Natural New Age Mums Chat About …… Cupping

Welcome to “Natural New Age Mums Chat About…”

This is a regular feature on the blog where I am so excited to be featuring some amazing Aussie mums who specialize in their own particular natural and/or new age area. The aim is to give us a little bit of inside information into some new things we may not know about, but are curious!

Today, I am welcoming the honorary NNAM (aunty) Emma from The Healing Space to talk all about cupping. You may have heard of cupping before as it seems to be a hot favourite with celebrities like Gwyneth, Jennifer and Posh.

Tell us about yourself….

Hi! I’m Emma Bowen and I am blessed to be running a Remedial Massage and Wellness Centre up here in beautiful Far North Queensland.  Our clinic called The Healing Space caters to all different modalities, from Integrated Cupping, Remedial Massage, Lomi Lomi, Lymphatic Drainage and we are also proud stockists of Plant Essentials products (handmade in Townsville), which we also utilise in our treatments.

I am also studying with The Institute of Integrative Nutrition to become a Holistic Health Coach, as my other passion is nutrition, and I am loving every crazy minute of it.

You could say I’ve been massaging since I was a child as my grandmother was a masseuse and always insisted I would end up in this type of career.  When I am not working I like to do yoga, barre, read, study and drink good coffee.

What is your outlook on life?

Hmmm…tough question…I guess my main outlook on life, is what you put out into the universe you get back, that’s where I am “New Age”.  I truly believe in the goodness of others, the power of believing in yourself and being grateful for all you have, even in those moments where life tends to get rough.

How long have you been a therapist?

I have been in the Remedial Massage field for 5 years, and integrating Cupping into my treatments for over 2 years.

What study or training did you have to be a therapist?

To become a Remedial Massage Therapist, you must have a base qualification of a Diploma in Remedial Massage.  From there you add to your skill set every year with various courses or seminars, as we are also required to accrue Continuing Education Points.  It was through the search to earn points that I came to do my Integrated Cupping course in Townsville and the love affair with Cupping began.

So, what is cupping ?

My favourite speciality would be integrating various Cupping techniques into my clients treatments.  For those who haven’t heard of Cupping, or are a bit unsure about the ‘bruises’, I’ll explain what it does and why I love it so much.

Basically what Cupping does is create a suction effect, which lifts the muscle up into the Cup.  It allows us practitioners to work 5 times deeper than Deep Tissue and helps release myofascial tension.  Also when a muscle is tight, metabolic waste can build up in the muscle, the Cups strong suction effect, brings that old, stagnant blood to the surface and the body then is able to expel it.  Cups can also be used to reduce inflammation, increase lymphatic flow, help reduce appearance of scars and cellulite and basically make you feel loose as a goose!

In my toolkit, I use Fire Cups (or also known as Glass Cups), these are great for reducing inflammation, getting in and releasing really tight, dense tissue and I also use them in a sequence to help reduce lung congestion and speed up the healing process if the client has the flu.  My Remedial Cups are used during Remedial Massage to get a great stretch and release of the muscle, as they have the ability to contour to the body and come in a variety of sizes. The Facial Cups, are designed to not mark the face and have the ability to help reduce sinus or jaw tension, or just make your face glow!

Cupping is a very old technique with hieroglyphic depictions found in Ancient Egypt. Even then, they knew the power of the cup!

How does a session work?

Typically clients come to see me, as they have heard of the Cups or have had Cupping in the past.  Firstly, if they have never had Cupping done before I let them know what it does, what to expect and then we get to work.  Depending on the condition I am treating, the body type and the result we want, I change which Cups I use during the treatment.  For example someone with bad back pain may require the use of both the Glass Cups (applied first) and the Remedial Cups, as we want to reduce inflammation and release the muscle deeply, without causing undue pain.

How much does a session normally cost?

Normally sessions run for 1 hour for $80, but my Remote Clinic clients sometimes also book 1.5 hours or 2 hour sessions.  The 2 hour sessions usually involve Facial Cupping at the end of the session, to polish off the treatment and to send them off into bliss.

What conditions does cupping help with?

Cupping helps with back pain (and is especially useful in acute conditions), sinus pain, congestion in the lungs, it can help build up weak muscles, help sedate tight muscles, help reduce appearance of scars and stretch marks, release jaw pain and basically act as a detoxer to the body. It gives the ability to deeply release toxins and old blood that have become trapped over the years.

Gwyneth showing evidence of having a cupping session. Image.

Is cupping suitable for everyone?

Generally you don’t Cup anyone under 7 years of age, anyone who is too frail, with contagious skin conditions, or weepy skin and you have to be cautious during pregnancy.  That being said, my pregnant clients love the cupping, I just alter how and where I would use the cups.

Why would you recommend cupping?

Because it is awesome! No, seriously, Cupping changes the depth of the treatment, clients often say they are more relaxed, the results last longer and for me personally, I can say it has helped reduce my own back pain and the treatments last a lot longer than general massage.

Do you have a favourite inspirational quote?

“Life moves pretty fast, if you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.”  (Ferris Bueller)

How can people get in touch with you? 

People can contact us though our Facebook page, The Healing Space – our contact details are on the page.  Also please come and check me out at my new page Empower Health Coaching with Emma Bowen page and blog, they are under construction at the moment, but they will be full of great Nutritional, Stretching, Massage and ‘How To Live a Fabulous Life’ advice.

Namaste.

Thanks so much Emma for giving us a peek into your world as a cupper ! I am so keen to give it a try now. Have you had experiences with cupping?