how are herbs used?

There are three main ways to describe the effect that herbs can have on Qi and the energy flow within the human body.

The first is temperature.  Each herb is said to be either hot, warm, neutral cool or cold.  Typically, hot herbs are used to alleviate cold conditions such as certain types of arthritis, coughs or uterine pains.  Conversely cold herbs are used for hot conditions like high fevers, excessive thirst and constipation.

The second is taste.  There are five tastes, each of which indicates the active nature of the herb.  A pungent taste tends to be dispersing; bitter is cooling and draining; sweet is tonifying; salty softens; sour substances are astringent; and bland herbs tend to drain dampness.

Finally, each herb is also linked with specific organ networks.  For example menthe (or peppermint) is pungent, cool and is linked with the lungs and the liver.  In terms of the lungs therefore, menthe would be used as part of a prescription to disperse externally invading toxins causing flu and the hot type of cold.

what herbs do you use?

The herbs used in traditional Chinese medicine are not necessarily herbs as we know them.  Along with more common Western herbs the huge variety of medicinal herbs in use includes types of tree bark, flower petals and clay.  The herbs are classified by what they do rather than what they are and will normally be grouped into about 20 distinctive functional categories.  For example, there are those which nourish the Qi or body energy, those which calm the mind, or those which warm the interior.

However, it is extremely rare to use only one herb in a formula.  Usually several herbs are combined together with each herb performing a specific role.  Some might assist the action of the primary herb, whilst others may target secondary symptoms or focus the action of the formula on a specific organ or part of the body.  Combining herbs together in this way greatly adds to the therapeutic effect of herbal medicine.

so why should I come to Sen?

tell me more about the history of tcm