An $80 Gua Sha? Capitalizing on cultural traditions without recognizing discrimination leads to further erasure

While the rise in popularity in practices rooted in Asian cultural traditions could be positive and lead to cultural understanding and acceptance, often cultural origins and intentions are stripped away, rewritten or erased for profitability, Tiffanie Tri writes.

Growing up, my mom and her sisters would ease muscle pain by carving a heated soup spoon against hardened tissue. Known as Gua Sha, this ancient practice found among many East Asian countries is believed to help improve circulation and ease tension by manually applying pressure with a tool such as a spoon or coin wrapped in a towel. I can recall them sitting one behind the other and applying even and deliberate strokes to the back and neck, leaving behind faint red streaks on the skin like new earth after a forest fire.

Read the full article originally published in the Toronto Star on May 20, 2021.