Unbound

Supports healthy muscle and connective tissue recovery. Traditionally used to support supple, strong, and comfortable soft tissue in the body. ∞

The classical Chinese herbal formulas Gua Lou Gui Zhi Tang and Dang Gui Jian Zhong Tang are used synergistically to rebuild the body’s depleted blood and body fluid. According to the source texts, these depletions can lead to soft-tissue tension, dryness, and structural pain. Exhaustion of blood and body fluid may come about due to traumatic injury, chronic illness, child birth, extreme exercise or exertion etc. Here, exhaustion of fluids means to have lost body fluid via blood, sweat, bowels or urination to a degree that it has negatively impacted the organ systems needed to replenish fluid.
Primarily the spleen and stomach are the organs affected in this situation. When they become too dry, they have a hard time simply absorbing fluid from the food and water we consume. You can think of this as dry top soil that has baked in the sun’s extreme heat for a long time, leaving a leathery dense texture. This soil will not easily absorb water from rainfall, instead it will run off to the nearest drainage point, exacerbating the problem. The earth must be softened or broken up in order to receive fluid at this point. This is the task of these herbal formulas, as presented in their source texts. Chinese Medicine describes the soft tissue of the body as “earth flesh”, and the Spleen/Stomach are the organs that are in charge of regulating its moisture, suppleness, and general health.
When the Tai Yang (most superficial layer of the body) is not getting adequate qi (energy) and blood, one of the first symptoms to show up is extreme tension along the back of the neck, down the spine and into the backs of the legs, or along any part of this pathway. This surface layer is our protective barrier against the pathogenic influences outside of us, and functionally it works kind of like our immune system. When it isn’t working properly, we tend to catch colds easily or get stuck in an unfortunate state of “not quite sick but kind of feel like it”.
On the other hand, the Tai Yin layer is much deeper in the body and tends to be damaged when the surface layer (Tai Yang) is chronically locked down or by other factors that lead to a diminished spleen function. Internal causes of a weakened spleen can be emotional, such as worry or rumination. They can be dietary, caused by consumption of cold foods and drinks or other difficult to digest foods such as excess raw foods, dairy, gluten, refined sugars or processed convenience “food”. Also, chronic exposure to cold, damp environments can damage the spleen’s function over time. This is all part of the feedback loop that is the human body.
In order to resolve the resulting muscle tension, imbalance or pain, we have to restore proper circulation to both Tai Yin and Tai Yang layers and the rest will take care of itself. Using herbs to warm and support spleen function is the key to creating balance in the Tai Yin layer of the body, whereas restoring blood and qi circulation to the surface of the body is the key to resolving a stuck Tai Yang layer.
The herbs that make up Unbound  have been used traditionally to achieve these actions. We have also included three herbs traditionally known to support blood circulation and symptomatic pain relief. Together, this formula works towards softening the earth flesh (spleen/stomach) and allowing it to once more absorb and utilize the moisture coming in from food and drink. The spleen can be free to do its all-important task of turning those nutrients into blood and body fluid, and dispersing them to the thirsty soft tissues of the body. Now the body is in a balance that allows the earth flesh to relax its tension, inflammation to resolve, and pain to be relieved.  When these systems are all working harmoniously in the body and muscles are well nourished, they become more responsive to exercise and strength training.
This formula can be taken short or long-term for patterns that fit this description. It can also be used preventatively as needed, when the body has experienced any of the causative factors listed above, but symptoms are not yet felt..

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Imbalance addressed: Tai Yang + Tai Yin combination disorder, tetany, fluid exhaustion, obstruction of sinews, blood deficiency

Formula Action: release tai yang, generate fluids, unobstruct the sinews, fortify the center, supplement blood and qi, relax tension, relieve pain, dispel blood stasis, reduce inflammation

Base formula: Gua Lou Gui Zhi Tang + Dang Gui Jian Zhong Tang/Nei Bu Xiang Gui Jian Zhong Tang  (Trichosanthes and Cinnamon Decoction + Angelica Center Fortifying Decoction)

Ingredients*: Tian hua fen, Gui zhi, Bai shao, Da zao, Gan cao, Sheng jiang, Dang gui, Yi tang (tricosanthes root, cinnamon twig, peony tree bark, jujube fruid, licorice root, fresh ginger root, dong-quai, barley malt sugar)

Additional, symptomatic herbs: chuan xiong, ru xiang, mo yao (Chinese lovage root, frankincense resin, myrrh resin)

Source Text(s): Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essential Prescriptions of the Golden Cabinet), Qian Jin Fang (Thousand Gold Pieces Prescriptions

Additional ingredients: Filtered water, Non-GMO cane sugar alcohol

*Organic, Non-GMO herbs are used whenever available, all herbs used undergo laboratory testing to ensure they are free from possible impurities or contaminants.

∞These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. The information in this article is for educational purposes only. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.