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Chinese herbs and tonics Chinese herbal medicine is part of one of the oldest medicinal systems in the world, traditional Chinese medicine or TCM. One of the early holistic systems, TCM has the aim of restoring and maintaining equilibrium and harmony within the whole person. Chinese doctors believe that, like everything in universe, humans, too, are governed by the laws of yin and yang – the “Great Principle.” There are two complementary forms of chi or energy: “yin” reflects the feminine, receptive, dark, cool, soft, and moist; and “yang” the masculine, creative, bright, warm, hard, and dry. We need a healthy balance of yin and yang energy to maintain general good health and well-being.
Traditional Chinese medicine practitioners believe that clearing and stimulating the channels of energy within the body helps restore balance, thereby restoring health. They consider illness to be the result of the loss of balance between yin and yang, or that the circulation of chi through the body is blocked.
Chinese herbs have been used for their medicinal value and tonic properties for many millennia. Mixtures of herbs are created that can cleanse, cool, or warm the blood, strengthen the immune system, and balance and regulate all the systems of the body to enhance mental – as well as physical – well-being. In their herbal formulas, the Chinese include the roots, seeds, stems, twigs, and sap, along with the berries, flowers, and leaves.
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