Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture & Massage Therapy

My Dancing Moxa

Recently, one Saturday morning, I woke up irritable and anxious, stressed out by life's everyday struggles of a busy life with family, school, bills, etc. Needless to say, by the time I arrived at the Alaska Institute of Oriental Medicine, Acupuncture, & Massage Therapy for my regularly scheduled clinic shift, I was barely able to hear myself think and wondering how I was going to touch someone else with this negative energy I was struggling to manage on my own. We had been recently introduced to moxa in our senior class, and I had positive results the first time I had used it, with a boost of energy, and an overall feeling of warmth and comforting. One of my instructors recommended I give moxa another try before beginning my interaction with clients, I agreed, but what I had encountered was amazing and unexpected. I layed down in the main class area, alone, and quiet, and placed a belly bowl of burning moxa, just below my belly button. Before, I had closed my eyes and allowed the warmth to overtake me, but this time I had an overwhelming urge to keep my eyes open. As I lay there I watched the smoke rise above my abdomen. I wanted so badly to become that smoke, flowing freely above it "all", able to maintain my "shape" and essence as the subtle wind blew me around, I imagined myself being that very smoke, not allowing any stress or any thing to keep me down, as I continue to float, dissipate, and reform. Then suddenly my smoke transformed into silouettes of women that appeared to be dancing, this drew me in even further and made me want to be the smoke even more. I watched for a few moments and then in my thoughts began to ask if my smoke could take specific form. In class we had been given individual treatment plans for bodywork and QiGong, so I decided to ask if it could do specific Qi Gong moves. First, I thought "Can you Wave Hands like Clouds?" and as the thought was complete, one would pop up and wave her hands one direction and then another would pop up waving her hands in the other direction. Awed and amazed I watched for a few moments more, then asked "Can you Draw your Bow?" as one by one they drew their bows one in each direction. Then, I asked "Can you Row on the Lake?" and again one by one they'd pop up each one moving as if they were rowing on the lake. I was overwhelmed with this gitty feeling from what I had seen, and had a revelation. My desire to become the smoke transformed into the realization that I was the smoke, able to control every move with my thoughts alone. It was empowering and enlightening, knowing that I could float above the stresses in my life, continuing to dance and move, rising above, until it passes, just by thinking it. An experience that I will never forget and can draw strength from whether I'm burning moxa or not. Hmmm, what an awesome feeling!