Moxibustion

Well, I can add moxibustion to my list of things I never thought I'd know about or do.  I learned about moxibustion during my third acupuncture session this past Friday.  Mary, my acupuncturist actually used moxibustion on me during my first acupuncture session.  But today she sent me home with instructions to do it myself at home three times a week.

Moxibustion is basically burning moxa, an herb, above your skin at specific points of the body.  You can get moxa sticks, which look like cigars.  You then light the moxa sticks using a candle until the end starts to get gray and ashy.  You're supposed to blow on the end of the stick to help it burn evenly.   

Once you have your moxa stick lit, you hold it directly above certain spots on your skin.  Mary marked ten spots on my feet, legs and stomach with little x's that I am supposed to burn moxa above.  You don't ever touch your skin, so it doesn't hurt. 

Mary just used pen, so I made a little diagram to help me remember where the spots were once the pen goes away.  Hopefully my diagram will make sense to me when the spots go away.  

The technique that was described to me was to hold the moxa stick above each spot until it gets too hot. Then you take it away and push your finger in the spot to disapate some of the heat.  After that you hold the stick back over the same spot.  Do this for a total of six times over each spot.  The spot will turn a bright pink.  And I'm supposed to do this three times a week, leaving at least a day in between times.  

I was told that Mary will be able to tell if I've been doing this or not by feeling my pulse.  I've always been a rule-follower, so I'll be sure to follow Mary's directions.  The whole point of doing this is to help balance my Qi, promote blood circulation and promote fertility.  It's not hard and doesn't hurt, but I do feel a bit silly while doing it.  I did it in the bathroom so I could run the fan and suck up some of the strange, incense-y smell.  Maybe I'll have to get some beads for the bathroom door.