Gracious Power

The Liver provides direction and smoothness for the flow of Qi. The Liver is historically known as the “general of the army” and is responsible for being strategic and forceful. At the same time, the Liver’s fundamental assertiveness and identity must be rooted in flexibility, mobility and never being stuck in any one disposition. A healthy Liver moves decisively yet must maintain an effortless gentleness. Gracious Power is a version of a famous Chinese herbal formula designed for people who excel at the assertive dimension of the Liver but can not access its deeper soft interior. Gracious Power is for people who are able to easily push outwards but are unable to let down and allow for an inward receptivity. Gracious Power is also useful for the pattern of Liver invading Lung when people get stuck between anger-irritation and sadness-feelings of deprivation. In general, Gracious Power helps a person retain and even augment the productive forcefulness of the Liver while dramatically nourishing its Yin dimension of softness, relaxation, inner calm and gentle flow.

PHYSICAL INDICATIONS

Gracious Power was originally formulated for people who had the seeming appearance of Liver Qi blockage and seemed to be pushing against boundaries all the time but, in reality, had insufficient Liver moisture to relax and receive. On the physical level, this formula is for any pattern of Liver Qi stagnation that is actually rooted in deficient Yin. The formula can also address Liver invading Lung. This formula can also be used as a tonic for generalized Yin deficiency that is configured by the Liver meridian

 

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL INDICATIONS

The authoritative modern textbook Traditional Chinese Herbology Liver Gallbladder Disharmonies (1993) speaks of this formula as essential for Liver people who are always feeling irritated, pressured, blocked and unable to feel rested or relaxed. It is for people who are much better at the “forward” peddle and have difficulty with “idle” or “reverse.” It is considered an essential formula for a driven person who ceaselessly strives to succeed but cannot locate space to go with the flow. In a Taoist fashion, the formula does not diminish the productive and dynamic aspect of Liver assertiveness, but rather strengthens it by fostering the Liver’s soft, inner, flexible and receptive interior. Gracious Power is for people who are usually successful in the outer world but have a hard time developing enough interior space to experience inner satisfaction, relaxation or contentment; it allows assertiveness to take a rest. It can be helpful for people who are overly self-critical, have poor self-esteem or compensate by overworking. It also increases flexibility in adapting to different circumstances.

Because Gracious Power also is beneficial to the Lung, it can be helpful for people who are caught between Wood anger-dissatisfaction and Metal sadness-deprivation. Feelings of always being discontent, annoyed, restless and uneasy somehow give way to feelings of appreciation, self-contentment, satisfaction, appreciation and relaxation. Some of the additional herbs used in our version of the formula move the formula towards the Heart meridian.

 

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

In 1770, writing in Continuation of Famous Physicians’ Cases Organized by Categories (Xu ming Yi-lei-an), Dr. Wei Zhi-wei pointed out that most standard Liver formulas were insufficient for softening and moistening the receptive dimension of the Liver. Earlier formulas emphasized the Liver Qi being blocked, tense and obstructed and failed to sufficiently address the fact that in many people the root problem was primarily the Liver’s moisture. Therefore, Wei Zhi-wei created “Linking Decoction” which is the basis of Gracious Power (Yi Guan Jian).

Gracious Power has made a few modifications in “Linking Decoction.” Most importantly, we have borrowed three ingredients – dry fried Sour jujube seed, Anemarrhena rhizome and Sichuan lovage rhizome from “Sour Jujube Decoction” (Suan Zao Ren Tang), which is derived from the Essential Formulas of the Golden Chest (Jing-gui Yao-lue, 220 A.D.). This formula was designed by Zhang Zhong-Jing as a Liver-Heart meridian formula for occasional irritability, anxiety and insomnia. The addition of dry fried Sour jujube seed helps nourish the Liver and Heart Blood. The combination of Anemarrhena rhizome and Sichuan lovage rhizome dynamically combines an astringent, Fire-cooling herb with a Liver Qi-opening herb. These three new herbs allow Gracious Power to gently and additionally embrace and comfort the Heart meridian.

Gracious Power has made two other modifications in “Linking Decoction.” Turmeric root tuber has replaced the Melia fruit of the original formula. This substitution has been made because a small number of people have been known to have unpleasant or adverse reactions to Melia fruit and its use would have made the formula unsuitable for long-term use. Finally, a small amount of Finger citron fruit has been added to help assimilation and provide a gentle flowing movement to the Yin-nourishing herbs.

ABOUT THE HERBS

Raw Rehmannia root is the critical herb in Chinese Herbology to nourish the Blood, Yin and Essence (Jing) of the Liver and Kidney. It stabilizes and moistens the deepest interior aspects of a person and produces deep quiescence and tranquility. Originally, Dr. Wei used only raw Rehmannia root in this formula, but Gracious Power uses 50% prepared Rehmannia root, augmenting the Blood-nourishing aspect of the formula. It is sweet and slightly warm, and enters the Liver, Kidney and Heart meridians.

Prepared Rehmannia root is an indispensable herb for creating stability, cooling fire and moistening all the organs. It is sweet and slightly warm, and enters the Liver, Kidney and Heart meridians, moves downward and creates stillness.

Dry fried Sour jujube seed is a critical herb to nourish the Liver and Heart Blood and is important for occasional restlessness, overactivity, insomnia and anxiety. The Illustrated Materia Medica (Ben-cao Tu-jing, 1061 A.D.) states that Jujube helps the Liver’s Non-corporeal soul (Hun) return to the Liver and rest comfortably. Li Ting, in his Introduction to Herbology (Yi-xue Ru-men, 1575), also mentions that Jujube can be used to relax a person’s Gallbladder and help support them decisively shifting directions. The addition of this ingredient also extends Gracious Power to address the Heart meridian within the Lung meridian within the Liver meridian. It is sweet, sour and warm, and enters the Heart, Liver and Gallbladder meridians.

Ophiopogon tuber is an important herb for moistening the Upper Burner and helps to balance the dynamic tension of Qi with the ease and receptivity of moisture. The Record of Famous Physicians (Ming-yi Bie-lu, c. 500 A.D.) mentions that it protects the Spirit (Shen), stabilizes the Lung Qi and comforts all five Yin organs. It is an important herb to open the Heart meridian, to build a Lung-Heart connection and moistens the Upper Burners. It is sweet, slightly bitter and neutral, and enters the Lung and Heart meridians.

Lycium fruit is an herb that produces profound “stillness” and has a long history of being used to support reflectivity and tranquility. Sun Si-miao in his Supplemental Wings to the Thousand Ducat Formulas (Qian-jin Yi-fang, 682 A.D.) says that anyone who wants to become a mountain recluse or hermit (in both a literal and figurative sense) needs to take this herb. The herb helps a person look within and be comfortable with what is perceived. Lycium fruit is an important herb that tonifies the Blood, Yin and Essence (Jing) and generally softens the Liver, supports healthy vision and self-awareness and moistens the Lower and Middle Burners. It is sweet and neutral, and enters the Liver and Kidney meridians.

Dong quai root is the central Liver Blood nourishing herb. Dong quai root’s soft cyclical movement balances Rehmannia root’s stabilizing quiescence and allows the formula to augment a person’s flexibility in adapting to different circumstances. The modern definitive text, Development of Ancient and Modern Famous Formulas (Gu-jin Ming-fang Fa-zhan) says that the Liver’s Non-corporeal soul (Hun) receives delight from Dong quai root. It allows a person to touch an inner relaxed ambiance and a comfortable place of self-esteem. It is sweet, acrid, bitter and warm, and enters the Liver and Heart meridians.

Glehnia root is an important moistening herb to help a person connect with their interior. Sun Si-miao is his Supplemental Wings to the Thousand Ducat Formulas (Qian-jin Yi-fang, 682 A.D.) mentions this herb as being important for a person who is “cut off from self.” It moistens and reduces the sensation of being unsatisfied. It moistens the Upper and Middle Burners. It is sweet, bitter, bland and cool, and enters the Lung and Stomach meridians.

Turmeric root tuber is used to substitute for “Linking Decoction’s” original Melia fruit. Melia fruit is not advisable to take over a long period of time. Turmeric root tuber has the same gentle, cool, Liver Qi-moving action as Melia fruit. It is acrid, bitter and cool, and enters the Liver and Heart meridians.

Anemarrhena rhizome is a stabilizing herb that, according to Li Shi-zhen, moistens the Kidneys and benefits the Yin. It also cools and drains Fire and helps with occasional restlessness and inability to be in a state of repose. In modern times, it is considered bitter and cold, and enters the Kidney and Lung meridians. It also insures that Finger citron fruit and Sichuan lovage rhizome are not too warm.

Sichuan lovage rhizome moves upwards and outwards and supports Turmeric root tuber’s role in replacing Melia fruit in the original formula. It provides the gentle nudge to the moistening herbs so that the entire formula provides flexibility and reinforces the positive dynamic aspects of the Liver. Also, as mentioned earlier, Sichuan lovage rhizome is matched with Anemarrhena rhizome in Zhong Zhong’s famous formula “Sour Jujube Soup.” This pair combines the astringing activity of Anemarrhena rhizome with the open and flowing activity of the Sichuan lovage rhizome to create a dynamic balance that actually mimics the general intention of Gracious Power. It is acrid and warm, and enters the Liver, Gallbladder and Pericardium meridians.

A tiny amount of Finger citron fruit has been added to Gracious Power for two reasons. First, its gentle gliding movement reinforces Turmeric root tuber. Secondly, it helps prevent any of Rehmannia’s stillness from affecting the Spleen meridian and causing any unwelcome occasional disturbances in digestion. It is acrid, sour, bitter and slightly warm, and enters the Liver meridian.