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Daoist Herbalism is a Way of Life (Part 2)

Daoist Herbalism is a Way of Life (Part 2)

The three brains:
According to Daoism we have 3 brains, Tan Tiens in which qi flows to nourish jing, and create shen, which ultimately turns into Wuji the absolute openness of infinite space. And finally Wuji is merged into Tao (divine energy). Basically, one becomes immortal, like in the movie Lucy.
Qi is also a substance that is between Heaven and Earth, and our atmosphere is full of Qi, which is why deep breathing is so good for us!
We can consciously breath in Qi into a certain area of the body in order to activate it, activate digestion for instance and/or for healing.
This is why a Taoist works so hard to cultivate Qi and preserve Jing (it's one of the reasons we love tonic herbs!) - to ensure their full potential is realized in this lifetime. 

Lower Tan Tien is located in the lower abdomen mid-way between the navel and lumbar region, and that Tan Tien collects sexual and emotional energies.

Middle Tan Tien is located midway between the sternum and fifth thoracic vertebrae and collects energies primarily from the heart. 

Upper Tan Tien is located between the mid eyebrow and base of the skull and collects energy from the senses. 




We’ve discovered that our guts and hearts both have neural cells and are supplying our brains with information all day long

Actually, there are more nerves running from the heart to the brain than from the brain to the heart, which suggests it’s the heart doing the bulk of the communication to that big lump of grey stuff inside our skull. 

Research into intuition is showing that it’s the heart that intuits and the brain uses its signals to make decisions.

Through the lens of Western science, we see that both the Lower and Middle Tan Tiens communicate with the Upper Tan Tien (or brain)

In this worldview, the organs are ALL sensory receptors that communicate to a 'hub' (the Tan Tiens), which in turn are responsible for unique decision-making functions. Basically, they're all brains!!! :)

Taoism places much emphasis on the organs of the body and their roles in cognition and our human experience. We are taught that each organ has a ‘personality,’ and controls certain actions and emotions in the body. 


The 12 regular Organ-Channels and their pairing and emotions, identified by colour, are:

Liver (Benevolence/Depression)
Stomach (Integrity/Obsession)
Kidney (Wisdom/Fear)
Urinary Bladder
Lungs (Righteousness/Anguish)
Large Intestine
Heart (Propriety/Instability)
Small Intestine
Triple Burner
The kidneys control wisdom and intelligence. They also produce the ‘Sea of Marrow’ that forms the brain (the Taoists see the brain as a big bone, filled with marrow). The brain itself in Taoism is considered a bit of a weird organ; it’s classified as one of the six Extraordinary Fu (Organs) and is said to originate out of the kidneys. The kidneys are the first organs to form when we are tiny embryos. The pre-nephros kidneys appear a full two days before the heart (the first 'real' organ to form in embryogenesis), as the spinal cord appears. 
A balanced body requires harmony between all organs.
The heart in Taoism is the source of consciousness and wisdom, and the place where Shen resides (we send Shen up to the brain from the heart to help evolve our consciousness). In fact, many of the functions of the brain that we recognize in the West are actually assigned to the heart in Chinese medicine; including perception, thinking and memory. 
Taoist practice is entirely based on sensing and feeling as the primary form of cognition that precedes all other forms. It is through the nervous system that we are able to feel and sense our bodies and our environments. We can use our minds to direct Qi, but if we are disconnected from our bodies, the mind cannot give direction and guidance. In order to feel and sense, our nervous system needs to be in a relaxed state. The moment we get stressed and tense, our body loses its ability to feel and sense.
To support the flow of Qi to the brain, we also need to learn to relax, listen to and trust our ‘lower brains’ and defy what our culture so blatantly disregards is important - our own multidimensional nature that is more than just a disembodied brain on legs having abstract thoughts. 
All martial arts are essentially geared towards cultivating Yin, not Yang. 
Daoist herbalism:
Chinese historians believe the art and science of herbology officially began in 2975 B.C, with "The Divine Farmer's Almanac”, which describes the therapeutic effects of 365 herbs
These herbs are considered Tonic Herbs, which regulate our various systems, and normalize their function. they are meant to be taken daily as tonifiers and adaptogens (reducing the stress response)
Three treasures:
A beautiful combination of 36 Daoist tonic longevity herbs, designed to provide a complete balance of our 3 energies: Jing Chi and Shen according to chinese medicine. So instead of taking a stimulant, this blend gives energy as a result of balancing the function of the organs. 
Filled with potent, pure, organic extracts of traditionally used chinese adaptogenic herbs.
I use only 1/4 teaspoon once- twice a day to maintain a healthy and strong system.