Yes, red skin for 3 days is a good sign! 😄
What is a gua sha?
It’s like an energy comb.
Gua sha is a massage technique coming from traditional Chinese medicine.
It involves scraping the skin with a smooth, rounded-edged tool.
Prized for facial anti-aging treatments, it can also be applied to the whole body, including the scalp.
Goals
- Reducing energy blockages.
- Promoting blood and lymph circulation.
- Improving skin elasticity.
- Releasing tension.
- Eliminating toxins.
I often felt like scratching my skin, especially my back, and particularly after a hot shower. As I discovered the benefits of gua sha, I realized that all these areas were alerting me to the lack of energy and fluid circulation.
Energetic benefits
Energetic circulation promotes physical health.
Red skin indicates stagnation of the energy that Chinese call “qi”.
Gua sha massage can help free meridians.
It is a complementary technique to acupuncture.
Energy healers are advised to practice gua sha regularly, from the crown to the hands, to increase their power.
Contraindications
- Pregnancy.
- Hemophilia.
- Sensitive areas.
- Taking anticoagulants.
- Psoriasis.
- Infection.
- Injury.
- Open wounds.
- Implants or prostheses.
- Fever.
- Cancer.
How to use gua sha?
I can self-massage or trust a professional.
Preparing
Ideally, I should take a hot shower just before the massage, to relax the tissues.
Some people like to moisturize or oil the skin, but this is not mandatory.
The best time of day to massage is in the evening, before going to bed.
Session
A gua sha session involves scraping the skin, using small, rapid up-and-down movements.
The massage is performed with the edge of the tool at a 45° angle to the skin.
Practitioners of Chinese medicine massage deeply until the skin turns red.
If I massage myself, I can listen to my body and let my intuition guide me.
It’s advisable to massage :
- From the inside to the sides for the chest, face and shoulders.
- From top to bottom for everything else.
Be careful not to scrape too much, as I can injure myself.
Post-session
After the sessions, a feeling of well-being sets in. I can drink hot water.
However, it’s important not to expose my scrapped skin to water for at least 3 hours.
Guasha causes red marks and bruises, visible for several hours to several days.
Depending on their shape and color, Chinese doctors are able to identify which organ is suffering.
For example, blueish black skins indicate the need for detoxification.
This may also cause pain for some time.
It’s advisable to leave at least 3 or 4 days between each scraping on the same area.
Which gua sha shape to choose?
The flat heart shape with rounded edges is the most popular, as it is versatile for all parts of the body, including the face.
Gua shas are mainly made of :
- Jade (or similarly-colored stones).
- Rose quartz.
- Plastic.
- Buffalo horn.
- Stainless steel.
Emotions
Most energetic stagnation is caused by emotional wounds.
It’s advisable to combine gua sha practice with introspection.
Otherwise, the energies will tend to get stuck again in the same areas.
I can discover here how to deal with my emotions.
Conclusion
What are the energetic benefits of gua sha?
Like all therapeutic massages, it improves blood and energy circulation.
However, the advantage of scraping with a tool is to effectively unblock stagnant energy under the skin.
This method should be used regularly, to ease the energetic purpose of human beings.