What is Moxa and How can it Warm Your Uterus?

nataliagardneracup
Nov 8, 2025
3 min read

What is Moxabustion?

Moxabustion (moxa) is a traditional Chinese medicine practice involving burning of the herb mugwort to promote heat in the body.

Benefits of Moxa for Fertility:

· Fertility moxa warms the uterus

· Fertility moxa warms the kidney and spleen channels which start on the feet. The Kidney and Spleen support the Uterus and implantation.

· Therefore, for optimal fertility, it is important to keep the feet and abdomen warm as the uterus needs to be in an optimally heated state in order for an embryo to implant. A cold uterus will not support implantation.

· Moxa over the toes helps to turn a breach baby.

Moxa is relaxing!

Why Do We Need a Warm Womb?

For fertility, it is very important to have a warm uterus so that the embryo can implant. A cold uterus links to low progesterone and deficient Kidney and Spleen energy.

In Chinese Medicine the Kidney Yang (progesterone in Western Medicine) is supposed to warm the body. The Kidney works closely with and strengthens and warms the Uterus. So if the Kidney energy is weak, you get low progesterone, a short luteal phase and a cold uterus. This is not the ideal environment for implantation.

When cold accumulates in the uterus it can cause blockages which also prevent implantation or contribute to early miscarriage. You may have some symptoms of a cold blockage in the uterus:

Painful periods
Feel the cold and have cold feet
Small, stringy clots in your menstrual blood
Cold abdomen and/or cold bottom

However weak Kidney energy and a cold uterus are some of the most common diagnoses in Chinese Medicine of recurrent miscarriage or implantation failure. Using moxa daily in the luteal phase if trying naturally or in the lead up to IVF or FET can make a big difference.

How to Obtain Moxa:

You can buy moxa sticks at Creation Acupuncture.

10 sticks for £12 including an email instruction manual.

How to Use Moxa:

1. Burn the stick like you would with incense.

2. Use an ashtray or similar to catch the ash.

3. Hover the stick a few inches above your abdomen, moving it above the mid line of the abdomen and around the lower abdomen, taking care not to go too close to avoid burning the skin. Remember to frequently discard the ash.

4. Repeat along each leg. Start on the inside of the foot and follow up the inside of the lower leg. You can stop around the knee.

5. Continue to warm these areas for 5-15 minutes.

6. Repeat daily in the luteal phase or in preparation for embryo transfer.

7. When you have completed the treatment, stub out the moxa stick and cut off the end so that it can be reused. Water is also effective, however this is likely to ruin the stick for future use.

Contra-indications:

· Don’t use moxa on the abdomen during stims phase of IVF.

· Don’t use moxa over broken skin or eczema.

· Don’t use moxa if you have low platelet count or low white blood cell count or other bleeding disorders.

· Don’t use moxa on the abdomen in pregnancy.

· Exercise caution if you have respiratory issues, such as asthma.

Other Methods of Keeping the Uterus Warm: