Moxibustion is a warming technique that has always been an integral part of the practice acupuncture. Traditional 
moxibustion is smoky, which makes it hard to use indoors. The moxa heat pack, on the other hand, is not smoky at all and is so easy to use, as well as effective. My clients are LOVING it!
Moxa deeply warms the body and strengthens the kidneys when applied to the low back or belly. In Traditional East Asian medicine, the kidney energy is known as the Ming Men Fire, which is the essential modal force of the body. It is likened to the fire under a cooking pot, where the cooking pot is analogous to the digestive tract. If the fire it too low, not only will your soup not be cooked, but the steam will not fill your kitchen. The steam is your Qi and blood which needs the Ming Men fire to activate and circulate it. You can see why the Ming Men Fire is so important.
Placing the moxa heat pack on your low belly or low back will revitalize your Ming Men Fire. Moxa can also be used in other areas, too.
Moxa tonifies and strengthens the constitution and immune system, builds Qi and Blood, increases the energy and circulation of the whole body, can help pain due to cold and damp, and can soften lumps! Wow!
Instructions to activate and store moxa heat pack:
Remove from package and activate by working and moving it in all four directions on and off until it gets warm. It will take about 20 minutes to warm up.
When you are done using it, put it in a jar and close the lid. This will extinguish the heat. Next time you want to use it, take it out of the jar and activate it as you did initially. It will take about 20 minutes to warm up.
You will get at total of 15-20 hours of warmth with each moxa heat pack initially.
Once it is not heating up anymore, you can use the microwave for 10-15 seconds, then activate the moxa heat pack as you did before. It takes 8-10 minutes to warm up. You can zap it in the microwave up 20 more times before it totally loses its heat power!
Caution:
Do not put directly on your skin, but either on top of clothes, or ideally, wrapped in a hand towel, in a wool sock or homemade moxa pouch. The reason for this is that the outer package contains plastic (phthalates), which we don’t want to absorb into our body through our skin.
Do not sleep with moxa heat pack. These can get really hot and there is a danger of being burned if you bring them to bed with you.
Where to apply your moxa heat pack:
On your lower belly – between your pubic bone and navel on Ren 4 – 6.
On your lower back, above your waist on either side of your lower back on UB 23 in the area of the kidneys, and/or on Du 4 on the midline in your lumbar spine. You can move it up and down as you like on your lower belly and/or your lower back You can use it for as long as you like, typically for 20 minutes to an hour or two If it gets too hot, take it off, or use more cloth between you and the moxa heat pack.
Alternate between your low belly and low back. You can use two at once, one on either side of your low back in the kidney area – or one on your low belly and one on the midline of your low back.
Your practitioner may recommend other points specially for you to use the heat pack on, such as point on the leg like Stomach 36 or Sp 6, or upper back points. You can put two moxa heat packs in one long sock – or in two separate socks that you tie together – then drape them to get to the points you want.
Available at my office, moxa heat packs are $4.00 each. You find buy them online in a box of 10.