The Result
If I had known that acupuncture would give me fresh and translucent skin for weeks, I would have done it much sooner. As a parting gift, the doctor gave me a list of dietary dos and don’ts (more ginger, less icy drinks) which I’ve had varying degrees of success following. Consider me a TCM convert.
She Kneads It
The menu explained The Asian Heritage Signature as “an intensive massage based on the concept of life energy which flows through ‘meridians’ in the body. A holistic approach by combining Oriental techniques to detoxify and energise the body and spirit”. The massage began at the scalp, during which my therapist used her fingers to knead what felt like every inch of my head. I learned the hard way that one should never use hairspray right before this. That crunchy feeling on my hair felt odd, but once I let that go, it was very enjoyable and invigorating indeed.
No Pain, No Gain
The rest of the massage was no different. My therapist worked on my various pressure points, applying just the right amount of physical pressure on my temples, upper back near the spine and hands. I was most impressed by the acupressure on that fleshy part between my thumbs and index fingers. The pinching was mildly uncomfortable but as she let go, I felt my lower back area, which is usually tense and sometimes even painful when I’m lying face up start to relax. There was no ache when I went to sleep that night too.
Limber Again
The most rewarding portion of the treatment was the stretching. I’ve been all too familiar with that tense feeling in my joints, especially before yoga and upon waking up in the morning. I’ve learned to live with the soreness, but I realised I shouldn’t when my therapist stretched my tight hamstrings by pushing my heels to meet my buttock. Bye bye, muscle tension. Not only did my thighs feel stronger after, but my left ankle, which has always given me problems, was more limber too. The relief that came after that bit of pain was worth it, especially when she rewarded my tolerance with a warmed rosemary, ginger, lavender and black pepper oil deep-tissue massage.