Moxibustion is a popular service that we use in our Toronto clinic mostly for pain, pregnancy and fatigue. I’d love to share some of the teachings I learned about Japanese Moxibustion while training with Yoshi Akinaga in Kobe, Japan. The entire team at Acupuncture Center Toronto is all-about continuing education and furthering our knowledge and skills. This post features Japanese style Moxibustion and the incredible take-aways that I’m passing onto the rest of our team. In this post, I’m going to share my experience of what it’s like learning from a Master, describe the types of Moxibustion I learned about as well as the educational take-aways. The following video gives a quick summery of what it was like to train with Yoshi Akinaga!
Watch our travel diary video
As the owner of Acupuncture Center Toronto, it’s a treat to take the time to study something other than business: human resources, technical systems and the management components to running an Acupuncture clinic. Many years ago, when I previously practiced independently, I enjoyed the luxury of having more time to take courses. My learning is now on the fly. Carving out during my Continuing Education trip to Japan and learning from a Moxibustion Master was incredibly special!
Yoshi Akinaga- A Moxibustion Master
Yoshi Akinaga is an Acupuncturist who’s a true Master of Moxibustion. She’s an experienced practitioner of over 20 years and her Kobe based clinic Cross Hariq is a small but mighty Mecca of Japanese Moxibustion. She also is a blog author. You can read about Yoshi’s experience hosting her keen Torontonian Acupuncturist friend on her very active blog here. She is a professor at the Kobe Oriental Medical College and does a lot of work to share teachings on Japanese Moxibustion (also known as Okyu). Yoshi gathers and organizes folks-both practitioners and other patients who just want to learn about Moxa. She often organizes Moxibustion related events and blends them with her own spin, often combining the Moxibustion with Buddhism. I found Yoshi’s Instagram account fascinating and wished I could join her and her students in one of her legendary Moxibustion Temple Ceremonies. When Yoshi and I finally connected, I was stoked to learn she was excited to meet, hang out and invited me to all kinds of incredible events that would prove to be once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunities. I’d like to outline some of the tools and techniques she uses.
Types of Japanese Moxibustion
Disclaimer note: this post will showcase a few kinds of Moxibustion Yoshi uses, however it should be mentioned that due to increased fire risk and the rarity of the equipment used, the techniques we’re sharing in this post is a show-and-tell travel diary only. You’ll have to go to Kobe yourself to experience this firsthand.
Yoshi Uses so many kinds of Moxibustion that I had never seen before. It was very educational to learn about them.
Yoshi is proud that they are uniquely Japanese. She feels the quality of the Japanese Mugwort (which we exclusively use at the clinic) is superior and produces the most healing infrared heat. This photo is a device that goes between the legs for warm the reproductive organs and warm the uterus.
This Bamboo is a Moxibustion holder. Packed with Mugwort, this tool is ignited then the pressed onto a cloth draping the patient. This takes an incredible amount of skill and practice as if the warmer is left on the skin even for a few seconds too long it can produce an incredible burn. Yoshi is so smooth in using it.
This looks familiar. This is very similar to the rice-grain style of Moxibustion we use at the Center. However Yoshi incorporates a little sticker landing pad to decrease the heat. She also incorporates a handy bamboo shiatsu press. She gave me a set of these, and it has been the best gift ever. I’ll be incorporating the bamboo shiatsu press into my appointments. I do love me some bonus shiatsu and what a cool way to utilize pressure and provide extra stimulation of a point!
Hot Iron Moxibustion
I was definitely a rookie and clumsy with this one. This hot iron tool was another form of Moxibustion I didn’t know about previously. It’s a tool where a Moxibustion stick is inserted, and the metal smooth flat end gets burning hot. A cloth needs to be placed over the skin or else it could cause a burn. Yoshi uses it for pain, relaxation and when applying heat in the body is required for treatment. She used it on my low back. It felt so soothing. She combined it with massage. She was extremely diligent about keeping the iron moving just as one would be ironing clothes, never leaving it on 1 spot for too long.
Lessons learnt from a Master
HERE ARE THE TEACHINGS FROM A MOXIBUSTION MASTER IN KOBE JAPAN!!
WORK HARD
Yoshi didn’t stop. No breaks to check her phone. No washroom breaks. She was laser focussed and stays with patients the entire session. This really instilled that our team is on the right track. Our best therapists work on and provide lots of time with patients.
USE A VARIETY OF TOOLS AND TREATMENT METHODS EVERY APPOINTMENT
Use a variety of tools and methods in session- Use whatever tools and knowledge you have! Yoshi uses over 10 different types of Moxibustion (most native to Japan. Some in which her buddies invented).
CARE ABOUT PEOPLE AND YOUR WORK
True Masters don’t go around calling themselves master’s which sadly happens more than you’d think. Yoshi is humble and cares about her patients and her amazing craft. She’s an organizer in her community. She creates events that involve moxibustion, seminars and workshops. She loves passing on the knowledge so that more patients can benefit from Japanese style Moxibustion. Maybe she’ll come to Toronto one day to share her knowledge with even more Torontonians.
DON’T BURN PATIENTS
Basically do no harm. It was INSANE how much heat stimulus is used when applying more intense kinds of Okyu is utilized. What was instilled was safety first, check in with patients on how comfortable the heat is throughout the appointment. I think this is important when receiving any kind of Moxibustion, it’s important that it feels hot but manageable.
BE KIND
Yoshi is SO kind. She is an organizer in her community. She gathers good people. Her work continues promoting the ancient practice of Okyu/Moxibustion. She refused take payment, didn’t ask for “coaching” fees. She was pure generosity and just happy to hang out with a like minded practitioner.
Pretty sure these principals can apply to any kind of healing art. Thank you Yoshi. Can’t wait for you to visit Toronto soon!
By Sarah Kreitzer, R.Ac
Sarah Kreitzer, R. Ac is the owner and founder of Acupuncture Center Toronto and a Pioneer Registered Acupuncturist in Ontario. She has been in practice for over 21 years. Although Sarah does not accept new patients, she mentors/teaches the team at Acupuncture Center Toronto. Moxibustion is a special interest of Sarah’s and she has trained with several of the best Moxibustion Therapists in the world during her extensive travels in Japan.
