Exhausted, and yet the mind won’t let go

You go to bed tired, but your mind stays awake: inner restlessness, slight warmth, a somewhat dry mouth, racing thoughts, sleep that becomes light… In TCM, these signs may be associated with Liver Blood deficiency accompanied by Deficiency Heat. According to tradition, the Liver houses the Hun, the ethereal soul, and it is the Liver’s Blood that anchors it at night: when this Blood is lacking, the Hun wanders and rest slips away.

Suan Zao Ren Wan takes up Suan Zao Ren Tang, the “Spiny Jujube Seed Decoction”, recorded around the year 200 in the Jin Gui Yao Lue (《金匮要略》) by Zhang Zhongjing (张仲景). Its place in the book is telling: it appears in the chapter on exhaustion from Deficiency (虚劳), and not among passing upsets. From the outset, tradition links it to depleted reserves, which explains why it nourishes before it calms. It remains the reference for what tradition calls calming the Spirit by nourishing Liver Blood.

Sour to gather, pungent to disperse

The spiny jujube seeds are used at a high dose: their sour flavour both gathers and supplements, in the words of the Gu Jin Ming Yi Fang Lun: through sourness one gathers, through sourness one supplements. But the Liver needs to flow: Sichuan lovage, pungent, moves Qi and Blood so that nothing stagnates. This pair is the signature of the formula; poria, anemarrhena and licorice complete it.

Calms the Shen: Spiny jujube seed nourishes Heart Yin and calms the Spirit; poria supports it by soothing the Heart.

Nourishes Liver Blood: The most generously dosed herb, spiny jujube seed nourishes Liver Blood and engenders Heart Blood, and Sichuan lovage keeps it moving.

Clears Heat: Bitter and cold, anemarrhena nourishes Yin and clears the Deficiency Heat that arises from insufficient Blood.

Supports more peaceful nights: More abundant Liver Blood anchors the Hun, and evening rest comes more easily.