Ear Candling

This therapy is also known as Thermo-Auricular Therapy. It is named after a Native American tribe who are said to have first introduced this therapy to the West, although some representatives of the Hopi tribe dispute that this custom derived from them. Hopi Ear Candles are not normal candles, but a hollow tube made out of cotton flax. To stiffen the flax, they are impregnated with beeswax and herb oils. The treatment is reported to be gentle and relaxing and usually takes up to an hour. The tubular candle is placed over the ear and lit. As it burns it produces gentle heat, which, combined with the oil and herbs, soften the wax and draw it through the candle. Once the candle has burned to within 20cm (4 inches) of the bottom end, the candle is removed, and the ear and surrounding area is massaged. The treatment is then repeated on the other ear. Some of the conditions Hopi ear candling is reported to help are: excessive wax, earache, sinusitis, rhinitis, tinnitus, headaches and migraines.