Hay fever. Here are some ways to treat it. [Letters to the Hand God ⑥]

The plum blossoms are in full bloom on the walking path I often visit.
Both red and white.
I find myself squinting, enjoying the contrast against the blue sky.
While there are still forecasts of heavy snow in some regions, spring is definitely approaching, step by step.

A season when the cold eases and flowers begin to bloom. It is a gentle climate that most people should enjoy, yet—in reality, I sometimes see people who feel a bit melancholy about the arrival of spring.

Hay fever.
There are people who are forced to endure discomfort and inconvenience from this condition with such a cute name... aren't there?

The main symptoms of hay fever are a runny or stuffy nose.
I would like to introduce a way to alleviate these with simple treatments this time.
It is a very easy method, so please try it as one of your hay fever countermeasures if you like.

First, please look at the illustration below.
It is a simplified drawing of the skull and the muscles around the nose.

In the center of the skull, there is a large hole that looks like an inverted heart.
There is no bone in the part we usually think of as the "small mountain in the middle of the face" when we say "nose." From the perspective of bone, this large hole is the nose. Running along its edge is the nasal bridge, and from the top of the nasal bridge toward the forehead, the procerus muscle extends.
The first thing I want you to do is to loosen these muscles of the nose.

The way to do it is quite simple.
Place your fingers on the edge of the bone and, while shaking them lightly, peel away the adhesions between the bone and the muscle.
I think it is easier to start from A and gradually loosen toward B.

Moving vertically along the muscle is the basic approach, but if you don't feel it loosening, you can treat the muscle like a string and pluck it horizontally. Use your own intuition to peel away the "adhesions between bone and muscle."
You don't need to use strong force, but many people might find it "ouch, ouch, ouch" even when just trying to peel it lightly.
The muscles of the nose rarely get a chance to move. They tend to get stiff easily, and adhesions often become strong. Please continue the "nasal bridge and procerus muscle peeling" while adjusting the force to a level that feels painfully pleasant.

Next, as shown in the figure below, pinch your nose with the fingers of both hands and try moving it by tilting it left and right.
I mentioned earlier that there is no bone in the mountain part of the nose, but cartilage exists to separate the left and right nostrils.Please grip that firmly and, with the feeling of "folding the nose from the root," push it over alternately to the left and right.

Well, how is it?
I would be truly happy if you felt, "Oh, my nose is clearer!"

This is a method to restore the function of blood vessels and nerves leading to the nose by loosening the surrounding muscles, so please try it not only for hay fever but also if you suffer from chronic rhinitis or have serious nasal problems like sleep apnea syndrome.
It is not intended to cure it completely, but if it can alleviate even a little of the unpleasant symptoms of the nose... it is a very easy method, isn't it?

And at the same time, there is a body mechanism I want you to be conscious of.
It is a very primitive and simple mechanism, but it is something we tend to overlook in modern life.

That is the principle that "fight or flight" and "rest and digest" (recovery and growth) do not happen at the same time.
If you want to know more, please read my past article, "My cold is 'healing right now'." To summarize, it is a body mechanism where "in an emergency where you need to fight or flee, that reaction is prioritized, and functions for growth and recovery do not work."
This is because, otherwise, your life could be in danger.
For example, no one would say, "I'm going to take a break and recover from fatigue" while being attacked by a wild beast, right?

If you replace that with hay fever, it means that when you are trying to "fight" the symptoms, the body's recovery will not proceed smoothly.

Moreover, hay fever is a symptom caused by an overactive immune system. You could say that the fight-or-flight state is extremely heightened.
It is a state similar to continuing to fight a wild beast that doesn't actually exist.
If that is the case, it is not a good idea to think of pollen or the symptoms as an "enemy."

Taking medicine and various hay fever countermeasures are fine as they are.
Just let go of the feeling of being hostile toward hay fever.
Just by doing that, the body enters recovery mode.
That is an important principle for living beings to live safely.

If you would like to read more about the body's recovery mechanism, please refer to this past article.

Now then, here is an introduction to articles from the magazine "Letters to the Hand God."
This time, I will introduce four articles filled with peace of mind that will make you want to naturally let go of the feeling of being hostile toward someone.

The first one is here.

Uozabi-san's, "[Tanka] #Hand."

First, I will introduce one of the tanka poems included.

It is a scene that surely floats vividly before anyone's eyes—a time for two filled with hearts that care for each other. It is a poem that tells us that depicting a scene is the same as depicting the heart.

I hope everyone can savor the charm of Uozabi-san's tanka through their own sensibilities, but I feel that many of the works have a sharp, effective stimulation of the five senses—especially the sense of touch.

Even in this poem, what is depicted is the cold outside air. However, what remains after reading is a warmth inside the body.
Whether it is snow, rain, or a wintry wind outside, or even the intense heat of midsummer that exceeds body temperature—the inside of a person's body and heart always maintains a constant warmth.
I feel that Uozabi-san's words convey that sense of security of life.

Please be sure to enjoy other tanka in the article as well.

Next is this one.

Mii-san's, "Hand."

Mii-san wrote an article about a wonderful conversation with her second-grade son.

Ah, I thought that was exactly right.
AI has many functions that are superior to humans.
And animals know how to live much more in harmony with nature than people do.
Even so, we primates possess something that such AI and animals do not.
That is the power of the hand.

Our hands, which can not only deliver warmth to loved ones, but also hold animals and convey thoughts to AI.

How will I use that power?

I felt like I received an important hint from the episode with her lovely child.

And here is an article that firmly conveyed the charm of such hands.

Takakosousou-san's, "The Day I Met Small Hands Again."

Takakosousou-san is a former nursery school teacher. She now works at a child-rearing support plaza.
A former student of hers, who has now grown up, visits there...
The following is the scene of their reunion.

Oh my... how happy Takakosousou-san and Chii-chan must have been...!
Reading the excerpted text again, most of it is occupied by descriptions of hands, such as "spread both hands wide," "hugged tightly," "was hugged tightly," and "patted her head."
I learned once again that the movement of hands conveys people's feelings so much, so very much.

Now, one last thing.

nekomi-san's, "Sleeping Hand Cat."

Since she posted a photo in a tweet, please click the article below to see the "healing little hands."

As I mentioned in Mii-san's article, cats don't actually have hands—but when you see this photo, you can't help but think, "Cute little hands!" right?

We often superimpose the image of hands onto things that are not actually hands.
We talk about wanting to borrow a cat's paw, or liken tree leaves to palms.
Not only that, but we associate an astonishing number of words with hands, such as "opponent," "easy/handy," "start/undertake," and "means/method."
Suddenly, I was struck by the thought that perhaps we are equipped with a power that could be called "sensitivity to hands."

Sensitivity to hands.

Something that animals, and AI, probably do not possess.

Even though I have a vague idea of what that is, I cannot put it into words well.
I wonder if I will be able to put it into words eventually.

For a while, I think I will spend time quietly hand-in-hand with that inexpressible sensitivity.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to everyone who supported this project.

I plan to continue introducing the articles you have contributed one by one, following a single theme each time as much as possible.
It will take some time to introduce all the articles, but I would be very grateful if you could wait patiently and look forward to them.
Also, if there is anyone who intended to participate in the project but whose article has not been included in the magazine, please take the trouble to let Crystal-ru know. You can do so via the comment section of any article.

This is the magazine that contains your "#Hand" articles. ↓↓↓

The first article I wrote about "Tegami-sama" (The Letter God/Hand God) is here. ↓↓↓

The recruitment article for "#Hand" is here. ↓↓↓

The series of introduction articles for "Letters to the Hand God" is here. ↓↓↓