Moxa Sticks x2

Mother Moxa Stick

‘Moxa’ or Moxibustion is a treatment based on Traditional Chinese Medicine. It is an easy in-home postnatal healing therapy for mothers harvested from the mugwort plant. It helps to bring warmth and comfort back to the womb after the tremendous effort and energy required to grow and birth a baby by promoting the circulation of Qi and blood. Nourish and honour the uterus ever so gently with this deeply relaxing and healing method. This stick is non-smoking and safe to be used indoors - even in the bedroom.

What You Need

1 non-smoking moxa sticks 11cm x 1.4cm; a lighter, match or candle; a small ceramic or glass dish to place any ash that forms on the moxa stick during treatment, a small towel to place under the area being treated in case any ash is dropped, a glass screw-top jar or ramekin with a layer of rice in the bottom to extinguish the moxa.

Instructions

Light one end with a lighter or by holding over a candle - it may take several minutes. Once stick is correctly lit, you will be able to hold the lit end 2-3 cms from the back of your hand and feel a pleasant radiating warmth. Hover the lit end of the stick over lower abdomen and womb area, maintaining a distance of at least 2-3 cms - so there is never any direct contact with the skin. In the case of caesarean scar, you can hover along the scar line. Move the moxa stick slowly over the abdomen - it will begin to feel pleasantly warm. Any ash formed on the end can be removed by gently tapping the stick on the edge on your small dish, so the moxa stick remains hot. Re-light if there is no longer any radiating warmth or redness on the end of the stick. When treatment has finished place the stick in a glass jar lined with dry rice to prevent the heat cracking the glass bottom. When the lid is screwed on firmly the stick is deprived of oxygen and will not continue to burn. It can then be relit for repeated treatments until it is all used. Ideally, use within the first month of postpartum. Each moxa session can be anywhere from 5-15 minutes long.

Caution

Use only as directed. Do not ever touch the lit end of the moxa stick or apply onto bare skin as it will burn.