The first time my acupuncture therapist put the blobs of moxa onto the needles in my back and started setting fire to them, I was a little alarmed… I mean someone had just effectively balanced burning flames on my back and I was terrified to move. But they didn’t actually feel as if they were burning hot, just a gentle warmth that exuded through the skin making everything feel wonderfully relaxed.
As they cooled down, it was as if the stresses and concerns that had been bottled up inside me had melted away.
After almost a year of monthly treatments, when the moxa was first lit, the intensity of the heat was much greater immediately.
When I mentioned this to Lorna, she explained that was a sign that I was getting better and my energy levels were nearing where they should be. She recalled the first time she had received moxibustion - she was so cold and damp inside that it took three lumps of moxa on the same needle for her to feel any warmth at all.
Moxibustion is an integral part of Traditional Chinese Medicine which utilises moxa made from the herb, mugwort. The mugwort is aged and then ground to a fluff which practitioners compress into a ball or form into cones.
Placed onto the acupuncture point or slotted onto the needle and set alight, the burning effect results in a warmth which penetrates the skin, rejuvenating the body’s natural energy.
Moxa can also be formed into larger cigar like sticks which when lit are used to heat up larger areas of the patient’s body. Moxibustion is essentially the relaxing deep heat treatment of Chinese Medicine.
When applied to specific acupuncture points in conjunction with acupuncture, direct moxibustion increases the benefits of acupuncture. This is known in Chinese Medicine as tonification - boosting the body. The additional heat produced is a way of giving patients something "extra". It is therefore particularly effective for treating people who are feeling run down or suffering from energy depletion.
It has also been known to help turn breech babies
The heat from the moxa stimulates the blood flow dispersing the any stuck energy and Moxibustion is especially good at increasing the circulation to the uterus and pelvic area, making it ideal for menstrual difficulties.
It is also effective for problems with aging joints as the dry, sun-like warmth helps to eradicate cold or damp in the body.
