Last Night’s Moxibustion Battle: A Mother’s Midnight Cure
Last night, my husband unexpectedly brought out the bamboo mat and spread it over one-third of our bed – a half-hearted attempt at being considerate, since I detest sleeping on cold surfaces. To make matters worse, our son Yangyang insisted on joining him. Against my protests (and losing the 2-1 vote), they settled into their chilly arrangement. Yangyang positioned his upper body directly on the mat while the AC ran full blast. I managed to insulate myself with a thin pillow, drifting into fitful sleep.
By 3 AM, Yangyang’s persistent cough jolted me awake. Why me? I thought, remembering Grandpa Wen’s saying about troublemakers never facing consequences. Years of parenting had taught me: his body constitution leans toward coldness, always sneezing. The mat’s cold surface covering his lung area aligned perfectly with the lung meridian’s active period between 3-5 AM. Cold had infiltrated his lungs.
Midnight remedies required quick thinking. Cupping first? But it’s a “draining” technique – unsuitable for cold conditions. Moxibustion was the obvious choice to replenish yang energy. Lighting a moxa stick in my portable burner, I adjusted the fan to minimize smoke in our AC-filled room. Securing the moxa below his previous cupping spot, I monitored closely. Within minutes, the coughing stopped. Three more hours of fitful sleep followed, waking to faint moxa aroma – preferable to endless coughing.
Parenting truths hit hard:
Early intervention is key – catch coughs at the bud
Differentiate hot vs cold symptoms:
Hot cough: red/purple cupping marks
Cold cough: requires moxibustion (no cupping)
Neglect leads to deeper issues – recent myopia scare prompted liver meridian moxibustion (with unpleasant side effects…)
As for my husband? Some days I swear he’s heaven-sent to test my skills. But here I am – part-time nurse, full-time student of traditional healing. Such is motherhood.