What is Ear Candling?

Thermo-Auricular Therapy is also known in the United Kingdom as Ear Candling, Ear Coning, Funnelling and Hopi Ear Candles. This is an ancient and natural therapy handed down by many civilisations. Ear candling was most documented in it’s use by the Ancient Greeks and was popularised by the Hopi Indian Tribe of the American South-West. The process was also known as ‘coning’. The oldest recorded use is by the Hopi Pueblo tribe in the South Western Part of America. The candles were believed to be used for spiritual and medicinal purposes and the Shamen of the tribe was often the person to administer them. The word ‘Hopi’ means peaceful and epitomises their way of life.

The modern incarnation of the treatment is primarily based on the form used by the Hopi which is why it is often called that by therapists that practice thermo auricular therapy. The treatment itself is a pleasant and non-evasive treatment of the ears, used to treat a variety of conditions including tinnitus, sinusitis, glue ear, hay fever, colds, tension headaches and stress.

The rising air through the column of the candle and gentle natural movement of the flame serve to gently massage the ear drum. This has an immediate subjective effect of regulating ear pressure. Users often describe a soothing, light sensation in the ear/head area and a general calming, relaxing effect.

The candles are actually hollow cotton tubes, impregnated with beeswax, honey and therapeutic oils including chamomile and sage. During treatment one candle per ear is used. The therapist will slightly mould the bottom of the candle to the client’s ear while they lay on their side and then light the top of the candle. Once the candle has been lit then the herbs, bees wax and other ingredients are vapourised and the smoke is drawn down the inside of the hollow candle. This is when you usually experience sizzling sounds.

A slight suction action then occurs and the movement of the smoke will create some vibration which in turn massages the ear drum and therefore the inner and middle ear. The vapours within the ear canal swirl around very gently and then travel back up the inside of the hollow candle. The warmth of the vapours causes a temperature increase within the ear canal and this then transmits to the rest of the ear and surrounding structures e.g. the nose and sinuses. This then will cause an expansion in these areas and a change in pressure and usually this causes draining and clearing of congestion.

The combination of the heat within the ear and surrounding area and the vapours plus the relaxing face massage at the end of the treatment combine together to form a wonderfully relaxing and holistic treatment.