Moxa: Fire Medicine for Healing
Moxibustion, or moxa, is Fire Medicine. Sounds pretty cool, right?
Used since about 500 BCE, moxibustion involves burning ground mugwort to warm certain points along your body. These points can coincide with acupuncture points or be other areas on the body that need attention.
Mugwort, or artemisia, is a flowering plant in the daisy family. Mugwort is PROLIFIC in our area here in Central NJ. It is a prolific volunteer in my flower beds that comes back in full force… every year… and brings new friends. It is highly invasive, so do not grow this plant.
It’s also the key to moxibustion. Mugwort leaves are dried and ground into moxa, which is then lighted and used to warm points on your body and relieve a variety of conditions. In order for mugwort to be used as moxa, it is processed to remove all but the finest parts of the plant. There are different grades of moxa, the highest quality being Gold that can cost up to $100 for just one pound.
Moxa can be used in stick, thread or cone forms. When I was a student and working with Sensei Kuwahara in Boston, I burned lots of thread moxa. Thread moxa is about the size of a piece of rice. He taught us to burn multiple threads on specific locations. Some schools of moxa teach a hotter sensation, while with others, the patient may not feel much at all.
Moxa brings yang energy to the body and helps circulate blood and qi. It can be used for a wide breadth of complaints including:
Skin conditions like psoriasis or acne to scars and shingle pain
Fertility concerns in all genders
Pain
Immune function
Stress
Digestive complaints
Gynecological complaints
Breech babies
Lingering, chronic illnesses like chronic fatigue or long covid
We offer moxa as an add on treatment at Jersey Community Acupuncture. It takes about 10 minutes and can supplement your acupuncture treatment. It can also be used as a full treatment for those that don’t want to use acupuncture. Please give us a call with any questions!
Pics from Kobayashi Moxa and Lower Hudson Prism
