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Ear Candling
"Ear Candling," also known as auricular candling or coning, refers to various procedures that involve placing a cone-shaped device in the ear canal and supposedly extracting earwax and other impurities with the help of smoke or a burning wick. The origins of candling are obscure. Ancient Tibet, China, Egypt, the pre-Columbian Americas, and even the mythical city of Atlantis are cited as possible contributors. The procedures supposedly create a low-level vacuum that draws wax and other debris out of the ear canal. Some proponents even claim that impurities are removed from the inner ear, the facial sinuses, or even the brain itself, all of which are somehow connected to the canal. Proponents claim that candling can:
relieve sinus pressure and pain
cleanse the ear canal
improve hearing
assist lymphatic circulation
regulate pressure
purify the mind
strengthen the brain
relieve pain and fever associated with a ruptured eardrum
cure swimmer's ear and other ear infections
relieve earaches
act as an alternative to "tubes put in your ears"
sharpen the senses of smell, taste, and color perception
stabilize emotions
stop tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
help TMJ pain and stiffness
relieve vertigo
fortify the central nervous system
clear the eyes
purify the blood
act as an anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, or antibiotic
cure Meniere's syndrome
aid sinusitis
release blocked energy
reduce stress and tension
cure auricular zona (a herpes zoster infection of the ear)
open and align the chakras
open the spiritual centers and cleanse the auric bodies.
Most ear candles sold in the United States are manufactured here or in Canada and retail for between $2 and $10. They can be made of linen or cotton (often unbleached, as practitioners claim that chlorine is bad for the ears ) soaked in wax or paraffin and allowed to harden. (Ironically, one manufacturer uses only pure beeswax, claiming that paraffin is carcinogenic.). Some candles are colored, which is controversial in ear-candling circles, though the color of pure beeswax varies. Home varieties include wax-soaked newspaper and cones of pottery into which herbal smoke is blown. Some waxes contain herbs or other substances, including sage, chamomile, rose, rosemary, burdock root, osha root, periwinkle, jojoba, quassia bark, yucca root, or honey.
Most instructions direct the person undergoing the procedure to lie on his or her side. A collecting plate is placed above the ear, and the candle is inserted through a hole in the plate and into the ear canal. The candle is lit, and as the wick burns down, it is often trimmed. Some advocate using a toothpick to maintain a hole in the top of the hollow candle throughout the procedure. After the candle is blown out and removed, a cotton swab is used to gently remove visible earwax from the ear, and "ear oil" is often applied. Some practitioners place the still-hot candle in a bowl of water, and claim that everything in it which is not obviously beeswax is earwax, toxins, dead skin, drug residues, or remnants of past yeast infections, none of which has been verified. Nearly all package directions indicate that the ear will feel warm but not hot, and that the experience will be relaxing or even spiritual in nature.
Classes offered on site or online $75.00 course certification Ear Candeling session $35.00 includes 4 candles ($3.00 per extra candle).
Contact Pam at naturesmagick@aol.com or (661) 540.5570
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