WHY YOU SHOULD GIVE YOURSELF A GUA SHA MASSAGE
If Abhyanga is the famous hot oil massage of the ancient philosophy Ayurveda, then Gua Sha is its ancient Chinese cousin. The name Gua Sha refers to a facial treatment performed with the rounded smooth-edged crystal tool, which comes in a few different shapes and is used to massage the skin once the oil is applied, a bit like a window wiper on a sudsy window, to ease out muscle tension while invigorating and illuminating your skin. Usually, made out of rose quartz or jade, the crystals add another healing dimension, as Chinese medicine believes them to have medicinal properties. Rose quartz is used to promote youthfulness, and invokes love and desire, while jade is meant to help cleanse toxins, soothe the mind and promote prosperity.
My favourite way to incorporate it into my routine, and the first way in which I experienced it, is via a DIY facial, an easy one to do right before bed as part of a wind-down routine — relaxed face muscles relax the rest of your body, including your mind! A few months back, I was lucky enough to experience the real deal with a Hayo’u therapist (a method created by Katie Brindle who is a Chinese medicine practitioner and author — check out her book Yang Sheng).
The right pressure with the tool creates a red flush — which is actually what you are going for here: Gua Sha literally means “stroke rash.” It’s about bringing heat to the surface — and can even look quite severe as the skin turns to a deep red, which made me realise there is more “oomph” to this practice than initially meets the eye when we see these elegantly streamlined and mystical crystal tools. If you’re trying this at home, I’d practise your technique before you up the pressure too much. Afterwards my face was plump and smooth, I felt warm and relaxed… and thirsty! It’s good to drink plenty of warm water afterwards. I also learned that the rose quartz is good for the morning as it engages with our heart energy and body clock, whereas the jade is good for any time of day because it balances the yin and yang.
The Gua Sha healing technique is understood to help move life energy (chi) around the body, and is said to help reduce inflammation and alleviate chronic pain. There have been several conclusive studies about the benefits of this practice (the before and after pics of people post-treatment are jaw-dropping!). and it is also safe for everyone unless you’ve had recent surgery or are taking blood thinners. If you’ve heard of or used a jade roller, Gua Sha is its more effective sister practice thanks to its different angles you can use different sides of it to really get in under the brows, under the cheekbones and around the jaw, so why not give it a go? I guarantee you’ll love it as much as I do.
NOTE: if you are pregnant, you should consult an expert before doing a Gua Sha treatment due to blood pressure.
