Ear Candling, Yay or Nay?

YAY! That is a big fat YAY for ear candling at my house. I have read so many blogs and heard so many people say that it doesn't work, "there is no possible way for the candle to draw anything out of the ear". Some even say to do experiments with the candle in a vase and you will see the exact same residue in the candle as you would when doing it over someone's ear.

WRONG! It works! I am going to explain how we candle our ears and I will even show you evidence of the ear wax in the candle. Not only that, proof is in the pudding. My 8yo is my "model" in the pictures, he went to bed complaining of an ear ache. It was so late and I was so tired that I didn't want to get up and candle his ear for fear of being so out of it I would start him or something else on fire. I kept my promise and candled this morning, he is no longer complaining of ear pain. And..... he has no more yellow discharge from his nose either.

What You Will Need:

• Good quality ear candle, they can be purchased at most health food stores, co-ops and even online

• GLASS of water

• Scissors

• Tongs and/or tweezer

• paper plate or bowl, styrofoam works too if that is all you have, like me

• matches, lighter - or gas stove to light to candle

I will admit that I don't use the tongs or the tweezer, if I am alone and don't have a 2nd person to help me. It's impossible to hold the candle, grab the other end with the tongs and cut with a scissors. So, if you are only one person, I will explain below how I do it on my kids when my husband is not home. DO NOT DO THIS ON YOURSELF, you could get really hurt.

I begin by cutting an X or cross in the middle of the plate or bowl and sticking the candle in about 1/2 way to 1/4 way down to the tip. Do not let it burn more than 1/2 way down, it can get dangerous and burn the person you are candling.

Now, have the person you are helping lay on their side with the ear you want to candle facing up. Light the candle, the flat end, not the pointed end. It won't be much of a flame at first but the flame will get bigger as it burns down. We will cut it off as we go. Gently place the tip (pointy end) of the candle in the ear.

Since the ear is tender in the first place, GENTLY placing in the opening of the ear is best. You don't need to stick it in there, only rest it in the opening. If you are working with a child that has a small opening, you may need to pull down or over on the ear lobe to make the opening a little bigger to gently place the tip in the ear opening.

At this point if you are concerned, you may place a damp towel around the shoulders and head to cover any falling pieces of the candle. I have never had to do this, because falling pieces have not happened, but if you are concerned, it's an option. That is why buying good quality candles is so important. Safety First.

As the candle burns down you will have charred pieces of the candle left. Sometimes they fold over and fall onto the plate.

The flame can get quite large also. If you get scared or worried, that is what the glass of water is for. Tip the candle over and place the flaming end of the candle into the glass of water to extinguish.

As the flame burns the candle down, I will start to cut the charred parts off. I tip it on it's side and cut it over the glass of water so it drops into the water.

Excuse the fortnite monoply game all over, someone felt the need to shove all the pieces on the floor. :)

When the candle has burned down to about the 1/2 way point I will stick the burning end into the glass of water to extinguish. Now, the fun part begins.

I'm not sure about you, but gross things fascinate me. Surgery, the color of snot, the color of poop, what's inside the ear candle. As a natural health practitioner, ALL of these things guide me to an understanding of the body and what remedy needs to be used. If you are squeemish, scroll by the next picture.

So this is the inside of Colton's ear candle. You can see the middle area is full of little flecks that are the same color as the candle. That's the wax the muslin is covered in to keep it from burning too rapidly. You may even see a little of that in the opening of the ear canal where the candle sat. A wet wash cloth can usually get that out, please don't use q-tips as that will just push it into the ear canal.

On the bottom of the picture you will see some dark spots, that is ear wax. As is the parts on the top of the picture that are mixed with the residue of the candle. Ear wax is generally a darker brown. You can tell the difference between that and the residue from the candle. It may even be in the shape of a ball. I've had some candling sessions where I don't get any ear wax, and some where it is a crazy amount.

What are the Benefits of Ear Candling?

1. Help remove ear wax and pressure in the ear

2. Relieve pressure from colds, ear infection, and other ear ailments

3. Provide relief from vertigo, tinnitus and dizziness

4. Help clean the ear canal for better hearing, especially with hearing devices

What are Some of the Uses of Ear Candling?

If you decide to give it a try, let me know how it goes! Email me at melissa@sweetwillowspirit.com. Have a wonderful and pain free day!

Love and light,

Melissa

The material on this entire website is not meant to take the place of diagnosis and treatment by a qualified medical practitioner. Since the actual use of this information by others is beyond our control, no expressed or implied guarantee as to the effects of their use can be given nor liability taken. Use at your own discretion. Any application of the recommendations is at the user’s risk. Sweet Willow Spirit, LLC disclaims any liability arising directly or indirectly from the use of this information and assumes no responsibility for any actions taken. This should not be used in place of traditional therapies but solely as a complementary means for bringing well-being. The FDA has not evaluated the statements on this website. No claims are made as to any medicinal value of anything here.