The Gua sha Show

In this episode, Clive Witham explores a radically different way of understanding the face—not as an isolated part of the body, but as the visible tip of a much deeper, interconnected system. Drawing from decades of clinical experience and the Ecology in Motion framework, Clive shares why facial treatments often fall short when they ignore the rest of the body—and how reconnecting with structural...

Your face isn’t a map of flaws to fix—it’s a living garden to nurture. In Ecology in Motion , I rethink facial care by seeing the skin as part of a dynamic ecosystem: rivers of blood and lymph, fascial networks, and the body’s memory. Ditch the beauty-industry focus on “sculpting” and “lifting”—this practice is about communication, not force. By addressing deeper tension patterns, vascular flow, a...

Are Gua sha tools really the magic wands for tighter, toned skin, or has the beauty industry led us astray? In this episode, we dive into the science, history, and misconceptions surrounding Facial Gua sha. From debunking bold claims about collagen production and muscle toning to exploring what Gua Sha actually does—like boosting circulation and reducing puffiness—this episode sets the record stra...

In this eye-opening episode, we tackle one of the most pervasive myths surrounding Gua sha: its supposed detoxification powers. Despite the countless claims you’ll find online and the buzzword-filled pitches from tool sellers and trainers, the idea that Gua sha detoxifies simply doesn’t hold water. Join me as I debunk this misconception and explore what detoxification truly means in the body, incl...

In this episode of The Gua sha Show , Clive Witham pulls back the curtain on the world of Facial Gua sha, revealing five shocking truths that might just change the way you view this ancient practice completely. Discover why facial Gua sha is often mistaken for lymphatic drainage, learn about its real history, and understand why the right technique matters more than the tools you use. Clive's d...

Tired of hearing the same old explanations about worry lines and wrinkles? In this episode, we challenge conventional wisdom and dive into a fascinating, nature-based perspective on why these lines form. Forget about collagen and elastin for a moment. We'll explore how your forehead functions like a river system, and how understanding this can revolutionize your approach to facial care. Discov...

The second part of Season 2 of the Gua sha Show kicks of with the story of how Clive and his team introduced Gua sha to Sri Lanka. He talks about the history behind the Gua sha project, his experiences in Africa and Japan and his multi-layered approach of the Gua sha project with training doctors and nurses in a hospital, professional practitioners in workshops, and parents, teachers, children and...

Gua sha is a very special technique and is far more complicated than many people realize. In this episode of the Gua sha show, Clive explains just how revolutionary an ecological approach can be in helping people to understand our connections not only within our bodies but with our external natural environment. If you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the world of Gua sha, then...

It's important to think about safety when you do Gua sha, and in this episode of the Gua sha show, Clive gives you 9 tips on how you can incorporate safety into your Health & Wellness or Facial Gua sha treatments. He draws on his 20 year-experience in Gua sha and talks about the use of tools, lubrication, disinfection, technique, misinterpretations, treatment limits and much more!  If you...

Facial Gua sha can be seen in many ways. In this episode of the Gua sha show Clive gives you the basis of his way. To bring the beauty of the natural world of Chinese medicine into every treatment. He stresses the need for a foundation in what you do and that this can be found to the realm of natural science and a revision of how Chinese medicine is normally viewed. And how if you do this, you can...

Gua sha has the potential to eliminate the need for medical attention and reduce the reliance on pharmaceutical medication for some common ailments. In this episode, Clive explains how this is the basis for the Gua sha Project, a community driven program for disadvantaged areas of the world. He goes through some of the history of Gua sha which lie behind the project as well as his personal hopes a...

Gua sha can be very effective in a clinical situation and this is something I know because I've used it in my clinic for decades. One condition it has proved useful with is with controlling the symptoms of perimenopause. In this episode, I look at a study which explores how to use Gua sha for this condition and also how to see the body through the lens of nature - in this case, the movement of...

Anyone can scrape around the eyes with a tool but it takes special skill to really understand the body-wide context of facial features like eye bags and dark rings. In this episode, Clive looks at what these features mean both in the local context of your face and also how they stem from circulatory and muscular relationships within the body. Chinese medicine is all about patterns and motions and...

Season 2 of the Gua sha show starts with a fascinating episode on the reasons why you should use Gua sha on the head area. In episode 1, Clive looks at how structural changes, circulation changes, holographic changes and temperature changes can be made on the body and the face by treating the head area with Gua sha. He explains the tools you need and the technique and, as always, brings his unique...

In East Asia, traditional scraping health techniques like Gua sha (China), Kerokan (Indonesia), Cao Gio (Vietnam) and Kos Kyal (Cambodia) show similarities in how they are learned through ancestral lines in village communities. In this episode of the Gua sha show, we look at Kerokan in Indonesia and we explore how one villager has learned how to scrape her family and how she then passes this down...

In this episode of the Gua sha Show, Clive shares with you why after 20 years he's still using Gua sha, how he came to focus on it professionally, some of the common misunderstandings around it and how best to understand Gua sha. If you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the world of Gua sha, then subscribe and listen!

Few people are aware that Gua sha has been used to treat some of the symptoms of the effects of Covid-19 in China. In this episode, Clive explains how it is being used in hospitals in China and details the protocol used and also gives you a plan of treatment to use at home from one of China's experts in Gua sha. If you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening in the world of Gua sha,...

Gua sha isn't for everyone and in this episode Clive breaks down exactly why some people either don't like, can't have or need special care with Gua sha. He uses his personal experience to show you what can happen and recounts some of this via the treatment experiences of his life, including the years he treated in a brothel! If you do Gua sha, you need to know what Clive has to say.  ...

Facial Gua sha has wonderful benefits for the face and body but maybe not what you think! In this episode of the Gua sha Show, Clive delves into the effects on connective tissue and blood circulation and what this means in understanding Facial Gua sha. He looks at modern Chinese ideas about the benefits and then gives his version based on ancient Chinese ecological principles. If you want to stay...

Gua sha is a great solution to puffiness in your face and if you use it right you can really help both the local problem and the cause of the problem too! In this episode Clive throws light on what causes swelling in the body and how we can use simple farming analogies to understand and apply the basic principles of how to apply Gua sha.   If you want to stay up-to-date with what's happening i...

If you want to buy a Gua sha tool there are so many tools to choose from and it's difficult to know which one is best for you. So in this episode Clive gives you the benefits of his 20-year experience with Gua sha tools and gives you tips about what you need to look for and think about if you're going to get a tool.   Cleaning a Gua sha tool video https://bit.ly/3lBdCRQ If you want to stay...

If you've ever done Gua sha and seen the distinctive red marks appear on the skin afterwards, you may have wondered what they are. Well in this episode Clive looks at exactly that and explains what happens under your skin when you do Gua sha! He explains how you deal with reactions to people seeing the sha marks and how they are not something bad but actually something very positive for your h...

In this episode of the Gua sha Show, Clive takes you on a journey to look at the world in which Facial Gua sha comes from. He looks at different eras in Chinese history and at the beauty treatments available at the time to give the context in which Facial Gua sha was developed. He also looks at how Gua sha became an important treatment for serious febrile diseases like cholera and how, if we reall...

In this episode of the Gua sha Show, Clive explains how Gua sha can have a great effect on acne vulgaris. It does this through its anti-inflammatory effect on the body and he shows how treatments on your back can make changes on your face and upper body. He takes excerpts from his first book on Oriental medicine and explains them so you can get a fuller understanding of the approach of Chinese med...

How do you hold a Gua sha tool? What's the best angle of the Gua sha tool? In which direction do you stroke?  In this episode of the Gua sha Show, Clive answers these questions and more as he explains in his own unique way how to use a Gua sha tool. He tells you about his vision of Gua sha and what he did with his patients and their family members in his clinic in North Africa and also gives y...