Seeing Red?!

 #GuaSha mostly brings out redness. But what about other colors?

• Light red: if the red is very light, it might be that there’s not much to release or the person is blood deficient. Check to see if their tongue is very pale to confirm whether that’s true.
• Red: The issue is relatively recent but there is a lot to release. Or it’s an older problem but there’s not too much to release.
• Dark Red: The problem is much older with a lot of occluded, old blood. Or the person has a ton of wind in the system that needs to get out. This is true if the dark red is everywhere (all over the back for example). It’s going to be extremely helpful to get that released!
• Purple: The same as above…just more so.
• Blue: This is bruising. Use lighter pressure.
• Yellow: A lot of Gua Sha marks turn yellow after a day or two. This is normal.

Why Red?

The redness is nicknamed “Sha” in Chinese Medicine. When redness appears it means that tension and toxic energy is being released through the surface of the skin when you apply the Gua Sha technique (rubbing the skin with a spoon or another tool that has a smooth edge). The Sha only comes out on areas that have tight muscles, tension, or toxic energy that needs to be released.

Happy Spooning!