This article has been reviewed by the “Professional Review Team” of Hongxinglin Academy.
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Recently, as the weather gets colder, low temperatures can easily trigger various discomforts in the body. Why not try Gua Sha at home to alleviate these issues? The prerequisite is to prepare Gua Sha oil.A Gua Sha board and half an experienced practitioner
1Common Cold: Dazhui (Great Vertebra) PointWhen wecatch a cold due to cold exposure, the area around thecervical vertebrae tends to bevery stiff. It is essential toGua Sha the Dazhui point, and after scraping, you can clearly feel thecold energy being expelled.Dazhui Point: Located in the depression below the highest protrusion of the cervical vertebrae, more noticeable when the head is lowered.
Method: Scrape from top to bottom, generally for 5-10 minutes until the back of the neck feels warm.2Lower Back Pain: Hands + Back
Method: First, apply Gua Sha oil on the lower back, then slowly scrape downwards along both sides of the spine.The reflex area for the lower back is in the center of the back of the hand; apply a small amount of Gua Sha oil and scrape slowly from the wrist to the tip of the middle finger.While scraping, look for areas with pain, nodules, or muscle tension, scraping for 15-30 minutes each time.3Digestive Issues: Tianshu (Heavenly Pivot) PointDue toconstipation, feces cannot be expelled in time, leading to the absorption of a large amount oftoxins by the body, which then circulate through the blood to various parts of the body.
The Tianshu point is located two inches beside the navelandhas a bidirectional regulatory effect on the digestive system. Using a Gua Sha board to gently scrape the Tianshu point is a very important“defecation point”!
For Common Diarrhea: For mild diarrhea, you can use the scraping board to scrape counterclockwise on the Tianshu point, or press the Zhongwan point (4 inches above the navel).4Dry Eyes: Scrape Around the Eyes
Eye fatigue or dryness: Find a quiet place,close your eyes and scrape around the eyes, paying attention to the order of the acupoints, spending 1-2 minutes on each point,which is relaxing and helps with sleep. When you open your eyes again, they will feel verybright and spirited!
Order of Acupoints: Qingming (Bright Eyes) point (inner corner of the eye), Cuanzhu (Gathering Bamboo) point (eyebrow), Yuyuan (Fish Waist) point (middle of the eyebrow), Taiyang (Sun) point (outer corner of the eye).5Mental Fatigue: Baihui (Hundred Meetings) Point + Taiyang (Sun) PointBaihui Point: Located at the intersection of the midline of the head and the line connecting the tips of both ears.
Taiyang Point: Located in front of the ear, on both sides of the forehead, above the extended line of the outer corner of the eye.
Method: First, comb the hair from the front hairline from front to back, and in the morning, this will wake up your mind;Second, scrape from the center of the head in all directions, with Baihui Point as the center, relaxing the entire head;Third, scrape from the center of the head forward, backward, and from the sides towards the back at the Taiyang points. This promotes blood circulation in the head, clears the mind, and enhances memory.Scrape or massage occasionally, but the pressure should be light.6Neck and Shoulder Pain: Fengchi (Wind Pool) Point + Jianjing (Shoulder Well) PointWhenshoulder and neck pain is accompanied by dizziness andfatigue, you must not miss the Fengchi point. I usually use myfingers to press, but since I bought ahorn Gua Sha board, I use the other side to gently scrape the Fengchi point, scraping from top to bottom along the skin until reaching the Jianjing point, which is not tiring and relieves fatigue.Fengchi Point: Located on both sides of the large muscle at the back of the head, parallel to the earlobe, the two depressions at the back of the head when the head is lowered are this point.
Jianjing Point is easy to find; when we lower our heads, it easily pulls on this muscle. Using a Gua Sha board here sometimes reveals obvious nodules, but do not apply too much force. Use the Taiji Gua Sha method to naturally scrape until warm; stop when the Sha appears.Jianjing Point: Located at the midpoint of the line connecting the Dazhui and the acromion, at the highest point of the shoulder.
Tip: Adjust the angle with your wrist, moving the forearm to guide the Gua Sha board.7Blood Nourishment and Liver Health: Xuehai (Sea of Blood) Point + Sanyinjiao (Three Yin Intersection) PointXuehai Point: Bend the knee, cover the kneecap with the palm, fingers facing up, and the palm naturally open, with the thumb at the fleshy part below.
Sanyinjiao Point: Located on the inner side of the lower leg, 4 fingers above the ankle joint.
Method: Scrape from the inner side of the lower leg, from Xuehai Point to Sanyinjiao Point, scraping continuously without stopping until the skin turns red and Sha appears. Regular scraping of Sanyinjiao can nourish blood and support liver health.Tip: For lower limb Gua Sha, first scrape the outer side, from top to bottom, then scrape the back side (the bladder meridian area), and finally scrape the inner side.8Xingjian (Walking Interval) Point + Neiting (Inner Court) PointXingjian Point: Located on the dorsum of the foot, between the first and second toes.
Neiting Point: Located on the dorsum of the foot, between the second and third toes.
Clear Liver Fire,Cool Blood and Calm the Spirit aretwo important acupoints! When we experience symptoms such as gum pain, throat swelling, mouth sores, thirst, irritability, yellow urine, dry stools, red tongue with yellow coating, etc., it is essential to clear liver fire. First, press the Xingjian and Neiting points for 1-2 minutes each, then combine with Gua Sha oil or massage oil, scraping the Xingjian and Neiting points, which generally will produce a sour and swollen sensation, and some may feel pain, which is normal; just scrape gently until it eases~
Many friends have found that when scraping, they tend to use their wrist strength, and before they know it, they are already tired without achieving much.Here, I want to share a small tip: use your arm strength,like Tai Chi Gua Sha, and the experience will be completely different~
Three colors of Sha correspond to different conditions
Bright Red Sha: If the red is not very deep, it indicates the presence of wind and cold in the body, which is the most common color.Purple-Red or Dark Red Sha:This usually indicates the presence of damp-heat in the body.Purple-Black Sha:This indicates that there is significant stagnation in the body. The severity of the Sha marks does not completely correlate with the disease and will gradually dissipate, so there is no need to worry excessively.Areas to Avoid ScrapingGua Sha is a relatively safe health practice, but there are still many contraindications.Which groups of people should avoid Gua Sha? Which areas should not be scraped?Let’s take a look together~▼Be Cautious When Scraping the Sides of the NeckClinical observations in TCM have found that scraping the neck carries certain risks, especially on the sides of the neck, which should not be scraped lightly!This is because the middle part of the sternocleidomastoid muscle contains the carotid sinus, which is a pressure receptor. If stimulated, it can cause a sudden drop in blood pressure, leading to dizziness and fainting.
Scary~If continuous stimulation occurs, it may lead to more serious consequences, especially for those who are already in poor health.Be cautious when scraping the sides of the neck, and the same applies to massage..Who Should Not ScrapePatients with cardiovascular diseases, the elderly and frail, those with skin allergies, leukemia, allergic purpura, thrombocytopenia, cancer, skin inflammation, or those with wounds or scars on the skin, as well as pregnant women and women during menstruation, should avoid Gua Sha.
Of course, even healthy individuals should not scrape every day. It is essential to allow the body to have a recovery period, waiting until the marks from the last scraping have disappeared before proceeding.
Gua Sha Precautions1. It is not better to have more Sha!When a person has a cold, fever, or fatigue, it is easier to produce Sha; healthy individuals do not easily produce Sha, only skin redness.2. Gua Sha should be performed from top to bottom, from inside to outside, scraping in a single direction, and try to extend the scraping distance as much as possible. The image below shows the grip for painless Gua Sha.
3. It is advisable to scrape 3-5 areas each time, spending 3-5 minutes on each area, and not exceeding half an hour in total.4. The intensity of scraping can produce different effects: light stimulation is “tonifying,” while strong stimulation is “draining.”Most people do not know whether their constitution is deficient or excess, so it is best to maintain an average pressure, known as balanced tonification and draining. Wait 3-5 days after the first scraping before performing the second treatment.5. After Gua Sha, choose warming and sweating foods, and avoid wind, and it is not recommended to shower within an hour.