Got the Summer Glow and the Gua-Sha Love

Hello! I hope you are all well and managed to get a chance to relax over the summer. 

Shortly after starting up Hope Health Healing, my very wise yoga teacher (hi Marella!) advised me to be rigid when it comes to taking holidays and as it turns out, boy was she right!

Working in this field takes a lot of energy, to be fully present when you are listening, understanding and trying to give of your best to each client and you definitely need that time to recharge again.

And so  I am back again this September. Feeling energised and excited to see my wonderful clients again and ready to share the best version of myself and hopefully help each and every one!

Before I headed off for my summer break I had just finalised a very exciting addition to my business…. So please allow me to introduce you to the wonders of Gua-Sha!

First things first….how do you pronounce Gua-Sha?

Gua- Sha is pronounced GWA-SHA. It is Chinese for ‘scraping sand’ and involves stimulating the muscles along different meridians or any painful/tight area troubling you.  The body treatment uses a small, smooth-edged stone and can often leave red spots or marks over the skin – hence the reference ‘scraping sand’. 

The benefits are incredible;

• Boosting circulation (it has been shown in studies to increase micro-circulation by 400!)
• Relaxing tight muscles
• Releasing tension
• Reducing pain
• Improving immunity
• Clearing inflammation
• Loosening the chest
• Soothing stress
• Helping with sleep
• Can help break down scar tissue and connective tissue, improving movement in joints

How does Gua-Sha work?

Gua-Sha has been shown to exponentially increase blood flow to the surface of the skin, which scientists believe works in a number of ways. 

Firstly it helps to disperse toxins by increasing circulation and aiding the lymphatic and immune systems.  Then as the blood is reabsorbed by the body, it promotes the release of an enzyme with anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties.

In Chinese Medicine, the practice of regularly clearing toxins from the body is important and usually concentrates on the joints, back, neck and shoulders.  This practice prevents external pathogens (viruses) from establishing a foothold in the body and reduces the likelihood of serious illness down the line. Incredible, right?

So not only are you soothing a tight muscle or painful joint, you are benefiting and improving the overall health of your body.  Can you see why I love Chinese Medicine so much?

Facial Gua-Sha

You may have heard about Facial Gua-Sha as it has taken the beauty market by storm this last couple of years!  And it’s no surprise why.

Facial Gua- Sha is different to the body technique as you certainly go a lot lighter. By using a gentler technique you do not see any of the red marks that you would normally see on the body practice.  The facial tool is used over a well-oiled face/neck/décolletage and very specific strokes are used.

Facial Gua-Sha is so gentle, so relaxing and has amazing benefits:

• Relieving tension in muscles of the face
• Lifts, tightens and sculpts
• Boosting blood circulation which in turn oxygenates and carries nutrients to the skin cells, giving a beautiful natural glow
• Encourages lymphatic drainage to banish bloat
• Helps with eye bags and dark circles
• Breaks up fascia and connective tissue that hugs muscles and causes wrinkles
• The action of gently scraping the tool across the skin aids for product penetration, so all the goodness in your products you use go deeper into the layers of your skin
• It can be used to prevent and clear acne as it decongests the skin and lessens inflammation
• Amazing results reducing hay-fever
  

I could go on and on about the benefits and have seen for myself some amazing results through learning and practicing on friends and family, and now I’m seeing clients experience their own wonderful results! You can even hop over to my Instagram or Facebook page and see my mum’s incredible before and after photos.

Different shaped Gua-Sha tools are used to target different problem areas and different parts of the body and I have invested hundreds of hours and a lot of love in researching the best quality stones and the most effective shapes and I am delighted to now have them designed, crafted and displayed in my little cabin in Omagh!

I just love having them available to support my clients, giving them something proactive to use in-between treatments and enjoy the security in knowing that if they get a little ‘niggle’, they can ease it out themselves!

I have also designed a beautiful box set for the facial treatment, complete with instructions and pictures of how to use.

Please feel free to pop over to my website or follow the shop link from either my Facebook or Instagram pages and have a nosey.  And as always, if you ever have any questions please just ask… as you probably know by now, I could talk about the benefits of Chinese Medicine ’til the cows come home!

Love, Sarah x