Foot soaking is beneficial year-round: Spring foot soaks invigorate yang and fortify the body; Summer foot soaks dispel summer heat; Autumn foot soaks moisten the lungs and promote intestinal peristalsis; Winter foot soaks warm the lower abdomen.
As trees age, their roots wither first; as people age, their feet decline first. Daily foot soaks with mugwort wool relieve fatigue and promote restful sleep.Traditional Chinese medicine holds that the soles of the feet are rich in meridians, with pathways of the liver, spleen, kidneys, and corresponding viscera all traversing this area. When cold pathogens invade, they ascend along these channels, impairing the lungs' dispersing and consolidating functions, leading to cough. Mugwort leaves possess a warming nature, entering the spleen and kidney meridians. They dispel cold pathogens and restore the lungs' dispersing energy, thus swiftly alleviating cough.
Many know moxa foot soaks are beneficial but not why. This stems from the feet's unique position: situated at the body's lowest point, farthest from the heart, with relatively weak blood circulation.By the time energy and blood reach this area, their potency is significantly diminished. Compounding this, the feet have minimal subcutaneous fat and poor insulation, resulting in temperatures typically lower than normal body temperature. This explains why many people, especially women, often experience cold feet—even when dressed warmly or using hot water bottles. From a health preservation perspective, feet must be kept warm and never allowed to become chilled, as they belong to the Yin aspect and represent the weakest point of Yang energy in the body.
Soaking feet in warm water not only improves blood circulation in the feet and reduces the accumulation of various metabolic byproducts in the body, helping to eliminate fatigue and ward off cold, but it also regulates the functions of internal organs by stimulating nerve receptors on the skin of the feet. Especially when done before bedtime, soaking feet in hot water provides a gentle stimulation to the central nervous system, inducing a state of inhibition in the cerebral cortex and improving sleep quality.
While these benefits apply to healthy individuals, those with deficient yang energy or excessive yin coldness require more than warm water. In such cases, soaking feet in water boiled with mugwort leaves yields remarkably effective results. Mugwort, with its warm and pungent nature, warms the qi and blood, invigorates meridians, expels cold dampness, and alleviates cold pain. It proves exceptionally effective for treating deficiency-cold conditions below the stomach or upper-excess-lower-deficiency syndromes.
For middle-aged and elderly individuals, cold feet are often largely caused by poor blood circulation. As the body part farthest from the heart, feet experience vasoconstriction in winter due to cold exposure, leading to impaired blood flow and increasing susceptibility to various ailments.Soaking feet in boiled mugwort wool water improves circulation while preventing and alleviating varicose veins and peripheral neuritis. For those with poor circulation experiencing frequent numbness in hands and feet or lower limb congestion, combining safflower and mugwort wool in foot soaks is also beneficial.After soaking, not only does blood circulation improve, but sleep quality may also be enhanced to some extent. During colds, soaking feet with safflower and mugwort can provide therapeutic benefits.
To prepare, tear 50 grams of mugwort leaves into pieces and boil them in a pot of water. Once boiling, simmer for 10 minutes. Pour the mixture into a foot bath basin and wait until the water cools to approximately 42°C (108°F). Immerse your feet until your entire body begins to sweat lightly.
Note: Mugwort foot soaks need not be done daily; every other day or every two days is sufficient.
Mugwort foot soaks improve blood circulation in the feet and relieve fatigue. For middle-aged and elderly individuals, they can also help prevent and alleviate varicose veins. The mugwort used doesn't need to be top-grade, keeping costs low. Make time for regular foot soaks to nurture your health.