hot hot hot (cups).

When I was in Shenzhen a few weeks ago, a friend and I got hot cups while 4 of us girls were getting massages. We were at a fancy schmancy place getting oil massages and one of the massagers recommended I get hot cups to help my bad skin. (they say it helps any ailment, basically).

So...I went for it. After 2 years of refusing to do this primitive thing, I did it.

They got a bucket full of little glass balls and sprayed alcohol into them, lit the insides on fire, and then attached them one by one to my back. 12 in all.

(yes, that's me!)

They leave them on your body for about 10 minutes. It's a suction sensation - not painful, but weird. I felt like I couldn't take deep breaths and had to get my breathing into a rhythm. Other than that, I actually enjoyed it and plan to do it again. It felt very releasing.

This is what I looked like a few days later, back in Hangzhou....

This is what Rui Rui and I looked like right after we did it. We thought we were so cool.

The darker you are, the more "bad things" were pulled out of your body. Basically it makes huge hickies on your skin, but ancient Chinese medicine says that if you pull the "bad blood" to the surface, then your impurities or ailments will be cured.

Love those ancient Chinese secrets. haha. I'm losing my mind. What's next...acupuncture? Tai chi lessons? Kung fu?

(photos courtesy of JW :) )

walk slow. xoxo.