Cupping Massage & Gua Sha Therapy – FULL!

This two-day training will prepare practitioners to effectively utilize the traditional therapy known as cupping and GuaSha.  Cupping is a medical practice where cups are placed on parts of the body to create a suction effect which raises the skin and draws the blood to the surface. From Olympic athletes, to clients with acute or chronic tension, cupping is a highly sought-after therapy for its unique and profound effects.  It is used throughout Asia, the Middle East, and Europe to treat pain, swelling, inflammation, migraine, rheumatism, bronchitis, and the common cold. Cupping Massage and GuaSha Therapy are practiced in each individual household as home remedies throughout Laos and Thailand. Originating in China, these remedies are able to be paired well with a variety of massage therapy modalities. During cupping application blood immediately rushes to the area, creating a painless bruise which actually feels good. Those who have gone through the procedure claim it feels like a massage in reverse. Instead of pressure bearing down against the skin, it feels like the skin is being pushed outward, instead. Depending on how the bruising occurs, its coloration, and how long it lasts, practitioners can tell where problems are located and can prescribe different treatments accordingly.

Sometimes, cupping is also done in tandem with GuaSha, which literally means scraping. This involves oiling the skin then scraping it with a coin, ceramic spoon, or a scraper made of rhino horn (which is extremely smooth and silky, yet hard) or jade. This is used to treat fever, exhaustion, sore muscles, and even cellulite. The superficial layer of skin is scraped along meridian points, which is where the pressure points lie. This treatment causes soreness after a few minutes, and leaves bright red scratch marks on the skin, which fade after 2 to 4 days. Often, the scratches fade long before the bruises from cupping do.

Souri Sisavath is a native of Laos where the ancient art of Thai Massage was passed to her along family lines by her grandmother, a native of Thailand and a role model for natural healing for family and friends. When Souri completed her training in Chiangmai, Thailand in 2001-2002 under the direct supervision of well-known Grand Master LekChaiya, she realized the healing potential of Thai massage and decided to pursue a career in it with a mission of helping others. She also completed Certified Advanced Practitioner & Teacher Training Program (CAPT) with Master Chongkol (John) Setthakorn at ITM Chiangmai, Thaland. Further, she got an opportunity to train under and work with the Grand Master Pichest Bounthumme at Hang Dong Chiangmai, Thailand in 2012. In her endeavor to continuous learning, she got trained and certified as a Yoga Instructor under Mr. Lex Gillan, owner of The Yoga Institute in Houston, Texas in 2013. She also got trained and became a Reiki Master under the training of Karen Harrison who is a licensed Reiki teacher through the International Center for Reiki Training (ICPT) in 2013. Later she became a Holy Fire Reiki Master, as well as a Holy Fire Karuna Reiki Master (also under Karen Harrison).