Hooked on Moxa

I got hooked on Moxa when I spent a summer at the Naturapaths getting NAET treatments. Every night they burned Moxa to cleanse their offices and the scent came to be associated with their offices but also it just smelled good to me.

Several years later I bought a small Moxa burner (called a Gu Pan Holder) and a package of smokeless Moxa from an Accupuncture supplier and I occasionally burn it in my office. I notice it really reduces my stress levels and while it's hard to describe why - it leaves me feeling very satisfied in a long term way. After I burn it the whole house is redolent with Moxa and, for me, it causes a recurring inward smile.


Moxa, made of the herb Mugwort, is used extensively in the traditional medical systems of China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam, Tibet and Mongolia. It's ground up and then processed into a shape that looks like a fat, squat stick of incense which is then burned.

Chinese medicine uses mugwort to stimulate blood flow and to protect against dampness and cold. It's sometimes used with acupuncture or in a similar way as accupuncture, but without the needles. The Moxa burner is placed directly on the relevant meridian points. It is said to add new energy to the body.

Native American Indians consider mugwort a sacred plant of spiritual healing and sprigs of it can be found included in smudge sticks.

Old European lore records mugwort being place under pillows to provoke dreams.


I bought my burner and pack of 200 moxa sticks at Acu-Market for around $8.00.