We all know that moxibustion is a natural therapy that uses heated moxa sticks and moxa cones made from mugwort leaves to warm and stimulate acupuncture points on the body. It is a method of healthcare and disease treatment. For many young people, they only know that moxibustion is good for the body, but they haven't really tried it. Now, let me introduce the benefits of moxibustion.
1. Warming meridians and dispelling cold
Normal physiological activities of the human body rely on the function of Qi and blood. Qi promotes blood circulation in the meridians. Various factors, such as cold or heat, can affect the circulation of Qi and blood and lead to various diseases. The circulation of Qi and blood is affected by temperature. Warm temperature promotes smooth blood circulation, while cold temperature causes stagnation. Moxibustion can warm meridians and dispel cold, enhance the circulation of Qi and blood, and achieve therapeutic effects. Therefore, moxibustion can be used for diseases caused by blood stagnation without heat symptoms, such as rheumatism, diarrhea, etc., with remarkable results.
2. Promoting Qi circulation and unblocking meridians
The meridians are distributed throughout the body, connecting internal organs and external muscles, bones, and other tissues. In a healthy body, Qi and blood circulate smoothly in the meridians. However, if the body or a local area experiences stagnation of Qi and blood due to external factors such as wind, cold, heat, dampness, dryness, and fire, swelling, pain, and other symptoms and a series of functional disorders may occur. Moxibustion on specific acupoints can harmonize Qi and blood, unblock meridians, and balance functions. It can be used in the treatment of boils, abscesses, frostbite, urinary retention, infertility, sprains, and other conditions, especially in orthopedics and traumatology.
3. Preventing diseases and promoting health
In ancient China, medical practitioners recognized the importance of disease prevention and put forward the ideas of "preventing diseases before they occur" and "treating diseases before they manifest." Moxibustion not only has therapeutic effects but also has preventive and health-promoting effects. It is one of the methods of disease prevention and health maintenance.
4. Raising Yang and lifting sinking
Moxibustion can tonify Qi and warm Yang, raise Yang and lift sinking, and stabilize the fetus and consolidate meridians. It is also effective for those with weak Wei Yang and loose skin. It helps restore normal body functions. For diseases such as prolapse, impotence, and chronic diarrhea, moxibustion on the Baihui acupoint can elevate Yang Qi.
5. Strengthening Yang and securing rectification
The vitality of human life depends on Yang Qi. If Yang Qi is lost, Yin Qi becomes excessive, causing coldness and collapse. Yang Qi weakness can lead to sinking of Yuan Qi, weak pulse, and coldness in the extremities. For critically ill patients with Yang Qi deficiency and collapse, moxibustion on the Guanyuan and Shénquè acupoints can rescue and stabilize them, saving them from life-threatening conditions. It is commonly used in emergency treatment for conditions such as stroke, acute abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, and dysentery.
Folk sayings also state that "if you want to stay healthy, use moxibustion on Zusanli regularly" and "continuous moxibustion on Zusanli can prevent all diseases." Moxibustion can tonify Yang and supplement deficiencies. Moxibustion on Zusanli and Zhongwan acupoints can regulate stomach Qi, as the stomach is the sea of food and drink and the source of nourishment for all organs. If stomach Qi is abundant, Qi and blood will be plentiful. The life gate is the source of Yang Qi in the human body. Moxibustion on Guanyuan and Qihai acupoints can tonify stomach Qi, strengthen Yang Qi, and replenish essence and blood, thereby enhancing the body's resistance to illness and achieving disease prevention and health maintenance.
6. Detoxification and heat clearing
Moxibustion can use heat to draw out heat from the body. It can dispel cold and clear heat, indicating a dual-directional regulatory effect on the body's original functional state. With the increasing use and expansion of moxibustion in clinical practice, this effect is increasingly recognized.
7. Longevity
Acupoints: Zusanli (located 3 inches below the knee on the outer side of the lower leg, one horizontal finger-width to the side of the shin bone), Qihai (located 1.5 inches below the navel in the midline of the abdomen), Guanyuan (located 3 inches below the navel in the midline of the abdomen).
Grouping: Group 1: Guanyuan, Qihai, left Zusanli; Group 2: Guanyuan, Qihai, right Zusanli.
Method: After selecting the acupoints, ignite the moxa stick and apply it to the acupoints in Group 1 for 10 minutes each, until the skin turns slightly red. The next day, apply moxibustion to the acupoints in Group 2 using the same method. Alternate moxibustion between the two groups, continuously for three months, followed by a one-week break, then continue with the second course. During the application, focus your attention and adjust the distance between the moxa stick and the skin to the maximum tolerable heat. Be careful not to burn the skin.
Note: Guanyuan, Qihai, and Zusanli are important acupoints for strengthening the body. Moxibustion on these acupoints once a day can adjust and improve the body's immune function and enhance its ability to resist diseases. According to the book "Bian Que Xin Shu" written during the Song Dynasty, "If a person moxibusts Guanyuan, Qihai, Mingguan, and Zhongwan when they are healthy, although they may not live forever, they can live for a hundred years." Especially for women, after moxibustion on these three acupoints, they will feel refreshed and radiant, especially in the lower abdomen (this feeling usually becomes apparent after continuous moxibustion for half a month).
8. Beauty and skin rejuvenation
Moxibustion for beauty is different from general cosmetic beauty and surgical beauty. The former focuses on the essence, while the latter focuses on the surface. Cosmetics can conceal your shortcomings, and surgery can transform your structure, satisfying your temporary vanity, but they cannot give you true health.
Moxibustion is the most effective method to dispel fatigue, restore vitality, replenish physical energy, and balance Yin and Yang. Many women have rough and uneven skin, which is often caused by endocrine disorders. In fact, it is due to insufficient Yang Qi, not as commonly believed, excessive internal heat.
