The benefits of moxibustion (àijiǔ) are well-known, and those who have experienced it can attest to its effects. However, many people, due to some unreasonable moxibustion concepts and habits, end up not only failing to regulate their bodies but also developing a host of problems! These erroneous habits, if not corrected, may even worsen one’s condition with continued moxibustion!
But moxibustion is also filled with mystery, and I often get asked, “What exactly is moxibustion, and why can it regulate issues that acupuncture and herbal medicine cannot? How does it improve a person’s constitution?”
Moxibustion is a technique for treating diseases and strengthening health.
The Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) states, “The superior physician treats the unmanifested disease, not the manifested disease.” Here, “treat” has the meaning of both healing and managing. The concept of treating the unmanifested disease is the realm pursued by medicine.
So what is unmanifested disease? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can categorize “unmanifested disease” into three states:
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First is “no disease”:
This refers to a normal person who has not developed any issues, meaning a healthy state without any diseases. For such individuals, moxibustion can reduce and delay the onset of illness, as it is unlikely for a person to never become ill in their lifetime.
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Secondly, disease that has not yet manifested:
This refers to individuals who have pathogenic factors lurking within their bodies but have not yet erupted, meaning the disease is in a latent state. For these individuals, moxibustion can help eliminate the pathogenic factors within the body, dismantling the potential time bomb.
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Then there is disease that has not yet spread:
TCM believes that if one organ in the body is diseased, it can affect other organs and cause them to become ill. For this third type of person, moxibustion can prevent the spread of disease.
These three states of unmanifested disease are either harmless or pose minimal harm; ignoring them is certainly not advisable, while taking medication or injections may seem excessive, making moxibustion the most suitable option.
Moxibustion is a subtle technique of “treating disease when present and strengthening health when absent!”
A modern health preservation “magical skill”!
Moxibustion therapy is a method that stimulates specific areas of the body with the heat generated from moxa to achieve the goals of disease prevention and treatment. Its mechanism is primarily related to the local thermal stimulation.
This thermal stimulation causes local skin hyperemia, capillary dilation, and enhances local blood and lymph circulation.
Moxibustion can also induce the diffusion of inhibitory substances in the cerebral cortex, reducing the excitability of the nervous system, thus exerting a sedative and analgesic effect; at the same time, the thermal effect can promote the absorption of medications.
1. Eliminate fatigue and improve sleep
Modern individuals, due to the fast pace of life, are prone to various forms of “fatigue” such as depression, irritability, memory decline, insomnia, vivid dreams, and tiredness. In fact, TCM believes these are all caused by insufficient Qi (气) and blood or obstructed meridians.
Moxibustion can eliminate fatigue and improve sleep: after exercise, people often experience muscle soreness and fatigue; moxibustion can warm the meridians and promote the circulation of Qi and blood, thereby alleviating fatigue. When the Qi and blood flow smoothly in the neck and head, it can also improve insomnia and forgetfulness caused by insufficient Qi and blood.
2. Nourish the skin and shape the body
As people age, the reduction of hormones can lead to dull skin, pigmentation, roughness, lack of elasticity, and sagging.
TCM believes that skin issues are primarily related to the lungs. The lungs govern the skin and hair, and they are delicate organs that can easily be affected by external pathogens. Once lung function is compromised, both the skin and hair will suffer.
To beautify the skin, one must regulate the lungs; only when lung physiological functions are normal can skin issues be fundamentally improved.
Through moxibustion, external pathogens are expelled, healthy functions are enhanced, and the circulation of Qi and blood is accelerated, promoting the elimination of waste and toxins from the body, achieving the goal of skin care and maintenance, allowing one to feel healthy and naturally beautiful from the inside out.
3. Eliminate cold sensations and nourish the whole body
The five internal organs, limbs, and skin muscles of the human body require the warmth, moisture, and nourishment of Qi and blood to maintain vitality.
Artemisia (àiyè) can dispel cold, eliminate dampness, and open the meridians. Modern individuals generally suffer from excess cold and dampness, so using moxibustion to eliminate cold toxins provides comprehensive nourishment:
1. Nourish the ovaries, improving issues such as dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, rough skin, insomnia, memory decline, and menopausal syndrome caused by reduced secretion of estrogen.
2. Regulate the uterine appendages, improving issues such as lower abdominal distension caused by gynecological inflammation, such as pelvic inflammatory disease, cervicitis, uterine fibroids, and endometriosis, which can lead to cold in the uterus, infertility, and decreased sexual function.
3. Care for the mammary glands, preventing and treating conditions like mammary hyperplasia and mastitis.
4. Improve and regulate male sexual function, such as nocturnal emissions, infertility, and prostate disorders.
4. Enhance immunity and prevent aging
Moxibustion therapy can enhance the body’s immunity and compensatory capacity, thereby strengthening the body’s righteous Qi.
The infrared rays produced by burning moxa can stimulate the hydrogen bonds of biomolecules within acupuncture points, creating a stimulated resonance effect, while also activating the sensation of meridian transmission, promoting the flow of meridian Qi, and delivering activated energy to normal cells, immune-active cells, and energy-deficient pathological cells. At the same time, through feedback regulation mechanisms, it corrects the disordered state of energy metabolism under pathological conditions, regulating the body’s immunity and inhibiting cellular aging.
Through extensive comparative studies, the regulatory effects of moxibustion are quite significant, especially in enhancing the body’s immunity, combating fatigue, anti-aging, and comprehensive regulation of bodily functions.
It is precisely because of the above benefits that moxibustion is said to be a subtle technique of “treating disease when present and strengthening health when absent.”
Moreover, for some conditions that cannot be regulated by medication or injections, moxibustion often yields unexpected results.
While moxa smoke has certain benefits, as it produces various rare elements during combustion that can be absorbed by the body to regulate the nervous system, promote sleep, and have antibacterial and detoxifying effects, this should not be a reason for us to inhale moxa smoke!
Because whether it is moxa leaves, moxa wool, or moxa sticks, they will produce carbon monoxide pollutants due to incomplete combustion, and actively inhaling moxa smoke can lead to carbon monoxide entering the lungs, causing discomfort.
Therefore, it is not recommended to deliberately inhale moxa smoke, especially when the smoke is heavy; proper ventilation should be ensured, and when the outdoor wind is not strong, a small gap should be opened to allow smoke to escape!
