Pins ‘n’ Needles

Checking my back in a mirror at home, I saw that the cupping had left circular marks in various shades of maroon. The areas where I had especially felt in need of work were marked with darker circles. There were red strokes marking where the vigorous massage had raked my back. Unlike the typical one-hour boutique massage that leaves me smelling New-Agey and feeling only slightly looser, here was a massage that left me smelling like a Chinese apothecary and feeling thoroughly worked over. I had definitely gotten my money’s worth. I just wasn’t sure at the time how long it would last.

That was all a little over a year ago. I went in expecting to find a cure for my pain in a few sessions. What I actually received involved the gradual process of deepening my understanding of my own health. During this time, my back has become more resilient. My back recovers from regular aches and stiffness more normally now. Exercise keeps my back feeling healthy between sessions. Yoga has been a central part of that maintenance.

I go get stuck, jolted, and cupped once every four or five weeks, and drink a cup of the herbal tea a couple of times a week. The recipe for the herbs has changed over the months and now I see berries, seaweed (I think), and chalky blocks in my cup, in addition to the familiar twigs and bark. Our garden compost is super-powered by these additions, I’m sure. My treatments continue to evolve as my body responds. I even play Ultimate once in a while.


Illustration by Retsu Takahashi