Cupping

This image was taken in Siem Reap, Cambodia, where I conducted my PhD fieldwork in medical anthropology. The nun in this image is having cupping, a traditional therapy common in many parts of Asia, performed on her. A flame is passed inside the glass cup to burn the oxygen, allowing the cup to suction onto the skin. The belief is that the cups will draw the illness-inducing heat to the surface of the body, providing relief.