By Gabriel Mojay
Published 1999 by Healing Arts Press
Gabriel Mojay succinctly provides us with the foundations of TCM in describing the principles of Yin and Yang and the role of the Five Elements, how they interact to support health and wellbeing, and what happens when the elements are out of balance.
For those of us not familiar with TCM terms, the words Shen, Yi, Po, Zhi and Hun may be just as foreign as many of the pharmacological terms used to describe the actions of essential oils. It may also be very tempting to confuse the functions of the meridians with the Western description of the body organs in anatomy and physiology. Therefore, it is reassuring that Gabriel has provided us with succinct and simple explanations so that when we read each essential oil profile, we can all understand what he means when he, for example, describes melissa as:
Harmonising both the Mind (Shen) and the Ethereal Soul (Hun), melissa is important for depression – particularly in those who are emotionally sensitive and do not respond well to pressure.
As the title of the book suggests, Gabriel has focused on the emotional, psychological and spiritual aspects of TCM and aromatherapy. I love the section on depression. He explains how we can better select essential oils for depression if we understand how a disharmony of any one of the Five Elements may lead to depression.
If this book is not already in your library, do yourself a favour and get hold of a copy now!
