Meridian Comfort

Life needs a dynamic balance of outward vigilant engagement, Protective (Wei) Qi, with an inwardly nourishing support, Nutritive (Ying) Qi. Disturbances in this tension create a situation where a person’s usual inward soft sensibility becomes a defensive alertness and the usual external wall of armored protectiveness becomes a border of soft, even mushy, vulnerability. On the physical level, one type of loss of adjustment between exterior and interior is recognized in occasional tenderness, stiffness, numbness or sensations of heaviness. On a psychological level, this imbalance is present when a person’s usual sense of external engagement primarily monitors their own interior stagnation. Discomfort becomes the primary or even exclusive experience of a person’s being; the inner and outer merging into a single awareness of noxious sensations. The exterior is vulnerable, the interior is defensive. The Nutritive (Ying) Qi has become misplaced on the ‘outside,’ the Protective (Wei) Qi has drawn inappropriately inwards − chaos reigns. Meridian Comfort is the traditional approach to realign the exterior and interior and create a new sense of comfortable order. Meridian Comfort rebalances the exterior and interior. At the same time, it increases an awareness of contact with the world that is beyond the experience of discomfort. Meridian Comfort fosters inward peacefulness and softness, and helps refocus a person towards expansive, unhindered engagement with the outer world.

PHYSICAL INDICATIONS

Meridian Comfort also expels Wind, Damp and Cold obstructing the meridians. Muscles, tendons and joints need a dynamic balance of strength and resilience with softness and gentleness. When a person loses this balance they are liable to experience occasional chilliness, soreness, tenderness, numbness, cramping or heaviness or occasional generalized or regional stagnation and discomfort in the neck and shoulders, upper or lower back or sore and achy lower extremities.

PSYCHOLOGICAL AND TRANSFORMATIONAL INDICATIONS

While stagnation and occasional discomfort are the primary indications for Meridian Comfort, this formula is crucial for adjusting the Protective and Nutritive energies on the psychological level, in terms of awareness and reaction to external stimuli. Meridian Comfort addresses a person whose focus in the world is actually their internal sense of discomfort, and whose primary inner world is awareness of the ‘alien’ nature of their inner sense of discomfort. The interior is overly hypervigilant and defensive, the exterior overly vulnerable. Meridian Comfort is the traditional Chinese herbal response to this loss of adjustment between exterior and interior, and reintroduces a balance, the Protective (Wei) Qi attends to the exterior and outward activities, and the Nutritive (Ying) Qi to softening and nurturing. More softness in the interior means less cramping, less resisting and less vigilance towards stimuli. More interior softness means less wanting things to be other than they are. Less softness on the exterior means more engagement. All this realignment means that sensation and aversion to discomfort is diminished. A person is more comfortable in engaging the world.

On another dimension of interiority, it allows a person to become less sensitive to the opinions and external pressures of others and more able to confidently accept their own inner desires and voice. It can help a person diminish their sense of vulnerability and regain their self-direction and inner sense of intention.

ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT

Meridian Comfort (Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang and Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang) combines the actions of two famous formulas: “Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Kudzu” (Gui Zhi Jia Ge Gen Tang), which was developed by Zhong Zhong-jing in Cold Induced Disharmonies (Shang-han Lun, 220 A.D.) and “Li Ao’s Notopterygium Decoction to Overcome Dampness” (Qiang Huo Sheng Shi Tang) developed in Clarifying Doubts (Nei-wai Shang-bian Huo Lun, 1247 A.D.). Li Ao’s formulation itself borrows heavily from Sun Si-mao’s Tang Dynasty formulas.

“Cinnamon Twig Decoction plus Kudzu” was originally designed to release the muscle layer and relax and moisten the tendons; it was considered especially suitable for the neck and shoulders. The most common interpretations of “Nutritive Ying Qi and Protective Wei Qi losing adjustment” are based on the notion that such a pattern is related to external pernicious influences. “Notopterygium Decoction to Overcome Dampness” was originally designed for severe stagnation that could include accumulation of Wind, Dampness and Cold.

ABOuT THE HERBS

Kudzu root is a critical herb to release the muscles, and is especially used for occasional stiff, tight neck or upper back. It can be used for muscle tightness anywhere. It also reinforces the moistening quality of White peony root. It is sweet, acrid and cool, and enters the Spleen and Liver meridians.

White peony root is a critical combination with Chinese cinnamon twig in this formula. While Chinese cinnamon twig is assertive, moves outwards and increases the exterior vigilance, White peony root increases the interior yielding. It is extremely stable and “softens and comforts” the interior. Its stability is critical to lessening stagnation, cramping and in promoting a sense of inner peace and calm. Its astringent properties help retain an inner self that does not need to rely on any external expression. It is bitter, sour and cool, and enters the Liver meridian.

Sichuan lovage rhizome is an important herb to alleviate stagnation and to expel Wind. Because it moves the Qi portion of the Blood, it is especially valuable for the extremities and muscles. It is acrid and warm, and enters the Liver meridian.

Siler root is a common herb to expel Wind Dampness and stagnation anywhere in the body. It is an important ingredient of Notopterygium Decoction. On a psychological level, Sun Si-miao in his Supplemental Wings to the Thousand Ducat Formulas (Qian-jin Yi-fang, 682 A.D.) views this herb as essential for a person who cannot be alone nor find an inner sense of comfort. It is acrid, sweet and slightly warm, and, in this formula, enters the Liver meridian.

Chinese cinnamon twig is the critical herb to adjust the Nutritive Ying Qi and Protective Wei Qi in Cold Induced Disharmonies (220 A.D.). It is used in combination with White peony root whenever the interior moisture ‘leaks’ while the exterior resistance is too weak to defend a person. While this is often interpreted to mean an outside pernicious influence, it is also understood in Cold Induced Disharmonies and in Zhang Zhong-jing’s other book, Essential Formulas of the Golden Chest (Jin-gui Yao-lue Fang-lun, 220 A.D.), to apply to deficient situations. Zhang Zhong- Jing describes Cinnamon twig as “tonifying and strengthening the middle” several times in his writings. This understanding is similar to the one expressed in Divine Husbandman’s Classic of the Materia Medica (Shen-nong Ben-cao Jing, 150 A.D.) in which Cinnamon is said to “tonify the middle and benefit the Qi.” Additionally, Chinese herbal tradition also considers Chinese Cinnamon twig an essential herb for alleviating stagnation. For example, Tao Hong-Jing’s Collection of Commentaries on the Classic of the Materia Medica (Ben-cao Jing Ji-zhu, 500 A.D.) says Cinnamon twig can “warm the meridians, penetrate the vessels and benefit the joints.” It is acrid, sweet and warm, and, in this formula, enters the Liver, Heart and Lung meridians.

Black jujube fruit is said to adjust Qi, especially Nutritive Ying Qi and Protective Wei Qi. It is sweet, and enters the Spleen meridian.

Chinese tinospora stem is added to reinforce the ability of the formula to relax the meridians. Because it is slightly cold, it balances the warmer ingredients of the formula, making the entire formula more versatile. It is bitter, and enters the Liver meridian.

Chinese quince fruit enhances the ability of the formula to comfort the tendons and activate the meridians. It is sour, slightly warm and aromatic, and enters the Liver meridian.

Notopterygium root and rhizome is an important herb to expel Wind, Damp and Cold from the meridians. In this way, it addresses the sensation of heaviness. It is acrid, bitter and warm, and enters the Bladder meridian.

Chinese salvia root and rhizome is an important addition to the two basic formulas and, as the Material Medica of Ri Hua-zi (Ri Hua-zi Ben-cao, 713 A.D.) has noted, provides a critical nourishing energy, useful when the Nutritive (Ying) Qi becomes unclear and unsettled. Wu Yi-luo, in his Thoroughly Revised Materia Medica (Ben-cao Cong-xin, 1751 A.D.), further suggests that Salvia as a single herb can be a substitute for the entire classic formula “Four Substances” (Si Wu Tang) from the Kan Traditionals formula line because it is moving and nourishing. It is bitter and slightly cold, and enters the Liver meridian.

Carthamus flower is an important addition that follows a suggestion made by Wei Yi-lin for the formula called “Cinnamon Twig Safflower Decoction,” mentioned in his Effective Formulas from Generations of Practitioners (Shi-yi De-xiao Fang, 1345 A.D.); the addition of Carthamus flower strengthens the formula’s ability to move any congealed blood from the exterior or interior. It is acrid and warm, and enters the Liver meridian.

Tree peony root bark has three roles: it helps relieve stagnation, it makes the formula more versatile by balancing Chinese cinnamon twig’s warmth with Tree peony root bark’s gentle coolness, and finally, as mentioned by Wang Ang in his Essentials of the Materia Medica (Ben-cao Bei-yao, 1751 A.D.), it acts by nourishing the Spirit (Shen) of the Heart and the Will (Zhi) of the Kidney, and by allowing a person to move into a healthier relationship with their exterior and interior aspects. It is acrid, bitter and cool, and enters the Liver, Heart and Kidney meridians.

Prepared Corydalis yanhusuo tuber is an addition to the formula used to move both Qi and Blood. It is acrid, bitter and warm, and enters the Liver meridian.

Bupleurum root is an important addition that hints at another Cinnamon twig formula, known as “Bupleurum and Cinnamon Twig Decoction,” which also releases the muscle layer. The addition of Bupleurum root to Meridian Comfort helps the formula address stagnation that has been stuck for long periods of time. It is bitter, slightly acrid and cool, and enters the Liver meridian.

Honey fried Chinese licorice root and rhizome is used to harmonize the other ingredients. It is sweet and warm, and helps the absorption of the other ingredients. It enters all twelve meridians.