific areas, or following the meridian in the direction of energy flow.
- Linear Massage – with the fingertips together, traversing the meridian in the direction of the energy flow.
- Agitation – shaking hands, arms, legs, feet, head or whole body, for elimination.