How do I use Gua Sha on my Body?

What is Gua Sha?

Introduced to us from traditional Chinese medicine, Gua Sha is a scraping method, at the intersection between jade rolling and massage. The most commonly used is rose quartz or flat jade stone, but it comes in many shapes, sizes, and materials.

 

Why should I use it to massage my body?

Gua Sha has been traditionally used on the body to help reduce inflammation and soothe muscles. Sweeping this stone on your skin stimulates blood circulation, elastin, and collagen and could reduce cellulite'scellulite's appearance. Doing this massage at night can also help your sleep as it puts your muscles and body in a very relaxed state.

 

Technique

The Gua Sha can be used both in the shower or bath or on dry skin. But there are a few essential steps to follow.

 

• Always use a moisturizer on your skin before sweeping the Gua Sha. Using creams or oils help hydrate the skin, helps with circulation, and allows the tool to perform a better massage. 
  
  
• Hold the stone flat on your skin to soothe and depuff. Use it flat on your face areas, neck and shoulders, and larger flat areas such as legs, arms, abdomen.
  
  
• Use the stone's curves to get deeper into joints, bones, corners, follow contours, and areas that need a deep tissue massage depending on your needs.
  
  
• Always scrape in the same direction, never back and forth.
  
  
•  Scrape either down and away from the head or from side to side, away from the spine.

 

How to do a full-body Gua Sha

Chest and neck

Starting with the chest area, use the Gua Sha to massage start at the center and move the stone outward. You would typically do this 8-16 times until a redness would appear. Moving towards your back, start at the top of your neck and scrape down your shoulders. Lastly, massage the back of your shoulders with downwards movement towards your arms and over your shoulder blades. Take your time and enjoy!

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