The holidays are usually a high-velocity period, but this year felt particularly weighted. For the first time, I spent Christmas away from home, in Paris. The reality of being thousands of miles away from familiarity and comfort, from the place of my childhood Christmas antics and a rather empty Paris while all of my other friends visited their family, combined with nibbling at the city’s best boulangeries eventually caught up with me. My stress levels were peaking and the persistent feeling of mild nausea had become my daily companion. I needed a low-effort hack to find balance that didn’t involve a total lifestyle overhaul and thanks to the mysterious workings of my Instagram algorithm, I stumbled upon something called “ear seeding”.
What is ear seeding?
If you’ve seen celebrities or wellness creators sporting what looks like a very strategic, minimalist stack of gold studs on their earlobes, you’ve likely seen ear seeds. Originating from Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), ear seeding is essentially a non-invasive form of auriculotherapy (a treatment method that involves using acupuncture techniques on the ear). Instead of invasive needles that leave scars, tiny seeds — often made of 24k gold, silver or even Swarovski crystals — are placed on specific pressure points on the ear to stimulate healing and balance.
How to practice ear seeding
My own experience began with a set of ear seeds that I promptly ordered online. I targeted three specific concerns: simmering homesickness-induced anxiety, irritable and constant nausea and the inevitable bloating that followed a diet heavy on wine and bread. While the application itself is simple (the seeds are backed with medical-grade adhesive to enable easy application), I quickly realised that the effectiveness hinges entirely on the placement.
This isn’t a DIY project I’d recommend winging. To get the mapping right, I’d suggest meeting an acupuncturist to correctly pinpoint your ear’s unique topography and to specifically target your body’s concerns. As I learned, the ear is much more than just a place for jewellery; it’s a mini map that traces your entire body.
“From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, the ear is considered a microsystem that reflects the entire body,” Dr Rumi Beramji, consultant in acupuncture at Sir H.N. Reliance Foundation Hospital explains. “Specific points on the ear are believed to correspond with different organs and functional systems. Ear seeding involves gentle, sustained stimulation of these points, which is thought to support the regulation of energy flow and help maintain internal balance. This approach aims to assist the body’s natural self-regulatory processes rather than targeting symptoms in isolation.”
Before I was a self-proclaimed auricular architect, I spent a good three days staring at my own ears in a magnifying mirror and dove into the deep end of Traditional Chinese Medicine charts. Like any regular Gen-Z kid trying something new, I turned to YouTube and spent hours cross-referencing grainy diagrams that looked less like anatomy and more like a pirate’s treasure map. Once I convinced myself of where to place these little buttons, I’d gently press on the seeds to “activate” them when I felt anxious.
