Will Power
Will Power is based on a wonderful tonic herb now called Polygala, traditionally know as the "Will Strengthener." Polygala is combined with herbs that strengthen Qi and Shen, helping us to remain "centered" during stress and thus allowing us to persevere through difficulties. Will Power can be used by anyone wishing to build will power in order to achieve new heights and to break old habits, no matter how deeply engrained. *
Will Power opens the Penetrating Vessel, also known as the Central Channel or Chong Mei. The Penetrating Vessel run inside the body from the perineum to the crown of the head in front of the spine and through the brain. All of the major energy centers of the body are located along its route. These are known in Chinese as the Dantian and in India as the Chakras. Will Power opens the Penetrating Vessel and helps to connect the various energy centers. In particular, it helps to connect the lower Dantian in the abdomen and associated with the Kidneys with the middle Dantian associated with the Heart. This opening helps to reconnect primordial healthy union of Heart and Kidney, uniting physical love with emotional love and helping to regulate Heart and Kidney, Water and Fire.
A similar formula was traditionally used in Chinese monasteries. When new monks entered the monastery they were given this formula to help them let go of old habits, attachments and addictions. It also provided the energy and focus necessary to take on the many new disciplines and challenges associated with spiritual practice. This is a very effective and practical formula.
It has been used to help people eliminate virtually every kind of addictive, compulsive behavior, including drug addiction, as well as addictions to food, sex, tobacco, and all kinds of negative behavior. It is also useful at breaking addictions to emotional habits, including habitual anger, fear, worry, etc.
Will Power is one of the most useful “tools” in all of herbalism. Since addictive-compulsive behavior is the root of all of our unhappiness, all spiritual practice centers around the ability to “let go” and to form healthy, natural, harmonious patterns. This formula dramatically aids in this process.
Some individuals may notice significant attitude and habit-related changes immediately, while others may need up to several weeks or even months. Eventually, when the energy centers are reconnected, the individual will begin to notice that they have eliminated bad habits. This formula may cause excessive dreaming in some individual at the beginning or when it really starts working. These dreams will always prove valuable in the individual’s growth and are not to be feared or overlooked. Will Power should always be used with other tonic herbs to build and regulate the three treasures, and may be used with medicinal herbs to correct overt imbalances. This formula is a “Shen stabilizing” formula and may be used by those experiencing emotional upheaval.
The Herbs in Will Power
Polygala Root
Polygala is one of the truly extraordinary tonic herbs in the entire Asian tonic herbal system. This herb first attained wide use in Taoist circles because it was believed to have powerful mind and spirit-developing power. In fact, Polygala root was believed to be an empowering substance in the class with wild Ginseng and Ganoderma in this regard. This root is traditionally used as a Shen tonic to relax the mind, calm the emotions and to aid in the sleep process. However, it does not relax the mind in entirely the same manner as many Shen stabilizing herbs --- Dragon Bone and Polygonum stem for example.
Instead, many people claim that it enhances dreaming and aids in creative thinking. And it not only aids creative thinking, but the ability to manifest our ideas. In fact, the ancient name for this herb is the “Will Strengthener.” The herb is believed to have the ability to strengthen that part of the psyche which we call the “Will.” Taoists have long claimed recommended using Polygala to strengthen the focus of the mind and to empower our thoughts so that they may be made real. The Taoists taught that our creative visualization, which they called Yi, could be brought to reality by the Will. Thus the Will had to be strengthened. In fact, the Will was virtually considered to by the fourth Treasure in was otherwise called the Three Treasures system. Thus Polygala, as a Will-strengthening herb, ranked extremely highly on the list of important herbs in the Taoist pharmacopoeia.
These days, Polygala may be used to strengthen the Will of the spiritual seeker, or it may be used to strengthen the Will of the more earth-bound. It is used in formulations to build enough will power to overcome obstacles and to achieve greater heights. For example, it can be used a the main ingredient in formulas to help stop smoking, or even to break other habits, such as drug abuse, overeating, or compulsive behavior of any sort. Polygala has the unique power to provide the energy (the “power”) to our Will, so that we can overcome the obstacles that block us from becoming all that we can become. And it not only helps us break old, bad habits. It also helps strengthen our will to do new things, to achieve new heights. It strengthens our Will so that we can start to work on a new project, to start exercising, to start and continue whatever we need to do to grow, to become a great human being. That is the magic of Polygala, the “Will Strengthener.”
Polygala has another unique quality that sets it apart from most other herbs, including the tonic herbs. It has the ability to connect the Kidney (sexual) energy with the Heart (love) energy. It does this by opening the energy flow between the Heart and Kidney known as the Penetrating Vessel. The Penetrating Vessel is one of the energy channels that regulate the functions of the body-mind. It is called a “psychic channel” by the Taoists. Commonly, this vessel is blocked, resulting in a de-linking of our sexual energy and our emotional feelings. It is essential for our true health and well being that feelings of love and the functions of sex are united. Consuming Polygala for a period of time will have this result. The Will Strengthener thus has a unique power to deepen our experience and our feelings, and to bring new levels of happiness into our lives.
Dragon Bone
Dragon Bone is the fossilized bones of prehistoric animals such as mastodon, hairy rhinoceros, hipparion, deer, oxen, etc. MostDragon Bone is chunks of white mineralized vertebral or extremities bone. We believe that most of the Dragon Bone obtained by Dragon Herbs is derived from hairy rhinoceros, and its authenticity as fossilized bone has been determined by laboratories specializing in this analysis in China.
Dragon Bone is a Shen stabilizing substance. It calms the Liver and suppresses hyperactivity of Liver Yang. This results in a strong calming effect which can be described as both sedating and tranquilizing. Dragon bone has a profound calming effect on the heart, being one of the primary natural substances known for calming excitability and palpitation.
Dragon Bone is an extremely useful "herbal" substance. Dragon Bone, being a mineral, is rich in calcium and other trace minerals that can benefit the body in many ways. It is used to relieve irritability, chronic and acute anger, tension and dizziness caused by hyperactivity of Yang. Dragon Bone has wonderful benefits for those experiencing mental and emotional agitation, palpitations, insomnia and chronic or acute anxiety. In Chinese medicine, it is even used for epilepsy induced by terror and for manic behavior.
Taoists practitioners and Chinese Buddhists often used Dragon Bone at the initial stages of their training in order to calm the mind so that they could make quick progress in their meditation practices. Since agitation was considered to be anathema to a Taoist,Dragon Bone provided a powerful tool in gaining a grip on one’s emotions. Of course, the Taoists combined the consumption ofShen stabilizing herbs with mind training, and the results were quick and profound.
Dragon Bone's calming effect can be just as useful in our modern, generally hectic society. In fact, Dragon Bone is one of the most useful and effective substances in Chinese herbalism. It is an incredible tool that I have seen help thousands of Americans. Anyone experiencing stress and agitation can benefit from the calming, stabilizing effect of Dragon Bone. This rich source of minerals has excellent relaxing effects on the nerves and muscles. It helps relieve muscular spasms associated with chronic or acute tension.
Formulations containing Dragon Bone are among the most popular in the current Japanese herbal system (known as Kampo), a result of the Japanese people’s attempt to deal with Japan’s Type-A societal personality. If you suffer from insomnia, restlessness, apprehension, palpitations, anxiety, irritability, anger, frustration, tension, fear, or any of the symptoms that require a Shen stabilizing astringent, Will Power with Dragon Bone can be very effective. Dragon Bone changes people’s lives. And its extremely safe.
Dragon Bone is not used by itself, but always in combination with other herbs. Dragon Bone can be used as a very effective astringent herb. It is often used in formulas for seminal emission and excessive perspiration due to weakness. It is often found in formulas designed to enhance male sexual performance. In this usage, it has both a calming effect on the mind, preventing premature ejaculation, and it has the astringent action, literally locking in the semen and thus further preventing premature ejaculation. Its astringent action is also useful for problems like excessive perspiring, chronic diarrhea and frequent urination. Furthermore, it is extremely effective at restraining night sweats in weakened individuals, especially when taken with Jing and Qi tonic herbs such asCodonopsis Root, Eleuthero Root (Siberian Ginseng), Licorice Root and Astragalus Root. Because Will Power contains these four powerful adaptogenic herbs, it has long term anti-stress activity and is a powerful protector. It is very beneficial to the digestive system and to the production of energy from the food we eat. Aged Citrus Peel and Licorice Root are Qi regulators that aid in the digestion and assimilation of these herbs.
Spirit Poria is a very powerful Shen stabilizing herb that calms the mind and heart. It is used to stabilize Shen and calm the mind, to strengthen the Spleen and transform dampness. It is tonic to Shen and Qi associated with the Heart, Spleen and Kidney functions. Spirit Poria is a very good Shen tonic herb. It is the mycelium of a fungus known as Poria, that grows on the deep roots of old pine trees. Spirit Poria is specifically center of the fungal mass, where the host wood root runs. The pine root is allowed to remain and represents about 20% of each slice of Spirit Poria. The chemistry and the energy of the wood has been changed by the mushroom and is no longer simply pine root. It was used by Taoists and has been held in the highest esteem by spiritual seekers. It is believed by the Taoists to have a very special power to lift Shen and to help develop the Spirit. It is one of the major Shen tonic and Shenstabilizing substances and has acquired a special reputation for it overall emotional balancing benefits. By stabilizing the emotions, the true mind is able to develop fully, unhindered by emotional distraction. Spirit Poria has the ability to move water, disperse fluid stagnation and tonify the immune functions.
Ophiopogon Tuber moistens the lungs and cools the heart. Asparagus Root (Tuber) nurtures the lungs, stomach and kidney and provides Yin. Asparagus Root is an excellent heart tonic that allows Shen to flourish. It does this by cooling the heart in the same manner that Ophiopogon does.
Schizandra Berry is a powerful tonic herb and also a powerful astringent. It is a staple in tonic formulations used by those who are trying to transform their lives on mental, psychic and emotional levels. Schizandra has been found to improve memory and clarify mental processes. Ophiopogon, Asparagus Root and Schizandra are all very beneficial to the Lungs. They clean the lungs and improve breathing. They also improve the absorption of Qi from the air we breathe.
White Peony Root cools and purifies the blood.
Traditional Function: To fortify Shen, build Qi and adjust the bodily and psychic energy
Who can use it? Anyone
Concentration: 10:1
Specifications: 100 Capsules 500 mg each
Ingredients
Polygala root, Dragon bone, Eleuthero root, Ophiopogon tuber, Chinese Asparagus root, Schisandra fruit, Spirit Poria sclerotium,Astragalus root, Codonopsis root, Chinese White Peony root, Chinese Licorice root, Aged Tangerine rind
Other Ingredients: Vegetarian capsules (Pullulan caps 100% natural, water-soluble polysaccharide produced through a fermentation process; vegetable origin; non-GMO; no starch, preservative or chemical modifications; gluten free.), rice powder.
Usage: Take 3 capsules, 2 times per day or as directed by a healthcare professional
Remember Ron Teeguarden’s “First Rule of Tonic Herbalism,” summed up in a single word –Compliance. If you don’t take the herbs, they won’t work.”
