Ear Coning
Experience
the powerful, soothing benefits of
the ancient healing art of Ear Coning.
Lost to us in modern civilization,
ear coning (also known as Ear Candling, Auricular Candling and Ear
Cleansing with Herbs), was used in initiation ceremonies by the Egyptians,
Mayans and Tibetans with profound results.
Ear Coning may provide these benefits:
* Spiritual opening and emotional clearing
* Auric cleansing
* Realignment and cleansing of subtle energy flows
* Sharpening of mental functioning, vision, hearing, smell, taste
and color perception
* Assists in clearing out debris from nerve endings allowing clear
vibrational flow to corresponding areas of mind, body and spirit
* Facilitates other body work
Coning is very relaxing and non-invasive,
and there is no heat felt in the ear canal.
The cost for a one hour session which
incorporates Reiki healing along with the ear candling is $55.
An appropriate cone is selected for each
individual, please call in advance to ensure the cone of your choice.
Each cone is handmade from 100% un-bleached cotton, 100% beeswax and
herbs as essential oils, extracts and essences.
History of Ear Coning
In ancient times the cone process was
used in India, China, Tibet, Sumeria, Egypt, Atlantis, Lemuria, as
well as the Aztec and Mayan cultures and the American Indian cultures.
Glazed clay or stone cones were used with a double helix carved inside
to create a spiral energy flow carrying herbs or incense into the
ear canal, which is a spiral itself. This created a counter clockwise
spiral energy by the vacuum action of the cone.
In modern times the Spaniards in South
America, and Indians such as the Cherokee, Yaqui and the Mexican Indians
still use ear coning as a healing modality. Material variations such
as rolled up newspapers are used for ear infections in South America,
while waxed, shaped newspaper with a plug of incense two thirds of
the way down is used by Mexican Indians. Straw shaped cloth and wax
cones are used in Europe. The Amish utilize the Cherokee style, as
we do. The Choctaw simply blow smoke of herbs in the ear canal as
medicine.
The cones are made of strips of unbleached
100% cotton dipped into a mixture of beeswax and herbs in the form
of extracts, oils, or essences.
Extracts are used by contemporary cone-makers
because many people are allergic to molds in dried herbs. The strips
are rolled spirally, dripped and left to harden upside down. The cones
are then scraped, trimmed and plastic wrapped as pairs with 2 skewers
and instructions.
When coning, the cone is lit on the wide
end, gently placed in the ear and burned to create smoke containing
spiral energy into the ear canal. This process is also called Ear
Cleansing with herbs, Ear Candling or Auricular Candling in Europe,
Canada and America. German medical students are taught Ear Candling
as a remedy.
One of the conditions that make for mold
allergy is Candida. Candida in the ear causes itching inside the ear,
symptoms of arthritis in the neck, shoulders, elbows, hands and feelings
of numbness in these areas. Parasites cause symptoms ranging from
hypoglycemia, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis (stemming from liver
or kidney infestations and toxicity), irrationality and emotional
instability (over taxation of adrenal and endocrine system), enzyme
function impairments, hyperactivity in children and learning and thinking
impairment.
When the nerve endings are blocked from picking up stimulus by either
fungus or yeast growth, vibrational energy frequencies cannot be transmitted
through the nerve endings. Yeast and fungus can be considered parasites
as well as the more common worms. It is important to take care of
this by diet change, homeopathic, herbal and color therapy. "Swimmers
Ear” available in drugstores, prevents fungus growth.
photo copyright © 2004 Cozy McFee
The Way it works: The
spiral of the cone draws out debris. Smoke goes into the ear. Picture
a chimney with its’ fire and oxygen dynamics. A draw is created.
Debris is osmotically drawn through the eardrum into the cone. In
the outer ear canal excess hardened wax plugs may also be drawn out.
It creates a reverse osmotic pressure that equalizes the Eustachian
tube pressure. Candling is very soothing, relaxing and non-invasive.
At no point does the tip of the cone in the ear get hot to the touch.
Heat is not a factor.
How often: This is a
healing process. We suggest three conings, three to seven days apart.
This allows the process to complete a cycle of clearing accumulated
debris. After that, groupings of three until you have completed your
process. Normal earwax replenishes itself within 24 hours. Thereafter
the ear can be coned every six months. Muscle testing (kinesiology)
or pendulum can be used to determine how many conings are needed and
when you have completed your process.
Physically: This starts
a cleansing process, which is normal. You may feel increased pressure
in the ears, fluid in the ears, movement or inflammation of the lymphatic
system. Your body is clearing. Allow it! Cranial fluids are being
realigned. You may feel improvements in sight, color perception and
balance. This is due to subtle changes in energy flow. (If the pressure
reaches a point of distracting discomfort, a follow-up coning should
be done as soon as possible, as a strong movement has begun which
needs completion.) Drink lots of water.
Misalignment of occipital lobes, which lie underneath the base of
the skull become pulled down from beneath the skull, as a result of
stresses. The flow of cerebral fluid in the brain will become impaired,
causing congestion in the ears, sinus cavity and neck tension, even
moving to the shoulders. When coning, ongoing adjustment of the occipitals
is recommended by chiropractic, though not absolutely necessary.
Metaphysically: Coning
works directly on the chakra system to clear and strengthen the auric
bodies. It is said to dislodge discarnate entities and negativity.
It's like smudging your insides. The ear contains nerve endings and
acupuncture points to every other area of the body, mind and emotions.
The nerve endings are connected by streams of the subtle energy flow
which carry our life force energy. If hearing is impaired or blocked,
we are disconnected from that energy. Ear coning acts as a catalyst
to clear out debris accumulated on nerve endings. This allows for
clear vibrational flow to the corresponding area of the mind, body
and spirit. This clears the way for other methods of healing.
HOW DOES EAR CONING WORK?
1. The smoke spiraling into the ear canal
from the small end of the cone with some force.
2. The fire at the wide end, looking for more oxygen, gently draws
through the small end which is sealed in the opening of the ear canal.
3. The Native tribes believed smoke to be the conduit between the
physical and spirit planes. We know clearing of any ailment cascades
from non-physical to physical.
As above so below. Coning (candling) has traditionally been used to
clear earaches, dizziness and ringing in the ears (tinnitus). It is
also a powerful auric cleanser, which makes other bodywork more effective.
WHY EAR CONING?
We can do a lot to help ourselves. Digestion
and respiratory troubles are directly connected. The link is the mucous
membranes.
Mucous membrane inflammation in the stomach can cause catarrh, which
is acute or chronic inflammation of the mucous membranes with hyper
secretion (lots of mucous). Chronic inflammation of the Eustachian
tube, blocked with mucous, can lead to progressive deafness. Also,
fluid in the Eustachian tube creates lower pressure in the tube. Outside
pressure will push the eardrum inwards causing moderate deafness,
buzzing noises, pain, discomfort and the sensation of the ear being
full.
This picture shows the results of one
typical session.
MORE BENEFITS
Ear Coning is simply a catalyst to clear the respiratory system
* It helps sinuses clear
* It helps drain lymph glands
* It vacuums off nerve endings in the ear canal
* It vacuums out the Eustachian tube
A wonderful side effect is deep relaxation…it
stimulates the anti stress acupuncture point in the auditory canal.
You see its’ effect on hyper active kids as well as adults.
Coning will also help the body to move out excess wax deposits. Earwax
becomes dry and leaves the canal in tiny balls.
WHAT YOU CAN DO BEFORE YOUR SESSION
You can help the process by using warm
mullein flower oil or olive oil. Soak a cotton ball and tamp it in
your ear canal while lying down on your side the evening before you
have a coning done, 2 days would be even better.
You can leave the cotton in the ear overnight
to keep the oil from dripping out. Massaging under the ear and down
the side of the throat also helps loosen up dried debris.
The big show is not opening the cone (unless you have a microscope),
it is the renewed clarity, sensitivity and focus you get after a coning.
The deep nerve relaxation is pretty amazing. The sense of release
is unlike anything else. Body workers and chiropractors have noted
that their work holds better after the client has been coned.
Varieties of Cones
Respiratory Refresher
These herbs have decongestant, antibiotic and balancing properties.
A wonderful respiratory system cleanser. Excellent choice for the
first three to seven conings.
Ingredients: Swedish Bitters, Mullein Flower, Spearmint, Rosemary,
Cedar, Goldenseal, Echinacea
Native Blend
Especially soothing for the ear canal. Anti-inflammatory. Traditional
remedy. Excellent choice for the first seven conings.
Ingredients: Mullein Flower, St. John's Wort, Chamomile
Osha Root
Favorite Native American remedy for respiratory system. Especially
effective for moving long standing mucous deposits. Powerful dispeller
of negativity.
Rose
Made with Essential Oil of Rose, the traditional symbol of love. It
opens the heart chakra with an uplifting and stimulating effect. It
relieves depression, nervous tension, sadness and emotional shock.
Lavender
Lavender is calming, relaxing and balancing, both physically and emotionally.
Balancing for the nervous system. One of the mildest and most effective
of all the essential oils. Ingredients: Lavender Essential Oil from
France.
Plain is simply beeswax
and muslin.
Questions and answers:
Q: What’s in the cone? Is
that all from my ears?
A: The short answer is no. The popular consensus is that it is a mix
of earwax buildup with candle wax that has begun to go up (aspirate).
It can also be elimination of epidermal buildup.
Here comes the long answer: You can burn
a cone by itself and get one to one and a half inches of wax and powder
(smoke residue). If you want to judge the results of the coning by
the contents of the cone it can be confusing. You have three choices.
Ignore the contents of the cone, use your own microscope or send it
to a lab to get your own analysis. Lab reports have found heavy metals
and all manner of pollutants from the client’s environment in
that “cone wax”. The earwax question can be confusing
because it is inconsistent. An ear cone can have no wax in it or 6
inches. At 6 inches everything makes sense. Zero wax is harder to
explain.
Zero wax can mean that the ear canal is
so impacted that it would take many sessions to loosen up the debris.
Warm Mullein flower oil or olive oil in the ear canal is very effective
for keeping excess earwax from becoming hard plugs. If you work in
a dusty, loud, hot, smoky, steamy workplace or in construction, painting,
or hairdressing, using oil regularly will help prevent accumulation
and hardened wax deposits.
If you have a microscope you can make
your own observations. I don’t have one but I’ve heard
reports of chaff, spiral worms, living fungus and black mold being
observed in the debris.
There are other factors that make a coning work. Coning stimulates
the discharge of secretions and the evacuation of waste, impurities
and pathogenic layers as well.
Q: How much does an ear coning
session cost?
A: An ear coning session costs $55 which may include some Reiki energy
healing (upon request) during the process. The session will be approximately
one hour in length.
Q: What do I do about tickling,
clicking or itching deep in the ear?
A: After a coning, your body continues doing what you asked it to
do. It is cleaning out your respiratory tract. The waste is moving
out … slowly. Warm Mullein oil soaked cotton ball tamped in
the ear before bed works to soothe irritations and calm those nerve
endings down. You may also need another ear coning to help the process
along. Muscle test (kinesiology) or use a pendulum to check. If you’re
unfamiliar with muscle testing, try “Your Body Dosen’t
Lie” by John Diamond M.D. (1979), or any other book on the subject.
It’s very simple.
Q: Can I cone a child and should
I just use part of the cone?
A: Very young children do not secrete earwax, but they can get earaches.
Their Eustachian tubes are more horizontal so fluid can get trapped.
You can cone children from a preemie on up. Use a whole cone as usual.
You may crimp the small end a bit to fit into a small ear, just make
sure you have plenty of smoke coming out. Do both ears for energetic
balance. If a child has continual problems with earaches have a physician
check for allergies and food sensitivities. Many kids have a dairy,
egg or wheat intolerance, which cause excess mucous secretions.
We’ve had reports of children with downs syndrome having great
relief from regular conings. Once a month or every 6 weeks as needed.
Once again, muscle test for frequency.
Q: Can it help my Grandma with
her hearing?
A: It’s worth a try. As we age, secretions and epidermal debris
may build up and dull the area. Use warm mullein or olive oil to loosen
and lubricate the ear canal before candling. Many have had success
in improving their hearing. This is an ancient folk remedy - no guarantees.
I candled a lady in her 90’s on her bed. After the session her
daughter and son-in-law were at the other end of the large bedroom
speaking softly to one another. The lady started conversing with them
until her knee touched the hearing aids she’d taken out before
the session. She realized she could hear her daughter without her
hearing aids and her face flashed through some visible “whoa’s”.
It was really sweet. I wish I’d had a camera.
Q: How many conings should I do
initially?
A: Three. The first coning starts the healing process. The first coning
removes the top layer of debris, which allows the body to push up
more. You wait 3 to 7 days, to give your body a chance to do the job.
The third coning completes what was kicked up over the last two. Every
3 days would be best. This is the general consensus among our group
of practitioners when we started coning 12 years ago. I’ve found
the same advice from Canadian practitioners. After the first three,
you can muscle test to see if and when more is required. I believe
the body does it’s best to make us comfortable. If we live in
a city and it’s too loud, the body dulls our nerve endings to
make us comfy. When we want that sharpness back this is a non-invasive,
relaxing way to get there
Q: How much is too much candling?
A: The most accurate course of action is to muscle test or use a pendulum.
But, if you want a general idea, here it is.
General guidelines:
Maintenance- one to two treatments a month
Prevention- two to three treatments in fall and winter
Acute cases- one to three treatments a day for a week
Chronic cases- one to three treatments a week for several months
Q: Are there any reasons why a
person cannot be coned?
A: If a person has a broken or missing eardrum, coning would cause
them to sit up and cough. It wouldn’t actually hurt them, but
it would be useless.
I know a woman who had been coned and
commented about vomiting and tasting the mint in the cone. I recommended
she forget about doing more, but she countered with something interesting.
She remembered her doctor telling her years ago that she had small
perforations in her eardrum. She kept her next appointment because
it was the first time in 5 years that she had clear passage in her
sinuses. She was willing to put up with the discomfort for the greater
relief it afforded her.
I have a friend who’d been operated on for Otosclerosis years
ago. The stirrup and middle ear stuck together. Over the years, I’ve
done probably 30 conings for him - relaxing but only minor improvement.
No contra indications for use with tubes,
many have been successfully done. Often conings were done to hopefully
save the day, before the “last resort”, the tubes. The
studies done on tubes show that ear infections are not slowed down
or prevented by them.
Q: What about candling a child
with tubes?
A: From the research I’ve read, chronic otitis media or middle
ear infection is the reason for a myringotomy or tubes to be recommended
as a fix. In the olden days a tonsillectomy was the routine unnecessary
surgery of the day. It was replaced with the myringotomy during the
80’s. It takes15 minutes to slice the eardrum and place a tiny
plastic tube or grommet through the eardrum to assist drainage of
fluid into the throat via the Eustachian tube. It is not a cure. Children
with tubes in their ears are more likely to have continuing problems
with ear infections. The tubes eventually fall out and degrade and
the operation has to be repeated in 30% of them.
Numbers of studies have shown no differences
between non-antibiotic treatment, ear tubes, ear tubes with antibiotics,
and antibiotics alone. Children not receiving antibiotics did have
fewer recurrences than those receiving antibiotics. The same results
were documented for the risk of infection spreading to the mastoid
and brain, which is a risk. Standard antibiotic and surgical procedures
are not statistically effective.
Eustachian tube dysfunction is the cause
of media otitis (middle ear infection). The Eustachian tube regulates
gas pressure in the middle ear, protects it from nose & throat
secretions, bacteria and clears fluid from the middle ear. Swallowing
causes active opening of the Eustachian tube due to the action of
the surrounding muscles. Small children have smaller Eustachian tubes
and closer to horizontal. Obstruction of the Eustachian tube leads
to serous (fluid from the blood) buildup and bacterial infection and
can be caused by allergic blockage with mucous. No bacteria are present
in more than half of chronic Eustachian tube blockage and about a
third of acute ear problems which makes antibiotics inappropriate
as treatment.
Allergy as the major cause of chronic
otitis media has been firmly established in the medical literature.
Most studies show 85-93% of these children have allergies to both
inhalants & food (70% to both). The allergic reaction causes inflammation
of the tube and nose. The swelling causes swallowing when both mouth
& nose are closed forcing air & secretions into the middle
ear. During an ear infection it is not possible to determine the allergen.
The most common allergic foods should be eliminated from the diet
i.e. milk and dairy products, eggs, wheat, corn, oranges, and peanut
butter. Sugar, honey, dried fruit, concentrated fruit juice etc. should
also be eliminated since concentrated simple carbohydrates inhibit
the immune system. If many allergens are detected, a 4- day rotation
diet is necessary. The most common allergens like dairy, eggs and
wheat should be eliminated. A good doctor can do a RAST allergy test
or whatever works best and pinpoint the problems and help you.
In several clinical trials, over the counter
decongestants have shown to be as effective as antibiotics in treating
ear infections by keeping the Eustachian tube open.
To conclude, any help you can get from alternative sources can arrest
the problem surgery won’t solve, namely proper diet.
Q: Can I cone myself?
A: Not recommended. It is physically possible but not easily done.
You need to relax to get the best results. Pick a person or practitioner
who has a calm demeanor to do a coning for you. You need to feel safe
so you can let go and let the practitioner be in charge of holding
that safe space for you. You can’t be in charge of a flame and
let go at the same time. That having been said…. I was giving
a coning workshop when a woman spoke up, “I know you said not
to cone ourselves but I had to. I had no one else I could trust. My
kids would have me locked up if they saw me doing this. I locked my
door and bolted it with a chair, put a mirror sideways and lay down
with a bowl of water next to me, covered my head, and did three separate
conings this way. I got rid of my allergies.” Was I to tell
her she did the wrong thing? I just shut up. Sometimes you gotta do
what you gotta do.
Q: Can a cough be caused by earwax?
A: “It may sound strange, but it’s true- earwax can be
the cause of chronic coughing that persists for months or even years,”
said Dr. Fernando Martinez, assistant professor of internal medicine
at the University of Michigan. “We’ve found that impacted
earwax can push against a coughing nerve in the ear canal, which stimulates
the coughing reflex. Many Americans are needlessly coughing because
of impacted earwax. They may cough as often as 25 or more times a
minute. They mistakenly believe the cough is being caused by an allergy,
cold or postnasal drip- the most common causes of chronic cough- and
they often just let it go on and on. Anyone who suffers from a chronic
cough- one that lasts for more than three weeks - should seek medical
care. It’s a simple matter for a doctor to check visually if
a patient has excessive earwax, then clean out the wax using a tiny
scoop plus medicines to dissolve the wax and wash it away. Patients
are often amazed to find that their chronic cough ends instantly after
their ears are cleaned!” - Article by Edmond Choueke
Other Ways to Help Your Ears:
Mullein flower oil is an astringent and
helps shrink and soothe inflamed tissue.
In some cases garlic oil will aggravate ear pain, so try for mullein
oil minus the garlic if you’re trying the warm oil treatment
and pain persists. Recommended use of mullein flower is two drops
a few times daily for a week straight.
Olive oil lubricates mucous membranes.
If ears are stopped up try a few drops of lukewarm olive oil in the
affected ear for 5 minutes, while lying down on the opposite side.
Then turn over and let it drain out. For earache try soaking a cotton
ball in olive oil with five drops of lavender oil. Keep it in your
ear until you feel relief.
Hot compresses and alternating hot &
cold compresses stimulate circulation to the area.
Two minutes cold, five minutes hot. Repeat 7 times. If you have the
gumption, you can do this in the shower. Hot and cold therapy is reported
to do wonders for any physical complaint.
Clay pack – Bentonite clay, water
and olive oil or mullein oil. Apply directly or put clay mixture in
gauze. Place clay pack behind ear lobe area. Put a hot water bottle
on top of that. Clay has incredible drawing power.
Drink Water! As much water as you can
stand. It keeps mucus secretions thin. A vaporizer helps as well.
Gargle- Lemon and salt (also astringents)
in warm water will shrink swollen mucus membranes. Kids must be at
least 4 years old to gargle.
Nose Drops- Snort 3 drops lemon juice
in each nostril with your head back
Reflexology: Press Away!
Sinus relief - squeeze the toes or the soft padding on the toes. The
same goes for hands.
The ear reflexes on hands - are located on the palms just below the
ring and pinky fingers.
The Eustachian tube reflex - runs along the padding of the palm at
the base of the fingers.
Ear reflexes on feet - are located on the padding under small toe
and next one to it.
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