Herbal Highlight: Er Zhi Wan // Two Solstice Pill

We recently stocked up on a classic Chinese herbal formula called Er Zhi Wan, or Two Solstice Pill, and figured I would give you guys the low-down! It is a simple, two-ingredient formula that nourishes the yin aspect of the liver and kidneys. What does this mean for you? In a practical sense - the action of nourishing liver and kidney yin helps to alleviate symptoms such as perimenopausal hot flashes, insomnia, dizziness, dryness anywhere in the body (dry eyes, dry skin, dry mucosa, dry scalp), and premature greying or thinning of the hair.

There is an entire category in the Traditional Chinese Medicine pharmacopoeia of herbal formulas devoted to Nourishing Yin. What does “Yin” mean? Yin and yang are concepts in Chinese medical theory which are used to categories phenomena and aspects of the body, as well as nature. That which is categorized as yang are energized, moving, drying, bright, light, ethereal, warm/hot, etc. That which is yin is the complementary opposite of yang - it is the dark, deep, moistening, still, dense, cool/cold, heavy, etc. aspects of the body and the body’s functioning.

So when yin substance is lacking or deficient, we may see dryness signs appear, and we see unanchored heat begin to rise upward and outward resulting in hot flashes and difficulty settling into a deep sleep, or even just rooting/grounding down the emotions.

Yin and yang go out of relative balance in all kinds of ways in our bodies, for all kinds of different reasons! Through acupuncture and herbal medicine, we can help keep the balance in check. This makes life a lot more comfortable, and helps you to be more resilient to stressors in the world around you. To put it simply - we move what is stuck, we nourish what is deficient, we drain what is replete, we redirect incorrect dynamics within the body.