A reminder on guide herbs

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TCM formulas are concocted for individuals. There are no " one size fits

all " TCM treatments. An herbal formula may contain some herbs for say Yang

Deficiency, others for Qi Deficiency, and still others for Qi Stagnation.

This prevents many side effects from occuring. Say for example that an

individual not only is Qi Deficient but also has Qi Stagnation problems.

(The Qi isn't flowing properly; there are blocks.) Giving a Qi tonic to

increase Qi in the body to a person with blocks is going to cause problems.

Yes, you will be treating the Qi Deficiency, but all that extra Qi you're

adding will make the problems coming from the Qi Stagnation worse. An

analogy is a blocked hose. If you turn up the water pressure and try to put

more water into the hose, it will cause the hose to swell and maybe burst

because the water isn't flowing smoothly. You need to remove the blockage.

That's what herbs that Move or Regulate Qi do.

 

When you check a materia medica of TCM herbs, each herb will will have its

thermal energy listed (Cold, Cool, Neutral, Warm, Hot), its taste(s) listed

(Spicy, Sour, Bitter, Sweet, Salty, or Neutral) listed, and its target

meridians/ systems listed. Different herbs have an affinity for different

meridians/ systems. For example Fr Foeniculi (fennel seeds, aka Xiao Hui

Xiang) specifically targets the Spleen, Stomach, Liver, and Kidneys.

 

So what does an herbalist do when the properties of a specific herbs are

needed in a meridian that the herb doesn't target and there are no

subsitutes which will do the job as well? Guide herbs.

 

Certain herbs have the property of guiding other herbs to a specific

meridian/ system. For example Rx (Radix - Root) Bupleuri (Chai Hu) will

guide the effects of other herbs to the Liver, Gall Bladder, and Triple

Heater. Rx (Radix - Root) Anemarrhenae (Zhi Mu) and Cx (Cortex, bark)

Cinnamomi (cinnamom or Rou Gui) will guide the effects of other herbs to the

Kidney. Rx Anemarrhenae has Cold energy and is classified as an herb to

Purge Fire. Cinnamon (Rou Gui) has Hot energy and is used to Warm the

Interior. (It also restores Original Yang.)

 

Say for example you need to direct herbs to the Kidneys. Would either Rx

Anemarrhenae or cinnamon work equally well in all people? No. You would use

the RX Anemarrhenae with its Cold energy in the case of a person who was too

Hot. The last thing this person needs is more Hot energy like cinnamon

provides. Likewise, cinnamon with its heating energy is the guide herb of

choice for a person who is too Cold because the last thing this person needs

is to be made more Cold, especially if the Kidneys are already too Cold.

 

Sometimes an herb with warming energy is needed for a person who is too Hot

because the herb has properties that you can't get from another herb.

Likewise, sometimes a cooling herb is needed for a person who is too Cold.

What do you do? You mix the herb with other herbs that have the opposite

thermal energy so the overall thermal average of the mixture is appropriate.

Say for example a woman who is too Hot needs the antinausea properties of

ginger (which has warming energy). If she takes ginger by itself, the Hot

energy of dried ginger (another herb which like cinnamon is used to Warm the

Interior) is going to make her even Hotter and aggravate any problems which

come from a Root of being too Hot. She can't get any of the herbs with

antinausea properties that have cooling or neutral energy. What she can do

is mix the ginger with other herbs which have cooling energy. This way she

can get the anti-nausea properties of ginger without getting the heating

property.

 

Sometimes herbs are added to a formula just to make sure Qi flows in the

proper direction. Some herbs will direct the flow of Qi. Some of these will

cause Qi to descend, others will act on Qi to make it ascend.

 

TCM herbal formulas are very individualized. There are formulas for

specific problems and directions for modifying them according to individual

needs that have been around for centuries. An herbalist may use or modify

one of these, or an herbalist may concoct an entirely orignal mixture

(paying attention to any contraindications among herbs). The time-tested

formulas have the advantage of having been used and tested for centuries.

The entirely individualized formulas have the advantage of being best in

situations where there are complex problems and many Roots to be treated.

 

Victoria

 

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