Eastern Promises
Feeling Better, Courtesy of Ancient China

Sometimes life's most painful physical ailments—tennis elbow, swimmer's ear, martini drinker's wrist—simply require a little ancient Chinese wisdom.

And by wisdom, we mean a bunch of suction cups...

Welcome to Chuan Body + Soul, a hall of strange and wondrous ancient Chinese treatments, opening Friday inside the new Huntington Spa at the Langham.

Basically, this corridor represents LA's first merging of highbrow finery (that would be the Langham) with Eastern philosophy even older than Larry King. Treatments here are based on the five essential elements (metal, wood, fire, water, earth), and the goal is to find out which one is out of whack. (Your wood has been feeling a little off lately.)

The centuries-old solution might involve cupping (suction cups on your body, and lots of them), or seeds left in your ear for a few days. (Side note: the seeds are taped inside, so they won't fall out during next week's meeting in the conference room.)

And if you're feeling especially badass (in a Zen sort of way), you might be up for a little moxibustion: picture an acupuncture needle, and a white-hot flame heading toward that needle, and a sudden sensation of heat on the other end of said needle. Which is inside your body.

Hey, China knows what they're doing...