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Ionic Magnesium is the dissolved salt form of magnesium. Many people in our modern industrialised societies are realising just how much they need to add extra magnesium to their diets, as it is lost excessively under stress. A plentiful supply of magnesium helps to defend against the ravages of stress, to calm and relax the nervous and vascular systems, to alleviate cramps and restless legs, to support digestion, metabolism and energy supply, to detoxify, to strengthen the immune system and to build new cells. Magnesium, via mitochondrial energy production (Mg-ATP = Magnesium-Adenosine-triphosphate), is the power supply that fuels enzymatic reactions working in every system of the body. There are however many different magnesium supplement forms available on the market. Two groupings of magnesium compounds are commonly available: 'Ionic Magnesium' and 'Magnesium Chelate'. How can we choose the best form of magnesium for our needs and one which easily accesses the tissue cells where 99% of magnesium is used?
Ionic Magnesium - Magnesium Chloride Salt, Food Grade
'Ionic magnesium' refers to magnesium bonded to a non-metal to form a stable outer shell with eight electrons, according to the octet rule. Common examples of ionic magnesium are magnesium oxide, magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) and magnesium chloride. Magnesium chloride (MgCl2) is more readily absorbed into cells in higher amounts because chloride is used abundantly as an electrolyte. It is formed when a magnesium cation (Mg2+) bonds with two chlorine anions (Cl-). Naturally occurring magnesium chloride hexahydrate (MgCl2.6H20), that is magnesium chloride wrapped in a matrix of six water molecules, is commonly evaporated from sea water (or mountain glacial salts) to form crystalline salt flakes. Most commonly supplied magnesium chloride hexahydrate salts are evaporated from sea water either from the open ocean, from inland desert salt pans or from alpine regions thousands of meters above sea level.
For ingestion make sure the magnesium chloride is either pharmaceutical grade or food grade. Pharmaceutical grade MgCl is an isolate with no extra trace minerals and is also used to make the injectable form of magnesium chloride solution used to relax the heart muscle during a cardiac arrest. Naturally dehydrated magnesium chloride salts contain about 2% mixed sea trace minerals in addition to the magnesium chloride. The food grade kind (also called Nigari and used to make tofu) would not contain mercury, lead or arsenic, or other man-made chemicals that may leach into the water supply from agriculture, mining or sewage systems. It is ideal for use as a mineral drinking water supplement (as well as horse feed supplement), mouthwash or for bathing and footsoaking. Over 85% of magnesium chloride in the world is harvested as an industrial grade product used for metals manufacture, mining and agriculture. It is also commonly sold as 'bath salts'. Magnesium chloride hexahydrate comes in a crystalised salt flake form, or dissolved in more water the flakes become a magnesium 'oil' solution in various concentrations from 30% to 75% (weight/volume). Magnesium Oil (water based mineral oil) is not a fat or lipid as such, but it feels slippery or oily because of its electrolyte charge.
Ionic Magnesium Chloride: The single element of magnesium is a stable molecule with 12 protons, 12 electrons and 12 neutrons, but it can't get access to enter cells unless it becomes ionised. 'Ionised' means that magnesium loses two electrons (-) in the outer shell, leaving two surplus protons (+). So the ionic form of magnesium is Mg+2 floating around as free magnesium in the water, looking for partners.
The surplus protons in magnesium's outer shell then become available for other elements like halogens (and sometimes sulphate or oxide) to bond with. As there is so much chlorine (a halogen) in the ocean, and the chlorine molecule has one missing space in its outer shell that needs to be filled with a proton (+) - ie. looking for a partner, once the salt water is mostly evaporated during the dehydration process, chlorine and other halogens with spare spaces end up being strongly attracted to molecules with spare protons like magnesuim (and also sodium, potassium and calcium).
The ionised magnesium(+2) gets bonded to two single chlorines so that magnesium and two chlorines share the same two protons spinning around in the outer shell of the new stable salt compound of magnesium chloride (hexahydrate), 'hexahydrate' being 6 crystalised water molecules. Chlorine thus is converted into a chloride. Yes, it's true - opposites attract!
The most abundant mineral electrolyte in the body's cells is the chloride ion - making up about 70% of the body's total negative ion content. Chloride facilitates the access of most minerals into the body's tissues, because the compound easily dissociates once dissolved, and the ions can float free in the plasma. Magnesium chloride salt therefore requires no further digestion once dissolved.
If minerals are not ionised, they cannot be absorbed by cells to the interior, and remain as 'colloidal', just floating in the extra cellular fluids and blood circulation. Ionised electrolytes are what the cell mitochondria need most in order to function as our metabolic power houses. The free ions are then full of charge and looking to join up with partners. Much of the stored magnesium ion content of cells ends up as part of a compound that is formed by mitochondria from ATP - adenosine triphospahte (ATP). This compound is referred to as Mg-ATP and works as a storage unit (mostly housed in membranes) like a biological battery for later use.
Hydration and Electrolyte Charge
When a cell encounters mineralised 'electrolyte' water it soaks up more water because of the negative (alkaline) charge. This increased hydration effect enables more functional cell transport, ie. detoxification and movement of wastes out, as well as movement of nutrients into the cell. You need the minerals present to hold water inside the cell. Without enough magnesium charge the cell membrane becomes weak and leaky. Athletes in particular can lose large amounts of magnesium through strenuous exercise and perspiration. Without enough electrolytes to charge the system it becomes harder to maintain healthy hydration levels.
When we can hydrate better we also produce a stronger cell voltage to lift energy levels. Drinking filtered water with added magnesium chloride hexahydrate (food grade) minerals, including 2% trace minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron, boron, silica, strontium, chromium and minimal sodium, improves hydration (and supports bone health too!). About one pinch of flakes (1/2 a gram) per litre of filtered water makes a tasty mineral drinking water and lifts the pH of filtered water from 6 to 7 or over. If you want to lift alkalinity even higher (ie. 7 to 8) then add a tiny amount of sodium bicarbonate (bicarb soda). This well rounded electrolyte mix tastes great and makes the water easier to drink without gagging - or running to the toilet so often!
Cell Voltage and Energy
Electrolyte BALANCE is the key to good health, and magnesium is the master controller electrolyte regulating calcium channel firing and retreat. Calcium gets pushed into the cell membrane channels for muscle fibre contraction (after stimulation by stress hormones), and magnesium swaps places when it's time to relax, bringing water back in to re-hydrate and expand. So we need magnesium to relax, to sleep, to detox, to digest, to exercise, to bolster the immune system, for hormone balance, for DNA repair and to build new cells. We need it for every process in the body that requires bio-electricity! Electrolyte salts dissolved in water enable electrical conductivity and cell voltage.
Cell voltage is directly related to pH. Good electrolyte balance in cells and blood plasma results in an ideal pH status of 7.35-7.45 pH (slightly alkaline). Slightly alkaline means we have just the right level of surplus electrons to keep things moving energetically and fluidly. Once magnesium chloride is dissolved in water it is already in the right form for cellular uptake and effectively absorbed by cells everywhere - including the epidermal layer (as in transdermal absorption).
Magnesium Chloride inside a matrix of six water molecules.
Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate (MgCl2+6H20).
Even in its dehydrated crystalised salt flakes form magnesium chloride hexahydrate still is about half made up of water - ie. water molecules forming a crystalline structure. The other half of the atomic weight is approx 46-47% magnesium chloride plus 2-3% percent of mixed synergistic trace minerals. It is hygroscopic, hydrophilic, and water seeking: ie. Magnesium chloride salt absorbs moisture from the atmosphere until it eventually liquefies itself. It will always want to return back to its original liquid water state as soon as moisture is close by. In other words, magnesium 'wants' to dissociate and free float, but it needs the water to dissociate and be freed. The water molecules are in a sense competitive suiters looking to partner up with ionised magnesium (Mg2+). This is the foundation of the energy of life, and of mitochondrial metabolism, which cannot exist without magnesium and water.
Water Dipole diagram of unstructured (A) and structured (C) water from Cells, Gels and the Engines of Life by Prof. Gerald Pollack
Structured Water
When water is charged with magnesium chloride electrolytes it causes the water molecules to assume a more ordered form, rather than random. That is, the salts cause the water molecule's north-south poles (2 Hydrogens moving closer to the north to form a dipole with the southern Oxygen) so they get 'thinner' and closer together, lining up like train tracks to form plains or sheets of water molecules sliding over one another. This promotes alkalinity and voltage and becomes part of the structure of the cell plasma. It is why magnesium oil feels slippery or gel-like, and why mineral water has a soft mouth-feel with its alkaline contribution. This kind of charged mineral drinking water takes a bit longer to pass through the body because it is accessing cells more effectively and deliverig the necessary charge for the 'rhythm of life'. Conversely, if you drink de-mineralised water (rain water, reverse osmosis or distilled) it goes though your digestive system faster, sending you frequently to the toilet. Your body will take this 'empty' low pH water and look to steal electrons from somewhere else to get the right alkaline electron surplus and make the water useable and able to access the intra-cellular space. Demineralised water can actually deplete mineral stores even more by scavenging for existing mineral electrolytes in your body to join up with. This is one of the reasons why the medical profession advises against too much water, but what they should be cautioning against is demineralised water. It's the magnesium water that cells need for the energy of life. And, your body decides how much is enough, as it will let you know via symptms if it gets dehydrated.
Blood Fluidity and Cell Charge
It is essential to the health of our blood and circulation to have sufficient water and electrolyte balance. These days we tend to consume too much sodium and calcium, and not enough of the other electrolytes - particularly magnesium. Too much sodium and/or calcium can push your blood pressure too high, whereas magnesium has a normalising effect on blood pressure. Magnesium and potassium work in tandem as powerful intracellular electrolytes, whereas calcium and sodium ions are mostly extra-cellular due to the antagonism and competition of charges.
"Mg-deficiency is followed by a K-deficiency, which cannot be equalized by K alone: a refractory hypokalemia always needs additional Mg supply for its restitution. From K, Mg-deficiency a Na/Ca-overload of the cell with aggravating consequences will follow: impaired activity and vitality with electric instability. Mg, which is responsible for development of a Ca-overload is also able to restore electrolyte homeostasis by sufficient supply competitively."
Magnesium is therefore integral to maintain cell wall integrity, electron charge/electrolyte balance, storage of ATP, and calcium channel regulation. If you lose too much magnesium the cell wall becomes weaker and you are more prone to cell dehydration and electrolyte depletion. This leads to platelet stickyness and positive charge (attractive force) - which is low in pH and therefore doesn't supply enough electron flow and fluidity. Neither does it provide flexibility to muscle fibres, ligaments and joints. We tend to seize up when magnesium and water are in short supply.
The negative charge of slightly alkaline water/plasma produces a repulsion of red blood cells so that they bounce off one another and the blood becomes more fluid, thereby carrying more dissolved oxygen. This fluidity is called the Zeta Potential. This also allows more nutrients to access blood cells that are free and not clumped together because they have more surface area for absorption potential.
Relaxation of Muscle Fibres and Flexibility
Magnesium has been found to be the most effective natural calcium antagonist and channel regulator. After calcium firing to contract muscle fibres, magnesium is used to relax the grip of the calcium. This relationship works a bit like a 'zipper' of muscle fibres closing and opening. When you are low in magnesium it becomes harder to open the zipper again and relax. This is expressed as cramps and locked up muscles and tendons.
What About Magnesium Tablets and Digestion?
Formulated tablets and powders containing lab-made compounds (usually chelated magnesium, magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide) must be digested in the stomach using hydrochloric acid. Many people today have issues with making enough stomach acid for digestion - especially when magnesium chloride levels are low. Note, magnesium chloride is used to make stomach acid, together with zinc, vitamin K, selenium and B group vitamins. Once the elemental 'ionic' magnesium is separated from the magnesium compound during digestion it then encounters another problem in that high concentrations of magnesium ions cannot pass across the gut wall. The gut wall is designed to accept magnesium in the lower concentrations of what would naturaly occur in foods and spring water. Any more than that is just wasted and excreted.
Oral magnesium supplements often contain fillers and tablet coatings to keep them dry and stuck together, to transit and survive the stomach acid, or assist the coating to be more slippery for swallowing: These magnesium tablets and powders can contain:
- Binders
- Disintegrants
- Fillers (diluents)
- Lubricants
- Glidants (flow enhancers)
- Compression aids
- Colors
- Sweeteners
- Preservatives
- Suspensing/dispersing agents
- Film formers/coatings
- Flavors
- Printing inks
Such additives can interfere with digestion and absorption of magnesium itself into the cell. Some people also suffer from clogged bowels, leaky gut syndrome or Crohns disease, which further compromise gut absorption of magnesium. Clinicians are finding that the average adult is lucky if they can even digest and absorb 20% of the magnesium from their swallowed tablets. For more information to compare magnesium tablets and gut absorption, see the study results in this article "How Did the Best Magnesium Tablets Perform in Testing?
Chelated Magnesium
Chelated magnesium tablets are made in a laboratory combining elemental magnesium with an amino acid. 'Chelating' means joining together or grabbing onto. Chelated magnesium compounds are generally better tolerated by the digestive system than other forms of magnesium tablets without explosive diarrhea (as can happen with magnesium sulphate or magnesium oxide taken orally), but there is little evidence showing that it's actually better digested or absorbed inside tissue cells. If your naturopath determines that you are low in other nutritional elements such as taurine, glycine, malic acid or other elements that are commonly compounded in the magnesium tablet, then by all means add those elements to your nutritional program. However, in the case of low magnesium status the body often needs a lot more magnesium than those tablets can provide.
Absorption and Bioavailability
There is only a certain concentration of magnesium that the gut wall can cope with absorbing at any one time, so it's best to take in only the concentrations of magnesium provided by Nature in magnesium-rich fresh foods and mineral water containing magnesium. Note that our gut microbiome's health also relies heavily on magnesium's availability (in natural forms), to absorb nutrients, to maintain the endothelial lining and immune system, and to produce neurotransmitters for brain function. Low magnesium has also been linked to depression. In the case of oral supplementation, more is not necessarily better. If you take in higher concentrations of magnesium supplement it's just excreted faster and you lose most in the toilet rather than having it penetrate the gut wall and gain access to tissue cells where most magnesium is used.
“Several authors have outlined that higher bioavailability is observed when a given amount of Mg is distributed over a day rather than being consumed in a single bolus (Schuette et al, 1990; Fine et al , 1991; Lonnerdal, 1995); consequently a regular water intake distributed throughout the day would be expected to lead to a higher absorption.”
“The low fractional absorption we observed for magnesium oxide (4 percent) is identical to that observed in prior studies of magnesium sulphate bioavailability… Results indicated significantly higher… bioavailability of magnesium chloride.”
Transdermal Ionic Magnesium
You can also gain magnesium by swimming in ocean water or soaking in mineral-rich hot springs. Transdermal Magnesium can bypass the digestive system altogether. The epidermal layer is able to absorb much higher concentrations of magnesium ions using dissolved magnesium and chloride ions, as this form requires no further digestion. It's faster acting and more efficient, and is often the only way to get large amounts of magnesium into the body in the case of leaky gut syndrome and other digestive disorders.
How Much Magnesium Water Should We Drink?
This will vary a lot depending on your age, body size/shape, level of physical activity and perspiration, whether you are on medications, exposed to chemicals or under extreme stresses. Remember, water and minerals are the basis of the cell plasma, which determines our energy production, with nutrients going in and waste products coming out. We have rivers in the body that rinse through cells, as long as the mineral electolyte balance is adequate. For a long time it was commonly thought that we are comprised of 70-75% water, however that is only measuring the volumetric liquids in our vessels and organs and fails to measure all of the water contained in the plasma of our cells, including the hard tissue of bone cells. Gerald Pollack in his water research has worked out we are 99% water molecules when all the moisture is added up:
“We are two-thirds water -- by volume. In terms of the percentage of molecules, that two-thirds figure computes to a lot of water molecules: more than 99% of our molecules are water molecules. Evidence suggests that those 99% don't merely sit as the background carriers of the more important molecules of life, but are central participants. All that the cell does depends on water.” Professor Gerald Pollack
All life depends on water as the bio-electrical energy of life flows through it by virtue of its electrolyte content. If you are not supplying sufficient clean water with minerals, chances are your cells will dehydrate and become polluted and acidic, and consequently vulnerable to pathogenic attack and inflammation.
Inflammation and the Immune System
Inflammation is a result of the immune system going into overdrive to deal with the crisis of pathogenic attack (pathogens preferring low pH cellular conditions), and in the process produces swelling or phlegm in various places. When the body is dehydrated it also starts to get squeezed via the cardiovascular system and muscles to conserve water loss. The brain tells the kidneys to hold back more sodium so as to pool up more water and alleviate dehydration of cells.
Cramping, headaches and pain can result as swelling and oedema increases. The tubes in the body can become clogged and sticky without enough electrolyte (magnesium) water. The lung sacs can feel restricted, causing asthma. Blood pressure can go up. The waste products pooling up can attract pathogens, which trigger immune responses and flu symptoms. Remember when you were young and your grandma made you chicken soup to treat a cold? It worked wonders - and has done for millennia. That's because the bone and vegetable broth is rich in minerals (and essential fats) to help restore the gut microbiome and hydration in the body... You need a lot of mineralised liquids and liquid foods to recover from illness and to maintain wellness. Researchers are finding that an average of 2.5 to 3 litres of mineral water per 24 hours for an average adult is recommended for optimal hydration (and more if you perspire a lot). 
Good Hydration with Mineral Water
Recommended Amount of Ionic Magnesium:
The recommended amount of elemental magnesium per adult per day is on average 400mg. Some people can need two or three times that amount to counteract the effects of trauma or chronic stress conditions. If you need higher amounts you are better off to absorb extra magnesium via skin (transdermally), as too much magnesium orally can cause loose stool or diarrhea.
A pinch (1/2 gram) of magnesium chloride salt flakes per litre of drinking water mimics natural spring water concentration, and is very tasty and easy to drink. Drinking 3 litres over 24 hours, with 80mg of elemental magnesium in each litre, you would get well over 200mg of magnesium actually making it through to the interior of the body. Remember that magnesium chloride hexahydrate is a naturally occurring food 'salt' (not a drug or synthesized product). It doesn't taste salty like sodium salt anymore, because the sodium chloride has been skimmed off during dehydration.
Magnesium chloride salt tastes bitter on the tongue directly as flakes. However when you use it very diluted as mineral water it has a nice mineral water alkaline texture and taste. Adding natural magnesium chloride to your drinking water is just adding natural magnesium as food salt to your diet, the same as you would add sodium chloride to your diet when you sprinkle sodium salt on your food for taste, or when you add herbs and spices to your cooking. It's just food. Like with any food, you can also consume too much (concentrated) oral magnesium at one time, in which case you will notice a loosening of stool or diarrhea. In this case you are losing the magnesium too quickly from the digestive system before it has a chance to gain access to tissue cells. Your tissue cells may still be starving for more magnesium, but the digestive system is not able to cope with high-end delivery. Transdermal absorption allows better uptake for those with high-end needs.
Magnesium salt is particularly abundant in our oceans and mountainous regions (where once upon a time ocean waters existed before the mountains were raised up). However, the purity and quality of the salt harvested relies on the pristine nature of the original salt source, as well as how it is harvested and processed to ensure there are no introduced contaminants like toxic metals.
Electrolyte composition of sea water[/caption]
You can make magnesium electrolyte water and magnesium oil in your own home with the flakes at a fraction of the cost of what you pay for in a bottle. Just make sure that whoever you buy your ionic magnesium chloride (or ionic magnesium oil solution) from, that they can provide a laboratory analysis with testing down to 10ppb showing no mercury, no lead and no arsenic, and that ithe salts are certified 'food grade', as are Elektra Magnesium Chloride Flakes and Drops.
By Sandy Sanderson ©2016-2025
All Rights Reserved.
NOTICE: This article is for educational purposes only.
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Anxiety has become the most common mental health challenge affecting Australians, with 1 in 4 of us experiencing it at some point in our lives. That's over 3 million people dealing with racing thoughts, physical tension, difficulty settling, and sleep disturbances.
There's often an expectation that we should be able to simply "think our way through" anxiety, that it's purely a mental issue we should have control over. But this overlooks a fundamental truth: anxiety doesn't just live in your mind. It lives in your tight shoulders, your shallow breathing, your racing heart, and your tense jaw. It's a whole-body experience.
What if instead of trying to think your way out of anxiety, you learned to work with your body to create an internal environment that allowed the mind to settle? In this article, you’ll learn a simple and practical approach to start supporting yourself this way: an acupressure massage routine using topical magnesium.
Understanding Anxiety From A Chinese Medicine Perspective
In Chinese medicine, we don't separate the mind from the body. They're two sides of the same coin, inseparable aspects of a whole. The quality of your thoughts and mind are profoundly influenced by your physiology and how well your body is functioning. This is why you can't just "think positive" your way out of anxiety. Your body is stuck in a state of imbalance that creates the internal environment for anxiety to thrive.
When I see someone struggling with anxiety in my clinic, there’s several common patterns that come up (individually or in combinations of the following):
● There's often an unsettled, restless quality - like the mind can't settle in the body or find stillness. Thoughts race from one worry to the next without resolution. There may be dream disturbed sleep or frequent wakings at night. This reflects a deeper disturbance in the body's ability to rest and settle.
● Many people are running too hot and revved up - stuck in overdrive with no off switch. The body is constantly in a stress response, even when there's no real threat. It's like having your foot on the accelerator all the time. These people may have trouble falling asleep or waking early, unable to return to sleep. They may not even be aware of this because it’s just become “normal”.
● Others experience the exhaustion of being simultaneously wired AND tired. Chronic stress has depleted their reserves, but the nervous system won't let them truly rest. This can look like burn out or certain forms of chronic fatigue where sleep does not recharge you like it should. You're running on empty but can't stop running.
● Physical tension is almost universal with anxiety. Tight neck and shoulders, clenched jaw, restricted breathing. This tension doesn't just result from anxiety—it actually perpetuates it by restricting healthy circulation through the body.
The solution from a Chinese medicine perspective is to cultivate more stillness, coolness, and grounding in the body. We need to nourish the body's capacity for rest, restoring its natural rhythms. Making sure that we have sufficient magnesium is one way that supports this, and when we combine this with targeted acupressure, we have some powerful ways to help our mental health.
Magnesium's Role In Calming Anxiety
Magnesium levels can play a major role in managing anxiety. Think of magnesium as like a brake pedal for your nervous systems. When you have adequate magnesium reserves, it helps manage the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
When you're magnesium deficient, you lose that brake pedal. Your body can get stuck in "fight or flight" mode, constantly primed for threats that aren't really there. Without adequate magnesium, calcium floods into your cells unchecked, causing excessive firing of neurons, muscle tension, and the release of more stress hormones. It becomes a vicious cycle: stress depletes your magnesium, and low magnesium makes you more reactive to stress.
To make matters worse, excessive stress hormones also cause dehydration at the cellular level. When calcium floods into cells, it causes water loss, and your body essentially panics when hydration drops too low. This physiological panic can manifest as feelings of anxiety. Magnesium helps to bring the water back into the cells, pushing calcium back out to restore balance and calm.
Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is incredibly widespread. Our modern diets tend to be magnesium depleted for a variety of reasons, and many people suffer from poor magnesium absorption or increased loss through urine.
Here's where the gut connection becomes crucial: chronic stress damages your gut lining and disrupts your microbiome, impairing your ability to absorb magnesium from food or oral supplements. Many people taking magnesium tablets experience digestive upset or simply don't absorb much at all. It's yet another frustrating cycle - the anxiety that depletes your magnesium also makes it harder to replenish through conventional means.
This is precisely why topical magnesium offers such an elegant solution.
Why Transdermal Magnesium?
A main key benefit of applying magnesium directly to your skin is that it bypasses the digestive system entirely. It is absorbed through the skin straight into your muscles, fascia, and bloodstream, delivering the mineral exactly where your body needs it.
You also won’t have to worry about overdosing or experiencing digestive issues that can come with oral magnesium supplements. Your body is remarkably intelligent and will only absorb what it needs through the skin, leaving the rest.
But there's another profound benefit that goes beyond simple absorption: the ritual of massage and intentional touch itself is deeply calming to the nervous system. When you slow down, breathe, and gently work with your body in this way, you're signaling safety. You're moving out of sympathetic fight-or-flight and into parasympathetic rest-and-digest mode.
Even better, when you apply magnesium with the understanding of the acupuncture channels in the body, moving through specific acupuncture points, you're working WITH your body's natural patterns, rather than just generically supplementing. You can target pathways that help with calming, restoration, and emotional balance to amplify your benefits.
The Yin Channel Acupressure Routine
The routine I'll share with you involves massaging Magnesium Cream (for those with dry skin conditions), or the stronger Charge Lotion (my favourite) along the inner surfaces of your arms and legs, into the hands and feet. These are where the acupuncture "yin" channels pass through and are most accessible.
Think of channels as the rivers and water ways of the ecosystem of your body. We want good flow through the channels to nourish the health of our body. The yin channels run deeper and are more associated with rest and relaxation, while the yang channels are more external, protective and stimulating.
In anxiety, there is often too much yang activity in the mind, and so we want to help move things deeper into the body, promoting more calm, relaxation and rest.
We'll be working with six specific channels:
On the arms: Heart, Pericardium, and Lung channels
On the legs: Pancreas (Spleen), Liver, and Kidney channels
By massaging along them with magnesium, you're achieving multiple benefits simultaneously: mineral absorption over a large surface area, stimulation of the channels' regulatory effects, activation of specific calming points, and the grounding ritual of self-care.
The routine is very simple and can be made as long or short as you like. It’s perfect in the evening as part of your wind-down routine before bed.
Step-By-Step Routine
Arm Yin ChannelStart by applying your magnesium cream to your hands and the inside of your forearms. Then looking at your forearm with your palm facing you, you’ll work along three paths between your elbow and wrist (see arm yin channels image). Pass through these channels as many times as you like, spending more time on any areas that feel particularly tight or sore. Only use as much pressure as is comfortable for you, this is not a “no pain no gain” situation. We’re trying to cultivate a feeling of relaxation.
Once you’ve worked through the forearm on one side, move into the palm of your hand. Pay close attention to the thumb pad, the centre of the palm and the area of the palm below the space between the 4th and 5th fingers (see arm yin channels image). Repeat this on both sides.
Leg Yin ChannelsAgain begin by applying the magnesium cream to the inside of your legs below your knees and into the feet. Massage along three paths between the knee and ankle. The first just next to the inner shin bone, the next two roughly a finger width apart each (see the leg yin channels image). If you come across any particularly sore or tight areas, spend more time there to help open up the channel more.
Move onto the foot, paying particular attention to the sole, the inside of the big toe and the area below the space between the big toe and second toe (see the leg yin channels image). Be sure to repeat on both sides.
Making It Part of Your Daily Routine
For best results, practice this routine daily. I recommend doing this in the hour before bed to support more restful sleep. Your nervous system thrives on consistency and ritual—over time, just beginning the routine will signal to your body that it's time to wind down.
Consider pairing this routine with magnesium foot soaks 2-3 times per week for an even deeper effect. Simply dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of Elektra’s magnesium flakes in warm water and soak your feet (submerged to just above ankles for best effect) for 15-20 minutes. The soak will act to stimulate and open up the channels around the feet and ankles.
Anxiety can also be a symptom of dehydration, so make sure to drink enough spring water containing magnesium (or filtered water with added magnesium) for enhanced hydration to support the electrical conductivity along the Yin (river and waterway) channels.
Give this daily practice 2-4 weeks of consistent use before evaluating its effectiveness. Pay attention to if you notice things like better, deeper sleep, less anxiety, reduced muscle tension throughout the day, improved resilience to stress (things that would normally trigger you don't hit as hard), and a calmer baseline emotional state.
Wrapping Up
Anxiety isn’t something to be managed purely in your mind. By working with your body, your nervous system, your circulation, your muscles, you’re creating a more ideal environment for your mind to settle for improved mental health.
The beauty of this approach is that it puts powerful tools directly in your hands. You don't need special equipment or expertise. You just need a few minutes, some magnesium cream, and a willingness to slow down and care for yourself.
I encourage you to incorporate Elektra Magnesium's range of products into your daily self-care practice. Their products are specifically designed for topical use and absorb beautifully. Their magnesium flakes are also perfect for those deeper, more restorative foot soaks.
It's important to note that while self-care practices like this can be genuinely powerful, persistent or severe anxiety deserves professional assessment and treatment. Everyone's anxiety has unique root causes—it might stem from inflammation, gut imbalances, unprocessed trauma, hormonal issues, or a combination of factors.
If you'd like a personalised holistic approach tailored to YOUR specific anxiety pattern, I invite you to consider acupuncture for anxiety. In my practice at Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction, I take the time to understand the underlying imbalances contributing to your anxiety and create a treatment plan that addresses your whole system, not just symptoms.
I hope you found some value from what I’ve shared in this article. Remember, it’s the small daily rituals that create the most profound change over time. Start taking care of yourself today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gavin Martin-Rentz is a registered acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner at Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction, Sydney, where he focuses on helping those with complex health conditions and chronic pain to regain their lives and start feeling like themselves again.
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Arrhythmia is a condition where the heart beats irregularly (skipped or half beats), too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia). It can feel like light flutters starting in the left ventricle of the heart, and if the issue isn’t addressed, over time it can progress to atrial fibrillation, an irregular beat of the main atrium of the heart. This can cause a panic response with extra adrenalin and rapid heart beats. It can lead to heart attack if the condition becomes severe enough.
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Magnesium (Mg2+) is required for homeostasis and regulation of the immune system. Chronic magnesium deficiency leads to enhanced baseline inflammation associated with oxidative stress, which can lead to temporary and long term immune dysfunction. The lower the magnesium status, the more hypersensitive and primed for inflammation the immune system becomes.
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All stress causes excessive loss of magnesium via urine, but we tend to feel feet stress more due to their extensive enervation. Feet are very sensitive parts of our body! The lower the magnesium in cells the more likely feet stress can cause oedema, referred pain, headaches, migraines, fungal infections, sleep problems and anxiety – as well as cramps, muscle twitches, and restless legs.
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We can use the skin to deliver large amounts of magnesium very safely and effectively in order to avoid crisis and maintain optimum magnesium status. The skin, being the largest organ of the body and part of the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails, bones, teeth), can act as a reservoir to store magnesium where the body may draw from it what it needs in a self-regulating manner.
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As neuropathic pain is strongly correlated with magnesium deficiency and the associated hyper-inflammatory state, researchers have discovered that supplementary magnesium can directly affect the nerve recovery process to alleviate peripheral neuropathy.
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Irritating skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis can become very debilitating for some people, with inflamed itchy skin tormenting them year after year. If you are in this category and have been shunted from pillar to post trying a multitude of creams, ointments and pills without success, then you may be very interested in some nutritional solutions that work.
The health of the skin is a window to what is happening on the inside of the body, and is just as dependent on gut health, as it is on the care of skin. Optimal results occur when you can work both ends towards the middle.
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A magnesium bath using epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) is better than nothing, but over time the sulphate strips out too much oil from the skin, leaving it feeling dry and itchy (like a detergent does). Magnesium sulphate also only has 9% elemental magnesium, but our magnesium chloride flakes have 15-16%. Magnesium chloride is also kinder to skin. Overall, magnesium chloride is more effective and offers better value.
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The body’s electrical system relies on sufficient water and magnesium to overcome fatigue and recover mitochondrial energy production. If you don't make enough electrical energy all systems run low, the body can't detox sufficiently, acidosis grows, fatigue becomes chronic, and eventually pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia can develop. Some people move further down the spiral into diabetes, neuropathy and cardiovascular dysfunction. Magnesium deficiency can even trigger cancer.
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Magnesium tablets and oral supplements may not be able to deliver the magnesium to your cells that you really need. Most people don’t realise how hard they are to digest and absorb, and that most of the magnesium ends up going down the toilet. Our nutritional needs are increasing, as can be seen by the increase in magnesium deficiency symptoms. This is because of depletion in the food supply, drug interactions and chemical exposures, as well as loss of magnesium due to stressful conditions, via perspiration or urination (hypermagnesuria).
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Long Covid seems to present with stronger, more acute inflammatory symptoms. It commonly affects the lungs, brain, heart, gastro-intestinal system, and the kidneys. Patients can experience hair loss, fatigue, muscular weakness, joint pain (arthralgia), followed by dyspnea (labored breathing) or cough, and chest pain and palpitation. Neurological symptoms also occur frequently, such as headache, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration or ‘brain fog’.
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If children are sugar sensitive they can become hyperactive with only small amounts of sugar. That gives you another clue as to possible magnesium deficiency because as magnesium becomes more deficient in the body, sugar sensitivity increases. In contrast, as magnesium stores go higher, it dampens down the sugar sensitivity and hyperactivity. This relationship has a see-saw effect.
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Lemon is an important medicinal plant of the family Rutaceae. Studies have found lemon peel is full of nutrients including Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and pectin. Pectin is a soluble fibre which is great for gut health, weight loss and the cardiovascular system. It brings more hydration to the bowel, which supports colon health and the microbiome. Lemon peel may even have several anti-cancer properties because it works to detox and neutralise acidic waste products and free radicals, which supports pH balance.
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Kidney (renal) disease can also cause magnesium deficiency as the tubules become stiffer with ageing and don’t recycle magnesium as well as they used to. If your kidneys lose too many alkalising minerals, it gets harder to control pH balance and the acids take over.
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Neuropathic pain is the type of pain you feel if your nervous system has been damaged or isn’t working correctly. The pain comes from the various levels of the nervous system, which include the peripheral nerves, the spinal cord and the brain. People often describe it as a shooting or burning pain, but it can also be felt as tingling or numbness. Neuropathic pain sometimes goes away on its own, but often it’s a chronic condition that persists, particularly in the senior years when arthritis sets in, or after injuries. For some people, it can be severe and unrelenting and for others, it comes and goes like a phantom. What can you do to allevaite the symptoms naturally?
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Hormones greatly influence our growth and development, health, behaviours, metabolism, sex life and fertility. Pretty well everything we do and experience in life is governed by the chemical messages of hormones. As we get into our more mature and senior years, or are young but chronically stressed, our energy and hormone production can become out of balance, acidic, oxygen-deprived and dehydrated. In this article I will focus on magnesium's effect on catecholamines (stress hormones), including cortisol, adrenaline and aldosterone, which are produced by the adrenal glands and directly affect the cardiovascular system.
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One hormone of note is the neurotransmitter oxytocin, which is a happy 'feel-good' hormone with similar pain-relieving properties to endorphins (opiate chemicals). It is released in the body when we interact with others in a loving and caring way. An oxytocin deficiency is also associated with stress sensitivity, anxiety and depression, lack of motivation and a dark outlook on life. You need enough magnesium to make oxytocin in the body.
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Chronic or severe stress is a known risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and heart disease, because stress is the biggest contributor to magnesium loss and deficiency. Magnesium deficiency leads to metabolic syndrome, which progresses to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
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Many people have become obsessed with the notion that lack of calcium causes osteoporosis. Yes, calcium and osteoporosis are related, however the bones are made up of a myriad of different minerals that come together to make healthy and strong bones. We have been collectively 'taught' by dairy industry advertising since last century that calcium is the mineral that prevents osteoporosis. This is simply not true. What bones need is good balance of minerals , with the presence of calcium in the right proportion. In fact, if you overdose on calcium you can create serious complications and side effects - namely the suppression of magnesium.
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The pineal gland produces melatonin at night during deep sleep, which works as a potent neuro-protective antioxidant that helps to detox the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain. It has even been shown to have anti-viral effects. When we don’t get a restful deep sleep, which produces enough melatonin, we wake up with leftover pollution and waste products in the brain. We need magnesium to help get a restful deep sleep so melatonin can be produced, and melatonin is a hormone which the body makes using magnesium.
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Many people mistakenly think of fluoride as a mineral, and many a politician promoting fluoridation has referred to it as, “the magic mineral.” However, this is not true. Fluorine in its pure form is a gas which is the most toxic of four main halogens; chlorine, bromine and iodine. Fluorine happens to be the most tightly binding element on the periodic table, so it is mostly found as a compound clinging to something else. Fluoride binds up magnesium, and so steals it from your body. The symptoms of fluoride toxicity are the same as magnesium deficiency.
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Both magnesium and massage therapy have important health benefits for blood circulation, waste clearance and muscle recovery, as well as alleviation of anxiety and stress. Magnesium massage supercharges health benefits by promoting pain relief, stress relief, faster recovery from injury, bolstering the immune system, and prevention of premature ageing.
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Clotting disorders are more prevalent in those with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetic acidosis. These metabolic issues are also strongly associated with chronic magnesium deficiency.
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Did you know heavy metals disrupt your body’s mineral balance causing many negative side effects? People who are chronically ill may not realise that it can be the harmful accumulated toxic metals in their tissue cells that are a big part of their problem..
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It is now well-known that dogs need all the essential vitamins and minerals that humans do. One of these key nutrients is magnesium because it’s needed for energy production at the cellular level. Magnesium deficiency in dogs can lead to a diverse set of symptoms. Every time your pet moves a muscle, experiences a heartbeat or has a thought, magnesium is needed to help them achieve this.
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Increasing your magnesium levels also supercharges the cleansing process. This is because magnesium supports detoxification by energising the detox enzymes such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase. These are powerful antioxidants, which neutralise free radicals and help to restore pH balance and energy production. This will give your metabolism a great boost - especially if you have been feeling sluggish and foggy, if the weight is piling on when it shouldn't be, or if you are battling with IBS and debilitating gut issues.
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Without the relaxation and antioxidant support of magnesium, the stress and tension increases acidity, weakens the immune system and microbiome balance, which promotes inflammation and headache. These symptoms are common during influenza or coronavirus infections because they increase the stress and toxic load, thereby depleting more magnesium.
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When the body is dehydrated it can also cause oedema, a pooling of fluids around the ankles or puffiness around the eyes. The reason for fluid retention is usually because the body cannot properly eliminate wastes when there is not enough free water flowing through the system. In order to protect the vital organs the body holds back and pools water in regions where the toxicity needs to be diluted most (eg. sites of inflammation or acidity). Waste products can also pool up and cause swelling in the lymph system - the body's protein waste disposal system. This is another case where toxic residues need to be diluted with more water.
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The microbial balance of our gut directly influences our Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, and our immune system's regulation. Stress is very debilitating and causes depletion of magnesium because of excessive magnesium loss via the kidneys. Magnesium deficiency causes energy depletion and acidosis, which triggers inflammatory states, resulting in moods swings, hormone imbalance, mental illnesses, fatigue, irritability, pain symptoms, and a weaker immune system. Magnesium deficiency also directly affects the beneficial bacteria, which thus leads to depressive-like behaviours.
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Magnesium is an essential mineral which performs some very important functions when you're pregnant. It’s used to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in the body (see study) and it helps build healthy teeth and bones by working in partnership with calcium. It also regulates cholesterol and irregular heartbeat.
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Magnesium deficiency or antagonism (blockage) can cause any one of these steps to malfunction, causing overdose of stress hormones and inability to relax enough to sleep deeply.
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It's almost impossible for you to get a toxic magnesium dose or overdose, unless magnesium is given at high dose intravenously, where there is no magnesium deficiency or the person has kidney problems and can’t excrete excess salts.
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We can become addicted to more than just pharmaceutical drugs or alcohol. Researchers are now noticing symptoms of addiction also to excessive exercise. Does excessive exercise or over-training have negative side effects? Could it harm health and cause premature ageing? The research indicates yes, mainly because of increasing magnesium deficiency.
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Magnesium deficiency weakens performance, stamina and increases risk of injury
When you push your muscles hard your brain is telling your body to ‘squeeze’ and act. Adrenalin and cortisol increase, and that helps push the calcium into the calcium channels of the muscle fibre cells, which makes them contract. Magnesium is temporarily pushed out of these channels during the contractions. When we relax, calcium comes out and magnesium moves back into the channels to relax the muscles again.
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I was over 50 when menopause set in, accompanied by an autoimmune disorder called Hashimotos Hypothyroidism, severe heart arrhythmia, and the emerging white patches on my skin. This form of autoimmune hypothyroidism is thought to be prevalent in about 5% of the world’s population, however I believe the numbers are growing as people become more chemically sensitive to pollutants that stress the thyroid.
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The haemoglobin of red blood cells requires magnesium to help it take up oxygen from lungs and deliver that oxygen to tissue cells in other parts of the body. Researchers believe this is because, as part of the ATP energy currency, magnesium is vital to membrane integrity of red blood cells. The heme protein (containing iron) in these cells needs to ‘attract’ oxygen molecules from lung sacs as blood passes by. The oxygen molecules need to pass through the red blood cell (RBC) membrane – to get ‘onboard’ the train so to speak.
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Note that dehydrated states can cause feelings of anxiety where we just don’t know the reason for our fear or agitation, but the feeling persists. Re-hydrating the body with ample water and magnesium can calm down these sensations because magnesium has a dampening effect on adrenaline and cortisol. When the brain has ample water and magnesium we can think more clearly and make better decisions. This is especially important during crises because our magnesium reserves can become dangerously low.
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Magnesium is so important to cardiovascular function, its scarcity being correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease, that it has become the focus of intense scientific study and review over recent years. A meta-analysis review of epidemiological studies published in 2017 concluded that magnesium intake is associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension, as well as incidence of stroke and total cardiovascular disease. Higher levels of circulating magnesium are also associated with lower risk of heart disease, mainly ischemic and coronary heart disease.
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You may not realise it, but cramps and restless legs are quite easy to fix and you can do it without drugs. All you need is enough magnesium (and water) to get to where it is needed in the muscles for recovery and performance.
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As magnesium drops lower from excessive stress, there is less control over adrenaline and cortisol release, so that these catecholamines (stress hormones) escalate and chronically flood the system in a fight or flight (sympathetic) mode. We can get stuck in that mode, unable to relax and move back to rest and recover grazing (parasympathetic) mode. The stress hormones prompt glutamine to overstimulate neurons causing rapid and incessant calcium firing. Without enough magnesium to control the calcium and switch off the catecholamine release, we can’t relax.
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It’s been coined the master mineral and deemed as critical as water. But how exactly does it correlate to the process of ageing? The ways are numerous, but we’ll highlight a few of our standouts. From menopause to migraines, bone health to beautiful skin, you’ll be eager to lather up in magnesium cream by the time you’ve finished reading this. And remember, even if you’ve had a blood test that did not show up a deficiency in magnesium, only a small portion of magnesium stores actually sit in the blood. There are other areas more likely to be depleted that won’t be detected so simply.
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Optimal nutrition for our children means they will have the best opportunity to realise their fullest genetic potential to be well balanced, healthy and happy into adulthood. We all want our children to be ‘upgrades’ from ourselves. We want to pass on our seeds to future generations, but what about the quality of those seeds when magnesium is low? Can ‘magnesium kids’ offer a better hope for optimal health over a lifetime?
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Healthy cells need lipid protection, magnesium charge and ample hydration to support mitochondrial energy metabolism of Mg-ATP ‘batteries’. This energy is then used to assemble amino acids into the various proteins we need to build collagen structures. It is also used to manufacture hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters and other chemical messengers.
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The review goes on to explain glyphosate’s mechanism of toxic action. Firstly, it is a strong chelating agent, creating complexes that immobilize the mineral micronutrients of the soil, such as magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc, making them unavailable to plants. This means that the food supply is robbed of vital mineral nutrients. We eat the food, it fills a void, but it doesn’t supply valuable nutrition. The end result is that we keep eating more and more empty carbs until obesity and other metabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, senile dementia, inflammatory bowel disease, renal failure, thyroid or liver cancer develop.
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Inflammation and pain can be part of a healing crisis, but if your magnesium status is healthy you will heal and recover relatively quickly because the metabolism can perform the way it should. The lower the cellular magnesium levels get however, the slower it becomes to recover from the stresses and the more painful and amplified are the symptoms.