A key part of classical, or traditional, Chinese medicine is herbal formulas. Several of my mentors suggest that herbs are the powerhouse of the results people get from Chinese medicine.

In my own experience having been a patient over the last five years, this has been true too.

Historically, these herbs were taken as formulas. In Chinese medicine, it’s pretty unusual to see a single herb taken (which is comparatively more common in western herbalism).

The formulas were often prepared in decoctions — the bulk herbs were boiled, reduced and then taken in multiple dosages per day. In later eras, they were taken in granules, which is a certain form of prepared, powdered herb that has been mixed into hot liquid and drank multiple times per day.

There are other formats as well, like being taken in tea pills or externally using powdered herbs that are put into wounds, like Yunnan Baiyao. But in this video, I want to share the process that’s used for making herbal decoctions.

How to Make Chinese Herbal Formulas (Herbal Decoctions and Teas)

In my own experience as a patient, the practitioners that I saw who delivered “holy mother of God” results, were people who knew herbs well.

This is unfortunate, because many practitioners I’ve seen suggest (anecdotally) that over 90% of practitioners in the United States who practice Acupuncture, don’t even use herbs.

To me, formulas are the real “night and day” results most patients are looking for, like myself.

In any case, this is a rundown of the basic process used to make herbal formulas from raw herbs.

-Alex