Chinese Herbal Medicine

All Chinese herbal medicine is based on the balance of opposites, yin and yang, and on increasing the free flow of energy (qi) throughout the body's energy channels.

No symptom or body system is treated in isolation, nor from a western perspective, even treated directly. From the Chinese natural medicine perspective this makes sense because the herbalist is seeking out and treating not the immediate symptom, but the underlying imbalance.

This unique world view infuses all aspects of Chinese healing and has created a long and unbroken tradition of herbal healing with many offshoots. They all share the belief that health involves free energy flow and a balance of yin and yang. Acupuncture, tai chi, qigong, dietary approaches, and other natural treatments all combine energy flow and balancing of opposites.

The word 'herb' is used loosely when applied to herbal medicine. In Chinese traditional medicine the term is loose enough to be almost unrecognizable to westerners. It includes shells, animal body parts and kelp as well as unfamiliar roots, tubers, leaves, shoots, seeds, bushes and flowers.