Cupping is an ancient Chinese therapy in which a cup is applied to the skin and the pressure in the cup is reduced (either by heat or suction) in order to draw and hold skin and superficial muscles inside the cup. Cupping removes any stagnation in the body and opens up channels so that Qi or energy can flow freely.
The cups are generally left in place for about fifteen minutes. The skin under the cups will then redden due to the congestion of blood flow. The cup is then removed from the skin by pressing the skin on one side, allowing some outside air to enter and thus equalising the pressure. The pulling effect created by the suction inside the cups massages the muscles, and helps the body to realign itself in a similar way to a deep tissue massage.
