What are Chinese Herbs?

Contrary to the name “Chinese herbs”, herbs used in traditional chinese medicine (TCM) include substances other than plants. These materials include minerals, shells, animals or insects.

How to Take Chinese Herbs

Herbs are given according to their Qi and Blood energy.

That’s right, each herb has a particular energy and when matched with the energy of the person, can restore the person’s health.

So there are two elements here:

• energy of the person
• energy of the herbs

And they are combined on a case-by-case basis according to the requirements of the individual. The practice of Chinese medicine generally revolves around cooling what is hot and warming what is cold. Herbs are instrumental in balancing the energies of a person, are have been proven over the centuries to be both safe and effective.

Chinese Herbs and Their Energies

The energy effects of Chinese herbs have been observed by skilled Taoist and Buddhist physicians for centuries. By closely examining individual substances, their characteristics were recorded. How it’s done is pretty amazing.

A physician would take a single substance and through Qigong (qi exercises) and meditation, feel the energetic qualities of the substance. In this way, each part of a plant – seed, root, leave, bark – and each animal shell or insect and their qualities was methodically classified.

When giving herbs, three things must be considered:

• What is the energy of the herb – is it warming or cooling?
• What is the effect of its energy – increasing or decreasing?
• To which organ or part of the body is energy directed?

Chinese Herbal Formula

By mixing herbs in a balanced combination, Chinese herbal formulas can be used to remedy a variety of conditions. Such formulas are known as “patents”. Several herbs together have a stronger effect than a single herb.

At the same time, formulas provide greater safety because an individual herb with a particularly strong energy, can be offset by other herbs. If you’ve been to a Chinese herbalist before, you’ll have seen this is the way herbs are prescribed. This is the way Chinese herbal medicine is practiced.

Even though acupuncture may be more well-known in the West as a practice of TCM, herbal medicine can actually treat people quickly and more effectively in some cases. Chinese herbs have strong effects but they are gentle in their action and nourishes both the blood and qi.

In China, they are part of the normal diet, as medicinal plants are frequently use in boiling soups and other forms of Chinese cooking.