Wellness watchers have a new trend to embrace – body combing. This self-healing wellness trend, an extension of the time tested Chinese traditional therapy Gua Sha is gaining popularity to address chronic pain and weight loss. Kofutu Healing and Jin Shin Jyutsu are also accepted among wellness seekers looking for non-invasive ways to enhance physical and mental wellness.
Body combing
Have you ever gently scraped your back with a hair comb? You get a lovely relaxing sensation. Body combing involves a much deeper stimulation.
Good news for those obsessed with jade rollers! Body combing involves the use of jade combs made of Rose Quartz crystal meant for a stimulating massage on the areas of concern to improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
While conventional jade rollers, small handy tools are meant for face and other small surface areas, jade combs are meant for larger surfaces like back and legs. Jade is known to have potent healing properties effective in reducing stress, irritability eliminating negativity. Rose Quartz is considered as the stone of eternal love restoring love and harmony in relationships much popular among wellness-obsessed individuals.
Good news for those obsessed with jade rollers! Body combing involves the use of jade combs made of Rose Quartz crystal meant for a stimulating massage on the areas of concern to improve circulation and reduce inflammation.
While conventional jade rollers, small handy tools are meant for face and other small surface areas, jade combs are meant for larger surfaces like back and legs. Jade is known to have potent healing properties effective in reducing stress, irritability eliminating negativity. Rose Quartz is considered as the stone of eternal love restoring love and harmony in relationships much popular among wellness-obsessed individuals.
The root of body combing – Gua Sha:
Gua Sha offers a unique approach to your health and wellness by addressing chronic pain and body fatigue. This Chinese healing technique involves scrapping of your skin surface with long strokes stimulating the micro-tissues for better circulation. A smooth-edged tool is used to facilitate the stimulation a comb-like tool better serves the purpose. The smooth ends of the comb teeth enable micro-stimulation.
Unblocking the energy flow:
Most of the Chinese healing techniques involve the release of the stagnant life energy known as Chi. Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine believe any blockage of Chi is responsible for inflammation, the underlying cause for most types of pain and other ailments. When the skin surface is rubbed or stroked in a particular manner, the free flow of energy gets enabled resulting in reducing of inflammation and promoting healing.
According to Chinese medicine, 12 major meridian energy channels initiate from the head. There are specific points on these meridians where Chi can be easily accessed. When you comb gently, the meridian channels get stimulated. The head, being a sensitive area of the body, deep intense combing is not feasible.
Chinese medicine says, stimulating the skin surface by combing strengthens the defensive power of Chi. Combing not only reinforces your body immunity but improves your skin texture keeping the nerves and muscles strong and in good shape. Skin is the largest organ of the body acting as the first line of defense. Body combing reduces cortisol release easing stress and improving skin health inside out.
The technique:
Massage oil is evenly applied over the skin and the body comb is used to scrape the body repeatedly with downward strokes. Facial Gua Sha also follows the same principle but the tool and stroking techniques are different depending on the muscle contour. Blunt jade stones or rollers are used. You can try the techniques at home easily.
The technique with body combs is applied to the back region, buttocks, abdomen, necks, arms and legs. The therapist or technician normally starts the process by applying mild pressure gradually increasing its intensity to your tolerable level.
Gua Sha is known to provide an array of health benefits like easing muscle tension, migraine and neck pain, treating breast engorgement during the early lactation period and peri-menopausal symptoms.
Body combing in beauty makeover and weight management:
Body combing created a sensation in the wellness market with promises of weight loss and cellulite treatment. Beauty market discovered a new body contouring tool with Body Comb that has the potential to reduce water retention and improve other skin conditions like dryness and chicken skin bumps on upper arms and thighs.
Much of the credit of popularizing Body Combing in the wellness domain of the UK goes to Katie Brindle, the Chinese Medicine specialist and also the founder of a wellbeing company. An experienced teacher in Chinese medical techniques, she takes special interest in teaching Gua Sha techniques, a self-massage technique with this special tool Body Comb.
This is an advanced technique of body brushing popularized by celebrities like Elizabeth Hurley and Elle Macpherson. Body brushing is looked upon as a detox procedure that helps to get rid of cellulite. Celebrities are known to apply body brushing regularly to improve circulation for dimple-free upper arms and thighs.
Cellulites are fat deposits under the connective tissue. According to Chinese medicine, impeded water metabolism causes cellulite when the body energy Chi gets stagnant. Apprehended to face the harsh dry scrubbing with a natural brush, many image-conscious women prefer to stay out of this and decide to live with the existing cellulite and skim bumps.
But Body combing has brought in a more comfortable and effective option for body enhancement. Since the combs are made of jade, it can be used for a long time as a self-massage tool. Just like the body brush, it also facilitates lymphatic drainage driving out toxins from the body but the experience is pleasant.
Using body comb on the head reduces stress and headache and may even promote hair growth owing to improved circulation. The most delightful promise, it claims to reduce extra inches of flab too!
Few brisk strokes early morning help you to fast get over sleepiness making you invigorated. Slow, long strokes in the evening soothe your stressed nerves. In Chinese philosophy, body combing or Gua Sha before going to bed may help in reducing excited energy levels enabling better sleep.
Practice matters than techniques:
Gua Sha should be carried by trained technicians. But Body Combing with jade combs can be done at home without emphasizing much on techniques. However, it is always good if you can get some guidance initially. This is more effective than body brushing if you can apply on proper meridian channels.
Apply a lubricant oil or water. Use warm water if you wish to do combing while having a shower. The following steps will help you:
- Start from the chest. Apply outward strokes on either side of the chest from the breast bone.
- Shift your attention to the back portion of each upper arm.
- Next focus on your abdomen. Apply downward strokes from beneath the breast to the hipline. Then do the same on either side of the rib cage.
- Apply right ward strokes over each buttock from the waistline to the upper thigh.
- Lastly, work with the back and front part of the legs maintaining similar downward strokes inside the thighs.
- If you intend to use body comb on your head, start from the hairline and press the comb down to the backside of the neck. The process can be repeated from the temple to the neck. If you feel any sense of stimulation, linger the process for some time.
- To reduce tummy fat, comb along the belt line or ‘dai meridian’ from the lower spine around the ribs. Then apply down strokes on the tummy 20-30 times. Energy blockage in the belt area or ‘Dai Meridian’ often causes fat accumulation.
Dry yourself quickly. Have a glass of warm water to protect yourself from exposure to cold as your body pores are vulnerable to pathogens after the combing. According to Chinese medicine, warm water keeps your body warm. The basic steps of body combing should not take more than 5-6 minutes. You may find red striations all over the body, which is normal. It will go away after some time. Body combing is not suitable for broken skin or if there is any bleeding tendency.
Kofutu Healing
Kofutu healing is a method of self development, which uses symbols for spiritual healing. The symbols used allow practitioners to visit their inner self and activate their own healing powers. This in turn promotes growth and heals the system.
History
Kofutu is a healing system, which is based on the use of symbols. It focuses on self-development and spiritual healing. These symbols originally came from Atlantis. Kofutu system is one of those twelve areas of intellectual and spiritual study that were introduced by the then existing Kamuri priesthood. The Kofutu healing practice was initiated to promote self awareness and inner spiritual healing.
Principle
This system of alternative healing enables the practitioner to get rid of negative feelings and other non productive energy that may have got trapped inside and it potential harmful to the system. It creates a kind of disharmony in the body, mind and soul and affects the individual’s health as well as life.
This disharmony causes an imbalance not only on the physical level but also on the emotional level and can cause emotional stress, psychological problems leading to difficulty in pursuing careers, strained relationships and other emotional disturbances.
Method
This system of healing uses symbols and hence can be practiced by anyone without active help from a trainer. Kofutu healing does not require any prior experience or training and the symbols can be easily used to increase self awareness.
Kofutu touch healing is also practiced commonly where in the hands are used to connect with the inner self and the energy channels in the body are aroused. The healing process can bring about a change in the life of the practitioner by creating a sense of relaxation. The symbols allow growth and self healing of the body, mind and souls of the practitioner.
The same principle of healing can be applied to facilitate growth and improvement in humans, animals, plants and other non living things like equipments and machines too. It can go beyond this and help to promote healing and development of the world or the planet.
Kofutu system of healing makes use of symbols to release the negative energy and helps to regain a connection with the inner self. It helps in freeing the body and the mind of any disharmony that is created by the unfriendly instances.
Jin Shin Jyutsu
Jin shin Jyutsu is an ancient Japanese practice of self-healing, which is practiced to restoring energy balance. The concept appears similar to pressure healing but does not require the use of needles, massage, any herbs, manipulation or deep pressure. In this therapy only fingertips are gently placed on the specified body parts.
History
Master Jiromurai, who was a Japanese sage, developed this art while treating himself. The knowledge of Jin shin Jyutsu healing descended in generations by word of Mouth. This practise was popular in India, Egypt and China in the ancient times. In the west, this healing method was introduced by Mary Burmeister in the 1950s. Jin Shin Jyutsu is popularly practiced in China, Japan and Korea and recently also in some states of America and Europe.
Principle
The principle of Jin shin Jyutsu is based on the basic concept that there are many energy pathways in human body. These pathways move in upward and downward direction and in both front and back of the body. They also travel in upper and lower side and right and left side of the body. These pathways and their movements are called the flows. It is believed that there are specific points along these pathways where the energy is concentrated and these are called the safety energy locks (SEL) and there are about 26 such energy locks in the body.
Certain emotions, fears, worries and illnesses in human’s life, affect the smooth functioning of these pathways and tend to disturb the energy balance, resulting in pain and discomfort. This healing technique aims at giving a soft gentle touch on the areas to help in releasing the blocked energy. It thus helps to redirect the flow of energy along its pathways using minimal touch pressure.
Method
A practitioner of Jin Shin Jyutsu healing helps in regaining the flow of energy along these pathways. A session of Jin Shin Jyutsu therapy lasts for about an hour, where the receiver remains clothed and lies face-up on a cushioned surface. The practitioner feels the energy pulses in the wrists and stimulates to release the locked energy in the pathways.
Benefits
This therapy is helpful in the relieving pain, stiffness, strained muscles and joints. It helps in respiratory disorders, reproductive difficulties and digestive problems. It is also useful in emotional problems, stress and many people with terminal illness have found it to be beneficial.
