Could cupping restore your aching body? Cupping therapy or hijama is an ancient healing ritual. It’s been around for an incredible 3,500 years. From the ancient Egyptians to Chinese medicine techniques, through to the Islamic Empire, cupping pops up independently in all sorts of places in the world and in time. So what is it? There's dry cupping and wet cupping. In this episode of Ritually, Nelufar undergoes dry cupping where cups are pressed onto skin to create suction through negative pressure, pulling the skin and muscle upwards. Cupping is one of the only techniques that can do this. This may increase blood flow and is believed to reduce inflammation and speed up healing processes. Wet cupping is exactly the same but the (...and we cannot stress this enough, reputable and experienced) practitioner causes scratches for blood to flow out of the body. Nelufar is too chicken to do wet cupping. But the big question is… does cupping work? Olympic medal-machine Michael Phelps may spring to mind when you think of cupping but so many other pro-athletes and Olympians have been pictured with huge bruises and red marks on their arms, back, and all over their body as a result of cupping. It's a favourite of professional fighters, track and field athletes, getting more popular all the time. New science is bringing cupping back into the spotlight. The human body has 250 million sensory receptors in the fascia, the connective tissue surrounding your muscles and organs. When your body feels mental or physical trauma, it holds the muscular brace pattern and remembers it indefinitely. Cupping may make you have a huge emotional and physical release by working on your fascia, a release that never even entered your conscious mind! Ritually host Nelufar Hedayat wants to see if it will help her strained back from years of kickboxer training and carrying heavy camera gear whilst filming documentaries. In this episode, Nelufar tries out cupping in the studio with her ritual guide, Dr. Rizwan Suleman, probably the most in-demand practitioner in the U.K. From celebrity clients like champion boxer Anthony Joshua to international footballers Nicolas Anelka and Paul Pogba, Dr. Rizwan uses this ancient technique in the tradition of his Muslim faith to support his clients all over the world. But the benefits of cupping extend way beyond just the physical. Nelufar is shocked by the raw emotional release that this ritual causes mid recording. In classic Rituality style, this episode combines spirituality, faith, and wellness whilst answering the question “Is this a ritual that can make me feel better?” Finally, watch Nelufar and Dr. Rizwan discuss the history, the impact on emotional wellness, and their shared muslim faith and how love can be a part of medicine. During this episode, Dr. Rizwan mentions "Ruh" meaning soul in Arabic. For muslims, the soul is as important and lives on after the physical body dies. He later says it is the "maksud", meaning the purpose of life in Arabic. He then mentions “afia," Arabic for seeing health and protection from harm from the muslim god Allah (swt). Find Dr. Rizwan Suleman at his clinic, The Institute of Clinically Applied Holistic Therapy on instagram at @icaht_clinic Find host Nelufar Hedayat on instagram @nelufar.h Ritually is on instagram @therituallypod Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://brazen.fm/join-plus/
