Changing Patterns, Enhancing Health, Creating Vibrant Life

What is gua sha?

a jade gua sha tool is gently dragged across the shoulder of a person laying down on their stomach

Gua Sha, or scraping, is an ancient technique over 3,000 years old, which can be used to support cupping treatments, or on its own, depending on a client’s specific needs.

Gua Sha stimulates blood flow and promotes healing through repeated scraping and compression of tissue. (vs. Cupping which creates a suction up through the tissue) This repeated scraping will bring old deoxygenated blood and metabolic waste up to the surface of the skin, which allows fresh nutritious, oxygenated blood to flood the tissues, allowing for deep healing of new or old areas of pain and discomfort. Gua Sha is the culturally ancient medicine modality. It has most recently been appropriated and is popularly known as the Graston technique.

The video below is Kim sharing gua sha results during a cupping class where gua sha techniques are a part of the curriculum.