More Information:
Other Common Names
Dendrobium
Page Number In Ancient Wisdom of the Chinese Tonic Herbs
160
Pharmaceutical Latin
Herba Dendrobii
Pinyin
Shi Hu
Treasures
Yin Jing
Treasure Rating
****
Atmospheric Energy
Slightly Cold
Taste
Sweet and lightly salty
Organ Meridian Systems
Kidney, Lungs and Stomach
Part Used and Form
Stems and Leaves
Primary Functions
Replenish Yin Essence (Yin Jing), generate fluids,
clear heat.
Qualities
Dendrobium is primarily used in China to replenish
fluids. It is commonly used in Chinese herbalism as a Yin tonic which moistens
the Stomach and Lungs. It can be very effective in treating dryness problems
like dry mouth, thirst, stomach pain, mouth sores, sunstroke, and dry lungs
and air passages due to dry weather or due to pollution and smoke. In other
words, Dendrobium is used to balance hot, dry conditions, to replace damaged
or lost fluids and to relieve thirst, depression and deficiency fever as a
result an illness.
However, the truly great value of Dendrobium lies elsewhere. Taoist sages,
who were the masters of longevity (and much more) have routinely used Dendrobium
as a daily tea for many centuries. The stems of leaves of a number of varieties
of Dendrobium are an excellent longevity herb. Dendrobium is especially
useful in quickly and effectively replenishing spent adaptive energy.
Dendrobium has been traditionally used as a daily tea to replace spent Yin
Jing of the Kidney. The Kidney is considered to be the whole body's reservoir
of Yin Jing, so replenishing the Yin of the Kidney replenishes the whole
body.
In replenishing and increasing Jing, Dendrobium increases the generative
force. Dendrobium is especially famous for relieving fatigue from over-indulgence
in sex. For those who maintain a balanced sex life, Dendrobium is said to
build superb sexual vigor. Dendrobium, being a Kidney Yin tonic, increases
the sexual fluids in men and women. And like all Jing tonics, it helps strengthen
the lower back and knees (areas controlled by the Kidney). For all these
reasons, Denrobium, when combined with Licorice root and made into a tea
is called "honey-mooner's tea."
The Taoists say that Dendrobium fills the Kidney meridian up with new vitality
and strengthens muscles. It nourishes the Yin of the Kidney and nourishes
the saliva, which the Taoists call the "Precious Fluid." It can be made
into a superb tea for athletes for the purpose of maintaining fluids during
exercise or sports.
My teacher, Taoist Master Sung Jin Park, taught me another very important
way to use Dendrobium. In 1975, when I was studying with Mast Park, I owned
a small acupressure clinic in Los Angeles. At first I had been studying
with Master Park at his apartment, but one day I invited him to come see
the Acupressure Workshop. The first time I brought him to the clinic, which
was in a small old house in a business district, he entered with true reverence,
removing his shoes and bowing repeatedly as he approached the front door
and passed through into the foyer of the clinic. When he first entered,
he looked around and said "Ah! Just like ancient hospital!" This gave me
great pride. But then he started sniffing as though he could smell something
fowl. He asked me "Where is your Sok Gok and Gum Cho?" I didn't have a clue
as to what he was talking about. But after a couple of minutes of trying
to get him to explain, I got an answer.
It was traditional, where Master Park came from, for healing centers to
have a pot of Dendrobium and Licorice root (Sok Gok and Gum Cho in Korean)
tea brewing at all times for both the practitioners and the clients. This
simple but elegant combination of herbs is a Healer's Tea Elixir. When a
practitioner of the healing arts is performing his or her art, they are
using "healing energy," and in fact this healing energy comes straight from
the Kidneys. This is especially true when, as we were, you are working with
your hands and mind by providing a service such as acupressure. It was true.
At the end of some sessions, especially difficult ones with people who were
going through a great deal of stress, I could experience an almost exhausted,
drained feeling that made me want to sleep. Master Park said that the Dendrobium
and Licorice tea would prevent this fatigue and, even more importantly, would
replenish the energy given up when performing the healing work.
From that day forward, for the next seven years while the Acupressure Workshop
existed, we had a pot of "Sok Gok and Gum Cho" on a hot plate at all times
for both the practitioners and for the clients. The practitioners drank
it before and after every session and I am certain that they benefited greatly
from this practice. The clients almost universally enjoyed the tea, usually
drinking a cup while in the waiting room and often drinking another cup
after the session. The feeling through the years was that most of the clients
felt that the tea helped them to get centered and to get more out of the
acupressure session. The protective quality of this unique tea was always
apparent. Our practitioners were constantly exposed to people with stress,
colds, etc. and yet the amount of work time missed due to illness was almost
nil. We all gave much of the credit to the constant drinking of the tea.
One last benefit of Dendrobium lies in its beauty-promoting quality. Dendrobium
helps keep the skin moist and constant drinking helps generate beautiful
skin. When combined in a person's program with other skin nourishing and
cleansing herbs like Codonopsis, Tang Kuei, Schizandra and White Peony, a
person's skin will definitely improve, becoming smooth, radiant, supple and
clear.
Primary Combinations
Combine with:
1. Licorice root to tonify Kidney yin and generate body fluids
2. Ophiopogon, Glehnia and Raw Rehmannia to generate body fluids, tonify
Stomach yin and saliva
3. Raw Rehmannia, Prince Ginseng and Asparagus root for generalized yin
deficiency with afternoon fever
Varieties and
Grading
Large golden, or green-gold, well-preserved stems and
leaves indicate good quality. If the stems and leaves are pulpy, that is
excellent. The Dendrobium should not be brittle or crumbly when gently squeezed---this
would mean that the Dendrobium is old and will have lost its potency. The
white pulp inside the Dendrobium should be fresh looking and even a bit moist.
Some varieties are not as large as Dendrobium nobile. However, they work
the same---just be sure they are in good condition and are not too old.
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