Yue Ju Wan: Your Guide to a Classic Stress-Relieving Herbal Formula
Hongji Medical- Jan 30
- 5 min read
Yue Ju Wan, also known as the "Stress-Relieving Pill," is a traditional Chinese herbal formula from the book Danxi's Heart Method, written by Zhu Zhenheng, a renowned doctor from the Yuan Dynasty.
This formula is designed to ease what traditional Chinese medicine calls the "Six Stagnations"—blockages in the body’s energy flow that can cause discomfort like chest tightness, bloating, or indigestion.
What’s in Yue Ju Wan?
Yue Ju Wan is made from five herbs, each with a unique role in restoring balance:
Nutgrass (Xiang Fu): The star of the formula, nutgrass helps smooth the flow of qi (energy) to relieve stress and stagnation.
Sichuan Lovage (Chuan Xiong): Known as a "blood mover," this herb boosts circulation and supports nutgrass in easing energy blockages.
Atractylodes (Cang Zhu): This herb dries dampness in the body, helping with bloating and sluggish digestion.
Gardenia (Zhi Zi): Gardenia cools the body, reducing heat and irritability.
Fermented Barley (Shen Qu): This aids digestion, soothing the stomach and clearing food stagnation.
Each herb is used in equal amounts, typically 6–10 grams, ground into a powder and formed into small pills or boiled into a tea. You can take 6–9 grams of the pills with warm water or drink the tea as directed.
How Yue Ju Wan Works
The "Six Stagnations" refer to blockages in qi, blood, dampness, heat, phlegm, and food. When these build up, you might feel bloated, irritable, or nauseous. Yue Ju Wan tackles these by:
Clearing qi stagnation to improve energy flow.
Boosting blood circulation to reduce tension.
Drying dampness to ease bloating.
Cooling heat to calm irritability.
Aiding digestion to relieve food-related discomfort.
By addressing these issues, Yue Ju Wan helps the body return to balance, reducing symptoms and promoting overall well-being.
Modern Uses
Today, Yue Ju Wan is used for a variety of conditions linked to stagnation, including:
Digestive Issues: Stomach pain, ulcers, chronic gastritis, gallbladder problems, or hepatitis.
Nervous System Problems: Migraines, nerve pain, or even epilepsy in some cases.
Women’s Health: Painful periods, irregular cycles, or pelvic inflammation.
Mental Health: Stress, anxiety, or menopausal symptoms.
How It Targets Stagnation
The root of many discomforts is qi stagnation—when the body’s energy gets stuck. This can disrupt blood flow, trap moisture, or weaken digestion, creating a cycle of worsening symptoms.
Yue Ju Wan breaks this cycle by promoting smooth qi flow, which helps resolve blood, dampness, heat, phlegm, and food stagnation. As the body’s systems start working together again, symptoms like bloating or irritability fade.
Things to Keep in Mind
While Yue Ju Wan is effective, it’s not for everyone. Here are some tips:
Use with Caution: The herbs are warming and drying, so if you have low body fluids (like chronic dryness), consult a practitioner first.
Tailor the Formula: A trained herbalist can adjust the herbs based on your symptoms. For example, more nutgrass for qi issues, more Sichuan lovage for blood stagnation, or extra fermented barley for digestive problems.
Add Herbs for Phlegm: If phlegm is a problem (like chronic mucus), herbs like pinellia or tangerine peel can be added.
Always Consult an Expert: Traditional Chinese medicine relies on matching the remedy to your specific condition, so work with a professional for the best results.
Why Yue Ju Wan Matters
Yue Ju Wan has been trusted for centuries to relieve physical and emotional discomfort caused by stagnation. Its blend of herbs offers a natural way to restore balance, making it a valuable tool in both ancient and modern medicine. By understanding how it works, you can explore this time-tested remedy with confidence, under the guidance of a qualified practitioner.
Chinese Name | 越鞠丸 |
Phonetic | Yue Ju Wan |
English Name | Constraint-Resolving Pill |
Classification | Qi-regulating formulas |
Source | 《Teachings of [Zhu] Dan-xi》Dan Xi Xin Fa《丹溪心法》 |
Combination | Cyperi Rhizoma (Xiang Fu) 6-9g, Chuanxiong Rhizoma (Chuan Xiong) 6-9g, Atractylodis Rhizoma (Cang Zhu) 6-9g, Gardeniae Fructus (Zhi Zi) 6-9g, Medicata Massa Fermentata (Shen Qu) 6-9g |
Method | Grind all of the ingredients into powder. Form the powder into pills the size of a mung bean using water. (Modern use: Process into water pills. One dose is approximately six to nine grams, taken with warm water. It can also be prepared as a decoction.) |
Action | Moves qi and resolves constraint. |
Indication | Yue Ju Wan is indicated for the pattern of six constraints. The symptoms are chest oppression, epigastric and abdominal distention or pain, eructation with fetid odor, acid swallowing, nausea, vomiting, and indigestion. |
Pathogenesis | Yue Ju Wan treats the pattern of six constraints: qi constraint, blood constraint, phlegm constraint, fire constraint, damp constraint, and food constraint. Of these, qi constraint is the major pathomechanism as qi is the root of human life. When qi movement is balanced and its perpetual circulation of ascending, descending, exiting, and entering is in order, the zang-fu organ functions can be regulated and the extremities and joints soothed. Irregular bouts of happiness and anger, excessive worry, being too hot or too cold, or an imbalanced diet can cause a qi movement disorder to develop into a disease. Qi stagnation can hinder blood circulation and lead to blood constraint. When qi stagnation affects the body fluid distribution, it leads to damp and phlegm constraint. When it affects the transformation and transportation of the spleen and the receiving of the stomach, it leads to food constraint. If qi constraint is not resolved, it will generate heat and transform into fire. All of the constraints follow qi constraint. Here, the six constraints are already established, so there is chest oppression, epigastric and abdominal pain and distention, acid swallowing, vomiting, and indigestion. Qi constraint is the primary pattern of this formula, yet qi constraint, blood constraint, fire constraint, damp constraint, phlegm constraint, and food stagnation are related with each other. The primary therapeutic principle is to move qi and resolve constraint. Resolving the other constraints is secondary. The smooth flow of qi promotes blood circulation and resolves phlegm, fire, damp, and food constraint simultaneously. |
Application | 1. Essential pattern differentiation Yue Ju Wan is the representative formula used to treat six constraints. This clinical pattern is marked by chest oppression, epigastric and abdominal pain and distention, indigestion. 2. Modern applications This formula may be used in the following biomedically defined disorders, when the patient shows signs of the six constraints pattern: gastric neurosis, gastric and duodenal ulcers, chronic gastritis, cholelithiasis, cholecystitis, hepatitis, intercostal neuralgia, women's dysmenorrhea, and irregular menstruation. 3. Cautions and contraindications Most of the medicinals in this formula are warm and dry with the action to move and disperse; therefore, it should be used cautiously in cases of yin deficiency. |
