Category: Herbal Pharmacy

Flower Essences: Gentle Messages for the Heart Ruler

Today is the Summer Solstice, the longest and brightest day of the year. Summer is the
season of Sun and Light, and the Heart. In Chinese Medicine, the Heart is the Ruler that sits on our inner
throne and ensures harmony in our world. Just as in ancient China, when it was rare to actually glimpse
the revered Emperor, our own Heart Ruler is a behind the scenes presence that rules not through force,
but gently, effortlessly, through the quality we refer to as Wu-Wei. Thus, we approach the Heart Ruler
gently and reverently. For this reason, the Heart channel and Heart Back Shu points were classically
forbidden to needle. The approach is too direct. Approaching …

There is no flower as celebrated as Rose. Poets and romantics throughout time have sung its sweet songs. Rose is a flower of delight and sweetness, and that sweetness actually has a medicine and purpose in Traditional Chinese Herbalism.

Roses in Springtime

Its no coincidence that Rose (Mei Gui Hua) blooms in spring, the season of the Liver organ. Because spring corresponds to the Liver, during this time of the year people are more likely to experience ailments associated with Liver qi stagnation: stress, moodiness and irritability, depression, headaches, PMS, digestive issues, and an overall lack of smoothness and ease in the body. It just so happens that Rose is a wonderful remedy to help smooth out stuck Liver qi, de-stress, and harmonize the body …

Burdock root is a beautiful spring food that is both nutritive and detoxifying. In TCM, we use Burdock seeds, Niu Bang Zi, to vent early stage cold and flu from the body and treat sore throats. The root, able to penetrate more deeply into the body, cleans the blood and vents out deeper held toxins and impurities.

In springtime, the bodies’ energy is moving up and out from the deep yin storage time of winter. Just like plants, our energy is now moving upwards and outwards to create new growth. When this happens, we can see pathogenic energy that was hidden in winter come to the surface along with it. This could look like a replay of old illnesses, old emotions, or old fears and thoughts….

Athene is back with another installment of our AIMC Herbal Pharmacy Video Blog!

People and plants are always in communication- the plants we choose to grow in our yards are often
those that have a medicine to offer us. And, a great many of our common landscaping plants are actually
Chinese medicinal herbs. In this “Herban” walk, we explore the medicinal Chinese Herbs growing in
downtown Berkeley.

Welcome to the first AIMC Herb Pharmacy Video Blog!

Join us here every week for fun and informative herbal talks with our Herbal Pharmacy Director,
Athene Eisenhardt, L.Ac.

“I love leading herb walks! There’s nothing more special than connecting with medicine plants in their native habitat. I couldn’t do it in person this year, so this video blog is my offering to you instead!

In this video, we take an integrative native herb walk in the California hills, exploring California native medicine plants in the context of Taoist 5 Elements and Traditional Chinese Herbalism.” -Athene

Our AIMC Herbal Pharmacy is continuing to expand its inventory of local, organic herbs and products, including native California plants in our traditional Chinese Herb Pharmacy.

With Summer, the season of Fire upon us, we only need to step out our doors to see the reminder everywhere: Summer is the season of Flowering. We see this in the beauty of our gardens and the bright wildflowers that are still so alive in our local hills. The Nei Jing tells us that the movement of Summer is growth and flowering. Of all the parts of a plant, flowers pertain most to the Fire element. They are light and yang in nature, they lift and brighten our spirits and bring us joy. Flowers in TCM are mostly used to affect the upper parts of the body, where the shen (spirit) resides. Their fragrance is opening and moving.

Many of our local flowers can …