Clay may well be one of the first medicines every used by human beings. No wonder, then, that it continues to enjoy an excellent reputation for its nutritional and detoxifying properties. English resources concerning the origins of Korea's "red earth" are difficult to find, however it is said to be a rare substance from the mountain pine forests of Korea. Reportedly, it contains an aluminum silicate rich in magnesium, potassium, iron and copper. As an ionic emitter of far infrared rays, it has been adopted for use in high end hair care appliances and, in traditional medicine, in health devices such as the Sunny Moxa Device (pictured left) and wet/dry fumigation chairs (above). Many far infrared heat devices, such as this moxa burner and the more widely known Biomat, include tourmaline, another far infrared emitter said to stimulate cellular metabolism. The combination of moxa smoke and heat with far infrared heat may well be of extra benefit. It would be wonderful to find a substantive English language resource regarding this aspect of Korean moxibustion practice. For those who missed it in the first post, here's a home fumigation product/technique: The YouTube Description:
"SHINGIGOO non-smoke version is a product for smokeless and safe moxibustion. It opened an era of mass moxibustion therapy. ㅁ Usage: Moxa cautery for the abdomen and whole body ㅁ Materials: Yellow earth, medicinal herbs Made In Korea" A large Korean spa in the Chicago area featuring several specialized saunas has one lined with "Yellow Earth." This is what a quick search on the subject turned up: "The medical use of yellow earth is recorded in "Hyangyak Jipseongbang (鄕藥集成方; Medical Text; 1431)" that was publichsed by Chae Gwon (權採) et al during the reign of Joseon King Sejong, "Donguibogam (東醫寶鑑·1613)" published by Jun Heo (許浚) during the reign of King Seonjo, "Sallimgyeongje (山林經濟; Herbal Resources)" published by Man-Seon Hong (洪萬選) during the reign of King Sukjong, and "Hwangsil Yangmyeongsuk (王室養命術; Medical Text of the Royal Family)" published by Jae-Woo Lee during the reign of King Gojong. "Samguk Saji," an ancient text of history, also talks about "muddy soil (雨土)" or yellow earth six times. The people of Korea are closely related to earth. In our culture, we call earth our mother and use earth for various purposes. Our ancestors built straw-roofed houses (with earthen walls) and lived in rooms with earthen flooring. Even after a hard day's work or even if they had depressed physical functions in rainy days or storms, they would have no illnesses after a good night's sleep on the earthen flooring. Even without a good bath or antibiotics, they did not suffer severe diseases. In the sophisticated housing culture of our ancestors, 「earth」 was the most precious asset. The development of Korea's yellow earth is closely related to its sedimentation, types of mother rock, and the mineral components and chemical structures. Generally, high-quality yellow earth is found by the Yellow Sea. Pure yellow earth is more workable than kaolin or clay and contains light-yellowish or pinkish sediments from the Paleozoic Era. It is composed of fine particles of silica, alumina, iron, magnesium, sodium, potash minerals, and countless other helpful minerals and is lively earth with various medical efficacies. It especially emits high dose of infrared rays and is very good for human body." Found Here. In keeping with what this page states, I observed several elderly Korean women sleeping on the hot floors of the spa's saunas with only wooden "pillows" beneath their necks. If anyone has any information about "Red Earth", I would love to know more about it. I have not been able to find any health claims relating to Shingigu online, however it is supposedly a common practice. |
WhereforeA moxibustion resource for Asian medicine and bodywork practitioners. For informational purposes only. Categories
All
"Do not seek to follow in the footsteps of the men of old; seek what they sought."
Matsuo Basho (1644-1694) "Sawada Ken (1877-1938) stands out in recent history as one of the most skilled and famous practitioners of acupuncture and moxibustion. Few know that he used moxibustion almost exclusively, never having acquired an acupuncture license. Nevertheless, Sawada's approach to treatment has been widely emulated by Japanese acupuncturists."
- Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy by Shudo Denmei, Translated by Stephen Brown "Some relatively modern Japanese moxibustion specialists, such as Isaburo Fukaya, who practiced for over sixty years, Takeshi Sawada, who inspired a whole generation of practitioners with his uniquely brilliant and powerful treatments and Seiji Irie, the leading proponent of Fukaya's style, studied the Chinese classical literature extensively and many of their techniques derived from their study of the classics."
"Toward the end of his sixty years of practice, Fukaya wrote more than ten volumes almost exclusively concerning the use of moxibustion and little, if any, mention of acupuncture." Excerpted from Japanese Acupuncture: A Clinical Guide by Stephen Birch and Junko Ida |