MOXIBUSTION (MOXA)
Moxibustion is an alternative therapy that involves burning herbs and applying the resulting heat to specific points on the body. A technique used in traditional Chinese medicine and in Tibetan medicine, moxibustion is typically administered in conjunction with acupuncture.
According to alternative medicine practitioners, the heat generated during moxibustion helps increase the flow of vital energy (also known as “qi” or “chi”) throughout the body via certain pathways (known as “meridians”). In traditional Chinese medicine, stimulating the flow of chi is considered essential to achieving health and wellness. In fact, physical and mental health problems are thought to develop (in part) as a result of blockages in the flow of chi.
Moxibustion, or moxa, is one of the vital components of Chinese Medicine. It is therapeutic burning of mugwort (Artemisia) on or over strategically selected acupuncture points. The process of doing so adds yang energy to the body. Therefore, it has a warming, strengthening, moving, or dispersing effect depending on the moxibustion method used. Moxibustion commonly treats cold hands and feet, slow digestion, and low energy. Furthermore, it is wonderful for low libido, infertility, edema, athletic injuries, and much more. It provides the body with a rooted energy often leaving the patient with a sense of relaxation and simultaneous vitality.
Moxibustion, or moxa, is the burning of the processed herb Mugwort on or over acupuncture points or special areas of the body. The heat moxa provides supplements Yang, dispels cold, and penetrates both shallow and deep tissues, even as a purely external treatment. By promoting circulation in the meridians, moxa also helps the body reduce excesses and blockages while reducing pain. Research shows moxa promotes blood circulation and improves cell and enzyme activity. The ancient medical text Lingshu Jing states, “A disease that may not be treated by acupuncture may be treated by moxibustion.” This is because moxa is powerful and effective for stubborn conditions, while also gentle and noninvasive for patients with weaker constitutions. Much like herbal medicine, moxa can pick up where other modalities leave off, and may be used in lieu of, but often in tandem with, other modalities to assist your body’s self-healing function.
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