Scraping is done with herbal oils to protect the skin and leaves red to purple bruise marks on the skin that looks similar to the results of cupping.
While cupping uses a vacuum force to extract stagnant blood and chi to the surface of the skin, Gua Sha uses a scraping pressure to release the same stagnant blood and chi.
Gua Sha is highly effective for muscular pain, tension and detoxifying the body, normally bringing instant relief and an immediate sense of "lightness" to the body. In China and Southeast Asia, Gua Sha practitioners are highly sought after, but in the West, Gua Sha is preferred by those who embrace the more painful process as well as the temporary bruises. Gua Sha is offered at Yupo as part of a complete system of Chinese healing arts.