Issue 78 - Tse Qigong Centre

the palm in the area that corresponds to the liver. This is a cold
condition and can be brought on by lack of blood and Qi. In
both cases, a lady’s menstruation will be affected to some
degree by either of these conditions.
Before beginning my Qigong studies, I truly suffered
from my menses and would even feel so ill that I would be sick
to my stomach. I know now this is because that I did not have
enough Qi and blood and I always craved the warmth of a hot
water bottle and a rare steak once a month. As one gets older,
the body is also changing and so one has to understand how
to handle these changes. Young people often deplete their Qi
through late nights, good times and improper diet and so their
bodies can be too cold. When older, ladies still can suffer from
lack of Qi and blood, but their hormone levels and lifestyle
have also changed and so they suffer from too much liver
heat and so their menses become irregular or too heavy as
the body cannot release the toxins efficiently enough.
When I go to visit my Chinese students, they will always
serve me some kind of soup with the meal. Sometimes the
soup includes the herb Dong Gui (Angelica Sinensis) which is
often called “Ladies Herb” in China.
Dong Gui is a powerful herb for helping cold body
syndrome where there is not enough blood in the body.
However, it should be used sparingly, not all the time. It has
the ability to warm the body, regulate the menses, relieve
pain due to stagnation of blood, disperse cold and to lubricate
the intestines.
“Dong Gui is a
powerful herb for
helping cold body
syndrome.”
Chinese herbal soups are very good ways of helping to
support the body in a gentle way. Although most of us do not
have time to watch over a simmering pot of soup for several
hours, we can easily invest in a slow cooker which will cook
soups overnight or all day and be ready when you come home
from work. They can also be used to cook Chinese hot pots
and other stews and so will never go to waste.
The soup below should not be drunk by those with too
much heat or hot body syndrome (see above for some examples
of both). It is very good for women but can also be drunk by
men. It is good for regulating menses and creating blood and
so is a good soup for women after childbirth or during
menstruation. Dong Gui has a rich and unusual aroma that it
releases during cooking so do not be surprised by this. If you
like, you can use a smaller amount of the Dong Gui for your
first soup and then if you can like, you can increase to two
pieces but no more as it will make the soup too strong and too
hot for the body to handle.
Chicken
and
Dong Gui
Soup
One chicken (preferably organic-free range)
1 -2 thin slices of Dong Gui
Salt
Optional:
20 Gei Zhi (Red Wolfberries)
10 Red dates
5 Chinese mushrooms
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (do not
substitute any other kind of wine as will spoil
the soup)
Rinse all the herbs under cold water and
set aside. Boil a large pot of water and
immerse the chicken in it for three minutes
and then drain off and rinse the chicken
under cold water. Rinse pan and add all
ingredients, including chicken and bring
water to boil again. Once it has boiled, turn
down to a simmer and let cook for one and
half hours or more. For myself, the longer the
better. If using a slow cooker, still rinse herbs
and chicken (though this time can be in a
bowl of hot water), then put all ingredients
in slow cooker. You can speed the process by
boiling water and adding into the slow
cooker once chicken and herbs are in place.
Cover and set on medium or low setting
depending upon how long you will be
leaving it to cook. Enjoy both the broth and
chicken together.
by Jessica Blackwell
Qi Magazine Jan/Feb/Mar 2006 page 21