My introduction to cupping was pretty dramatic. I had a horrible case of the flu, and called to cancel an acupuncture appintment. Rachel (Rachel Rubin, Emerald Acupuncture Center) had me come in anyway – and quickly decided that cupping was in order. I had no idea what she was talking about, but felt so crappy I didn’t really care.
Rachel pulled out some plastic cups and went to work attaching a handful of cups one at a time – then removing them, moving them over a bit, removing them, moving them over a bit…systematically working the whole back. By the time she was finished with the treatment, a few things were obvious:
- My back was covered with dark marks from the cupping.
- My back felt amazingly good, my fever was down, and I was beginning to feel like a human being again.
- A ridiculously fast, simple, and easy treatment can make a world of difference.
- This would be a handy thing to know how to do…since I’d probably get the flu again at some point.
While not completely ‘cured’…I felt tremendously better. So of course I pestered Rachel into teaching me – which she did. She also pushed me to learn moving cupping and fire cupping (neither of which she practices) from my friend Haim (Haim Behar, Second Spring TCM) in Canada.
Among many other wonderful things, Haim taught me another way to cup for colds and flu, with moving cupping. Not only does it help treat, but it’s also a fantastic way to strengthen the body’s protective qi – which helps preventing colds & flu from taking hold in the first place. And it’s a fantastic massage.
In December, we’ll be doing a one day cold & flu cupping workshop – focusing on the sequences I learned from Rachel & Haim. Both sequences can be blended in to a full massage session, or used as a stand alone treatment that is not only very effective – but feels wonderful. No bodywork experience is necessary – by the end of the day, you’ll be safely and confidently performing traditional cupping treatments.
Thanks Rachel & Haim!