Got the Summer glow and the Guasha Love
Hello! I hope you are all well and managed to get a break and chance to relax over the summer. Shortly after starting up Hope Health Healing, my very wise yoga teacher (hi Marella!) advised me to be very concrete in making sure I took good time off over the holidays, as working in this field, when you are listening, understanding and trying to give of your best for each and every client, you definitely need that balance and time to recharge again… and boy was she right!
So I am back again as from September and feel energised and excited for seeing my wonderful clients again and giving the best version of myself to hopefully help each and every one.
Before I headed off for my summer break I had just finalised a very exciting addition to my business…. So please let me introduce you to the wonders of Guasha!
So first things first….how do you pronounce it?! GWA-SHA
It is Chinese for ‘scraping sand’ and involves rubbing the muscles along different meridians, (or any painful/tight area) using a small, smooth-edged stone. The body treatment can often leave red spots or marks over the skin – hence the reference ‘scraping sand’.
The benefits are incredible;
· Boosting circulation (it has been shown in studies to increase micro-circulation by 400!)
· Relaxing tight muscles
· Releasing tension
· Reducing pain
· Improving immunity
· Clearing inflammation
· Loosening the chest
· Soothing stress
· Helping with sleep
· Can help break down scar tissue and connective tissue, improving movement in joints
How does it work?
Guasha has been shown to exponentially increase blood flow to the surface of the skin, which scientists believe works in a number of ways.
Firstly it helps disperse toxins by increasing circulation and aiding the lymphatic and immune systems. Then as the blood is reabsorbed by the body, it promotes an enzyme with anti-inflammatory, and immune boosting properties.
In Chinese Medicine, regularly clearing toxins from the body, particularly from the joints, back, neck and shoulders, external pathogens (think viruses invading the body), are prevented from establishing a foothold, therefore reducing the likelihood of serious illness down the line, isn’t that incredible?! So you’re not just easing a tight muscle or painful joint, you’re benefiting the overall health of your body. Can you see why I love Chinese Medicine so much?
You may have heard about Facial Guasha as it has taken the beauty market by storm this last couple of years! And it’s no surprise why.
Facial Guasha is different to the body technique as you definitely go a lot lighter and do not want to bring up any of the red marks that you would normally on the body. The tool is used over a well-oiled face/neck/décolletage and very specific strokes are used.
But it is so gentle, so relaxing and has amazing benefits:
· Relieving tension in muscles of the face
· Lifts, tightens and sculpts
· Boosting blood circulation which in turn oxygenates and carries nutrients to the skin cells, giving a beautiful natural glow
· Encourages lymphatic drainage to banish bloat
· Helps with eye bags and dark circles
· Breaks up fascia and connective tissue that hugs muscles and causes wrinkles
· The action of gently scraping the tool across the skin aids for product penetration, so all the goodness in your products you use go deeper into the layers of your skin
· It can be used to prevent and clear acne as it decongests the skin and lessens inflammation
· Amazing results reducing hay-fever
I could probably go on and on about the benefits as I’ve seen some amazing results while learning all there is to know about it using friends and family as guinea pigs for my courses too and now I’m seeing clients experience their own wonderful results.
You can even hop over to my Instagram or Facebook page and see my mum’s incredible before and after photos.
There are different shaped Guasha tools for various ‘issues’ and different parts of the body and I have invested hundreds of hours and a lot of love researching the best quality stones and the most effective shapes and I am delighted to now have them designed, produced and imported from China and displayed in my little cabin in Omagh!
I just love having them available to support my clients, giving them something proactive to do and use in-between treatments or even that bit of security that they can help themselves if they get a little ‘niggle’, being able to ease it out themselves!
I have also designed a beautiful box set for the facial side of things, complete with instructions and pictures of how to use.
Please feel free to pop over to my website www.hopehealthhealing.co.uk or follow the shop link from either my Facebook or Instagram pages and have a nosey. And as always, if you ever have any questions please just ask… as you probably know by now, I could talk about the benefits of Chinese Medicine till the cows come home!
Love, Sarah x