After inserting the needles into her carefully chosen points, my acupuncturist then placed lumps of moxa onto the end of selected needles and then set light to each one. Whilst it was rather alarming to see what looked like a birthday cake on my stomach, the resulting warmth insinuated themselves deep into my body, relaxing the muscles and rejuvenating my energy levels.
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 alight, the intensity of the heat was much greater from the outset.
My acupuncturist explained that the ability to feel the temperature so soon meant that my energy levels had almost returned to normal.
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.
These are then placed on the needle or directly on the acupuncture point and burnt to produce a nourishing, penetrating warmth similar to the heat from the sun.
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 effect 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 gynaecological difficulties.
Like the sun, moxa produces a comforting dry heat helping to eliminate dampness and cold in the body, alleviating general aches and pains and supporting aging joints to fight against the problems of old age.
