BLOG 71: FACIAL GUA SHA: BECOME CERTIFIED TO TEACH

Gua sha is an ancient form of massage that uses a tool made from crystal to relieve muscle tension, boost circulation, and encourage lymphatic drainage. It is a method that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. But it has only recently caught the attention of the Western world.

If you’ve been following me for any length of time, you know that I love this healing tool for the many benefits it brings to our faces, skin, and mental wellbeing. It is such a wonderful complement to the other techniques I teach as part of face yoga.

And that is why I am thrilled to announce a new addition to my teacher training offer – an accredited course in teaching Facial Gua Sha.

I’ve partnered with two amazing women to bring you this new training course. 

Katie Brindle is an expert in Chinese medicine and the founder of Hayo’u, a company dedicated to holistic health and sharing the power of Chinese medicine with a wider audience. 

And Katie Blake is an expert in gua sha, holistic therapy and healing and the Hayo’u head therapist.

The course has been a year in the making and a true labour of love. Working with these two women has been a wonderful journey. We have each brought our own unique skills and experience to the mix to create something truly exceptional.

I’m so pleased to finally be able to share it with you all.

Hayo’u is the market leader in gua sha. Katie Brindle and Katie Blake bring their expertise in traditional Chinese medicine, as well as their experience in building a business in offering these healing techniques.

Meanwhile, my experience in offering face yoga teacher training means I bring all my knowledge of education and training to create a course that is deep, wide-ranging, and fits within your life.

Most of all, the three of us share a passion and desire to communicate the power of gua sha to a wider audience. This is the beautiful thing about women working together – we lift each other up. And we want to lift you up too.

WHAT DOES THE GUA SHA TEACHER TRAINING COURSE COVER?

This training course will certify you as a facial gua sha teacher, meaning you can teach others to use gua sha on themselves.

You’ll be able to teach others online and in person. You can lead groups or offer 1:1 sessions. And, of course, you can also use the techniques you’ve learnt on yourself at home.

The course is led by Katie Blake, who has many years of experience in facial gua sha. She’s also a Face Yoga Super Trainer, so she has a deep understanding of the techniques I use in my face yoga sessions as well.

The course covers over 50 gua sha techniques. But it is so much more than that. We’ve designed this training to give you everything you need to teach facial gua sha to others.

As well as gua sha itself, we cover:

• The principles of traditional Chinese medicine and how gua sha fits within it
• The anatomy and physiology of the face and skin
• The role of energy (Qi) and meridian lines
• Acupressure points
• Health and safety
• Using gua sha on different areas of the face and for various skin conditions
• Gua sha tools

And we also look at how to build facial gua sha into a business. So, we’ll talk about structuring sessions, how to teach others, marketing and finding clients, leading a consultation, etc.

HOW IS THE COURSE STRUCTURED?

We wanted to structure the facial gua sha training course to be as flexible as possible, so you can easily fit it around your other commitments.

It is a fully online, self-paced course. That means you can work through it at your own speed, with no pressure to complete it within a set time.

As soon as you sign up, you are sent the 150-page training manual. We send it as a digital copy, so you can access the information straight away. Of course, if you prefer to have it as a hard copy, you are welcome to print it.

You’ll also have access to all the video resources. Each technique is shown in a video and described in the manual.

There are 16 lessons in total. For most people, we expect the course to take between 12 and 20 hours of study. But you are welcome to take longer. You’ll have lifetime access to the course materials, so there is no need to rush through. You can go over the lessons as many times as you like. 

The course is accredited by the IPHM, giving it international recognition.

HOW IS THE COURSE ASSESSED?

When you have studied all the materials and feel ready to take the assessment, there are two stages to complete.

The first is a short written assignment. It is a set of ten questions designed to check your knowledge and comprehension. We’re not looking for essays here – the whole process should only take 45 minutes or less to complete.

It is an open-book assignment, so you can use your manual if you need it. We do ask that you put the answers in your own words.

Students on my face yoga teacher training course do a similar written assignment. They say they found it one of the most useful parts of the training. It helps you check in with your understanding and articulate how much you’ve learnt.

You’ll email your completed assignment to Katie Blake, who will go through and mark it. Then, you’ll schedule a 30-minute video call with Katie.

For the first ten minutes, you’ll run the session as though Katie is your client, and you are teaching her. Katie will then give you feedback on your session and your written assignment, and you can also pick her brains and ask her any questions you have.

WHAT HAPPENS ONCE I PASS THE COURSE?

Once you’ve successfully completed both the written assignment and the video practical, you’ll be emailed your certificate straight away. You’ll also be listed on our directory as a certified Facial Gua Sha Teacher.

Then you can start to offer gua sha training sessions to your own clients, just remember to get insurance. 

WHO IS THE COURSE FOR?

We’ve structured this course to cover everything you need to teach gua sha. So, you don’t need any prior knowledge. Beginners are welcome.

If you are already practising in the health and wellness industry, becoming a facial gua sha teacher will complement your existing business. It fits well with face yoga, traditional yoga, massage, pilates, acupressure, aromatherapy, and other holistic health methods.

It is also a great fit for beauty therapists, sitting at the intersection between health and beauty.

But you don’t need to already have a business in the sector to take advantage of this training. We’re aware that the pandemic has given many people time to reflect on what they want from their work and have designed the course to be suitable for career changers.

Both Katie Brindle and I changed from other career paths when we discovered the incredible healing powers of complementary medicine. We welcome others on a similar journey.

LEARN MORE

I’m so excited about this course – it has the potential to be life-changing for both your business and your clients. You’ll be empowering other people to use gua sha themselves at home.

We’d love to welcome you to our community of certified Facial Gua Sha Teachers. Please take a look at the course page to learn more and book your place.