Classic formula · Harmonize
Xiao Yao San
逍遥散 Rambling Powder
The most used formula in the world for stress. For Liver qi stagnation sitting on a tired, blood-deficient body: tense and moody, tight under the ribs, sighing, bloated, tired, eating badly, with headaches, breast tenderness, and a cycle that is irregular or painful. It frees the Liver, feeds the Spleen, and builds blood in one.
A river dammed by stress, with dry banks and a tired farmer downstream. Bupleurum opens the dam, peony and angelica wet the banks, and atractylodes and poria feed the farmer. The name means to wander free and easy, which is how a person feels when the dam opens.
Also sold as: Xiao Yao Wan · Free and Easy Wanderer · Relaxed Wanderer Teapills · Bupleurum and Dang Gui Formula
Who Xiao Yao San is for
This formula is chosen for 3 patterns. Match your own picture before you match the name.
Signs it is classically given for
- Tension, moodiness, irritability, or low mood from stress
- Tightness or pain under the ribs
- Frequent sighing
- Bloating and digestion that swings with mood
- Tiredness with poor appetite
- Headache at the temples, dizziness
- Dry mouth and throat, a bitter taste
- Breast tenderness before a period
- Irregular or painful periods, premenstrual moods
- Tongue
- Pale red, possibly with a thin white coat.
- Pulse
- Wiry and weak.
What is in Xiao Yao San
Amounts are the classic decoction range in grams. Patent pills use the same herbs in the same proportion, so read the box for these names.
| Herb | Amount | Role | Job in the formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chai Hu Chinese Thorowax Root Use caution | 9 g | Chief | Bupleurum opens the Liver and lifts the mood. |
| Dang Gui Root of Chinese Angelica Use caution | 9 g | Deputy | Angelica nourishes and moves the Liver's blood. |
| Bai Shao White Peony Root | 9 g | Deputy | White peony softens the Liver, nourishes blood, and eases cramping. |
| Bai Zhu Rhizome of Largehead Atractylodes | 9 g | Assistant | Atractylodes strengthens the Spleen the Liver has been bullying. |
| Fu Ling Poria | 9 g | Assistant | Poria drains damp and calms the mind. |
| Zhi Gan Cao Honey-Fried Licorice Root Use caution | 5 g | Envoy | Honey-fried licorice harmonizes and supports the middle. |
| Bo He Peppermint Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Mint, a small dose added late, helps bupleurum spread the Liver qi. |
| Sheng Jiang Fresh Ginger Use caution | 3 g | Envoy | Ginger, roasted in the classic, warms the Stomach. |
How Xiao Yao San works
Stress jams the Liver, and a jammed Liver both starves itself of blood and bullies the digestion. So the formula does three jobs at once: bupleurum and mint open the jam, angelica and peony refill the Liver's blood so it stays open, and atractylodes, poria, and licorice rebuild the Spleen. Treating only the stress or only the tiredness fails; this treats the loop.
Actions in classic terms
- Spreads Liver qi and relieves stagnation
- Strengthens the Spleen
- Nourishes blood
Common changes to Xiao Yao San
A practitioner rarely gives the bare formula. These are the classic additions for a specific picture.
- Heat: irritability tipping into anger, a red face, hot flashes, early or heavy periods add Mu Dan Pi, Zhi Zi This becomes Jia Wei Xiao Yao San.
- Breast lumps and tenderness add Xiang Fu, Chuan Lian Zi Stronger qi movers for the breast.
- Painful periods with clots add Chuan Xiong, Yi Mu Cao Blood movers for the cycle.
- Poor sleep from a racing mind add Suan Zao Ren, He Huan Pi Calming herbs.
Cautions with Xiao Yao San
- Mildly drying. For rib pain in a dry person with a red peeled tongue and a dry mouth, Yi Guan Jian fits better.
- Not for stagnation that has turned to real fire with a thick yellow coat; step up to Jia Wei Xiao Yao San or Long Dan Xie Gan Tang.
- Pause during a cold or flu.
- Pregnancy: use only under a qualified practitioner.
Forms and typical dose
Sold as teapills, concentrated tablets, granules, powder, decoction.
- Teapills
- 8 pills, three times a day with warm water, the usual label dose
- Decoction
- One bag a day in two doses. Mint goes in for the last few minutes.
- Course
- Two weeks for stress; two to three cycles for menstrual use.
Follow the label of the brand you buy. Pill sizes differ between makers.
Buying Xiao Yao San
The box reads Xiao Yao Wan or Xiao Yao San with the characters 逍遥. Eight ingredients led by Bupleurum, Angelica, and White peony. If Moutan and Gardenia are on the list it is Jia Wei Xiao Yao San, the heat version.
Brand comparisons for formulas live on Supplements Apothecary, the buying side of this library.
Formulas often confused with Xiao Yao San
- Jia Wei Xiao Yao San 加味逍遥散 The same plus peony bark and gardenia for heat. The more common choice when anger, flushing, or heavy periods are present.
- Chai Hu Shu Gan San 柴胡疏肝散 Pure qi moving for rib and chest pain, with no Spleen or blood support.
- Si Ni San 四逆散 Four herbs for stagnation with cold fingers and toes on a warm body.
- Yi Guan Jian 一贯煎 For the stuck Liver in a dry, yin-deficient person.
Conditions where Xiao Yao San comes up
Sources
- Bensky, Scheid, Ellis and Barolet, Chinese Herbal Medicine: Formulas and Strategies, 2nd edition Composition, actions, indications, cautions, and modifications.
Important Note
Formula pages describe classic use so you can read a label, ask a better question, and find the right monographs. They are education, not a prescription. A formula that fits the wrong pattern can make things worse, so match the picture first.