Yao Shen

[Guest guest]

A while ago, I was working with someone to get down some information about the spirit of various herbs, we were going to call it: Yao Shen, é» ¿À We haven't worked on that project for a long time, but I might try to find out if he's interested in still passing this knowledge on. I thought I would just make a post here to see what kind of interest there is. If it's more appropriate, I might post my chapter with the rest of the resolve damp herbs on the herbal academy website.

 

Geoff

 

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Resolve Dampness

 

Herbs in this category are chosen because of their ability to resolve Dampness in the body. There are three main thoughts for selection of herbs in this group.

 

 

1. Preparation.

 

All these herbs are dry and have many wrinkles. During preparation these herbs are repeatedly dried to remove as much water content as possible. If the herbs are too damp, they won¡Çt be able to remove Dampness from the patient.

 

2. Plants

 

Several of the herbs in this category are chosen for their relationship in the ginger family. These herbs include: Sha Ren, Bai Dou Kou, Cao Dou Kou, and Cao Guo. These plants share a spicy, warm, and drying property and enter the Spleen and Stomach. Since the Spleen hates dampness, one can see why these plants would be a good choice for resolving Dampness.

 

3. Aromatic Properties

 

Long ago, people in China would wear small silk sachets at their waist called ¡ÈXiang Dai¡É (Fragrant Bags) containing aromatic herbs to expel Evils. All of the herbs in this category share an aromatic smell.

 

 

Important Herbs

 

Cang Zhu ÁÒ Û²

 

Name:

Cang – ¡ÈHeaven¡É. Heaven has been around forever, a very long time! Wrinkles are a symbol of old age, so when someone is elderly and has a lot of wrinkles it is called ¡ÈCang Lao¡É which means ¡Èaged and wrinkled¡É.

 

Zhu – ¡ÈArt¡É. The Nei Jing states, ¡ÈLearn from Yin and Yang, be harmonized with the art (zhu) of counting numbers.¡É

 

Together, we can understand this as meaning that harmonizing the Middle Jiao is like a Heavenly Art.

 

Preparation:

After Cang Zhu is dried, it is dry-fried to a golden yellow color. This color assists the ability of the herb to enter the Spleen since the color of the Spleen is yellow.

 

 

Cang Zhu shares the aromatic and drying properties of the other resolve Dampness herbs, but is placed first in this category because it is the only herb here that strengthens the Spleen. This herb is a root, so the heaviness is used to descend down to the Middle and Lower Jiao.

 

Special Function:

Brightens the Eyes – Most of the herbs that Brighten the Eyes are Yin or Blood tonics or herbs that clear Heat. This is the only herb that Brightens the Eyes by resolving Dampness. In this situation Dampness from the Middle Jiao is transferring to the Liver. This affects the eyes because the Liver opens to the eyes.