In Chinese medicine moxa-bustion is done in summer and autumn to prepare for winter. Moxabustion warms the channels and stregnthens the organ complexes, especially the Adrenal-Digestive axis.
Directions for Home Moxabustion.
Please do moxa safely and at your own risk. If you don’t feel competent please don’t do it. This is one of those American legal warnings: USE MOXA AT YOUR OWN RISK. BY PEFORMING MOXA AT HOME YOU ARE TAKING FULL RESPONSIBLILITY FOR ITS SAFE USE. THANK YOU.
Light a moxabustion stick and hold it close enough to your skin so as to feel heat gently and without burning. Keep the end of the stick at that space away from the skin until it reaches the heat you desire. Remove and go to the next area. Choose 4 locations at a session and go around them from top to bottom 3x. Do this at the locations Zu San Li, San Yin Jiao, Qi Hai and Zhong Wan. Have someone else do it at the space between your physical Kidneys, Ming Men.
Acupuncture “points” are actually caves. They are depressions in the surface of the body where the Qi of the channels rises to the surface and is easily influenced.
So, in the abscence of any heat or fire disease, warm these spaces gradually and deeply; moxabustion should feel pleasant, even wonderful. Moxabustion at the summer solstice, and once a week for a month in Autumn and the winter season will prevent colds and help arthritic and other types of pains.
In most circumstances application of moxa is beneficial anywhere there is pain. If it feels good, do it! Moxa sticks are cheap–a dollar for a large cigar sized stick of compressed “moxa” (common mugwort, latin artemesia vulgaris, chinese ai ye ). To extinguish your moxa stick dip the burning end into some water. Break this part off next use. Moxa is one of the best self-help tools in Chinese medicine.
Copyright Eyton J. Shalom, M.S., L.Ac. San Diego, CA All Rights Reserved, Use With PermissionAyurveda, Acupuncture, and Chinese Medicine in San Diegohttps://www.bodymindwellnesscenter.com
