Are we treating symptoms, or are we helping people reconnect with their true nature? Most people visit a Chinese Medicine practitioner because of a specific complaint. It may be headaches, back pain, digestive problems, insomnia, or fatigue. Naturally, they want relief from their symptoms. But when we study the classical
Classical Chinese medicine contains a curious observation: the same formula may treat excessive urination and difficult urination, while two different formulas may address remarkably similar urinary symptoms. This apparent contradiction begins to resolve when the focus shifts from urine itself to the governance of water. Shen qi wan and Zhen
Introduction: Decoding the Paradox of Jue Yin As practitioners, we frequently encounter clinical presentations that refuse to fit neatly into textbook boxes. While Liver Qi stagnation stands as the most ubiquitous pattern in modern clinical practice, its deepest, most complex manifestation lies within the Jue Yin conformation. Representing the terminal
A few months ago a friend invited me to join him for a cacao ceremony. The nature of the cacao was interesting enough that I have decided to adopt it into the world of Chinese herbal medicine. If you know me, then you will have noticed that I am passionate
Introduction The Six Conformations (Liu Jing) are often presented as a system of channels, organs, or stages of disease. In the Huangdi Neijing Suwen, however, they describe a deeper relationship between cosmic influences and their expression within the human body. This work examines the union and separation of the Conformations
In clinical practice, it is easy to assign fixed functions to herbs, tonifies Qi, warms the middle, generates fluids. While useful, these descriptions can limit our understanding if taken too literally. The classical formulas do not present herbs as static substances, but as dynamic participants within a physiological process. In
I asked Co-pilot if the formula name of Sheng jiang xie xin tang is the same as the formula Sheng Jiang Ban Xia Tang. It answered...Yes. If you want, I can also map out the five Xie Xin Tang formulas and show exactly where Sheng Jiang Xie Xin
Introduction In Chinese medicine, images are used to express ideas that are too broad or subtle to define directly. The hexagrams of I Ching, particularly Tong Ren (Hexagram 13) and Shi (Hexagram 7), offer powerful ways to understand the relationship between function and form. These hexagrams are not merely symbolic—
The following passage offers a profound yet concise map of the relationship between Heaven, Earth, and Man, revealing how the movement of Qi unfolds through the cycles of the year. At first glance, it appears to describe seasonal change, but upon closer study it becomes clear that it is outlining
Practice Session I am offering a free online class with the goal of motivating you to dive into the classic text On Cold Damage, or in Chinese Shang Han Lun. Here is a short course description. This class introduces the Shang Han Lun as a complete clinical system rooted in
During the course of my studies, the clarity and systematic use of herbal formulas in the Shang Han Za Bing Lun continues to amaze me. At times, it feels as though Zhang Zhongjing is speaking directly to us across time. Let me illustrate this with an example. Dang gui (當歸,