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Heaven and Earth possess Yin and Yang, and a day is divided into day and night. Yang Qi arises at Zi hour (11:00 PM to 1:00 AM) and reaches its peak and ends at Wu hour (11:00 AM to 1:00 PM). Yin Qi arises at Wu hour and reaches its peak and ends at Zi hour. The Yin and Yang of the human body also correspond to these celestial rhythms. Therefore, moxibustion therapy should follow Yang; it is essential to select times when Yang Qi is flourishing, with midday (Wu hour) being the most auspicious time for applying fire.

Once the correct time is determined, the sequence must be distinct: if both upper and lower parts are to be treated, moxibustion should be applied to the upper part first, then the lower part; if both Yin and Yang meridians are to be treated, Yang meridians should be treated first, then Yin meridians. If this order is reversed or chaotic, mild conditions may become severe, and superficial conditions may become deep, leading to various complications.

[The following lists auspicious and inauspicious days] Ding Mao, Geng Wu, Jia Xu, Bing Zi, Ding Chou, Ren Wu, Jia Shen, Bing Xu, Ding Hai, Xin Mao, Ren Chen, Bing Shen, and Wu Xu days are considered Cheng (Completion), Kai (Open), Zhi (Hold), and Tian Yi (Heavenly Doctor) days, which are suitable for moxibustion.
It is taboo to treat on Xin Wei day (legendarily the death day of Bian Que). Men should avoid Chu (Remove) days, and women should avoid Po (Break) days.

The location of the Divine Spirit (Shen): Generally in the Heart; in Spring, in the left hypochondrium; in Autumn, in the right hypochondrium; in Winter, in the waist; in Summer, in the umbilicus.

Daily contraindicated areas for moxibustion (avoidance method):
On the 1st day, the big toe of the foot; on the 2nd day, the lateral malleolus; on the 3rd day, the medial thigh; on the 4th day, the waist; on the 5th day, the mouth; on the 6th day, the little finger of the hand; on the 7th day, the teeth; on the 14th day, the Stomach; on the 15th day, the whole body; on the 16th day, the chest; on the 17th day, Qichong (ST30); on the 18th day, the medial thigh; on the 19th day, the foot; on the 20th day, the medial malleolus; on the 21st day, the little finger of the hand; on the 22nd day, the lateral malleolus; on the 23rd day, the Liver; on the 24th day, the Hand-Yangming Meridian; on the 25th day, the foot; on the 26th day, the chest; on the 27th day, the knee; on the 28th day, the genital region; on the 29th day, the tibia; on the 30th day, the dorsum of the foot.

Correspondence between Earthly Branches and body parts: Zi corresponds to the medial and lateral malleoli on both sides; Chou to the head; Yin to the ears; Mao to the face; Chen to the neck; Si to the breasts and shoulders; Wu to the hypochondrium; Wei to the abdomen; Shen to the Pericardium; You to the knees; Xu to the lumbar back; Hai to the thighs.

Human constitutions vary in strength and deficiency/excess, and skin and flesh vary in thickness and firmness/softness; these must be distinguished before applying moxibustion. For instance, the muscles of the head and four limbs are thin and shallow; if moxibustion is applied simultaneously everywhere, the blood vessels of the limbs may not withstand it. Therefore, treatment should be distributed over different days or every other day. The moxa cones should be small, and the number of "zhuang" (cones) should not be excessive. Conversely, the skin and flesh of the back and abdomen are thick and dense; the moxa cones should be large, and the number of zhuang should be numerous, ensuring sufficient fire energy to eliminate chronic cold diseases. In cases where moxibustion is necessary on the Juque (CV14) and Jiutui (CV15) acupoints, it must not exceed three zhuang. The moxa cone should be no larger than a wheat grain, lest the fire energy damage the Heart. Ancient practitioners employed two methods of moxibustion: one is "Bao Moxibustion" (reporting/repeating moxibustion), where treatment is repeated after the previous reaction subsides, continuing for years without interruption, with successive applications yielding particularly rapid effects; the other involves gradually increasing the dosage from three or five zhuang up to one hundred zhuang, increasing incrementally.