Moxibustion has deep roots in Chinese medicine.
Used in the art of moxibustion, moxa sticks are rolls of dried herbs designed to be burned over various acupressure points on the human body. Moxibustion is part of the traditional Chinese system of medicine and is older than acupuncture, which is the practice of using needles to stimulate acupressure points. Although moxa sticks can be made from a wide variety of herbs, the most commonly used ingredient is mugwort, a woolly and aromatic herb that grows around the world and is relatively convenient to obtain in herb stores.
Instructions
1. Remove the mugwort from its stems. Mugwort has a distinctive quality similar to cotton or wool, and the leaves stick to the stems of the plant. You must separate the leaf from the stem before rolling the moxi sticks. Roll the herb between your thumb and forefinger and let the loose herb collect on a sheet of paper or plate below.
2. Lay out a sheet of mulberry bark or a large cigarette paper. Mulberry bark can be purchased at Chinese herbs shops and online retailers that specialize in supplies for acupuncturists and practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine. Large rolling papers for hand-rolled cigarettes are available at smoke shops and through a wide variety of online vendors.
3. Place the loose herb in the middle of the mulberry bark sheet or large rolling paper. There should be about a one-inch-thick by one-inch-high line of loose herb down the middle of the rolling medium. Roll the herb back and forth between your fingers to pack it tightly before rolling up the herb into a tight stick. Lick the gummy sealant edge of the mulberry bark or cigarette rolling paper to seal it when you have it rolled up very tight and solid.
4. Burn the moxa stick at an acupoint or along a meridian (energy) line on the human body. Hold the stick about an inch away from the point that you want to stimulate. The heat from the burning moxa stick brings blood flow to the point and the herbs -- mugwort and mulberry -- each stimulate the point with their own medicinal powers.
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