Some of you may be wondering how Chinese Medicine can help during this time. While so much is changing around us, it can be grounding to take a moment to see what hasn’t changed. There are still many simple but impactful ways we can help ourselves. In this post, we want to share some information about a popular herbal formula known as “Jade Windscreen,” which can be useful for enhancing our body’s natural immunological defenses.
With or without a pandemic churning in the backdrop, the annual transition from winter to spring calls on us to take extra care of our health. Every year, the winter months tend to gradually weaken our immune systems, taxing them and leaving us vulnerable to illness. As we emerge from winter, we need to be gentle with ourselves and build our natural defenses back up with care.
In addition, the transition to spring signals the start of allergy season, a time of year when many of us experience frequent irritations and inflammatory responses that can stress our respiratory tracts and manifest as cold-like symptoms. From the perspective of Chinese medicine, allergies and upper respiratory infections are both indications that our outer defenses are impaired.
Getting good nutrition, exercise, hydration, and rest while minimizing stress and limiting exposure to disease are important ways we can protect ourselves from disease-causing agents. For some, taking Jade Windscreen formula, or Yu Ping Feng San, can aid these efforts. The name itself can be understood as a reference to both the strength and preciousness of our body’s natural outer “screen,” which, when functioning well, keeps us in good health.
The preventative nature of this formula is key. Rather than acting like an antibiotic that must be precisely selected to target bacterial or viral invaders, Jade Windscreen — composed of Huang Qi (Astragalus root), Bai Zhu, (Atractylodes rhizome) and Fang Feng (Saposhnikovia root) — invigorates our natural abilities to repel foreign invaders at the outermost level, keeping our vulnerable internal systems protected. In biomedical terms, the formula has immunostimulant properties, effectively boosting the coordination of our immune cells so they are prepared to respond to infection and mitigate its progression. In Chinese medicine terms, the formula “tonifies” our defensive exterior, which is crucial for eliminating pathogens that enter through the mouth, nose, or skin and progress into the first internal organ system to befall external illness: our lungs.
If you are interested in incorporating herbal formulas such as the Jade Windscreen into your self-care regimen, we encourage you to reach out to us. Chinese herbal formulas are most effective when matched with individuals based on a holistic view of their symptoms. While we can’t treat you with our acupuncture needles, we’d love to work together with you to find the herbs, supplements, and routines that help you feel healthy, centered, and whole.
April 24, 2020