Qua Sha
The Qua Sha. This tool has become my newest obsession and i’m going to share with you why.
It never seems to amaze me the amount of tension we hold in our entire bodies from our head to our feet. With any form of anxiety our nervous system can send signals throughout the body, reminding our entire physical form of the way it was holding and where it was holding stress at the time of those emotions and traumas. After those signals, subconsciously we form into that structure once again, causing more stress, strain, and misalignment. This tool is a way to get into the nitty gritty and move the stagnation that traumas create.
It’s a gentle form of blood letting, a move of the lymphatic system, supporting skin and nerves. Our lymph is a system of attachment and muscle is the system of control. This is an opportunity to find health attachment and reclaim our birthright to choose. We get the chance to move what we hold onto that truly do not serve us and change the dynamics we have with our energetic and subtle bodies. The more I come back to these moments, I feel so good and in love with them as well as myself because I am making a choice to create something new for myself and devote to my wellbeing once again.
“Gua sha is the practice of using a tool to apply pressure and scrape the skin to relieve pain and tension. This action causes light bruising, which often appears as purple or red spots known as petechiae or sha. ... It may also be called skin scraping, spooning, or coining. (Stems originally from East Asia)”
Here are some benefits:
Moves stagnation in the Lymph
Helps break away cellulite
Immune system booster
Pain reducer
Relieves muscle tension
Reduces innflammation
Tightens skin bringing more vitality
Stress reliever
I find that something small and simple like this can be powerful and effective. Improve the connection we have to our bodies, making us learn how we like to be touched and finding that deeper sense of softness and self love. Reminding us that this is our body and we have the right to find out whats going on and have every right to move it out. These beautiful vessels that allow us to live, they are not machines that can take constant beatings yet we all get lost in trying so hard to fit some box that society has told us to fit and when there is any sight of cellulite or aging, we give it to ourselves in a way that isn’t so soft. Instead we can learn to give ourself gentle toughness, exactly what a qua sha is, where the toughness comes from being consistent and devoted and the gentleness comes from the gift of self touch. A way to shake things off, the things that literally got under our skin can now move on for they do not serve us anymore.
A thing to remember about the qua sha is that it will not sculpt your body into something different. It will help remove air pockets and tension but your body is your body. Instead of an eagerness to change our physcial, this tool helps us form a relationship to accept and support our physical body for everything it is.
How to use:
The use of the tool is a scraping motion and there are so many different kinds that you could use. Some are Wood, Rose Quartz, Jade, and Carnelian. Each hold different properties like warming or cooling; grounding and smoothing. To use them, take the tool anywhere on your body and start a gentle scraping motion. You can intensify the motion through out and the goal is to get the spots red. Traditionally you’d want to scrape in one area for 10-15 minutes to really get benefits. I have found this to be true. This is another form of meditation and embodiment. Taking time out of the day to connect. Once or twice a week will help give you positive results and trust me, it will start to work fast. The body mimics nature and just as nature knows how to heal itself, so does your body.
You can take this tool anywhere and everywhere. Traffic, airplane…etc.
Where to purchase:
You can get them at some apothecary stores or online. If you are in the Northern California area, please come visit the school I’m studying at called the Dhyana Center. DeAnna has an amazing variety of the tools and a wonderful bliss spa where you can revive and rejuvenate.
If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out. I hope you find the Qua Sha that is calling to you and make it a part of your weekly self care rituals. Blessed be <3