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An ancient heat-based healing practice from traditional Eastern medicine — used to warm the body, support circulation, encourage energy flow and relieve cold, stiff and painful conditions.
Moxibustion — commonly called Moxa — is a form of heat therapy originating in traditional Chinese and East Asian medicine. It involves burning dried mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) near or on specific acupuncture points along the body's energy meridians.
The sustained warmth generated by burning moxa penetrates deeply into the body, stimulating Qi flow, dispersing cold and damp, and awakening areas that have become sluggish or blocked. Where acupuncture uses needles to move energy, Moxa uses heat.
At Sun Yoga & Therapy, Moxa is often applied alongside Acupuncture for a combined approach that enhances and sustains the therapeutic effect of both treatments.
Methods
A rolled moxa cigar is held a few centimetres above the skin over specific acupoints. The practitioner moves it in a gentle circular or pecking motion, building warmth steadily without making contact. Comfortable and safe — ideal for sensitive areas and first-time clients.
A small piece of moxa is fixed to the handle of an acupuncture needle already placed in the body. As it burns, heat travels down the needle shaft directly into the acupoint, combining the penetrating effect of needling with the deep warming action of moxibustion.
A natural barrier — typically a slice of fresh ginger, garlic or a bed of medicinal herbs — is placed between the moxa cone and the skin. The herbs add their own therapeutic properties to the heat, and the barrier prevents direct contact. Particularly effective for cold and deficient conditions.
Benefits
Moxibustion is especially well suited to conditions that involve cold, stagnation or deficiency. Its benefits include:
The penetrating heat softens tense muscles, eases joint pain and disperses the stagnation that underlies many chronic aches.
Warmth dilates blood vessels locally and encourages lymphatic movement, improving the delivery of nutrients to tissues.
By warming acupoints along the meridians, Moxa stimulates the movement of Qi and Blood — the foundations of vitality in TCM.
The gentle, sustained warmth activates the parasympathetic nervous system, creating a profoundly calming and grounding experience.
Particularly beneficial for people who feel persistently cold, or experience stiffness that worsens in cold and damp weather.
Moxa on specific abdominal points is traditionally used to strengthen digestive function, ease bloating and support gut health.
Moxa and Acupuncture share the same meridian framework. Where Acupuncture clears and moves, Moxa tonifies and warms — making them natural partners for conditions involving cold stagnation, chronic fatigue or underlying deficiency.
Our practitioner will assess which approach — Moxa alone, Acupuncture alone, or both combined — is most appropriate for your specific presentation. Sessions are always personalised, never formulaic.
If you are new to Moxa, the Moxa Stick method is a gentle and comfortable introduction with no needles involved. You can experience the full benefit of this ancient practice from your very first session.
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Moxa Therapy sessions in Chennai — traditional moxibustion tailored to your body.
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