In Classical Chinese Medicine, the immune system is thought to consist of two major parts.

There’s defenses within the body as we usually think, but there’s also an external component as well.

The external immune system is the body’s inherent ability to ward off outside invaders from entering the body – sort of like a castle’s walls, or the moat which makes it much more difficult for anything to get in close.

The external immune system is a surface-level defense energy called “Wei Qi”.

It is the defensive energy coursing through the outer layers of our body like a shield to protect us.

Wei Qi is nourished by the air that we breathe and the foods that we eat. Air quality and diet can directly affect our protective energy.

The circulation and activation of Wei Qi is propelled by the energy of the Spleen and Lungs.

Wind is considered the major cause of illness in classical patterns of disharmony. It is the primary transporter for most external invasions.

It combines readily with other environmental risk factors, giving rise to syndromes known as wind-cold, wind-heat, and wind-dampness. Each of which has unique, and distinguishable symptoms.

The worst part?

Science (and traditional healing arts) both confirm that stress and fear weaken our immune system.

With that in mind, I realized, people had to know.

You can actually alleviate the effect stress has naturally as well as nourish and fortify the body against external stressors such as fear and change.
It's done through the use of tonic herbs.

You see, in terms of the life-sustaining energies (Jing, Qi, Shen), stress drains them all - that's one sure fire way to upset the body's innate immune functions.

To plug the leak, and counteract the effects that stress has had already, it's essential to ensure Jing, Qi, AND Shen are each tonified, and restored to balance.

When Wei Qi is weak, the wind can invade.

Since Wei Qi is controlled by the respiratory system, the sinuses, throat, and mucous membranes are commonly affected by external invasion.

The symptoms are usually acute and have a shorter duration than internal conditions.

However, if the body’s external defenses are not carefully nurtured then the issues may drive deeper; eventually leading to more severe and unpleasant symptoms.

Luckily, there are a number of solutions found directly in nature that are known to positively influence Wei Qi.

You may have heard of a few of them including Reishi, Astragalus, Schisandra, and Gynostemma.

Each of them is carefully crafted into some of our own defense fortifying formulations.