02/07/2026
Winter is the season of cold, and in Chinese medicine, cold has a way of settling deep into the body, especially into joints, low back, hips, and areas of old injury. This is where chronic pain often lives.
Moxibustion, or moxa, is a traditional therapy. It is burning the ground form of mugwort rolled up into a cigar. We hold the cigar a couple inches above the skin. Once burned, moxa has a gentle, penetrating warmth to restore movement and circulation where cold and stagnation have taken hold. Unlike surface heat, like a heating pad, moxa works deeply, warming the channels, nourishing the body’s reserves, and helping pain soften at its root.
In winter, moxa supports the Water element and Kidney energy, which govern the bones, joints, and long-term vitality. When these systems are warmed and supported, the body can relax, circulation improves, and pain becomes less intense.
Sometimes healing is as simple and powerful as adding warmth where it’s been missing.
