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9/10/14
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Kathleen Maier, RH (AHG) Sacred Plant Traditions
� If we look at the most basic patterns utilized in traditional medicine we will see that they represent attempts to quantify levels of heat and moisture.
� Properties of Vital Energy Vital energy is clear, bright, active and warm. Its primary property is to be active and heat is the byproduct of that activity. When a person’s vital energy is strong and healthy, they will feel clear, bright, strong and energetic, their mind will be clear and active and their limbs will feel warm, strong and capable. Vital energy is by nature always active, it takes other functions to bring about a quiet restful state.
The primary function of vital energy is to activate things.
� Matter (tissues, fluids) is inert without vital energy acting on it. For example,
� the heart muscle is inert without the vital energy (neuro-‐electric signaling) to contract the muscle,
� blood is inert without the driving force of the cardiovascular system,
� nerves are inert without the nerve signals,
� nutrition is useless until it is transformed and distributed
� tissues don’t have tone until they have the energy needed to contract.
�
Upward é Normal -‐ blood and clear energy to head and the limbs, uprightness of posture, organs held up in place, upbeat but balanced.
� Abnormal -‐ certain types of headaches and dizziness, nausea and vomiting, reflux, hiccups, belching, cough, failure to release breast milk, certain types of constipation, mania, not grounded.
� Downward ê
� Normal -‐ inhalation, defecation, movement of food through GI tract, grounded.
� � Abnormal -‐ diarrhea, prolapse, incontinence, light-‐headedness/orthostatic hypotension, dizziness, brain fog, difficulty concentrating, feel vapid, muscle weakness and lack of tone, depression.
�
� Inward ç
� Normal -‐ consolidating energy in core of body, conserving body heat, containing blood within the vessels, centered, calm, quiet.
� � Abnormal -‐ not sweating when should, withdrawn, poor maintenance of own boundaries, (unhealthy) introversion.
�
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� ëOutward ì
� Normal -‐ sweating to release heat in hot weather or when have a fever, defensive energy to surface to protect against environmental challenges (temperature, humidity, wind), good boundaries, engaging in life.
� � Abnormal -‐ sweating without exertion or too easily for ambient temperature, passive hemorrhage, over-‐sensitive boundaries, poor sense of others boundaries, extroversion.
� “Galen acknowledged only the four qualities of Aristotle, but for the sake of completion, and better clinical work, we need also to include the two basic conditions described by his opponents, the methodist physicians: too much tension (status strictus) or too much relaxation (status laxus). The four qualities represent fixed, oppositional imbalances, while the two states represent dynamic imbalances due to change or exhaustion. Putting them altogether we have a system of six types, which corresponds to the system of six “tissue states” introduced by the physiomedicalists, or botanical physicians (the descendants of Samuel Thomson) in the early twentieth century.”
� Heat/Excitation � Cold/Depression � Dry/Atrophy � Damp/Torpor/Stagnation � Wind /Constriction/Tension � Damp/Relaxation
� The tissue states themselves should not be viewed as static states, but as snapshots or reflections of an ever-‐changing or evolving process.
� A good clinician will actually focus on his or her understanding of the underlying processes rather than the tissue states to come up with a good treatment plan.
� The tissue states just clue the clinician in to what abnormal processes are going on in the client.
� Thermal Spectrum: Cold-‐cool-‐neutral-‐warm-‐hot � This is referring to vital energy and the activity or lack thereof of that substance
� Fluid Spectrum: Very dry-‐dry-‐neutral-‐damp-‐very damp � This is looking at ability of tissues to hold onto fluids or not
� Structural Spectrum: Lax-‐neutral-‐tense
� The term lax is used by Jim McDonald to differentiate from relaxation which has pre-‐conceived notions surrounding that state
� Consists mainly of the element of air. This energy is dry, light, cold, mobile, subtle, changeable and clear.
� Lad states,”It is the most powerful of the Doshas, being the life-‐force itself, the strongest to create disease. It governs all movement, and carries both Pitta and Kapha.
� Vata, in its natural state, maintains energy of will, inhalation, exhalation, movement, the discharge of impulses, equilibrium of the tissues, acuity of the senses.
� When aggravated, it causes dryness, dark discolorations, desire for warmth, tremors, abdominal distention, constipation, loss of strength, insomnia, loss of sensory acuity, incoherency of speech, and fatigue.”
� It consists mostly of the element of fire and water.
� Governs chemical reactions and therefore transformation.
� Its qualities are hot, light, fluid, sharp, malodorous, soft and clear.
� Pitta in its normal state is responsible for digestion, heat, visual perception, hunger, thirst, luster of skin, intelligence, determination, courage and softness of the body.
� When aggravated, it causes yellow discoloration of urine, feces, eyes and skin, and may create hunger, thirst, burning sensations and difficulty in sleeping.”
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� Composed of water and earth � It is cold, wet, heavy, slow, dull, static, smooth, dense and cloudy.
� Kapha in its normal state is responsible for firmness and stability
� Maintenance of bodily fluids, lubrication of joints, and such positive emotions as peace, love and forgiveness.
� When aggravated, it produces loss of digestive power, accumulation of phlegm and mucus, exhaustion, feeling of heaviness, pallor, cold sensations, looseness of limbs,
� Acrid, pungent or spicy -‐ disperses and scatters (outward), releases/
opens the surface, moves blood, favors the lungs and circulation. � Bitter -‐ drains, dries, moves vital energy – often prevents digestive
stagnation, usually cool or cold. Can damage fluids and heat. � Sour – astringes/prevents leakage (inward) and drains. Can damage
fluids. � Sweet -‐ tonifies and consolidates (inward) vital energy (especially to the
metabolic system), harmonizes, sometimes restores fluids and ascends. Can stagnate vital energy and eventually scatter it.
� Salty, mineral, metallic – heavy, softens hardness, purges or drains,
tonifies/strengthens and consolidates (inward) vital energy of the constitution and descends.
� Bland – light, leeches dampness, promotes urination and drains. Can
damage fluids.
� Aromatic – light, thin, bright, penetrates turbidity (damp stagnation), revives the digestive and metabolic systems, revives consciousness, and clarifies,.often warm, tends to disperse and move upwards. Can damage fluids.
� Oily – heavy, thick, turbid, penetrates dryness, restores flexibility/pliability, collects/consolidates and descends.
� Astringent – tightens/tones, prevents abnormal leakage of fluids.
Can damage fluids.
� Light/thin – A quality of a flavor. Clear, bright, tends to ascend upward and disperse easily.
� Heavy/thick – A quality of a flavor. Dense, turbid, tends to collect and descend.
Thurston describes this state as “an exaggeration of the normal function rate” of the tissues. This excitation arises from an increase in tissue heat and this leads to swelling, redness, irritation and increased vulnerability as the tissues are weakened due to inflammation and stress. Since heat rises, many of the characteristics will be seen in the mental states and affect mood by creating more anxiety.
Presentation includes: � Increase in temperature � Increased red in tongue, mucosa, facial coloration � Restlessness � Wakefulness � Irritation of stomach and upper GI (nervous
stomach) � Over excited children/ADD /ADHD � Sensitivity to pain/sharp pain � Capillary fragility � Tendency to elevated blood pressure � Tongue – pointed, red body � Pulse – rapid, bounding
Heat Caused by
1. Excitation – increased activity of vital energy produces heat. 1. Response to threat – vital energy becomes very active and aggressive in response to environmental threat to
internal balance. 2. Psychological agitation.
2. Lack of fluids and nutrition to cool – fails to counter-‐balance the natural warming nature of vital energy. 3. Builds up when stagnation or tension blocks the flow of vital energy -‐ vital energy is very active and does not sit still
and tends to build up heat when blocked. 4. Constitutional imbalance. Over-‐stimulation (physiological or psychological).
Response to threat. Heat and wind. Constitutional imbalance.
General symptoms -‐
Warmth – local, systemic (fever), sweating. Symptoms worse with heat. Aversion to heat – already too much heat. Symptoms better with cool/cold. Preference for cool/cold – relieves the heat. Redness – face, lips, tongue, eyes/sclera, rashes – temperature imparts color. Rapid – pulse, mind (irritability, agitation, anxiety, insomnia, hyper-‐alertness). Dryness – fluids are injured/burned off -‐ thirst, dry skin, hair, eyes, constipation, dark scanty urine.
� Heat is generally further divided into specific types of heat
� Wind heat
� Fire � Toxic heat � Damp heat � Summer heat � Atrophic heat
Cool acrid herbs expel wind heat by opening up the pores (through relaxation) to allow a sweat – Can be combined with herbs that drain fire and/or herbs that clear heat and relieve toxicity as wind heat tends to progress into heat, fire or toxic heat much more quickly than wind cold.
� Elder flower � Yarrow tops � Peppermint leaf � Burdock seed � Catnip leaf � Lemon Balm � Chamomile flower � Eucalyptus leaf � Sage leaf � Kudzu root � White Mulberry leaf � Blue Vervain leaf � Bupleurum root
� Echinacea root � Baptisia root � Marshmallow root � Unprepared Rehmannia root � Purslane � Baikal Skullcap root � Coptis root
Herbs that cool the blood � Toxic heat – heat, often intense, producing toxins (pus). Includes sores, abscesses and poisonous bites.
� Caused by – � Severe heat/fire damaging tissues and producing toxins from the damaged tissues.
� Heat combining with stagnant, turbid dampness and building until toxins are produced.
� Treatment Principle – Clear heat, relieve toxicity. � Some members of this category have demonstrated marked antiviral and antibacterial activity and others have little or no demonstrated antiviral and antibacterial activity, but have a long history of treating such infections.
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� Demulcents
� Oftentimes the heat that arises is secondary to a dry/atrophic state where there is a lack of fluids to lubricate/calm the tissue. This is what is referred to as yin deficiency and can be characterized by hot menopausal symptoms where there is not enough fluid (yin) to calm the yang (night sweats) and anxiety is a presentation of this as well.
� Marshmallow Althea off. � Linden Tilia spp � Shatavari Asparagus
racemosas � Licorice Glycyrrhriza glabra
� Atrophic heat – insufficient fluids and nutrition (dryness and atrophy) to manage heat.
� Symptoms -‐
� Tidal fever (afternoon low-‐grade fever), hot flashes, night sweats – heat symptoms appear later in the day, because it is the time of day that the body wants to increase the action of the coolant fluids to settle and calm the fire to make the individual more quiet and inward to prepare the body for sleep.
� Thin red tongue, thin rapid pulse �
� Treatment Principle – Clear atrophic heat, restore nutrition and fluids.
�
� Rosa Family � Hawthorn lf, flower and berry Crataegus spp (also great for capillary fragility due to high proanthocyanidin)
� Rose hip/flowers Rosa spp
� Strawberry Fragaria � Peach Prunus persica
� Sumac berry Rhus spp
� Lemon Balm Melissa off.
� Summer heat -‐ heat disorder of the summer season – from exposure to too much heat and humidity.
� � Treatment Principle – Clear summer heat, restore fluids.
� � In addition to clearing heat, these herbs also produce fluids and relieve thirst.
� Watermelon � Cucumber � Summer squash � Mung bean � Hibiscus flower � Lemon Balm � Sumac berry � Sweet Annie leaf
� Damp heat – Heat combining with dampness, producing yellow, green or brown mucus discharges from the membranes.
� Dampness in the body readily produces heat because being thick and turbid, it stagnates the flow of vital energy, which is clear, bright, very active and warm. When vital energy is blocked from flowing freely, it tends to build up heat and pressure.
� Because the heat is combined with dampness and dampness is heavy, the heat tends to sink into the lower parts of the body instead of rise up into the head. This tends to produce infections in the pelvis and lower abdomen (intestines and urogenital system) and involve yellow, green or brown discharge from the mucus membranes.
� Damp heat can also show up easily in the lung/respiratory system as a sinus infection or bronchitis with thick green or yellow discharge.
� Fire – intense heat. The same as heat, but much more intense.
High fever, irritability, thirst and delirium associated with febrile disease – full engagement stage of dealing with the penetration of a pathogenic environmental factor. Also in the regulatory system, respiratory system or digestive system.
� � These herbs are among the coldest in the material medica.
� � Calcium – Calcium lactate is by far the best form. � Violet leaf � SelWeal tops � Baikal Skullcap root � Coptis root � Unprepared Rehmannia root � Barley Water � Vitamin C � Magnesium
� Tissue Depression/Cold
Cold Remedies
First Degree -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Refreshes
Second Degree -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Cools
Third Degree -‐-‐-‐-‐ Sedates
Fourth Degree -‐-‐-‐-‐-‐ Anodyne
Cold in the first degree refreshes, like watermelon on a hot day. In the second degree it cools fever. In the third, it lowers or resists the uprising of vapors, which cause restlessness of the mind. Just as in Chinese medicine, heaviness moves things downwards, the lowering or thickening action of Greek medicine restrains immoderate upward movement and conduces an appropriate downward movement. By cooling and restraining vapors, cold in the third degree is sedative. Cold in the fourth degree benumbs or dulls consciousness, like opium or poison hemlock. It is used to fight pain or kill. The opposite of heat, cold binds together substances or organs that are opposite in nature, so that they can work together in the same system or if incompatible they destroy.
Too little or under-‐active vital energy.
� Carminatives (warming bitters) � Parsley family (Apiaceae) Angelica � Osha Root Fennel Dill
� Fragrant bitters � Artemisia clan of the Asteraceae Wormwood � Wormseed Sweet Annie
� Anomalous fragrant bitters � Black Walnut Hull � Elecampane Sweet aromatics
� Coffee family (Rubiaceae) Madder � Cleavers
Sweet Woodruff � Clover family (Fabiaceae)
� Yellow Clover � Red Clover Alfalfa
� Composite family (Asteraceae) � Helichrysum � Sweet Everlasting (Gnaphalium obtusifolium)
� Antiseptics � White Pine, Pine � Canada Hemlock Calendula Baptisia
Isatis Helianthemum Thyme � Lavender Echinacea
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� Dry – Atrophy � 1. This tissue state is caused by lack of water AS WELL AS oil
� 2. Dehydration can be either of the above fluids
� 3. This may be because the body is not able to produce the fluids or it cannot hold onto the fluids
� 4. If left too long, dryness can move into atrophy where the tissues are not nourished as fluids transport nutrients
� 1. Low intake of fluids and oils
� 2.Excess heat which consumes fluids
� 3. Lack of transformation/transportation of fluids
� 4. Tissue deficiency so not able to hold onto fluids
� 5. Too much wind/vata � 6. Aging
� There are a variety of ways to nourish and moisten tissues (Wood)
? Hydrate ? Mucilaginous herbs ? Oily herbs ? Sweet Tonics ? Meaty/Proteinaceaous herbs ? Salty Emollients ? Mineral herbs ? Bitter tonics ? Steroidal Saponins
� American Ginseng (Panax quinquefolium) � Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) � Codonopsis (Codonopsis pilosula) � Rehmannia Root (Rehmannia glutinosa) � Red Root ( Ceanothus spp.) � Red Raspberry (Rubus idaeus) � Slippery Elm (Umla fulva) � Astragalus (Astragalus membranaceus) � Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)
� Salty Emollients � Marshmallow � Shepherd’s Purse � Fenugreek � Mullein
� Earthen (Minerals) � Nettles � Burdock Root � Dandelion Root � Alfalfa � Red Rasberry
� Damp/ Stagnation
� One of the most difficult states to grasp
� Seen as state where fluids cannot get out of normal channels of elimination
� This backup can build up into catarrh, phlegm or mucus.
� Was referred to as ‘The Humors’
� Later became ‘bad blood’ or ‘impure blood’
� Remedies most appropriate to this tissue state usually increase elimination and encourage greater metabolic function.
� In Western herbalism we tend to think of these sorts of herbs as alteratives or blood cleansers
� Drain damp � Tend to be cool or bland so use with care so you do not extinguish digestive fire
� Cleavers � Gravel Root � Hydrangea root � Plantain leaf � Couchgrass � Corn silk � Dandelion leaf � Nettle leaf
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� This tissue states corresponds to those conditions that occur due to nervous tightening, tension, and spasm
� The nerves are involved – without nerves there would be no wind/tension tissue state.
� Includes both psychological and physical tension.
� Lobelia � Passionflower � Wild Lettuce � Blessed Thistle � Boneset � Blue Vervain � Agrimony � Catnip � Passionflower � Kava kava � Calendula � Valerian
Wind � Severe and advanced form of tension. Tension that eventually produces shaking and tremors. Mimics the behavior of wind which can be erratic and unpredictable.
� Caused by � Chronic atrophy � Severe heat
� General symptoms � Tremors, seizures,
convulsions, stroke, paralysis.
� Rigid/deviated tongue.
� Relaxation/Lax � tissues lacking
in tone � collapse � prolapse � leak fluids � free secretion of
mucin � Diarrhea, loose runny stools -‐ may
have undigested food or clear mucus
� Clear copious urine; cool, � Habitual miscarriage (slippery fetus)
� Cinquefoil � Agrimony � Rose hip � Cranesbill � Shepherd's Purse � Raspberry Leaf � Blackberry root � Lady’s Mantle � Sumac � Schisandra berry � Bayberry Bark � White Oak Bark