Course Description

Understanding Herbal Energetics will provide practitioners with the foundational knowledge to analyze a medicinal herb based on the following characteristics: flavor, nature, part of plant used, color, law of signatures, guiding herbs, and class (Shang Upper, Zhong Middle and Xia Lower).  Using these ancient categorizations and five phase theory, we will then build a formulary of plant medicines, identifying archetypal herbs that tonify, reduce and harmonize each of the five phases.  We will then introduce the basics of herbal combinations based on five phase relationships and relative dosing, looking specifically at combinations to address the Sheng Generation, Ko Controlling, Overacting and Insulting cycles.

This course is appropriate for both practitioners with no herbal experience and those wanting to revisit their practice of herbal medicine from a classical perspective.  It will also provide the necessary foundation for the next course in the series, Understanding Formula Energetics as well as forthcoming courses on Herbs & Formulas for the Complement Channels.