The dog days of summer have arrived, and many people turn to moxibustion to promote their health during this time. Recently, I found myself sweating profusely during moxibustion. Is it good to sweat a lot during moxibustion in the dog days of summer? Will sweating excessively during moxibustion harm the yin?
Is it good to sweat a lot during moxibustion in the dog days of summer?
It is good to sweat a little during moxibustion, but sweating excessively indicates the presence of a health issue.
If you sweat heavily after moxibustion and feel tired, weak, thirsty, fatigued, or experience other discomforts, it indicates an excessive accumulation of dampness in the body. In such cases, follow-up body conditioning is needed to improve your constitution.
Will sweating excessively during moxibustion harm the yin?
Moderate moxibustion will not harm the yin.
Moxibustion uses Chinese herbs to gradually eliminate turbid water, turbid qi, toxins, and waste from the body. Through moxibustion, the functions of the body's organs are gradually restored. It has a good therapeutic effect on the fatigue, dizziness, insomnia, internal heat, acne, and itching that many people experience in the summer.
Is it better to sweat or not to sweat during moxibustion?
It depends on the individual.
Whether or not you sweat after moxibustion is determined by your constitution. Some people tend to sweat easily, while others do not. Therefore, whether or not you sweat after moxibustion does not inherently indicate whether it is good or bad. Moxibustion only provides local stimulation, and sweating or not sweating depends on factors such as temperature and the intensity of the moxibustion.
The benefits of moxibustion in the dog days of summer
Treating winter illnesses
There is a traditional Chinese saying, "Treat winter illnesses in the summer." The dog days of summer are the hottest time of the year when the body's yang energy is at its peak. By using specially made moxa to locally stimulate acupuncture points, it can help dispel cold and treat winter illnesses, such as bronchial asthma, chronic bronchitis, emphysema, cardiopulmonary disease, chronic cough, recurrent colds, and chronic rhinitis.
Dispelling summer heat and dampness
Mugwort leaves have a warm and hot nature. Doing moxibustion during the dog days of summer can help eliminate accumulated damp and cold energy in the body, as well as alleviate the discomfort caused by summer heat. Therefore, it has the health benefits of dispelling summer heat and dampness.
Promoting metabolism
Moxibustion during the dog days of summer is one of the traditional Chinese practices. It can help the body eliminate blood stasis, restore the smooth flow of meridians, promote metabolism, and improve the body's immune function. For the elderly whose immune function is declining, it also has the effect of prolonging life.
Warming the yang and nourishing the kidneys
The dog days of summer are when the body's yang energy is at its peak. Moxibustion can enhance the constitution and help maintain the health of individuals with poor constitution, especially those with insufficient yang and kidney energy. Its effect is direct and can warm the yang and nourish the kidneys.
Schedule of moxibustion during the dog days of summer in 2018
Moxibustion during the dog days of summer generally consists of five sessions, in addition to the three dog days themselves, there is also pre-dog days moxibustion and post-dog days moxibustion.
Pre-dog days moxibustion: July 7, 2018
First dog days moxibustion: July 17, 2018
Mid-dog days moxibustion: July 27, 2018
Last dog days moxibustion: August 16, 2018
Post-dog days moxibustion: August 26, 2018
