Gua Sha is sometimes thought of as scraping by those unfamiliar with its practice. The technique of Gua Sha doesn’t actually scrape anything away from the skin. Instead Gua Sha is the technique of stroking the skin using a rounded instrument with adequate pressure applied, to trigger Sha (toxins appearing as redness or dots) to leave the body’s deep or superficial tissue so that it can rise to the skin’s surface in a process of release and exit.
Gua Sha is applied using a particular instrument in a single direction and works on the body’s tissue and fascia, blood and other fluids, and Qi and meridians. Redness and petechiae are the result of toxins, waste, pathogens, etc., being released through the skin’s surface. These can remain until the body’s self healing process is complete.
The right tool and technique, as well as the palpation of the skin feeling for excess, deficiency, stagnation, hot, cold, dampness, dryness, wind, softness, hardness, and other indicators, are all essential in the proper application and success of Gua Sha. The individual constitution and health status also need to be taken into consideration so that the technique is not excessive and depleting but rather soothing and tonifying, if needed.
Posted by Jasmin on Jan 25, 2024