Xiao Yao Wan

The first formulation that made it’s subtle and inextricable mark on my physiology was Xiao Yao Wan. I was not initially open to the idea of taking “herbs”. I had experimented with the effects of herbs I had foraged in the form of teas and poultices. But the slow and systematic effects of Chinese formulations were unknown to me. I did not know how they worked. Like many steeped in the Western model of pill-taking, I expected an overnight sensation. What occurred instead was much more miraculous, subtle and overall systematic.

“Xiao Yao Wan will break up liver stagnation” David said authoritatively. I knew I had issues with my liver, and had taken measures to heal my liver. Every spring, I drink nettle tea I harvest. I tried the somewhat invasive liver flush protocol lined up by Swiss holistic physician Andreas Moritz. But David recognized the symptoms of liver stagnation and heat from a phone consultation. Anger flashes, PMS, and most troubling: breast hyperplasia. Many times, I convinced myself my breasts had cancer, or heavy metal accumulations. Within weeks of beginning the treatment, this condition resolved. No more pain in the breasts. My anger symptoms diminished. On a deeper, subtler level, I noticed my hormones begin to stabilize. My skin became softer and my ears and nose got smaller. I saw over time Xiao Yao Wan shift my entire bodily composition.