Traditional Chinese Medicine Method of Moxibustion
Moxibustion is the method of burning Mugwort (Ai Ye) or other herbs on, around, or above Acupuncture points. The leaves of the Moxa plant, as Mugwort is sometimes called, are usually dried in the sun, finely ground to a texture like wool or cotton, and then sifted until a fine, soft, and light green consistency is obtained. Moxa holds together well, burns evenly, and is relatively inexpensive. Moxa can be rolled into balls, shaped into cones, or purchased commercially in small or long rolls. The moxa balls and cones can be burned directly on the skin, or indirectly on a medium in between the Moxa and the skin. Small balls can also be used on the end of a needle as in the Warm needle techniques. Tiny pre-rolled Moxa or “Shish” Moxa can be purchased commercially, and is sometimes used at the end of a needle in place of loose Moxa. The longer moxa sticks, eight to ten (8-10) inch are usually used in a circular or “sparrow pecking” (rapidly moving the burning end near and far from the skin) motion around an Acupuncture point.
INDIRECT MOXIBUSTION Practitioner places burning moxa wool on the top of the acupuncture needle. After the desired effect is achieved, the moxa is extinguished and the needle(s) removed. Indirect moxibustion is the more popular use of moxibustion because there is a much lower risk of pain or burning. Indirect moxa is probably the most commonly used as it can warm a greater area of the body with greater comfort. This too can be further broken down into the two most commonly used forms: warming needle and moxa pole. The moxa pole looks a lot like a cigar. It is lit at one end until it is smoldering hot, and then it is held over an acupuncture point or region of the body to warm it. In warming needle, an acupuncture needle is placed into a point on the body, and then a small ball of moxa is placed on the head of the needle. The moxa is then lit, so that the entire ball of moxa burns and smolders completely, thereby warming not only the surface of the skin below the moxa, but also the needle itself, and in turn the qi deep within the acupuncture point.
DIRECT MOXIBUSTION A small, cone-shaped amount of moxa wool is placed on top of an acupuncture point and burned. Then it is extinguished or removed before it burns the skin. With direct moxibustion the patient will experience a pleasant heating sensation that penetrates deep into the skin, but should not experience any pain, blistering or scarring. Direct moxa means the moxa is applied directly onto the body. This is further broken down into what is called the scarring and the non-scarring methods. Most practitioners these days don’t perform scarring moxa anymore. It is very strong and quite effective! The non-scarring is the more common direct moxa method, and involves a small bunch of moxa being put onto the body, usually in the shape of cone, and burned down until the warmth is felt by the patient, and then removed. Many rounds of this would be done until a very strong sense of heat was felt at the point.
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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lectures about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga.
The US, and many of the world, have been facing an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency for many years, especially in areas lacking consistent daily sunlight such as the northern states of US. This trend is also seen in areas with much sunlight where people cover up their whole bodies from sun exposure. Now exacerbated by pandemic lock-downs and less outside physical activity over the last few years. Most people are unaware or care to ignore how vital vitamin D is to the immune system and overall health.
From the National Library of Medicine of May, 2022:
Vitamin D deficiency is a global public health issue. About 1 billion people worldwide have vitamin D deficiency, while 50% of the population has vitamin D insufficiency.[1] The prevalence of patients with vitamin D deficiency is highest in the elderly, obese patients, nursing home residents, and hospitalized patients. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency was 35% higher in obese subjects irrespective of latitude and age.[7] In the United States, about 50% to 60% of nursing home residents and hospitalized patients had vitamin D deficiency. [8][9] Vitamin D deficiency may be related to populations who have higher skin melanin content and who use extensive skin coverage, particularly in Middle Eastern countries. In the United States, 47% of African American infants and 56% of Caucasian infants have vitamin D deficiency, while over 90% of infants in Iran, Turkey, and India have vitamin D deficiency. In the adult population, 35% of adults in the United States are vitamin D deficient whereas over 80% of adults in Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh are Vitamin D deficient. In the United States, 61% of the elderly population is vitamin D deficient whereas 90% in Turkey, 96% in India, 72% in Pakistan, and 67% in Iran were vitamin D deficient Sizar & et al, 2022).
This epidemic of deficiency stems from misinformation surrounding the fear of sun exposure, use of toxic sunscreens, and poor dosing recommendations that neglect the critical role that vitamin D plays in protecting against nearly every chronic disease on Earth. Mainstream experts still express fear about taking too much vitamin D, in spite of very few people ever reaching “toxic” blood levels. as well as even less people experiencing side effects from too much vitamin D (Micozzi 2018). Let us be informed that sunscreen sales in the US for 2022 are forecast at $1.83 billion (Statista, 2021) and vitamin D supplement sales spiked to $544 million in 2020 (Grebow, 2021).
Vitamin D3, also known as cholecalciferol, is produced in the skin initiated from sunlight UVB radiation or absorbed from particular foods. Vitamin D3 is then absorbed into the bloodstream and then metabolized in the liver transforming into calcidiol. From here calcidiol, travels from the liver to the kidneys and changes to calcitriol. Calcitriol then proceeds to affect metabolic functions like absorption in the intestines of calcium and phosphorus, bone regulation and cell regulation. After the age of 50, aging causes vitamin D3 production to decrease up to 75% and causing muscle weakness and a loss in bone strength and density.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Causes:
Winter side-effects (less sun exposure)
Sunscreen
Air pollution
High altitude
Poor diet
Imbalances:
Hypertension
Heart disease
Urinary infections
Tuberculosis
Depression
Schizophrenia
Liver disease
Rental failure
Crohn’s disease
Cystic fibrosis
Celiac disease
Muscular aches & weakness
Osteoporosis
Osteoarthritis
Rickets
Diabetes
Obesity
Solutions:
Sunlight on skin
Diet
Vitamin supplements
Weight-bearing exercises
(Charoenngam & Holick, 2020)
What can you do to prevent vitamin D deficiency – become educated, be more aware of your own health, get outside during the morning or late afternoon when sunlight is less intense, and get your body moving to engage your muscles and bones to tell your nervous system that you are still alive and need your body to maintain homeostasis through good health and lifestyle practices.
Get started with these three simple steps:
Consult with your doctor to manage your vitamin D levels twice a year — at the end of winter and again at the end of summer. Ask for a simple blood test called the 25(OH)D (25-hydroxy vitamin D) test. (Optimal blood levels are between 50 and 75 nanomoles/Liter.)
Commit to being in the sun 15 minutes a day without sunscreen. When planning on being outside longer, add some protective clothing, a hat, and sunglasses.
Supplement with 10,000 IU of vitamin D3 daily. This dose in a convenient, highly-absorbable liquid form together with the potent marine carotenoid, astaxanthin, for added benefits (Micozzi, 2018).
References:
Sizar O, Khare S, Goyal A, et al. Vitamin D Deficiency. [Updated 2022 May 1]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2022 Jan-. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK532266/
Alfredsson L, Armstrong BK, Butterfield DA, Chowdhury R, de Gruijl FR, Feelisch M, Garland CF, Hart PH, Hoel DG, Jacobsen R, Lindqvist PG, Llewellyn DJ, Tiemeier H, Weller RB, Young AR. Insufficient Sun Exposure Has Become a Real Public Health Problem. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2020; 17(14):5014. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph17145014
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I have learned, studied, practiced and teach literally hundreds of various low-impact exercises that can build stronger bones, muscles and joints. Private, small or group instruction.
Control the body with the mind. Manage the mind by disciplining the body, through physical activity. Learn to be more active, eat healthier, sleep better, stress less – these are the key components to maintaining a strong mind, body, immune system, and outlook on life.
I am currently offering wellness lectures and classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park.
All of our senses are a pathway into our inner pharmacy where tonic thoughts produce tonic chemicals, and toxic thoughts produce toxic chemicals. Stress and negative emotions help produce cortisol, nor-epinephrine and epinephrine. Relaxation and serenity help to produce dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin and endorphins.
We truly are the architect of our own healing and destiny, where our perspectives and beliefs can shift our own biology and physiology.
Our consciousness is an interpretation of the information that our senses obtain from our immediate internal and external environment.
Our cells adjust their biology from the chemical messengers produced within our body and circulated throughout our blood chemistry.
Most people actually have the ability to change the perception of their own environment, thereby adjusting the functions of the cells.
We need not be the victims of our heredity as we change our perception, change our environment and thereby control our genetic activity. We can become the master of our genetic activities.
Our health can be viewed as something that we can regulate through the choices we make in our lives.
What we think, what we feel, what we believe and the emotions we choose to respond with, all affect immunoglobulin A (IGA) in the blood. IGA is the primary defense against bacteria and viruses. circulated in our blood chemistry and affecting relative organ functions.
American society has been indoctrinated to believe that Western, conventional or allopathic medical doctors know best for everyone’s health and well-being, and the patient should not question this. Pharmaceuticals, surgery and convenience are major components to their healthcare.
Many people have little knowledge of what naturopaphy, chiropractic, osteopathy, homeopathy, Ayurveda, Traditional Chinese medicine and others being legitimate healthcare modalities. Western doctors often will not even acknowledge other modalities beyond being placebos, let alone recommend them for a patient’s specific individual needs. Ironically, the US allopathic healthcare system also relies substantially on the patient’s potential belief in medicine improving their ailment. Factors such as trust in the doctor prescribing the medication, specific details regarding the medicine, like its brand, color, price, name, and place of origin can all affect this perception that medical pharmaceuticals can fix all or many ailments. If placebos can be accepted as a major part of the healing process, more people will be able to take control and accountability of their own well-being. Maybe it truly is “all in our heads”.
Hope & Gratitude
People can resist the unfounded fears in their lives. Our bodies know how to be healthy, but our fear affects our body’s ability to heal itself.
Our lives are as beautiful or terrible as we choose to perceive them. We have as much or as little opportunity as we choose to pursue.
We can choose to see what an amazing gift it is to be alive. We can choose to focus on love in our lives, of our family and other loved ones. We can choose to be grateful for what we have, and often for what we don’t have.
The human body is brilliantly designed to perform seemingly miraculous events of self-regulation and self-healing.
Regardless of how severe or long someone has been ill, there is a hope that they are capable of some level of healing. Many with much less hope or resources, have achieved much more than those with deep pockets, power and celebrity.
We Are Not Our Thoughts
The mind is composed of two independent entities, being the conscious and the subconscious minds.
The subconscious mind is the default autopilot program, which is where we operate most often throughout our waking hours. This is where we execute mundane tasks, seemingly without much thought or effort. The subconscious mind comes primarily from absorbing other people’s behavior and actions.
The conscious mind is the engaged, thinking and creative mind. It is in this state of mind that we can become aware as the observer of our thoughts.
Understand how our mind works, in that it is actually our own consciousness that directs our thoughts and emotions. Once we realize this, we are empowered to become the director of our actions with unlimited potential.
Healthcare modalities of Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine recognize disease as occurring in patterns, cycles or stages. The idea that an individual just becomes ill one day, is hard to acknowledge when obvious patterns in lifestyle choices affect overall health and well-being over the course of a lifetime.
6 Stages of Disease
Six stages of how disease comes into being:
1 – accumulation
2 – aggravation
3 – spread
4 – localization
5 – manifestation
6 – diversified
These stages have everything to do with the individual’s own accountability of their health and lifestyle choices and not so much about what others are doing or not doing.
TCM view of stages of disease
Focus
The world around us is vastly shaped by what we pay attention to at any given moment. Research shows that most people can only hold their attention for about 90 minutes at a time, depending upon the activity or subject. A huge component of focus is motivation. When properly motivated the human mind, body and spirit are quite capable of accomplishing what might have been perceived as improbable or impossible.
People often demonstrate amazing levels of focus when performing skilled work or tasks while using their hands. A theory for this is that such tasks provide a framework of values. It is here where the mind engages the body. Heal the body by using the mind. Heal the mind by engaging the body. This has worked for thousands of years, but in recent years this concept has lost popularity to modern pharmaceuticals to improve focus.
The mind directs the body, while the body protects the mind. Practices such as yoga, tai chi and qigong, all have proven the test of time for their healing properties of the mind, body and spirit. I have personally healed many physical injuries to my spine, shoulders, and knees from these methods. I have treated my own ailments of headaches, allergies and various other aches and pains. Additionally, I have addressed and managed other issues of anxiety, grief, and anger through my diligent practices. I have shared these techniques with hundreds and possibly thousands of others, over my years whether through in person instruction, lectures, publications, or online video classes.
If we can get ourselves all worked up and stressed by watching disturbing news shows or engaging in other negative issues and activities, we can conversely put ourselves in a state of peace, joy or contentment through our thoughts and actions. We are our own architect of our life, our health, our happiness, our destiny.
Control the body with the mind. Manage the mind by disciplining the body, through physical activity. Learn to be more active, eat healthier, sleep better, stress less – these are the key components to maintaining a strong mind, body, immune system, and outlook on life.
I am currently offering wellness lectures and classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park.
Silk Reeling refers to internal (neigong) movement principles practiced in traditional styles of Tai Chi, especially emphasized within the Chen and Wu styles. The metaphoric term derives from the spiraling and twisting movements of the silkworm larva as it wraps itself within its cocoon. In order to draw out the silk successfully, the action must be smooth, consistent and flowing with no jerking or sharp change in direction. Too fast of a movement and the silk breaks. Too slow and it sticks to itself and becomes tangled. Silk Reeling movements are continuous, rhythmic and spiraling patterns practiced at consistent speed with a “light touch” of drawing silk. Silk reeling is practiced in solo forms and stances as well as in “push hands” with a partner.
Key Points of Awareness: • The head stays upright as if trying to make the scalp push the ceiling up; chin slightly tucked back. • Keep the head level and don’t drop your head when your arms move downwards or to look at your feet. Use your peripheral vision to focus on the arms when they are lowered. • The tongue should be gently placed on the top palate (roof) of your mouth. • Keep your body upright, with the spine naturally straight while keeping the chest relaxed. Do not hold too much tension in your chest. • When the arms are in the lower phase of the movement don’t lean or bend forward keeping the body upright at all times. • When moving the arms, try to keep the shoulders relaxed and loose, trying not to lift them. • During movements when the arms arc away from the body, try not to lift the elbows too high. Make sure you keep your elbow lower then the hand. • When shifting the weight side-to-side, always keep the knees slightly bent. Don’t straighten the empty leg. • The breath should be natural, deep, slow and quiet while coordinated with the body movement. Typically when the hand goes across the body, breathe in through the nose. When the hand goes away from the body, breathe out through the nose.
Embrace the concept of feet, waist, arms:
1) Push (power) from the feet 2) Direct with the waist moving 3) Express with the shoulders, arms & hands
Watch the video to see one method of stretching the spine, relieving stress, increasing oxygen intake and becoming more self-aware.
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I write often about topics that affect our health and well-being. Additionally, I teach and offer lectures about qigong, tai chi, baguazhang, and yoga.
The human body consists of trillions of cells, all surrounded by a somewhat fluid network of connective tissue called fascia. Fascia is a sticky yet stretchy fabric that both holds us firmly together, yet constantly a adjusts to accommodate our every movement. Fascia consist of collagen, elastin fibers, fluid and proteins. This tissue is crystalline in nature, and formed into extremely tiny microtubules which carry fluid. This allows the microtubules to conduct energy and carry information throughout the body. The term myofascial refers to the unit composed of muscle and connective tissue.
The standard bio-mechanical theory is that the musculoskeletal system and its muscles attach to bones via tendons that cross the joints and pull bones toward each other. Ligaments connect bone to bone. However, all of these anatomical terms and the separations they imply, are somewhat false. No ligaments exist on their own. Instead they become part of the periosteum-vascular connective tissue that serves as wrapping around the bones, surrounding muscles and fascia trains.
There are 12 major fascial trains: 1) Superficial back line — starts at the bottom of the feet and continues up and over the top of the head and ends at the brow ridge
2) Superficial front line — starts on the top of the feet at the toes and ends behind the ear at the mastoid process (the area where the jaw connects to the skull)
3 & 4) Lateral line (2 sides) — runs along the lateral portion of the lower body, hips, and obliques
5) Spiral line — The Spiral Line (SL) winds through the three cardinal lines, looping around the trunk in a helix, with another loop in the legs from hip to arch and back again.
6) Deep front line — The Deep Front Line (DFL) forms a complex core volume from the inner arch of the foot, up the inseam of the leg, into the pelvis and up the front of the spine to the bottom of the skull and the jaw.
7 & 8) Superficial front & back arm line — The four Arm Lines run from the front and back of the axial torso to the tips of the fingers.
9 & 10) Deep front & back arm line — The four Arm Lines run from the front and back of the axial torso to the tips of the fingers.
11 & 12) Functional Lines — (front & back) The two Functional
The Superficial Back Line consists of a line of fascia that starts at the plantar surface (bottom) of the foot. It travels up the entire posterior (back) side of the body, moving up over the head and finishes at the brow bone. It is the longest of the 12 facial trains. They are also lines of “pull”. These lines transmit movement as well as strain through the body’s myofasciae within the body. Researchers have found evidence indicating that chronic low back pain may be radiating from the connective tissues, rather than musculature, bone or cartilage. The multitude of low back pain was found not to correlate with the multitude of disc displacement. Evidence indicating that low back pain may be due to inflammation in the lumbar fascia tissue. Further research has indicated perispinal ligamentous tissues and lumbar fascia as common causes of low back pain. There is the theory that the fascia might be the physical substrate referred to as the energy meridian network within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). The anatomy of the fascial network within the human body, is somewhat consistent with the classic view of the meridian network. Acupuncture has been shown to rely on interactions with the fascia. It may be that neurogenic inflammation in fasciae may manifest into blockages of the energy (Qi) flow. If the fascia network within the body is the physical substrate of the energy meridians, there are important clinical and research connections. If evidence continues to prove in support of this theory, the fasciae should receive greater scrutiny in diagnostics and subsequent treatments. This view is a more holistic approach to health care, in which the whole body’s interrelationships, interconnections and interactions are to be examined.
Recent research has found links in form and function between the interactions of the fascial network and acupuncture. Research by health and fitness researchers have discovered that connective tissue, along with collagen fibers and fibroblasts wraps around the end of the acupuncture needle when it is rotated in place. There effects have been seen at up to 4cm away from the site of needle insertion. Researchers have surmised that acupuncture energy meridians may follow the intermuscular or intramuscular myofascial lines. The myofascial meridians do not follow the precise lines of the Chinese energy meridians, which are an energetic connection rather than physical. However, there is some definite overlap. The unrestricted movement, taught in the Chinese internal martial arts, involves free flow of Qi and aligning the myofascial lines.
The Tai Chi, Gigong and Yoga connection to the facial trains – Physical (and mental) training within Chinese internal martial arts, Qigong and Yoga focus on training the mind and body to move as a whole unit. The traditional Western understanding of muscles and bones functioning separately and mechanically is not very useful within these practices. However, understanding basic anatomy is useful when these known components are seen as encased by the connective tissue making the myofascial lines become apparent. When muscles are seen as floating in bundles or bands of connective tissue, all movements and all components are possible only through the interaction of the contracting muscles with the connecting tissue. Each bone, muscle and organ might exist independently, but the fascia spreads throughout the entire body connecting all of these body components in a network of webbing.
Another component of the fascial network is a gelatin-like web of mucus. All of the fluid circulation in your body has to pass through these fibrous and mucus webs. The denser the fibers and the drier the mucus, makes the fascial web less able to allow molecules to flow through it. Nourishment goes in one direction while waste comes out another. Tai Chi, Gigong and Yoga types of exercise helps stretch, ease and hydrate the fibrous webbing, making it more permeable.
Cells are never more than four-deep from your capillaries, which transport food, oxygen and more. Tension in your body, such as constantly rounding the back while sitting activates the fibroblasts to make more fibers that will arrange themselves along the line of stress. These accumulated fascial fibers form blockages that will impede capillary-sourced food from reaching the body’s cells. The mucus that completes your fluid fascial network also becomes denser impeding the flow to your cells. Within a denser fascial network, the exchange of nutrients and waste from capillaries to cells can trap toxins causing even more energy blockages.
Tai Chi, Gigong and Yoga types of exercise offer deep strengthening and stretching of the fascial network similar to the way you would wring out a wet towel. The nutrients, oxygen and waste products that were trapped in the mucus mesh, rush in to the capillaries and into the bloodstream. Often times practitioners of these exercise methods feel somewhat ill, after the release of the deeply held tension. The liver must work extra to process the toxins squeezed from the tissues. With consistent practice over time, fascial fibers blockages will slowly thin out and become un-adhered. The mucus webbing can change to a more liquid state in minutes, allowing more sliding, less resistance and therefore less pain.
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Control the body with the mind. Manage the mind by disciplining the body, through physical activity. Learn to be more active, eat healthier, sleep better, stress less – these are the key components to maintaining a strong mind, body, immune system, and outlook on life.
I am currently offering wellness lectures and classes for group, small group & private instruction in Wekiva, Longwood and Winter Park.
United Martial Arts Association 