Gau Sha is one of my favourite 'go to' ancillary tool to reduce and ease muscular pain, stiffness and tension, plus for many other ailments such as cold and flu, chills and fever, bronchitis, and a fantastic therapeutic method for facial rejuvenation treatments.

Gua sha, also known as “spooning” or “scrapping” is a common therapeutic treatment used in Chinese tradition and Chinese medicine practice. Gua means to rub or to scrape and Sha is a distinctive name given to a type of red dots or sand like redness that appears on the skin surface during and after treatment. These sand like redness are toxins and stagnation that lie deep within the muscle layers that are brought up to the surface to be eliminated. This encourage fresh blood flow to the site of blockage by nourishing and enhance healing to the body. This method of treatment is effective and brings immediate and lasting benefits to ones overall health.

My lovely friend, Angeline from Prana Yoga Kuala Lumpur suggested that I run a workshop on gua sha during my visit to Malaysia. She is a convert after I gave her some gua sha a couple of years ago to treat her chronic stiff neck and shoulders. She felt immediate release and subsequently, with further treatments the stiffness was completely resolved.

The workshop was held in Prana Yoga on an overcast and humid Saturday afternoon. The naturally lit and light wood flooring yoga space was a welcoming reprieve from the weather, and the perfect place to have the workshop. The attendees that signed up were in good spirit and enjoyed each other company while giving gua sha to each other. We started the workshop by going through the meridians that transverse on the neck, shoulders and upper back, and the primary and secondary signs and symptoms that is caused by the imbalance of these meridians. We also briefly talked about other benefits of gua sha other than for the treatment of musculoskeletal symptoms before the hands on demonstration and gua sha techniques were introduced. Below are some photos of the workshop and the results of the gua sha. The redness on the body may look painful and 'hideous' but the therapeutic effects of releasing stagnation and stiffness of the neck, shoulders and upper back were felt immediately, and enjoyed by everyone that attended.

Here is a short video on the demonstration of doing gua sha

We have collaborated with a registered yoga teacher, Angeline Liew from Prana Yoga Kuala Lumpur to give you some useful tips in this Wellness series called the "Tech Neck".

Do you spend hours in a fixed position, slouched in front of a computer, spine rounded, neck sticking out like a turtle craned towards your screen, wrists and jaw tensed without you even realizing it? Do you complain of constant stiffness in the neck and upper back? I often find that these are the main culprits for clients that come in to the clinic for neck and shoulder tension and pain which can lead to temporal and/or occipital headaches. In Chinese medicine perspective, aches, pain and tension is related to Qi and Blood Stagnation in meridians. In thes case of the "Tech Neck" meridians that are affected are the Bladder, Gallbladder, Large Intestine and Small Intestine channels. Qi and Blood stagnation can also be exacerbated by stress, lack of exercise, and a sedentary lifestyle.

Here are a few simple yet effective yoga sequence designed by Angeline to ease tension in the neck and shoulders, and relief compression in the front body, whilst stretching out those tight knots, to enable more range of motion, and hopefully help to minimise the occurrence of headaches. She highly recommend doing the Tech Neck series at least once a day.

Extended Puppy Pose - a delicious and deep chest & upper back opener. Modify by placing your forehead on the floor, instead of the chin, and let gravity assist your chest to sink to the floor.
Shoelace Pose for the Arms - stretches the deep muscles between the shoulder blades (#rhomboids), posterior and lateral deltoids and upper arms.
Intense Shoulder Stretch - one of my fave stretches to target the front muscles of the upper arms. By squaring the hips, you'll also get a nice upper back twist. Do support your head so that you don't end up straining the neck.
Gomukhasana (Cow Pose arms) - works on increasing range of motion in the shoulders, as the top arm is externally rotated, and the bottom arm is internally rotated. Remember to switch sides, and use a towel or strap if you can't bind.
Supported Chest Opener - one word : "Yummy"! Seriously, I can fall asleep in this pose, as it helps to deepen and regulate the breathing too. Block is placed at the bottom tips of your shoulderblade .
Trigger Point Therapy for the Neck : Very gently turn the neck side to side, to self-massage the tightness in the neck.
Trigger Point Therapy for the Arms : tension in the neck travels down the arms too, causing limited mobility. Here, I use lacrosse balls, but you can use tennis balls too. Target the front of the shoulders and #pectoral muscles (avoid the collar bones), and slowly move down the upper arm.

Remember to relax, and breathe deeply to allow your body to receive maximum benefit from the practice. (*Avoid lying on your belly if you're pregnant, and consult your teacher for alternatives), and if symptoms persist please seek professional help to remedy your condition.