Move qi
Hou Po
厚朴
Magnolia bark
Magnolia officinalis
Moves qi and dries damp in a stuck, full abdomen.
Not for self-dosing. This page is not a formula, not a strength, and not a substitute for a licensed herbalist or physician.
Category
Warm · Bitter, Acrid
Meridians entered
Traditional uses
A downward, aromatic bark for distension, especially when damp and food sit together. Also used for wheezing framed as phlegm above. Not a laxative to experiment with.
Common pairings
- Chen Pi 陈皮
Two qi movers. Hou Po is heavier and more for distension.
- Mu Xiang 木香
When the abdomen is both full and painful in a qi-stuck teaching case.
Cautions
Not for self-dosing. Care in pregnancy. Drying. Magnolia bark products vary in species.
Points with a similar aim
Celestial Pivot
Level with the navel, the Large Intestine alarm point.
Use caution
Upper Great Void
Below ST36, the large-intestine he-sea on the leg.
Large Intestine Shu
Low-back point for the large intestine shu and local ache.
Branch Ditch
Forearm point classically paired with stuck stools and rib-side tightness.
Celestial Prominence
The throat notch. Learn the landmark. Do not press it.
Use caution