My New Self-Care Obsession: Cupping Therapy
All aboard the self-care train! We all too often think of getting massages or going to the spa as spoiling ourselves, but truly, these are steps that should be a part of our regular routine to maintain our health and wellness. I've recently made a point to build time for various self-care practices into my weekly schedule as a means of focusing on my health. The harder we are on our bodies and the longer we go without taking steps towards caring for them, the more damage we do to them in the long run.
We have to keep up to be kept up! Our jobs, our relationships and even our pets must all be kept up with and given our attention daily... we all know that, right?!? But what about the attention you show yourself?
We consistently pour our hearts into others because we know without putting energy towards them they will disintegrate or it may seem like we don’t care. If we invested in ourselves as often as we invest in others it wouldn’t seem like such a chore or so unusual when we get around to finally doing it.
Funny thing though, the more we keep up with ourselves, our needs and our desires, the better and more kept up we’ll feel.
Rather than viewing taking a nap or a rest day as a weakness or getting a message as something I do to "treat yo self" I've started making a point to seek out new self-care practices as a way of bettering my overall wellness.
Cupping is my new obsession!
I know, I know. . . at first glance the marks left on my back post-cupping look awful, a mix between a hickey and bruise, but trust me, they are neither. What you're seeing here is the result of a procedure aimed at getting stagnant blood to flow more freely throughout my body.
Usually cupping jars are circular, last time I was in Los Angeles though I visited Dr. Kara MoraMarco who created Love Cupping! She designed cupping jars in the shape of hearts to leave little love kisses after each session! Cutest thing right!?!?
Cupping is a traditional, Chinese medicine treatment that's been used for nearly 3,000 years to combat soreness and blood stagnation.
So how does it work? Cupping is the process of placing glass or plastic jars or "cups" on the skin and creating a vacuum, by sucking out the air inside the glass. Due to the suction, the skin, a.k.a the tissue, is pulled into the cup, which increases circulation and softens tight muscles.
Think of cupping as the opposite of a massage. While a massage applies positive pressure to your body, cupping lifts the muscles and tendons with negative pressure. Cups are typically left on your body for no longer than 10-15 minutes and the marks can last anywhere from five days to a full week depending on how dark your marks are after treatment. The darker the marks, the more stagnant your blood.
I always have the most stagnation in my shoulders, deltoids, to be exact. Here you can see my cupping marks are darkest there.
I'm always asked if the marks are painful. . . a common misconception is that the marks are bruises. The marks left after cupping are simply a result of the stagnation being lifted to the surface layers of your skin. What you're seeing is blood, but not bruising. When the cups are applied, at first your back is a little tense due to the pulling caused by the cups physically being placed on your body and the suction lifting the skin. After a few minutes, you get used the pressure and it feels comfortable.
Chinese medicine practitioners recommend cupping therapy once a week in order to have the intended desired effect of releasing stagnant blood and getting the energy within your body moving as it is intended to. My schedule doesn't allow me to go weekly, but I've been going at least once a month for the last three months. As with any self-care or health practice, consistency is key!
Have you tried cupping? I'd love to hear your experience!
If not, what are your self-care practices?
Love, Light & the Highest Vibes
Lon
