(As seen in the FEBRUARY 2009 ISSUE OF YHC MAGAZINE)
Herbs and the Cosmos:
An Introduction
to
Chinese Herbs
By Dustin Siena, LAc
TO UNDERSTAND THE ENERGETICS OF CHINESE
HERBOLOGY, A FAMILIARITY WITH THE CONCEPTS OF YIN AND YANG IS NECESSARY. THE
GREAT PRINCIPLE OF YIN AND YANG IS A LAW OF THE UNIVERSE, WHICH DEFINES THE
POLAR OPPOSITE ENERGIES WHICH LIE AT THE ROOT OF ALL DYNAMIC ACTIVITY IN THE
UNIVERSE. THESE TWO FORCES (YIN AND YANG), MUTUALLY GOVERN AND RULE EVERY SINGLE
PROCESS ON BOTH A MICROCOSMIC AND MACROCOSMIC LEVEL.
MICROCOSMIC
ACTIVITY MAY BE related to the forces which exist within a being,
whether a human or animal. Macrocosmic activity may be related to the events
which occur in nature outside of our bodies.
All phenomena within the
universe are an expression of the harmonious (and sometimes disharmonious)
interplay of yin and yang. Yin and yang do not usually exist separately from
each other. It is very difficult to define one event, or thing, as being yin or
yang. All things have both yin and yang within them. And this certainly is the
case with herbs.
When applied to a human being, the substantial or
physical aspects such as bones, blood, hair, skin, vessels and tendons are
related to yin. In contrast, all functional activities in the body such as
digestion, absorption, metabolism, circulation, growth and protection (the
immune system), are related to yang.
Yin energies tend to be more
descending and cooling (feminine), whereas yang energies tend to be more
ascending and warming (masculine).
A unique combination of temperature,
taste and organ forms a profile of one single herb. This perspective is
comparable to the profile of a strain of DNA. An herbs energetic identity is
special and unique only to that herb. To evaluate the herbs physiological,
emotional and spiritual effect upon the person consuming it, all of its
characteristics must be considered.
One of five different temperatures is
usually assigned to a single herb: hot, cold, warm, cool or neutral. There are
also varying degrees of cool and warm. Hot- and warm-tasting herbs have a yang
function, while cold or cooling herbs are more yin in
nature. Neutral herbs can be very useful since they are not limited by taste and
can be used to treat many patterns of disharmony, regardless of yin and yang.
The taste of the medicinal ingredient or herb dictates its energetic and
physiological effect and movement throughout the body. The five tastes are
acrid, bitter, sweet, sour and salty. Bland is a taste which tends to be
classified as mildly sweet. Most herbs have a combination of tastes, creating a
very specific dynamic in their action throughout the meridians in the body.
EACH HERB IS ALSO THOUGHT TO BE CONNECTED TO SPECIFIC MERIDIANS AND
ORGANS THROUGHOUT THE BODY IN THAT EACH HERB ENTERS SPECIFIC ORGANS AND CARRIES
ITS TEMPERATURE AND TASTES DIRECTLY TO THOSE ENERGETIC SYSTEMS.
All
herbs have an energetic function, very much like people, food, colors, art and
music. A spirit is deeply rooted within the herb which dictates its
characteristics. This is important, as even after a deep understanding of the
theories of Chinese herbology, one must be in tune
with the subtle energies of the herb and the way it will resonate with the
patient.
A skilled Chinese herbalist gathers all the information from
the patient, takes the patients pulse with great focus and meditation, and
based upon the energetic dynamics within all the organ systems, writes a formula
for a combination of herbs tailored to the patients needs.
There is beauty in that one herb may be compared to one
musical note in an opera. The herb is simply a fragment of the full experience.
The combination of herbs in an herbal formula creates the full-scale
composition, with crescendos, beats and transitions which go through a
metamorphosis of movement. This is the same with a balanced herbal
formula.
Very often the formula is fine-tuned with subtle changes in its
ingredients and percentages, to maintain a harmony and polarity with the
patients energetic patterns, as they are constantly
shifting.
Consumption of a well-crafted and elegant herbal formula
requires dedication by both the practitioner and patient. Within this experience
is the potential for an extraordinary cycle of empowerment and healing. The
process tends to change our perception of both ourselves and the expanding
universe in which we dwell. Perhaps in the observation, one can begin to blend
the microcosmic and macrocosmic forces together and feel whole.
By Dustin Siena, L.Ac.
Copyright 2009 Dustin Siena
To learn
more about Chinese herbalism, please read "Sheng Nong Ben Cao Jing:
Reawakening the True Romance of Chinese Herbalism" in
the article section of my website, http://www.acupuncturewizard.com
.