Two Excellent Zhi Zi (栀子Gardenia Fructus) Formulas for Sleep
As a continuation of the discussion on using classical formulas for sleep issues, I will now introduce two very effective zhīzǐformulas: Zhīzǐ Chǐ Tāng and Zhīzǐ Gānjiāng Tāng. As you recall in the previous post, my student Sylvia described the use of Zhīzǐ Chǐ Tāng and how she differentiated the pattern.
First, let’s talk about zhīzǐ. It is the fruit of the gardenia plant. In his poem, Shěn Zhòu[1] of the Ming Dynasty described the gardenia flower like this:
Differentiating Several Patterns that can Explain Insomnia
One of my students, Polina Shneyderman, recently posted her results using Zhīzǐ Chǐ Tāng as follows:
I wanted to share a case that was helped so much by a tiny formula I learned from Sharon in her GMP. I have a patient who is a textbook Guìzhī Tāng pattern and who has done really well on different modifications of Guìzhī Tāng. She has Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome, where her body produces too much collagen, and as a result, she has […]
Zǐwǎn (紫菀, Aster tataricus) for Constipation
I am currently in a translation workshop, led by Stephen Boyanton, with Lorraine Wilcox and others. The quirky cases Lorraine shares are a constant delight for the participants. Recently, she shared a case in which the doctor spun the patient on a home-made wheel until he vomited to obtain a cure for the patient’s insanity. In another case, the patient had a lump due to grief, and the doctor successfully treated him by teasing him until he laughed so hard he […]