Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is an intricate Eastern medical framework that approaches health from a standpoint of viewing the body in a state of harmony between its functions and purposes. Everything is interconnected, even to the world around us and changing seasons and elements. Its holistic approach diagnoses disease or feelings of unwellness as being a disruption in the usual patterns and flow of health and energy, and TCM's incredibly detailed system is well known for healing through use of diet, exercise, herbs, and acupuncture which bring the body back into balance for optimal functioning. Childbirth is a unique time period in a woman's life where she is depleted from loss of blood and energy. TCM seeks to support the postpartum phase through a variety of means to the body. The overarching principles which guide this are that of yin and yang - opposing yet interconnected terms originally used to describe the two sides of a hill, one shady and one sunny. Generally, symptoms in the body are classified as yin (cold/wet/damp/pale) or yang (heat/energy/vigor/inflammation). When working together, the body is in balance; when one is in deficiency or excess, defenses are down, and there is potential for disharmony to occur. Post-childbirth is seen as a time of "yang deficiency" due to the common symptoms experienced. This is not a diagnosis outside of or different from Western Medicine other than the terminology labels and treatment modality explored. TCM does not ignore science or anatomy, rather works with it through methods based on a history of observation connecting everything in the body together and witnessing how certain conditions or ailments are healed by supporting or targeting corresponding organs or pathways that run throughout the body. In TCM, a woman would not be given raw, cold foods, or ice packs following the birth, as these have been shown to continue feeding excessive "yin symptoms" rather than returning balance to the body. Instead, a time of rest, shutting in, warm compresses, and cooked nourishing foods would be recommended. I personally am not a TCM practitioner. The TCM-inspired method of placenta encapsulation was inspired by the philosophy of TCM principles to assist the postpartum body in holistic, gentle healing, upholding the placenta as a powerful life-giving force. To prepare the capsules using the TCM-inspired method, the placenta is cleaned, drained, and lightly steamed with lemon (an antiseptic to help distribute the placenta throughout the body), ginger (a soothing, warming herb, lending itself to energy and good circulation),before dehydrating in order to further enhance the already medicinal properties of the placenta. This method was created by Raven Lang, a midwife, teacher, and practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, and was first introduced to North America in the '80s at a Midwives Alliance of North America (MANA) conference. It remains today the most popular method of encapsulation, and for good reason! Dried placenta had already been used for over a thousand years as part of Chinese Herbalism to address many issues in the body (see the Research and Benefits page for further info) as well as for tonification and healing postpartum women with its variety of warming, hormonal, and nutritional components.