Acumoxa study trip
JAPAN, MARCH 2023
We visited a paediatric clinic in South Osaka which has been there for 130 years for clinical observations and a needling seminar with the Tanioka family.
We visited the Harikyu museum in Osaka to dive into the history of Acumoxa in Japan - this contains an incredible archive illustrating the history of our medicine.
We had a 2 day seminar in a temple near Nagahama on facial moxibustion with chinetskyu (cone moxa) expert Tomoko Sasaki. The ornate golden shrine room hosted our moxa seminar which was masterfully taught and very nourishing for our faces!
We studied ancient needle and moxibustion techniques with Edward Obaidey in his atmospheric clinic in Tokyo. We also had a wonderful workshop on Toksen - the Thai traditional massage using wooden tools to hammer the meridians.
ACUMOXA STUDY TRIP MARCH 2020
In March 2020 a group of acupuncturists from the UK and USA came with me on a study trip in Japan learning about non-inserted needle technique and moxibustion methods. We started in Osaka with a visit to the Acupuncture museum, a wonderful archive of historical manuscripts of anatomy and treatment methodologies. We then had a seminar with Shinju Yamamori Sensei on using the Teishin (a bronze needle made for non-inserted needle treatment). Throughout this 3 day seminar we learned about the subtlety of the Oshide - the placement of the hands on the body to find the active acupoints; and the Sashide - the appropriate use of the bronze Teishin for treatment. Yamamori Sensei is a blind practitioner who practices in Nara and teaches with great humility and warmth.
We had a rest day at a hot spring hotel in Nara and had time to wander round looking at the marvellous Buddha statues and meet the tame deer in the park there. Our next seminar was in a beautiful community space in Nagahama, the home of moxa in Japan. We were taught about the use of moxa cones (chinetskyu) by Tomoko Sasaki Sensei, a passionate and pragmatic teacher who runs a busy clinic in Tokyo. We stayed in a really charming traditional inn where the most exquisite breakfasts were offered every day.
We also received a lecture on the history of moxa with the moxa producers Kobayashi-Ruoho who made us enthuse about all the different varieties of moxa. We had a special trip and all came away having eaten delicious foods, learned clinically applicable methods and had our understanding of this medicine expanded and deepened.