Moxa

*Moxabustion, or “moxa” (the Japanese word for moxabustion) is an ancient form of
heat therapy. Moxa plays an important role in the traditional medical systems of China,
Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet and Mongolia. Moxa warms regions and acupuncture
points of the body with the intention of stimulating circulation through the acupoints and
inducing smoother flow of Qi and blood. Moxa uses the ground up leaves of the plant
Mugwort, (Artemesia Vulgaris). The application of moxa itself is either rolled into
sticks, (this is known as indirect moxa) or the powdery substance is formed into cones
and burned on Chinese herbal salve or a ginger slice.

Moxabustion grew fame in the US after a 1998 study in the Journal of the
American Medical Association showed that moxa could turn breech presentation babies
into a safer head-down position before childbirth. In the study, 75% of the pregnant
women had breech fetuses that turned to the normal position.

In the Chinese language, the term for Acupuncture is “Zhen Jiu.” The “Zhen”
means “Needle” and “Jiu” means Moxibustion. Acupuncture and Moxabustion have been
paired with one another in Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years.
According to medical historians, moxa predates the use of acupuncture by nearly 1000
years.

During an indirect moxa treatment, the moxa stick is comfortably held several
inches away from the skin and directed at major acupoints and meridians on the body.
The practitioner and recipient are in constant communication for comfort, safety, and
therapeutic results. As the herb is burned, the energy goes to you! Moxa works on the
acupuncture points in a nourishing manner.