Moxibustion with self-heating patches

Diagram on applying moxa patches over various parts of the body

Moxibustion has been used in China for over thousands of years and is one of the oldest forms of pain relief therapy known to man. It's not surprising that this time tested therapy has stuck around for so long because of its effectiveness in treating a variety of conditions.

One of the latest advancements in Moxa therapy are self heating patches that allow you to apply moxa wherever you like without the need of lighting the moxa using fire. That means you can apply moxa even when riding a train or flying in mid-air at 20 thousand feet. This is made possible by an all natural process that thermal oxidation using silicone. This chemical process is safe and is used by numerous products on the market already.

4 reasons to use moxa patches.

1. Pain relief through heat therapy. Just like how a hot patch will warm a particular area of body, moxa patches work beyond that by penetrating deep under the skin. When the patch is applied to your skin, the moxa slowly works over the period of 6-8 hours and continue to treat as heat dissipates from the patch.
2. Coughs. Wind pathogens that attack your lungs cause coughing and common cold. By using moxa patches to stick over your lungs, you can clear these evil pathogens.
3. Indigestion and symptoms such as IBS. Heat from moxa stimulates the digestive system when you apply the patch over your lower stomach to get rid of blockage that causes pain.
4. Menstrual cramps are one of the biggest uses of moxa for women. It's powerful ability to warm the uterus means that cold pathogens are no longer trapped in women during menstruation causing painful stomaches.

Picture of woman with moxa patch applied to the lower back

So how do you use these patches? Depending on the location of the symptom, it's recommended to apply one patch every morning over the affected area. This could be any area on the body aside from skin with open wounds and genitals. For lower back pain, place the patch directly over the lower back as seen in the picture above. Once applied, you'll feel a warming (but not hot!) sensation which will last anywhere between 6-10 hours. Even once the warming effect disappears, do not take the patch off until before you shower at night. The moxa will continue to treat the area.

Continue this process once a day, everyday for a week until you see results.

Check out AcuWarehouse for more information on these moxa patches.

Direct Moxibustion using Ginger

This is one of the oldest methods for performing indirect moxibustion safely. The procedure is surprisingly simple. Fresh ginger is sliced into flat bases of about 0.5 inch thick and large enough to fit moxa on top. Use a pair of scissors to pierce 1-3 holes through the ginger. Now you can either choose to place loose moxa or cut pure Moxa Sticks into sizes of about 1 inch long.

Use another thin slice of moxa that is lit on one end to light slowly light up each moxa. This procedure is also known as Fire Dragon moxa when the entire spine is treated. Watch the YouTube video above to see how easy it is to perform this procedure.

The video that broke 100,000 views

Check out this YouTube video of an acupuncturist explaining the efficacy of using mini needle moxa. These moxa sticks are of pure form and pre-cut with holes for inserting into the tip of the needle. You won't have to roll the moxa into squares or worry about ash falling on the patient.

Find this product on AcuWarehouse.com.

Where do we apply moxibustion during the Autumn season?

Picture of acupuncture needles on model courtesy of Won Institute

Why should we apply moxibustion during the autumn season? Because we're transiting into the winter from summer, it's beneficial to prepare our bodies for the big change from hot to cold during this season.

As recorded in the Yellow Emperor's Classic, "when one acupunctures in the autumn, one should find the shu/stream points on the major channels."

The chart below shows the location of the main shu points below the elbows/knees.

Yin Meridians	Jing-well (Wood)	Ying-spring (Fire)	Shu-stream (Earth)	Jing-river (Metal)	He-Sea (Water)
LU	LU 11	LU 10	LU 9 (T)	LU 8 (H)	LU 5 (S)
PC	PC 9 (T)	PC 8 (H)	PC 7 (S)	PC 5	PC 3
HT	HT 9 (T)	HT 8 (H)	HT 7 (S)	HT 4	HT 3
SP	SP 1	SP 2 (T)	SP 3 (H)	SP 5 (S)	SP 9
LV	LV 1 (H)	LV 2 (S)	LV 3	LV 4	LV 8 (T)
KD	KD 1 (S)	KD 2	KD 3	KD 7 (T)	KD 10 (H)
Yang Meridians	Jing-well (Metal)	Ying-spring (Water)	Shu-stream (Wood)	Jing-river (Fire)	He-Sea (Earth)
LI	LI 1 (H)	LI 2 (S)	LI 3	LI 5	LI 11 (T)
TW	TW 1	TW 2	TW 3 (T)	TW 6 (H)	TW 10 (S)
SI	SI 1	SI 2	SI 3 (T)	SI 5 (H)	SI 8 (S)
ST	ST 45 (S)	ST 44	ST 43	ST 41 (T)	ST 36 (H)
GB	GB 44	GB 43 (T)	GB 41 (H)	GB 38 (S)	GB 34
UB	UB 67 (T)	UB 66 (H)	UB 65 (S)	UB 60	UB 40

Because Autumn corresponds to metal and the lung, we need to focus on the metal and fire points of the Yin Meridians. Yin Qi begins to rise and by stimulating these points, we can prevent damp pathogens from invading our bodies.

Moxa is the best at-home therapy option for treating these points. Light a moxa stick or candle and apply over the points listed on the chart above to stimulate them during autumn seasons. Yes, harsh energy and supressive climate can be relieved through moxa. It's ideal to apply moxa for 10-15 minutes for each point.

11" male model with acupuncture points

If you don't have an acupuncture chart at home, it's recommended to acquire an acupuncture model so with the points clearly marked so that you can easily find the exact location of the meridians above. You can find models plentiful on the internet or purchase one through AcuWarehouse.com.

A Cup of Tea that Warms the Meridians from Inside

2 cups of Moxa tea brewed in traditional
Chinese style using porcelain cups 

Ever tried moxa tea? When brewed, moxa tea gives a dark golden brown appearance similar to black tea. The taste however, is surprisingly unique and without the bitterness of black tea.

We've seen moxa in all types of forms including stick-on, roll-on, smokeless and balms, but did you know that moxa also comes in drinkable form of tea? This is not something of recent creation either. In fact, man has been consuming moxa in the form of mugwort as alternative to hops to brew beer.

What's the difference between Moxa, Mugwort and Moxibustion?

Mugwort is a versatile herb that is grown in inner mountainous regions within mainland China. It was discovered thousands of years ago and the Chinese were the first to dry age mugwort to form moxa. This form can be stored and used as heat for warming therapy. It was then incorporated into the practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine known as Moxibustion Therapy. Acupuncture and Moxibustion works hand to hand in helping the body to heal itself while invigorating qi from within.

Why Moxa Tea?

Most forms of moxa are external and have limited scope of absorbing the therapeutic benefits of moxa. By ingesting moxa, we can reap the benefits of moxa to a much greater degree and there's no better way than to make tea out of moxa! We love moxa tea and have tried all forms including making tea bags from aged moxa but none taste better and finer than the Buddha line of Mugwort Tea.

We like this brand for its clean and refined taste.

These tea bags are individually packaged in sachets that you can throw in a mug or tumbler and drink whenever you are feeling tired or fatigued. Moxa is caffeine-free so it won't give you a terrible rush and will give your body a relaxing sensation. It's like sipping on hearty chicken soup during winter, minus the fat and calories.

Are there health benefits to drinking Moxa Tea?

Mugwort tea when consumed as tea in portioned tea bags is non-toxic to the body and will help with sleep in the evening. Some proponents of moxa even claim to have benefits of lucid dreaming (although we have yet to verify this claim). Although this isn't a bad thing given that lucid dreaming only occurs at the deepest stages of the sleep cycle, we don't recommend consuming moxa for psychoactive effects as it does provide any significant health benefits.

Consuming moxa is not for pregnant women or expectant mothers.

A Truly Handsfree Moxa Experience

Acupuncturist performing moxibustion indoors with the moxa candles
and moxa smoke terminator.

Moxa is one of the best methods to unblock the flow of Qi by warming the meridians. When the flow of Qi is blocked at a certain meridian we begin experiencing symptoms of sickness. We see Acupuncturists holding moxa over a needle for greater Qi stimulation.

This method works well when a person is applying moxa for you, but in the event where you want to perform moxa on your own, often times its difficult to hold the moxa while doing anything else.

Traditionally, burning moxa requires the use of hands.

Introducing moxa candles. These candles are made of pure moxa (not the less effective, smokeless kind) and will allow you to perform moxa without having to hold them by the hand. Now you can get the benefits of moxa treatment easily and effortlessly at the comfort of your home. These moxa sticks emit minimal smoke and have adhesive bases that stick on to your meridians.

Moxa Candle before treatment ready to apply and light.

Moxa Candle after treatment.
Ash stays on the candle, does not fall onto the skin.

Place your moxa candle over the affected meridian point to relieve stagnation and invigorate Qi effortlessly. Each candle burns for about 15 minutes. For extra strength, use multiple candles on the same area.

Packaging of Moxa Candles for Indirect Moxibustion

Each package contains 50 treatments of high purity therapeutic performance moxa. Ready to light pre-cut moxa. Now you can perform moxa treatment while using the computer, reading, watching TV and even walking. 

Available now on AcuWarehouse.com. Check it out.

Is smoke and odor preventing you from using Moxa in your practice?

Image credit: http://www.chinaisgood.com/wn/30/xandigb.html

Although the health benefits of Moxa are celebrated universally by doctors everywhere, the smoke and odor that arises from burning the Moxa is a serious deterrence. In fact, patients also complain about the smoke and odor caused by Moxa burning in the clinic. Now, that's no longer a problem thanks to the Moxa Smoke Terminator. This device is designed by acupuncturists in the China who battled the same problem in their hospital clinics for decades.

The Moxa Smoke Terminator contains triple HEPA + Carbon Filters to eliminate 99.97% of odorants caused by Moxa smoke. Simply place this unit next to the treatment area and it'll draw the Moxa smoke into the vacuum and 'voila, no burning smell of herbs at all.

Watch a YouTube Demonstration of this amazing product

The machine is different from standard air purification units in that it's quiet and designed specifically to remove the odors caused by Moxa. If you're hesitating from using Moxa in your practice due to odor, give the Moxa Smoke Terminator a try and experience the difference.

You can find the Moxa Smoke Terminator on AcuWarehouse.com.