Hi friends! Did you know some pharmacies in Korea prescribe herbal medicine?🌿💊 I recently visited my uncle's pharmacy in Cheonan, South Korea, and learned something super cool! In Korea, there's a special license called í•śě•˝ě śěˇ°ě‚¬ (Hanyakjejosa), which means herbal medicine practitioner. What’s interesting is that they can prescribe herbal medicines without needing a Korean Medicine Doctor license.
My uncle has been both a Hanyakjejosa and a pharmacist for years, and he prescribes herbal remedies for all sorts of things—like children’s fevers, indigestion, coughs, anxiety, and more! 👨🏻‍⚕️💊🌿
Here are some of the herbal formulas he often prescribes:
- Zhi Yin Jiang Huo Tang: For night coughs. He adds Mai Men Dong Tang if it's due to severe Yin deficiency.
- Quick Note: Mai Men Dong Tang can nourish Upper and Middle Jiao Yin.Â
Explore our Herbology Deck cards for TCM herbs and herbal formulas!
- Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang: Great for food stagnation and acid reflux. 🥵
- Quick Note: Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang is a modification of Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang. By adding Sheng Jiang (6-12 grams) to Ban Xia Xie Xin Tang, it transforms into Sheng Jiang Xie Xin Tang.
Explore our Herbology Deck cards for TCM herbs and herbal formulas!
- Gui Zhi Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang: Helps with anxiety, erectile dysfunction, hysteria, and even epilepsy (but only for deficiency patients, not excess ones)
- Quick Note: Gui Zhi Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang is a modification of Gui Zhi Tang. By adding Long Gu (3-30 grams) and Mu Li (3-30 grams) to Gui Zhi Tang, it transforms into Gui Zhi Jia Long Gu Mu Li Tang.
Explore our Herbology Deck cards for TCM herbs and herbal formulas!
During my visit, one thing that really surprised me was this:
Even though he's a pharmacist and a Hanyakjejosa, he continually studies the foundations of Traditional Chinese Medicine, including the 8 Principles (Yin-Yang, Hot-Cold, Interior-Exterior, Excess-Deficiency), to better support his patients.
So what are the 8 Principles?Â
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the 8 Principles are a foundational tool used to understand, diagnose, and treat health conditions. Let’s break them down, starting with the core forces of Yin and Yang.
Yin and Yang: The Balancing Act
At the heart of TCM is the concept of Yin and Yang, the dual forces that shape everything in the universe, including your health. Yang is associated with light, activity, and expansion, while Yin represents darkness, rest, and contraction.
-
Yang embodies qualities like:
- Light, Sun, Brightness 🌞
- Activity, Energy, Expansion
- Fire, Rising, Exterior
- Superior, Back, Function
- "Yang is active... Yang gives life... Yang is transformed into Qi."
- Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Basic Questions)
 
-
Yin represents:
- Darkness, Moon, Shade 🌙
- Rest, Matter, Contraction
- Water, Descending, Interior
- Inferior, Front, Structure
 
Check out our Foundations Deck card:Â Yin and Yang
"Yin is quiet... Yin makes it grow... Yin is transformed into material life."Huang Di Nei Jing Su Wen (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Basic Questions)
When Yin and Yang are in balance, your body is in harmony. Imbalances—such as Yin Deficiency or Yang Excess—can lead to illness. This is why TCM treatments aim to restore that equilibrium.
 
 
Interior and Exterior
The Interior and Exterior principles help determine where an illness is located.
-
Interior: This affects the internal organs and is often caused by internal disharmony or an external pathogen that has invaded deeply into the body.
- Key symptoms: Aversion to heat, organ dysfunction, internal discomfort.Â
 
-
Exterior: This principle focuses on the skin, muscles, and spaces where Wei (Defensive) Qi operates. Exterior issues are often the first signs of an external pathogenic factor like wind, cold, or heat.
- Key symptoms: Chills, fever, body aches, and skin irritation.
 
Explore our Foundations Deck card:Â Interior and ExteriorÂ
Hot and Cold
The Hot and Cold principles describe the thermal nature of diseases or symptoms.
- Hot conditions are linked to Yang-type imbalances and include symptoms like fever, redness, and thirst.
 
- Cold conditions, tied to Yin, present with cold limbs, pale complexion, and a preference for warmth.
 
Don’t forget to check out our Foundations Deck card for Hot and ColdÂ
Full and Empty
Next, we have Full and Empty, which describe the nature of energy or substance in the body.
-
Full (Excess): This is a state of overabundance or blockage of Qi, leading to symptoms such as extreme fever, restlessness, thirst, or fullness in the stomach.
- Key symptoms: Flushed face, dislike of pressure on painful areas, and hardened stools.
 
-
Empty (Deficiency): This refers to a lack of Qi, Blood, or other vital substances. It manifests as pale complexion, fatigue, and weakness.
- Key symptoms: Mental and physical exhaustion, reluctance to talk, palpitations, and spontaneous sweating.
 
Take a look at our Foundations Deck card:Â Excess and DeficiencyÂ
Putting It All Together
These 8 Principles work together to form a complete picture of a person’s health. For example, a patient with Heart Yang Deficiency might experience symptoms like palpitations, cold hands, and fatigue—pointing to a Yin excess and Yang deficiency. On the other hand, a Kidney Yin Deficiency could cause symptoms like night sweats, dry mouth, and a flushed face, indicating a Yin imbalance.
Â
 
 
Understanding the TCM 8 Principles not only provides my uncle with valuable insights into his patients' health, but it also empowers him to help others become healthier and happier! I hope you learned something new today. If you found this post helpful, please share it with your colleagues, friends, and family—even those who may not know much about TCM. Let them know how amazing this medicine is!
Warmly,
Bora ChoiÂ
If you want to learn more about TCM Foundations or Chinese Herbology, take a look at our Foundations Deck and Herbology Deck here!
It’s a simple, fun, and easy way to grasp the essential concepts of TCM!