Advanced training in chinese herbal medicine
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Chinese Herbal Medicine is one of the four main pillars of Chinese medicine. It is an ancient form of healthcare, rooted in traditions that go back many thousands of years. At the Xian Tian College of Chinese Medicine, we teach Herbal Medicine as a professional UK course to those experienced students who are already comfortable with the foundation skills of Chinese medicine’s Foundations and Diagnostics, a comfortable with the practice of Acupuncture..
Characteristics and Functions of Herbs
Within Chinese herbal medicine, each herb has its own specific characteristics and functions. The different characteristics of herbs are employed to treat disease, restore the balance of Yin and Yang, and ultimately help the body to restore its normal physiological functions and good health. These various characteristics and functions of the herbs with regards to medical treatment are categorised according to their property, flavour, and movement, and arise from each herb’s unique quality of ‘Qi’, which is essentially formed from the various different interplays between Yin and Yang. A herb’s unique quality of Qi will enter a specific channel according to its channel tropism, and will have an influence on the Qi flowing throughout that channel and organ – similar to how the different qualities of Qi within the climate influence our body’s Qi. If prescribed correctly, this will bring the body back to balance.
The Materia Medica
The Chinese Materia Medica is a book containing information of hundreds of medicinals used within Chinese medicine. It was developed based on the classical theories that are found within Chinese Medicine teachings. and includes the important theories of Yin and Yang, the Wu Xing, Zang Fu, and Jing Luo. These theories are understood in regard to each individual herb/medicinal, along with learning and understanding the four properties, the four movements, the five flavours, and the seven relationships.
Alongside understanding the above, key concepts within Chinese medicine are also used to help build prescriptions. These concepts include the six stages (Liu Jing, 六經), and the four levels of Wei, Qi, Ying and Xue (Wei Qi Ying Xue Bian Zheng, 卫气营血辨证)
Teachings of the Materia Medica will also go into detail regarding correct dosages, safety of toxic herbs, and understanding the eight therapeutic methods (Ba Fa, 八法).
Registration for this course is currently CLOSED
Please email us or use the contact form below if you are interested in being placed onto our list of interest
Study Chinese herbal medicine
Chinese Herbal Medicine is considered an advanced subject of study within Xian Tian College of Chinese Medicine. The two advanced subjects – Herbal Medicine and Wai Qi Liao Fa, are studied only after a student has completed the foundation material and qualified in Acupunture . It is also advised that students have professional experience before undertaking herbal medicine training and, as such, it will not be a subject taught early on in Xian Tian students education.
The Eight Methods of Treatment (Ba Fa, 八法)
Within Chinese medicine, there are eight therapeutic methods of treatment, also known as ‘Ba Fa’. They were originally discussed in the Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen, which discusses 12 different methods of treatment. Su Wen 74 notes that,
“Treatment principles consist of warming to dispel cold, cooling to clear heat, dispersing to remove congestion, purging to eliminate build up, catharsis to dispel water, lubricating to moisten dryness, fortifying to strengthen deficiency, decelerating to arrest acute progression, invigorating to accelerate flow, inducing vomiting to expel food or phlegm, calming to tranquilise anxiety, and softening to dissolve mass”.
These 12 methods have since been combined into the eight methods based on their therapeutic actions.
- Sweating (Han Fa, 汗法)
- Harmonizing (He Fa, 和法)
- Purging (Xia Fa, 下法)
- Dissipating (Xiao Fa, 消法)
- Emesis (Tu Fa, 吐法)
- Clearing (Qing Fa, 清法)
- Warming (Wen Fa, 溫法)
- Tonifying (Bu Fa, 补法)
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