Reviving Yang Qi, Reviving Life! Reviving Cold Qi, Reviving Illness! Today, Dr. Qu teaches you how to warm your Yang Qi and dispel cold from your body.
“The greatest treasure of heaven is this one round red sun; the greatest treasure of man is this one breath of true Yang.” When the sun is gone, all things in the world wither; when the body loses Yang Qi, life will stagnate. Yang Qi is like a small sun within our body, warming us and providing sufficient energy; it also acts as an umbrella to protect against external pathogens.
Once there is Yang deficiency in the body, it cannot resist external pathogens. The invasion of cold pathogens manifests as a fear of cold, cold extremities, and despite wearing more layers than normal, one still feels cold. Yang Qi deficiency leads to poor circulation of Qi and blood, resulting in fatigue and a lack of thirst. When Yang Qi cannot consolidate and vaporize body fluids, it leads to frequent urination, a pale white tongue, and a swollen tongue with tooth marks. Today, Dr. Qu will share with you a formula praised by the medical sage Zhang Zhongjing for warming Yang, the Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang (Cinnamon Twig, Peony, and Anemarrhena Decoction), to warm the entire body and prevent cold this winter.
Gui Zhi Shao Yao Zhi Mu Tang comes from Zhang Zhongjing’s “Jin Kui Yao Lue” and consists of Gui Zhi (Cinnamon Twig), Shao Yao (Peony), Gan Cao (Licorice), Ma Huang (Ephedra), Sheng Jiang (Fresh Ginger), Bai Zhu (White Atractylodes), Zhi Mu (Anemarrhena), Fang Feng (Siler), and Fu Zi (Aconite). This formula warms Yang, dispels cold, and eliminates wind and dampness. Let’s briefly interpret the functions of these herbs. First, Gui Zhi, Fu Zi, and Sheng Jiang are all warming herbs that can easily expel cold pathogens from the body, warm Yang, and open the meridians, replenishing Yang Qi. The warmed blood then circulates throughout the body, making us feel warm.
Next, we have Ma Huang and Fang Feng. Ma Huang is pungent and warm, promoting sweating to dispel cold, allowing cold pathogens to be expelled through perspiration. Fang Feng is also a cold-dispelling herb, but it has the additional function of “preventing wind”; wind pathogens often accompany cold pathogens, and Fang Feng acts like a warrior, defending against the invasion of external wind and cold.
Then we have Zhi Mu, Bai Zhu, and Shao Yao. Bai Zhu dispels dampness and effectively assists Gui Zhi and Fu Zi in warming and eliminating dampness. Zhi Mu and Shao Yao clear heat and nourish Yin, preventing the overly warming effects of Fu Zi and other hot herbs from damaging our Yin blood and generating internal heat.
Finally, we have Gan Cao, the “harmonizer,” which can harmonize the properties of all the herbs.
The combination of these nine herbs can effectively replenish our Yang Qi, expel cold pathogens from the body, and provide us with the strength to resist cold during the chilly season. That concludes today’s sharing of Zhang Zhongjing’s timeless formula for warming Yang. Did you learn something?
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