Did you know that only a one percent drop in your body temperature can:
- decrease your body’s immune response by 36%?
- reduce your body’s metabolic function by 12%?
- decrease enzymatic activity in your body by 50%? *
Such significant physiological changes in the body can predispose us to all sorts of chronic health problems.
This is one of the reasons why I am an advocate of Gold Moxa in my acupuncture treatments.
Gold Moxa, also known as Rice Grain Moxa, is the application of the herb mugwort, (artemisia vulgaris) over specific acupuncture points to promote warmth and movement of the body’s energy. This style of moxibustion originated in Japan, and uses an ultra-fine grade of moxa. Gold moxa is light in color and is the purest grade of moxa available, with the least number of impurities. Because of this it yields minimal smoke and does not have the unpleasant smell associated with more commonly used forms of moxa. The best gold moxa is grown on Mount Ibuki, Japan, is aged between 3-7 years, and is said to have more powerful medicinal properties.
Gold Moxa is rolled into long thin strands and then broken into small pieces the size of a grain of rice. These “grains” are then placed on specific points with a thin layer of cream. The “grain” is then lighted with an incense stick. It quickly smolders and is then extinguished by the practitioner, creating a warming effect, which yields the therapeutic benefit.
What are the benefits of Gold Moxa?
The three main reasons we use Gold Moxa in a treatment are to:
1. nourish deficiency and/or weakness in the body
2. disperse excess energy in areas that are stuck to promote the smooth flow of energy throughout the body
3. improve blood circulation and disperse excess fluids from areas where fluid accumulation is found
All of this happens through the nourishing and gentle warmth that Gold Moxa delivers into the body, strengthening the body’s systems against disease.
What conditions can Gold Moxa help with?
1. All chronic conditions, including Fibromyalgia, Epstein-Barr Virus, Covid Long Haul
2. All autoimmune conditions
3. Digestive problems
4. Fatigue and weakness
5. Cold extremities or full body cold
6. Post-surgical recovery
7. Scar tissue
8. Pain, including back pain, tennis elbow, and Achilles tendonitis
9. Menstrual pain
10. Heavy menstrual bleeding
11. Infertility
12. Perimenopausal symptoms
13. Menopausal symptoms
14. Low libido
15. Bladder incontinence
16. Anxiety
17. Depression
Can’t I just wear a sweater if I’m cold?
Wearing a sweater is beneficial when you feel cold. But it addresses the problem “from the outside in.” Wearing a sweater won’t address the underlying imbalance causing you to be cold. A Gold Moxa treatment will address the internal cause, correcting the problem “from the inside out.” This is how we bring the body back to homeostasis and promote health.
While Gold Moxa is certainly beneficial in the treatment of disease after a diagnosis has been given, I believe the most elegant use of Gold Moxa is in the prevention of disease. As stated in the Nei Jing, one of the classical texts of Chinese Medicine, “the superior physician treats what is not yet ill.”
*Source: Moon Over Matsushima, Insights into Moxa and Mugwort. Young, Merlin. Godiva Books, 2012.
Maria Mandarino
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