Dry Cupping Therapy: Your Cup of Wellness

One of Bodhsara’s much-loved therapies is dry cupping, which is the use of a vessel to apply suction to the skin. Have a cup of relaxing chamomile tea and head to our tastefully decorated cupping therapy room to partake in this therapy that will swathe you with relaxation, comfort and even, a cure.

What are the benefits of cupping?

When our well-trained doctor places cups on your skin, the air inside the cup cools and creates a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup. It is a safe therapy that helps alleviate chronic muscle tightness and pain. A suction is created where the cups are placed: that increases circulation almost immediately. Cell repair is kicked into action the moment blood flow increases. Merit helps dissolve cellulite.

Our bodies keep accumulating toxins. Cupping, in a sense, opens an exit door for releasing those toxins. It’s like a flush for your lymphatic system: the guardian of your body. The nicely-enabled blood flow triggers disposal of toxins, restores lymphatic circulation, and helps remove edema. Another beneficial effect: it gently reduces scarring on your skin, particularly stretch marks.

Suffering from varicose veins? In addition to the pain, the sight of bulging, bluish veins on your legs and feet could be a cause of distress for you. Varicose veins are caused when the valves inside the vein aren’t working adequately—they aren’t pushing the blood from the muscle back to the heart causing them to contort and bulge. Cupping enables appropriate blood flow and oxygen back to these areas and you will find your varicose veins appearing lighter after your first session (NB: Should not be done on the affected part). Persist for a few sessions to see lasting results! If you have a build-up of phlegm in your lungs because of Chronic Smoking, cold, bronchitis, or even asthma, the suction from cups will break it up!

Cupping therapy also assists the parasympathetic nervous system which regulates blood flow towards the digestive tract. Gentle cupping over the belly will help to improve peristaltic movement and hence you will have better digestion and absorption along with enhanced bowel activity.

How is cupping done?

In dry cupping, a cup is placed on your skin for about 5 to 10 minutes. The air inside the cup cools creating a vacuum that draws the skin and muscle upward into the cup.

The cup is set in place for a set time, usually between 5 and 10 minutes.

Does it give bruises?

Your skin may turn red as the blood vessels respond to the change in pressure. These leave perfect circles in shades of reddish-brown. The bruises are signs that the treatment is working, pulling out the toxins that were causing blockages. So, flaunt your bruises or cover them, whatever works for you. But, don’t worry about them!

What is the history of cupping?

As in a lot of other breakthroughs in health and wellness, the Greeks used cupping. It is mentioned in Ebers papyrus and was an integral part of the diatritus, a system of medical treatment created by the Thessalus.

Arabic customs refer to cupping is referred to as hijamah. The documentation talks about how this practice drew out ‘bad blood.’

Closer home, East Asian cultures also used it for moving qi or energy throughout the body. Ge Hong, a Taoist alchemist, and herbalist from China wrote on cupping around 300 AD. It had a place in traditional Chinese medicine: they identified energy channels called meridians and stimulated them.

Interestingly, it has a European history as well: in the fourteenth century, it was used to alleviate symptoms of gout. The French resorted to it to cure aches and pains, the Russians for coughs and phlegm caused by their extreme climate.

More recently, during the 2016 Olympic Games, swimmer Michael Phelps flaunted his circular cupping marks and said that the treatment improved his performance. That drew significant global attention to cupping and we had several celebrities follow suit: Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Anniston, Victoria Beckham, and Justin Bieber, to name some

A happy Bodhsara cupping story

Navya (34) * came to us with no specific issues. A software engineer, she had been working from home for almost a year and, as a consequence, feeling drained and tired. She had slight shoulder pain knots near the neck region. While we worked out a holistic plan for her, we suggested she take a few sessions of dry cupping as well.

We explained how it pulls out toxins from the body and is good for overall musculoskeletal rejuvenation. She said she was worried about the bruises it left: so, we assured her that they are harmless and fade away in a few days. Navya walked into the dry cupping therapy room and has since reported many benefits: her sleep quality has improved, she has noticed a marked reduction in fatigue, and has also felt a clearance in her sinuses.

Bodhsara welcomes you to try out cupping: Indeed, it will be your cup of wellness!

*Name changed

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Do you live in Bangalore, India, and need some advice? Feel free to contact to us at +91 7760581777 We will do our best to help you out.