Sometimes traditional ancient medicine can work where the conventional fails. All week I have been wracked with flu - not something I normally fall victim to, I was stuffed full with tablets and vitamins and cough syrup and my energy reserves were down to their lowest on Sunday. So, without much choice, Mummy Meerkat gets out the chinese cups and begins her cupping therapy. To those not in the know, cupping is an ancient eastern therapy where glass miniature bowls are heated with a wick for a split second then placed in the body. The temperature gradient means that as the cup cools, it sucks the skin into the space of the bowl. Rather like an over keen love bite. That's usually painless but the next bit is less pleasant - having previously applied a light coating of vaseline on the back, the cup is then slid along the back up and down, all the while your skin is 'sucked' within the space of the bowl. That's a tad painful. then after a few minutes of moving, five or six more cups are applied and left there to do their magic. After ten or so minutes, the cups are removed and you are left with some very severe looking red circular marks on your back. The effect however, is interesting. After about an hour or two, I felt my energy level slowly begin to return and after a good night's sleep, I am almost totally back to normal - refreshed and invigorated.



To the dismay of Mummy Meerkat, I am usually quite skeptical of most Chinese medicines and the way they work, however, I am pleased to say that cupping is a useful therapy that definitely accelerated my return to health and fitness. Apparently it is also something one can easily do at home without too much prior training - although in future, I feel much safer if left in the hands of the experts.