Calming the Mind
Long Gu Os Draconis
Extinguishing Wind
Bai Shao Radix Paeoniae albae
Digestive
Shan Zha Fructus Crataegi
Eliminate Stasis
This is the second of the four steps to harmonize Blood. This second step is necessary for two
reasons. First of all, after bleeding, as the blood leaves the blood vessels, there is always some
blood left over in the skin, muscles, the space between skin and muscles, and the Connecting
channels. Eliminating stasis will help to get rid of this left-over blood. Secondly, because
stopping-bleeding herbs may have the tendency to congeal Blood, it is best to combine them
with some moving-Blood herbs.
For this second step, any of the moving Blood herbs may be used such as Hong Hua Flos
Carthami tinctorii or Chuan Xiong Radix Ligustici wallichii. However, the best herbs to use are
those that move Blood and stop bleeding such as Pu Huang Pollen Typhae, San Qi Radix
Notoginseng and Qian Cao Gen Radix Rubiae cordifoliae.
Calm Blood
This is the third step in harmonizing Blood. In any type of bleeding the Sea of Blood of the
Penetrating Vessel is agitated by rebellious Qi. It is rebellious Qi in the Penetrating Vessel which
enters the Blood-Connecting channels and stirs up the Sea of Blood making the Blood reckless
and causing it to leave the blood vessels. Thus, in order to prevent recurrence of bleeding, one
must not only stop bleeding and move Blood but also "calm" Blood. Thus "calming Blood"
means subduing rebellious Qi of the Penetrating Vessel and calming its Sea of Blood.
Herbs that calm the Blood are those which enter the Blood and are cool and absorbing. Examples
of calming-Blood herbs are:
Bai Shao Radix Paeoniae albae
Sheng Di Huang Radix Rehmanniae glutinosae
Han Lian Cao Herba Ecliptae prostratae