Drop the Foam Roller, Full-Body Gua Sha Is the Best Way to Melt Tight Muscles

In the beauty world, the ancient practice of using gua sha has been steadily climbing in popularity, thanks to its ability to sculpt and release tension in the face. However, many people don't realize that full-body gua sha can have the same muscle-melting effects, as say, foam rolling on the entire body.

In the latest episode of Well+Good's YouTube series What the Wellness (the show where we test out the wildest treatments that wellness has to offer), director of creative development and the show's star, Ella Dove, gets a full-body gua sha treatment, which purportedly has a whole lotta benefits. "[Gua sha] is a scraping technique that helps break up mini-capillaries, so [it's creating] micro-trauma to the skin, which creates a healing response," says Mona Dan, founder of Vie Healing in Los Angeles, where Dove gets the treatment. The response, according to Dan, boosts immunity, drains the lymphatic system, and stimulates collagen and elastin. So that little gemstone might be small, but it could have big potential when it comes to helping your bod.

As Dove lies on the table, Dan moves the rose quartz from her neck to her chest and along her IT band, where it begins to feel kind of like a "tiny foam roller," says Dove. So gua sha can even help with fitness recovery, too, since it digs into your fascia. The coolest part about it all, though? You don't need to go to a professional to experience it for yourself—you can do it at home. Watch the video to get Dove's take on full-body gua sha, and be sure to subscribe to stay in-the-know on the buzziest things in wellness.

For more What the Wellness, check out what acupuncture-adjacent ear seeds are all about. And if you thought goat yoga was weird, watch Dove flow through an hour of horesback yoga, which is indeed a thing.