Graceful Transition is based on Restoring the Left Kidney Pill (Zuo Gui Wan), and adds several herbs to better address perimenopausal and menopausal patterns. It is indicated for women with predominant Kidney Yin deficiency with deficiency Heat, and moderate Kidney Yang deficiency. Prolonged Yin deficiency eventually leads to an accumulation of Heat that progresses to Internal Fire. Internal Fire increases in the arid environment of Kidney Yin and Essence depletion, causing body fluids to move recklessly, with such manifestations as night sweats. Yin deficiency manifests as occasional dryness in the body, such as dryness of the mouth, throat, skin, hair, or eyes, vagina, and stools. Occasional fatigue can also be experienced. Graceful Transition elegantly addresses this pattern by nourishing Kidney Yin and Essence, clearing Empty Heat and gently supporting Kidney Yang. It strengthens the Kidney and the Spleen, the sources of prenatal and postnatal Essence, and nourishes Liver Blood. Graceful Transition also useful for men when there is a predominance of Kidney Yin deficiency, Empty Heat and light to moderate Kidney Yang deficiency. Prepared Rehmannia root, the chief herb in this formula, strongly nourishes Yin and tonifies Blood, Kidney and Liver. It pairs with Dong quai root to address Blood deficiency from a variety of causes and to invigorate Blood. Chinese yam rhizome and Lycium fruit tonify Spleen, Stomach, Kidney Yin and Yang, nourishes Blood, stabilize and bind the Essence. Honey fried Chinese licorice root and rhizome tonifies the Spleen, augments the Qi, clears Heat and blazing Fire. Deer Horn gelatin and Asiatic cornelian cherry tonify Essence, Blood, Liver and Kidney Yin and Yang. Several tonifying herbs have been added to the base formula: Don quai root tonifies and invigorates Blood and breaks up stagnation. Poria tonifies Spleen, transforms Dampness and calms the Heart Spirit. Schisandra fruit tonifies the Kidneys, nourishes the Liver, binds the Essence, generates fluids and quiets the Spirit. Cyathula root invigorates Blood, expels Wind and drains Dampness. Lycium bark and Tree peony root bark, traditional additions to the base formula, cool the Blood and eliminate Heat from either excess and deficiency and gently invigorate Blood without injuring Blood or Yin, and clear lurking Fire from the Blood. Together, these herbs augment the formula’s ability to clear Heat from deficiency. ORIGINS AND DEVELOPMENTGraceful Transition is based on Restoring the Left Kidney Pill (Zuo Gui Wan), a classic herbal formula found in Collected Treatises of Zhang Jing-Yue (Jing Yue Quan Shu).
