Tuesday, August 12, 2014

A nice example of chrono-moxibustion


  Chrono-moxibustion is part of chronomedicine -  treatment based on the body clock and natural cycles. If we understand the biological rhythms and apply the best time of points opening in the body, then the treatment will be even more effective.

  A good example of chrono-moxibustion can be found in Golden Mirror of Orthodox Medicine 医宗金鉴 (Yi Zong Jin Jian) - a 90-volume medical book compiled in 1724 by Wu Qian. It includes a special method for treating tuberculosis with moxa:
"For tuberculosis do moxa on gui yan "ghost eye" (yin bai SP1) points. Mark with black ink the yao yan "waist eyes" points. Use moxa [at yao yan points] in hai hour of gui hai day. It will be most effective if you don't let the person know about it."  
鬼眼一穴灸癆蟲。黑點病人腰眼中。擇用癸亥亥時灸。勿令人知法最靈。
   Here the idea is to use moxa on gui hai day (happening once in two months), at hai  hour, which is in the evening, 9:00 - 11:00 pm.  Gui hai is the last day of the hexegenary cycle and hai hour is the last double-hour of the day. According to chrono-acupuncture and chrono-qigong therapy, this is the exact time when the qi in the kidney meridian is naturally activated. Kidney corresponds to Water element, and gui hai hour of gui hai day also represents Water (gui and hai both are Water elements). At this specific time the qi is concentrated at yong quan point, the first point of the Kidney meridian. Yong Quan 涌泉 means 'bubbling spring'. It acts like a gushing pure water that stimulates the healing qi from the feet to go upward to the kidney area, where the yao yan 腰眼 points are located.

  It's fascinating to see that the text in Golden Mirror of Orthodox Medicine points out the subtle connections between the spirits in the body and the treatment process.The patient shoud stay unaware of the treatment method, so not to let the san hu 三户 spirits in the body disturb the healing process.  Gui hai hour of gui hai day is the moment when the 6 spirits of the inner organs (the spirits of heart, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen and gall bladder) 六神 are all gathered in the body and thus using moxibustion at this time will be beneficial for the whole body.
the yao yan "waist eyes" points

Similar articles:
Points opening and chrono-acupuncture

1 comment:

  1. I think it's more the opposite that the patient shouldn't be aware of the process on the basis that the sudden burn would actually liberate the spirit and lead to healing. I believe that this is the intention of this. Especially as the location is on the back.

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