Fire Cupping

I first learned of fire cupping in 2004 in the way most other Americans did: When Gwyneth Paltrow showed up to some event with weird marks on her back (Cupping on CBS). While it was something I never really thought a lot about, it was always somewhere in the back of my mind as something I knew I wanted to try. When my MBFF (that would be Mongolian Best Friend Forever, hehehe) started getting fire cupping treatments for a sore neck this last week, I asked if she'd hook me up with her practitioner and in in only three days time I had an appointment. And the best part: it only cost 3,000T, or about $2.50. 3,000 year old medicine for 3,000T. Helluva bargain!

Applying the first cups. Typically you'd lay down to get this type of treatment but since my MBFF was taking pictures she had me sit.

She started things by giving me a head and neck massage, hence the crazy hair.

Massaging my lower back before applying more cups. PS-The black is not my underwear but my leggings. We have to wear two pairs of pants all winter it's that dang cold here.

Adding more cups.

Yeah, that's the flame in the lower right.

All the cups in place. They stay on for 10 minutes.

So here's how it works: she dips a cotton ball into alcohol, lights it on fire, swabs it into the cup to heat the cup & air, then applies the cup to specific points. The heat causes suction, sucking your skin up into the cups.

I totally giggled when she removed the cups. The sound was hilarious!

She said the darker spots indicate a trouble area. She also said I had very soft and nice skin. :)

More massaging after the cupping.

I felt like Jello when it was all over!

Wiping off the excess lotion at the end. I was sad it was done so fast. I can't wait to go back in next month!