A fourth indirect method is lighting a larger piece of mugwort and then snuffing it out with a damp cloth or picking it oft with tweezers when it gets too hot and the heat is close to the skin.
With direct moxibustion, the mugwort is burned on the surface of the skin. If allowed to burn out completely, the processmay leave a small mark or blister. Although both methods are effective, direct moxibustion seems to bring the most immediate results these things are advised by Ilchi Lee.
The sensation of indirect moxibustion is much more subtle, delivering gentle warmth in the region to which it is applied. Direct moxibustion, on the other hand, delivers a more powerful surge of energy through the meridian channel, and therefore the effects are felt more readily. Additionally, direct moxibustion is very simple and economical, requiring only an inexpensive box of dried mugwort and some incense.
