Wen Xiao Shu says Making Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) more beautiful, interesting, and closer to life.
Spring is arguably thebest time to clear the body of “toxins”~According to the “Huangdi Neijing” (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon), “In the spring of the third month, this is called ‘fa chen’ (发陈),” which means to push out the old and bring in the new.
In spring, the qi and blood in the body, along with the rising yang energy, begin to move slowly towards the surface of the body,and the “toxins” that were originally hidden deep within will also be expelled.Additionally, there are:allergies, acne, itching, athlete’s foot, eczema…people around us are getting affected one after another. What we need to do istake advantage of the qi and blood moving outward to push them all out. 
「The Liver Meridian governs the smooth flow and can clear any blockage in the body」■Detoxification by the liver is discussed from a Western medical perspective. Toxic substances from outside or produced by metabolism in the body are detoxified in the liver—the liver filters the entire blood supply every 3 minutes, filtering 20 times in an hour.
In the TCM system,“toxins” refer to excess substances that the body does not need. It is important to emphasize that this “excess” may not necessarily mean a lot; it could simply bestagnant and not moving. For example, what we often refer to asliver qi stagnation does not mean that your qi is very abundant; it just means it is blocked there.
If you can get it moving, it can transform into righteous qi; if it stagnates for too long, it becomes evil qi. This is also a very important theory mentioned in the “Si Sheng Xin Yuan” (四圣心源), called:the circulation of qi. Different individuals exhibit different manifestations of stagnation:
- People with irritability: breast nodules, acne on the chin, chest pain
- People with blood stasis: dark spots on the face, menstrual blood clots, light menstrual flow
- People with dampness: dull yellow complexion, bloating, gynecological inflammation
Thus,many friends are truly both blocked and deficient in their bodies…
The remarkable aspect of the liver meridian is that its function is called: smooth flow. In simple terms—as long as the liver’s strength is sufficient, it can clear any blockage in the body. Whether it is due to emotional issues causingqi stagnation or blood stasis; or improper diet leading tophlegm-dampness or turbid qi—the liver can push them all out, then flush them out through the skin and the intestines. Therefore, TCM refers to the liver as the “General’s Official“,having the power to eliminate and rectify, specifically targeting these pathogenic blockages~ 「Gua Sha on the Liver Meridian = Unblocking Qi and Blood Throughout the Body」■ Gua Sha on the liver meridian isto stimulate and enhance the liver meridian’s own ability to smooth flow, deeply cleansing the waste from the five organs and six bowels. For pear-shaped bodies with more fat on the thighs, it is best to use Gua Sha techniques. Such selective local accumulation of fat is also a manifestation of blockage. You can touch it; is it cold? This is due tolong-term qi and blood stagnation. Using Gua Sha canbetter penetrate the force into the meridians, achieving the effect of unblocking. The Gua Sha method is simple; first, locate the liver meridian.
The liver meridian is generally scraped along the inner thigh, starting from the ankle at theSan Yin Jiao (三阴交) point—four finger widths above the ankle.From here, scrape all the way up to the thigh root.
There are three meridians in the thigh: the Spleen Meridian, Liver Meridian, and Kidney Meridian,with the Liver Meridian in the middle, so scrape in the middle position. Then apply essential oil and start scraping.
I used “Qing Tou Essential Oil“, which mainly contains bergamot,with a refreshing scent and a strong ability to regulate qi. You can also useolive oil or lotion as a substitute, which helps to moisturize the skin. I first scraped the thighs, then the calves. When scraping, apply more pressure (but do not cause excessive pain),after about five scrapes, the thighs began to show red sha marks. 
The inner thigh began to show noticeable sha marks. The calves will be better because they are used more when walking or running,after about ten scrapes, they began to show sha marks. 
The sha marks on the calves are not very obvious. For those who often feelrib pain, orwake up with a bitter mouth,breast swelling and pain, oreasily get angry,scraping the liver meridian can greatly relieve these discomforts, as if a surge of qi has been expelled.
Just a reminder, when scraping, it is recommended not to watch TV,but to use the Gua Sha board to feel if there are any nodules or painful areas under the skin. If there are, focus on those areas to scrape and unblock. 「After scraping the liver meridian, you can continue to scrape the gallbladder meridian」■ Ancient wisdom says, “The liver and gallbladder reflect each other,”if there is liver qi stagnation, the gallbladder meridian may also feel uncomfortable. Therefore, after scraping the liver meridian, it is also important to scrape the gallbladder meridian.
The gallbladder meridian is located on the outer thigh, and you canfind it along the seam of your jeans. Many people have a habit of tapping the gallbladder meridian, but I prefer to scrape it.
Becausethe outer thigh has more flesh, scraping can better unblock the stagnation here. The direction is opposite to that of the liver meridian; the gallbladder meridian is scraped from top to bottom, and I also scrape the thigh first, then the calf.Compared to the liver meridian, the sha marks on the gallbladder meridian are more pronounced.
The sha marks on the gallbladder meridian are more pronounced than those on the liver meridian. Teacher Wu says that many girls sit for long periods or have improper walking postures,which can weaken the outer thigh muscles or lead to improper exertion, causing severe stagnation. Therefore,many girls with more thigh fat can benefit from consistently scraping the gallbladder meridian, which can also help slim the legs~ 「If you want to relieve faster you can also scrape the Pericardium Meridian」■ Many friends find that in spring, whenever they get angry, they experiencechest tightness or breast swelling and pain. At this time, you can scrape the Pericardium Meridian more, which runsfrom the chest, along the side of the breast, down the arm, and ends at the Zhong Chong (中冲) point between the middle fingers.
Regularly scraping the Pericardium Meridian can effectively relieve chest and breast swelling and tightness,removing stagnation allows the qi and blood in the breasts to flow freely,making the body feel particularly light.
When scraping, start from the arm and scrape down to the palm.Scraping to the middle elbow pit at the Qu Ze (曲泽) point will easily produce sha marks; this point has the effect of dissipating heat and reducing turbidity.
The Qu Ze point easily produces sha marks, indicating significant stagnation. Friends who usually have liver fire and are easily irritable will see red sha marks after a few gentle scrapes.「Finally, a reminder for everyone」■Gua Sha Timing
1. For first-time Gua Sha, it is not recommended to scrape for too long, and the technique should not be too heavy, nor should you overly pursue sha marks, especially in cooler environments, such as air-conditioned rooms.
2. After each Gua Sha session, if sha marks appear, wait 7 days before scraping again, or switch to another area until there are no sha marks left.
3. Generally,3 to 5 Gua Sha sessions constitute a conditioning cycle.
Body Reactions After Gua Sha
1. If there are no significant sha marks after Gua Sha, or only a few red dots, it indicates that the meridian is relatively smooth.
2. If the sha marks arebright red, it indicates that there is heat stagnation in the body.
3. If the sha marks aredark or purplish, it indicates that there is blood stasis in that area of the body.
4. If the sha marks do not fade quickly, and a small amount of liquid seeps out, it indicates that there is significant dampness in the body.
5. If during Gua Sha, the sha marks change from dark to light, from dark to red, it indicates that the body is gradually improving.
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