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Moon jar in the National Museum of Korea

What the moon jar is The moon jar is a large white porcelain jar made in the late Joseon dynasty, It is 41 centimeters high and about 40 centimeters wide, so its height and width are almost equal, creating the shape of a full moon. It was produced during the late 17th or early 18th century of the Joseon Dynasty.  RM, the leader of BTS, famously loves and collects modern Moon Jars. Also, if you watched the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics , you might remember that the giant Olympic flame cauldron was shaped exactly like this beautiful vessel! But the Moon Jar’s global journey started long before K-pop or the Olympics. In the early 20th century, the famous British potter Bernard Leach (1887–1979) visited Seoul. He was completely captivated by the Moon Jar, purchased one, and carefully carried it all the way back to Europe. He was the very first person to introduce this quiet Korean beauty to the Western art world. Today, the exact jar he took from Seoul sits proudly on display in th...

Benefits of cupping and Hollywood stars who love cupping.


Hollywood stars who love cupping. 

Recently, a photo of Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson undergoing cupping therapy for the first time in his life, was released on SNS and received great attention. Unlike the appearance of his health, he had several major surgeries for a herniated disc, muscle rupture, Achilles tendon rupture, etc.,and many fans were sorry for revealing that his body had been completely damaged after that. He announced that he got cupping therapy for the first time for the treatment of the back and back muscles.

a SNS photo of Hollywood star Dwayne Johnson


Also, Michael Phelps, who participated in the Olympics after receiving cupping therapy at the last Rio Olympics, became a hot topic. This is because there were many people around the world who wondered what the purple mark on his body was. 




This mark on the body is a cupping mark, which is very familiar to Asians, but it seems that it was not to other people. This is a treatment he has been receiving for years to help relax his muscles and ease soreness.


Cupping therapy seems to have become quite common among Hollywood stars such as among Hollywood stars such as pop singer Madonna, Jennifer Aniston, David Beckham, Justin Bieber, and Gwyneth Paltrow. 






However, unlike Korea, since it is not subsidized by the national health insurance, it is relatively expensive to get cupping treatment. So, in the United States, many stars are visiting to Korea Town to receive such cupping treatment. 


How Cupping works.

Specialized suction cups pull the skin up and away from the underlying muscles breaking capillaries that draws blood to the area and speeds recovery.   


What is Cupping ? 

 Cupping is an ancient remedy that is thousands of years. Cupping has the potential to work by certain mechanisms by stimulating blood flow to the area where the cups are applied that could help release toxins that could help with cellular damage or tissue damage in terms of repairing it increased lymphatic flow. It can stimulate the immune system and the nervous system. 

When the blood flow is not smooth as we age, fat and waste products stick to the blood and become lumps. If these blood clots do not flow and stagnate, the supply of nutrients and oxygen is abnormal. When a blood clot blocks a blood vessel, it causes sudden death, and one person dies from a blood clot every 37 seconds worldwide.


Benefits of cupping 

  • To give enough micro-stimulation in the muscles.
  • To promote local blood circulation.
  • To remove blood stagnation if necessary (Blood stagnation = blood clot that is aggregation of bad blood in the body)


Cupping Precautions. 



The side effects of cupping are blisters that occur when excessive blood loss or excessive negative pressure is applied, which can damage the skin tissue.

In particular, in the case of wet cupping, bloodletting is essential, it must be sterilized when bleeding. A sterile disposable cup must be used. There is a possibility of infection when reused.


A sterile disposable cup


Be aware that excessive blood loss for a cool feeling may lead to side effects such as hardening or atrophy of the muscles, so be sure to be careful.

When cupping at home, most of these points are not well understood and often progress from blisters to ulcers due to excessive irritation and inadequate disinfection.


Cupping for the withdrawal of blood is a medical practice, and cupping therapy must be safely treated under the diagnosis of an oriental medical doctor, a medical practitioner.


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