Treat Pain and Emotion โ With One Set of Cups.
A half-day, hands-on cupping intensive with TJ Frank. Fire and vacuum methods, meridian-based placement, and techniques that work while your hands rest. Easy to learn, fast to apply, powerful from your very next session.
"TJ Frank โ hands-on treatment. Thirty years of clinical experience, brought into a single half-day with you."
Cupping that treats the whole person โ and a skillset you can use from day one.
Most cupping courses stop at muscle tension. This half-day intensive gives you a complete, practical toolkit: two core methods, meridian-based placement, and a way of working that reduces your physical strain while deepening client results.
- โฆFire and vacuum cupping โ when, why, and how to use each method safely and effectively
- โฆMeridian-based placement โ cups positioned along the meridian pathways for sharper, more consistent results than generic placement
- โฆSafety and contraindications โ who shouldn't receive cupping, managing marks and bruising, and what to tell clients before and after treatment
- โฆHands-free holds โ cups create sustained pressure and stretch without you holding the position
- โฆPhysical and emotional treatment in the same session, with the same skillset
No prior experience with cupping or meridian work required. We start from the foundations โ easy to learn, fast to apply.
Fire cupping. Vacuum cupping.
Know when to reach for each.
Most practitioners learn one method and default to it for everything. This workshop covers both โ so you can match the method to the client and the outcome you're after.
Fire Cupping
The traditional approach โ using heat to create the vacuum. Strong, fast suction, ideal for releasing deep tension quickly. You'll practise the technique safely under direct supervision until it feels natural.
Vacuum (Pump) Cupping
A controlled, repeatable method using a hand pump โ easier to calibrate, simple to teach clients for self-care, and well suited to longer, gentler holds along meridian pathways.
Your hands push.
Cupping pulls.
Your current training relies heavily on compression โ pressing down into the tissue. Cupping inverts that force, using negative pressure to lift the skin, superficial fascia, and deep fascia away from the muscle. That single shift opens up a set of clinical advantages your hands alone can't reach.
Space, Not Pressure
Lifting the fascial layers away from the muscle instantly reduces mechanical pressure on pain receptors and blood vessels โ the opposite of compression, and a release your thumbs can't replicate.
Rapid Relief for Ischemic Tissue
The vacuum draws blood flow into areas of chronic tension or old injury fast โ bringing oxygen and nutrients to blood-starved tissue far quicker than manual friction.
Passive Stretching, Done Properly
Place cups on anchor points along a muscle line, then guide the client through gentle active movement. You'll stretch tightly bound fascia more efficiently than standard passive stretching.
"The ergonomic break: placing cups on a client's back lets the negative pressure do the work of lifting and separating tissue. It gives your hands a 5-to-10-minute rest during a treatment โ while still actively delivering therapeutic value."โ Eduardo, Remedial Massage
It also changes your business. Cupping achieves fascial release and increased blood flow in a fraction of the time standard myofascial work takes โ freeing your hands for detailed manual work elsewhere in the session. And clients feel it work: the visual feedback of petechiae is tangible proof of stagnant blood releasing, which is highly marketable and often justifies a premium rate.
You don't need to change how you assess or treat. Use sliding cups with massage oil as a dynamic warm-up for large muscle groups like the hamstrings or erectors, or leave stationary cups on stubborn trigger points while you work on a completely different part of the body.
It's not just where it hurts.
It's where the meridian runs.
Most cupping placement is intuitive โ find the tight spot, put a cup on it. That works, but it's incomplete.
In this workshop, you'll learn to place cups along the meridian pathways themselves โ following the line, not just the symptom. The result is more consistent outcomes for the physical complaint you can see, and the emotional pattern underneath it.
Meridian Cupping Locations
A practical guide to where you'll be placing cups, and why:
Bladder & Lung
General tension release, respiratory support, grief processing.
Gallbladder & Triple Heater
Stress-related tightness, headaches, decision fatigue.
Pericardium & Heart โ the 4 Fire Meridians
The Bhaktiatsu heart-opening protocol โ for anxiety, grief, and emotional release.
Kidney & Bladder
Fatigue, hormonal stress response, deep-seated tension.
Stomach & Spleen
Digestive support, worry and overthinking patterns.
Lung & Large Intestine
Letting go, grief, and clearing โ extending the heart-opening work into the limbs.
You'll practise placement across each of these zones during the workshop, with TJ adjusting your technique in real time.
Know when not to cup โ and what to tell your clients.
Cupping is safe and well-tolerated for most clients, but it's not appropriate for everyone, and clients should know what to expect before you begin. This workshop covers both sides clearly.
- โฆWho to avoid or modify for โ pregnancy, bleeding disorders or blood-thinning medication, broken or inflamed skin, varicose veins at the site, recent surgery, fever or acute infection
- โฆWhat clients should expect โ circular marks or bruising that can last several days to a week, mild soreness in the treated area
- โฆAftercare guidance โ staying warm, hydrating, and avoiding direct cold or wind exposure immediately after treatment
- โฆSetting expectations โ how to explain marks and sensations to clients beforehand so nothing comes as a surprise
Cups work while your hands rest.
Extended holds and stretches usually mean sustained physical effort from you โ pressing, holding, leaning in. Cupping changes that equation.
- โฆCreate extended holds and stretches without maintaining the pressure yourself โ the cup does the work
- โฆOpen and stretch problem points by placing cups either side of the restriction
- โฆBuild genuine rest into busy treatment days while clients receive powerful therapeutic benefit
- โฆReduce cumulative strain on your hands, wrists, and shoulders over a full day of treatments
"I had been experiencing shoulder pain for several months. Using cups, I was able to stretch the problem point by placing cups on either side of it. The relief was immediate and lasting โ it showed me firsthand how cupping can access areas that hands alone cannot reach."โ Workshop Participant
Six cups, zero hands โ sustained release across the upper back while TJ's hands are free for other work.
Ready to bring this into your practice?
Early bird $297 โ closes 17 June ยท 20 places per location
TJ Frank โ 30 years of clinical experience, brought to Australia.
From emergency medicine to Cognitive Neuroscience at UC Davis, then 14 years across Western medicine before training in Zen Shiatsu, Acupuncture, and Qi Gong โ TJ's path led him to Maui in 2008, where he integrated Bhakti yoga with shiatsu and acupuncture to create Bhaktiatsu.
For 16 years he's taught practitioners from around the world. This July, he brings Bhaktiatsu Cupping to Australia.
Everything you need โ
starting with your very next client.
- โฆ3.5 hours of hands-on training โ theory, demonstration, and supervised practice
- โฆThe Meridian Primer โ $25 value โ a 12-page digital introduction to meridian anatomy, access on registration
- โฆLifetime access to the workshop recording โ review and refresh anytime
- โฆCups provided for practice during the workshop
- โฆSmall group setting โ limited to 20 participants per location
What to Bring
Loose, comfortable clothing โ tight clothing makes skin access difficult for cupping practice. A notebook if you like to take notes. An open heart. You'll want your own cup set for your practice โ we'll recommend suppliers at the workshop.
If you work with bodies,
this training is for you.
No prerequisites. No needling licence required. No prior meridian training needed.
- Massage therapists ยท Physiotherapists
- Chiropractors ยท Osteopaths
- Acupuncturists ยท Yoga practitioners
- Any bodyworker or wellness practitioner
We start from first principles. By the end of the half-day, every participant has hands-on cupping experience across multiple meridian pathways โ regardless of where they started.
12 practitioners are already on the early bird waitlist โ across Sydney, Byron Bay, and one in New Zealand.
Includes the full half-day workshop, Meridian Primer, lifetime recording access, and workshop cups for practice.
Our commitment: full refund up to Wednesday 17 June. From 18 June, your registration is confirmed and non-refundable, but fully transferable to any other Bhaktiatsu course at no cost.
Want to go deeper? Add Meridian Pathology & Diagnosis at checkout for just $59 (usually $197).
Your clients are already asking for cupping. This is two methods, meridian-based placement, and a way of working that protects your body โ easy to learn, fast to apply, and ready for your very next session.
