Ear Candling Spiritual Leaders

Ear candling is an alternative therapy treatment that dates back to the year 2500 B.C. Ancient Cultures including the Egyptians, Mayans, Tibetans, Chinese and Indians have shown evidence of participating in this ancient practice. According to Katherine Baker of the Vanderbilt University Health Psychology Department, it was a procedure that was offered only to great warriors, spiritual leaders and those at the top of the social hierarchy.

Some cultures considered ear candling to be not only a cleansing of the body but of the mind and soul as well. Today, ear candling is used all around the world to enhance health and promote a sense of well being and relaxation. German medical students are taught about ear candling as part of their curriculum. And the good news... you don’t even have to be a great warrior or spiritual leader to participate!

The ear candle is a long tapered tube that is made out of beeswax and cotton. The taped end is inserted gently into the ear and the end is lit, creating a gentle vacuum effect. There have been many reported benefits of ear candling. Some of them include: relief of pressure in the ear canal and sinus, improved hearing, safe removal of excess wax, easing of symptoms of vertigo and other equilibrium issues, fewer ear aches and infections, helps to eliminate ringing of the ears and helping to fight infection. Other users have reported an improved sense of smell, relief from swimmers ear, reduced ear pain, a feeling of a balanced emotional state, reduction of stress and tension, and clearer thinking.

There are different schools of thought in regards to how ear candles work. The first is that the tube shape allows smoke to be pulled down into the ear canal and back up. This causes the canal to warm up and consequently loosen the wax and other material. The air is drawn up from the inner ear to the outer ear, pulling the loosened wax up with it and depositing it at the base of the candle. The second is that the smoke and warmth of the ear candles soften the ear wax and allows your body to excrete it naturally. It is also thought that the vacuum created by ear candling creates a gentle osmotic pressure that causes a correction within the inter-connected structures that lie in close proximity to the ear drum.

Ear candles can be used by almost anyone, but if you work outdoors, in dusty environments, do water sports, suffer from chronic ear aches and allergies, feel like you have blocked ears, have excessive wax build up, frequent headaches or are suffering from nervousness or stress related symptoms you may find ear candles especially helpful.

You should not use ear candles if you have had recent ear surgery a ruptured ear drum, ear cysts, mastoiditis, tubes in the ears (tympanotomy), cochlear ear implants or an artificial ear drum. They should also be avoided whilst suffering with an ear infection.

There are many varieties of ear candles on the market and it is important that you choose carefully...many of the candles are “backdoor” operators that have little concern for safety. Always go with a high quality product with features such as a safety filter, a stop ring and protective disk. These will help ensure that no debris goes into the ear canal and that you are protected from burns. On that, also ensure that you use the ear candles under adult supervision.

Any reported health benefits aside, one fantastic benefit of ear candling is that it is a great way to relax and un-wind.