10 Great Tricks To Teach Your Body

1. If your throat tickles, scratch your ear!

If you stimulate the nerves in your ear, it creates a reflex action in the muscles in your throat. This can cause a spasm in the muscle which helps relieve the tickle! So no further need in trying to hide those little coughs and splutters during an important speech or performance.

2. Boost your hearing!

Imagine you are in a crowd of people - a club, party or socialising after a meeting. Someone is trying to speak to you, but you are battling to hear what they are saying! What can you do? For most people the answer is simple. Lean in and listen with your right ear! Researchers claim that it is much better at deciphering and decoding the patterns and rythms of speech. Your left ear is better at picking up musical tones, so next time you are trying to hear that distant music - listen with your left ear!

3. Clear your blocked nose with ease!

Ever been stuck somewhere and your nose is all stuffed up? No Sudafed or pharmacy near at hand? Well try this little trick to help unbloke those sinuses: Put your finger between your eyebrows and press your tongue to the roof of your mouth. Alternately thrust up with your tongue and press down with your finger. This rocks the bone that runs through the nasal passages back and forth. This motion starts loosening the congestion and after 20 - 30 seconds your sinuses should start to drain.

4. Relieve your acid reflux!

You know that burning sensation you feel in your stomach and throat after you have eaten certain foods? Wellif this happens to you when you go to bed - you can lessen it somewhat by lying on your left side! The esophagus meets the stomach at an angle. If you sleep on your right side - your stomach is higher than your esophagus and due to gravity, food and stomach acid can slide down into your throat. When lying on your left the esophagus is higher … no problemo!

5. Relieve your toothache without opening your mouth!

The human body is rather odd - especially when it comes to nerve connections and the effects of stimulation. By rubbing some ice on the webbing between your thumb and forefinger on the back of the hand, you reduce the pain felt from the face and hands - by up to 50% in many cases! This is because stimulating this nerve stimulates the brains into blocking pain from the face and hands!

6. Had one too many drinks? Stop the world from spinning!

I hear many people saying: Ohhh I know this one …. but you are probably wrong! Drinking too much alcohol messes up your balance because it dilutes the blood in your inner-ear. This confuses your brain and makes you feel dizzy, so your brain looks for a ’second opinion’. The hand is much more sensative than the foot, so by placing your hand on a hard,flat object, you get a better effect than the old ‘foot-on-the-floor’ trick. And besides it is a LOT more convenient if you are lying in bed!

7. Stanch that bleeding nose with a single finger!

Pinching your nose and leaning back seldom works efficiently, and in fact has some risks to it. This way is usually more effective. Most nosebleeds are from the front of the septum (the cartilage wall that divides the nose) and can be easily stopped by placing cottonwool on your upper gums - just behind the dent below your nose. then press hard against it with your finger. This should stop most types of nosebleeds.

8. Stop being nervous!

You know the feeling of butterflies in your stomach before you go up to receive an award, get married or go on a first date? Well there is a way to help you relax a bit. Blow on your thumb! This stimulates the vagus nerve which governs heartrate, and it can be controlled by breathing. This will get your heartrate back to normal.

9. Stop pins and needles!

If your hand or arm ‘falls asleep’ and you get pins and needles - move your head from side to side. This should relieve it within 30 seconds! Usually this feeling is caused by compression of nerves in your neck. By moving your head around, you are releasing the pressure in this area. If your foot or leg needs attention - get up and walk around.

10. And lastly a party trick!

Get your friend to stand up straight. Have them put their arm straight out to the side with the palm facing down. Press down on their wrist with two fingers. The person resists and nothing happens. Now put their foot on a surface that is at least half an inch higher (a few magazines or a book will do). Now use your magic fingers on the wrist again. This time you will be able to push their arm way down and they can’t resist! This is because by misaligning the hips, you have offset the spine. Your brain senses this misalignment and tries to protect the spine by shutting down the bodies urge to resist. Now you have the secret of a ninja!