Long before yoga studios lined every corner and meditation was as much a part of many’s daily routine as brushing their teeth, my mother was at the forefront of Chattanooga’s holistic health scene. While many in the South were still suspicious of alternative non-Western treatments, I was being dragged to acupuncture sessions and hole-in-the-wall health food stores while learning mindfulness techniques to combat my inherent anxiety.
After years of merciless eye rolls directed her way, I finally began to understand what Mom always knew to be true: The right holistic health treatments can be a wonderful complement (or even replacement) to mainstream modern medicine.
Throughout my own wellness journey, I’ve followed in my mother’s footsteps, opening my mind and body to trying off-the-beaten-path treatments and techniques whenever possible. So when I saw a little studio in Fort Oglethorpe, Georgia, called Mad Hatter Massage and Wellness, was offering “cupping yoga,” I just couldn’t resist.
I’ve explored the world of holistic healing more than most, however “cupping” was still a complete mystery to me. Aside from sporadically seeing the odd circular bruises left behind on the svelte backs of celebrities, and, perhaps most famously, the broad shoulders of Michael Phelps during the 2016 Olympics, I assumed it was a passing wellness trend reserved for the elite.
I was wrong.