Nothing in the thinking of Chinese Traditional Herbology conjures up the image of instability and vulnerability like the concept of Wind. The External Influence of Wind may permit Heat, Cold and Damp to invade and migrate throughout the body. The hallmark of Internal Wind is its unpredictable nature: it swirls about, shifting its direction and altering its force. Wind is synonymous with sudden fluctuations in climate and emotional states. Internal Wind usually arises from one or all of three pre-existing patterns: uprising of Liver Yang (known also as flaring up of Liver Fire), accumulated Internal Heat and deficiency of Blood, especially of the Liver. Wind corresponds with the Wood Phase, as does the Liver Network, therefore most patterns characterized by Wind are also considered to arise from disharmonies of the Liver. Long-term accumulation of Internal Heat may engender a secondary uprising of Liver Yang: this effulgence of Yang transforms into Wind.Excess of Internal Wind − sometimes termed the Uprising of Liver Yang − can particularly upset the equanimity of the Pericardium and the Heart/ Mind resulting in myriad patterns of Shen instability. Purge Internal Wind dispels Internal Wind by subduing the excess Yang of the Liver, nurturing Yin and Blood and clearing Heat. RATIONALE Gastrodia rhizome, Gambir stem branch and twig and Tribulus fruit dispel Wind and, along with White peony root and Abalone shell, subdue Liver Yang, and support healthy muscles and nerves. Chrysanthemum flower, White mulberry twig and Cassia seed clear up Liver Heat and soothe the eyes. Loranthus herb and White mulberry fruit replenish Blood and Essence, thereby fortifying the Kidney and Liver and filling the void that allows Wind to enter. By clearing the destabilizing Wind and Heat, subduing the Liver Yang and strengthening the “root” (Kidney Essence and Liver Blood), this combination of herbs addresses the disharmonies that generate Internal Wind.
