What is Moxibustion?

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) focuses on maintaining a balance between the yin and yang, the energetic forces that make up everything around us, including our health.

The yin and yang are complete opposites; however, they depend on one another to keep a healthy balance in the body. If one of them is imbalanced, our health can become compromised.

Yin represents darkness, humidity and coldness, whilst yang represents heat, light and dryness. When one of them is more dominant, the body will manifest ailments of different degrees, depending on the severity of the imbalance.

Moxibustion is a treatment from TCM that helps rebalance those who have yin dominance. When yin dominates, the body is cold and humid; therefore, yang must be restored and given more strength for the body to become warmer. This is done by applying heat to energetic points in the body, similar to those of acupuncture.

In addition, an imbalance of the yin and yang can be caused by emotional issues. Moxibustion promotes the flow of energy, harmonizing once again the energies and blood circulation in the body.

It is especially indicated to treat pains and illnesses related to environmental factors. In fact, they say that moxibustion originates from the North of China, where as a result of the cold climate; pathologies related to this climatology dominate.

The name “moxa” is an Anglicism from the Japanese world “mogua” which means “combustion of herbs”. This practice consists of burning cones of herbs on or near the body.

Moxibustion is beneficial for many ailments or illnesses, including:

• Colds and flu
• Pains which worsen with the cold
• Articulation problems
• Digestive issues like diarrhea or constipation
• Painful periods
• Lack of concentration and memory
• Sexual dysfunction
• Sports injuries

All these disorders fit into the yin category that corresponds to TCM. They are characterized by being cold, having a slow metabolism and that can become chronic. The person feels tired, has pain, the skin feels cold (lower temperature than the natural), the beat seems very deep, weak and slow. The tongue is swollen, pale, with teeth marks on the sides, that suggest that there is a deficiency of yang in the spleen. For all these symptoms, moxibustion can be very beneficial.

You can discover all the wonderful benefits of this therapy in our Chinese Traditional Medicine unit at SHA Wellness Clinic.