Herbs that calm the spirit will act either on the Liver or the Heart. The heart houses the spirit or shen while the liver contains the soul or hun. If either of these organs are disturbed problems such as insomnia, palpitations, irritability, anxiety and possibly insanity may occour. There are two types of herbs in this category. Primarily are the herbs that anchor, calm and settle the spirit and secondarily the herbs which calm the spirit by nourishing the heart.
Zhu sha
Properties: SWEET, COOL – TOXIC
Dosage: 0.3 – 2.7g,
Cinnabar
Meridian: HEART
Mercury
-sedate heart, calms spirit – restless, palpitation, anxiety, insomnia
-clears heat, relieves toxicity – carbuncles, sore throat, snake bite
Ci Shi
Properties: PUNGENT, SALTY – COLD
Dosage: 9 – 30g.
Magnetite
Meridian: KIDNEY, LIVER
-anchors and calms spirit – restlessness, palpitation, insomnia, tremors
-yin deficiency, ascending yang – dizziness, vertigo
-tonify kidney yin and liver – improve hearing and vision
-helps kidney to grasp Qi – chronic asthma
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Hu Po
Properties: SWEET – NEUTRAL
Dosage: 0.9 – 3g.
Amber
Meridian: BLADDER, HEART, LIVER
-calm spirit – tremor, palpitation, anxiety, excessive dreams, insomnia, poor memory, convulsions, seizures
-invigorate blood, dissipate stasis – amenorrhea with pain, palpable masses
-promote urination, invigorate blood – long bi, lin syndrome
-reduce swellings, promote healing – sores, carbuncles, ulcers
Bai Zi Ren
Properties: SWEET – NEUTRAL
Dosage: 6 – 18g.
Arbor-Vitae Seed
Meridian: HEART, KIDNEY, LARGE INTESTINE
-nourish heart yin, calms spirit – irritability, insomnia, forgetfulness, palpitations
-moisten intestines due to blood/yin deficiency – constipation
-night sweats
Suan Zao Ren
Properties: SWEET, SOUR – NEUTRAL
Dosage: 9 – 18g.
Sour Jujube Seed
Meridian: GALLBLADDER, HEART, LIVER, SPLEEN
-nourish heart yin, tonify liver blood, quiet spirit
-irritability, insomnia, palpitations, anxiety due to deficiency
-prevents abnormal sweating
Yuan Zhi
Properties: BITTER, PUNGENT – WARM
Dosage: 3 – 9g.
Senega Root
Meridian: HEART, LUNG
-calm spirit, quiet heart – insomnia, palpitations, anxiety, restlessness
-expel phlegm from lungs, clears orifices – copious sputum, mental confusion
-reduces abscesses, dissipate swellings – boils, sores, painful breasts
He Huan Pi
Properties: SWEET – NEUTRAL
Dosage: 9 – 15g.
Mimosa Tree Bark
Meridian: HEART, LIVER
-calms spirit, relieve constrained emotions – vexation, depression, insomnia, irritability, poor memory
-invigorate blood, alleviate pain – swelling due to trauma, abscesses
Ye Jiao Teng
Properties: SWEET, BITTER – NEUTRAL
Dosage: 9 – 30g.
Fleeceflower Vine
Meridian: HEART, LIVER
-calm spirit, nourish heart and blood – insomnia, irritability, dream disturbed sleep
-nourish blood – weakness, soreness, pain, numbness due to deficiency
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