Advanced Facial Gua Sha AND Thai Steamed Herbal Compress Facial Massage: Professional Workshop for Acupuncturists

FACIAL GUA SHA + THAI STEAMED HERBAL COMPRESS PROFESSIONAL WORKSHOP FOR ACUPUNCTURISTS

Online, Two Days, 6 hours each, PLUS 4 hours pre-recorded videos

Friday September 2, 2022 Facial Gua Sha Advanced Technique

Friday September 9, 2022: Thai Steamed Herbal Compress Facial Massage

Both days schedule: 10am – 5:00pm Pacific Standard Time 

Professional Course for Acupuncturists. No formal CEU credit, but class description will be available along with course materials.

Materials: Class cost does not include one Dark Green Nephrite Jade Stone from CJB but it does include two Thai steamed herbal facial compresses.

Class size is limited to 16, so reserve your spot now!

This course is best for practitioners who have a familiarity with facial gua sha but crave a deeper connection to the modality, AND who would love to engage more deeply in fascia/ musculoskeletal work using the steamed herbal compress. The steamed herbal compress is a stellar treatment tool for many kinds of skin conditions as a topical herbal treatment, so anyone specializing in dermatology would benefit greatly from learning optimal technique in its application. This class will be a sensory delight and you will be inspired by the deep changes that happen when these two treatment modalities are combined. 

You will receive two lecture style videos prior to the live class: One on the theory and history of Facial Gua Sha, and one on the theory and history of the Thai steamed herbal compress. These will form the foundation for the practical portion, which will comprise the majority of our time spent together.

What will this class cover?  

This training creates a clear foundation for advanced non-needling facial revitalization treatments, and you will learn how to fold each skill easily into treatment plans for more complex conditions. For each modality, you will understand why and how it works, when to use it, and how to educate your clientele about the many benefits of a treatment course, including after-care and client self-care classes.

Recorded Videos, available upon purchase: 

1) Two Hour Lecture on Facial Gua Sha: I dive into the ramifications of facial gua sha in the context of Chinese Medical Theory, alongside a review of their correlations with connective tissue patterns of the face, head, neck, shoulders, and upper chest. History and current development of this modality is given for context as well.

2) Two Hour Lecture on Thai Steamed Herbal Compress Facial Massage: I teach the history and context of the use of steamed herbal compress massage in Thai Traditional Medicine, along with its development more recently, and relevant overlap in herbal components between Thai and Chinese herbs. I describe my clinical experience and how it can be easily used as a treatment modality in an acupuncture clinic or as a recommended home-care treatment for a wide variety of patients.

Schedule:

September 2, Day 1: Facial Gua Sha

10am: Welcome and Intro, 15 min.

10:30am: Preparing skin, tools for self-treatment, and outline of treatment, 30 min.

10:45am: Demonstration of facial gua sha routine on patient, 2 hours.

12:45pm: Lunch break, 30 min.

1:15pm: Reconvene and Questions, 15 min.

1:30pm: Practice facial gua sha routine on partner, 1.5 hours.

3pm: Break, 15 min

3:15pm: Practice facial gua sha routine on partner, 1.5 hours.

4:45pm: Q+A, Closing, 15 min

Sept 9, Day 2: Thai Steamed Herbal Compress (Luk Prakob)

10am: Welcome and Intro to Thai steamed herbal compress massage, 30 min.

10:30am: How to set up herbal compress preparation in clinic, and when to use it, 30 min.

11am: Clinical demonstration of facial steamed herbal compress massage, 90 min.

12:30pm: Lunch break, 30 min.

1pm: Practice 90 min

2:30pm: Switch, practice 90 min

4pm: Treatment planning, expectations, and other clinical considerations, 30 min

4:30pm: Closing discussion, 30 min.

This class is aimed at the beginning-intermediate level introducing to the advanced level. This includes ease of usage of multiple varieties of tools and techniques in subtle ways that greatly influence the treatment outcome. The anatomy and theory learned in this course will benefit any acupuncturist who wants to learn about facial care broadly, and take it to the next level of detail. 

Are there specific skincare products that must be used?

No, this facial can be done with any type of lubricant such as a neutral squalane or argan oil. However, in order to individualize treatment, I encourage the use of a variety of different toners, moisturizers, masks, and pearl powder, suited to different skin and constitutional presentations. We will go over this in class, with some reference materials for further reading. 

What are the benefits?

The facial gua sha and Thai steamed herbal compress routine consists of treatment of the decolletage, shoulders, neck, face, and scalp. This advanced class addresses body gua sha/ herbal compress massage in conjunction with facial gua sha/ facial compress massage for optimal results. This detailed technique combines the rigor and techniques of multiple influences and can:

• reduce wrinkles and fine lines
• tone and firm skin to help lift cheeks, neck, and chin
• diminish blemishes and dark spots; prevent acne
• brighten skin color to promote a radiant glow
• contour face, reduce puffiness
• increase collagen production and stimulate skin repair
• provide the face with greater blood flow and tissue hydration + oxygenation
• stimulate strong shifts in the channel system
• influence the parasympathetic nervous system
• relax muscles and relieve tension-related pain

The treatment effect generally takes 24-48 hours to reach peak impact, since the body continues to process the treatment and heal at night. The effect can last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks, and with regular treatment that time span will lengthen.

Who is teaching the course? 

Beth Griffing Russell, LAc, Dipl.OM., the founder of Studio Sapaan Portland. She has worked with facial renewal industry leader Cecily Braden for over 7 years, learned Thai Traditional Massage in 2012, and learned the facial herbal compress massage technique in 2014. She then learned facial gua sha directly from Dr Ping Zhang in 2017, and has been authorized to teach Dr Zhang's protocol at the professional level. Beth began specializing in facial renewal techniques after observing the transformative effect of Thai steamed herbal compress facial work and Nefeli style facial gua sha on acupuncture clients, developing her own facial gua sha technique meticulously in a clinical setting for the past 3 years. She is a natural teacher and will go to great lengths to make sure that each student grasps the technique with confidence.

Beth is a graduate of Reed College (BA, 2005) and the Oregon College of Oriental Medicine (Mac[O]M, 2011), and received Thai Traditional Massage Certification from Wat Pho Chetawon School of TTM in Bangkok 2012. She also has advanced training in Connective Tissue Massage, Shiatsu (Zen and Quantum) and Sotai (Japanese movement and breath work), as well as Manual Therapy Techniques for the throat.