Panax Ginseng is one of the most valued and famous of Chinese herbs. It has been held in awe, loved, cherished and sought out by the peoples of the Far East for thousands of years.

For almost seven thousand years it has been the most omnipotent of medicinal herbs for the Chinese. There have even been wars fought over the forests where it grows, and old wild grown roots command higher prices than any other plant in history. In fact there is a huge wild root on exhibition in Moscow that has been valued at over $25,000.

Ginseng has gone by many names and is best known in Chinese as Ren Shen. Ren Shen translates to mean man-root but as for much of the Chinese language there is hidden depths within the characters. A more complete translation would be "crystallization of the essence of the earth in the form of a man."

It as been said to look for Ginseng where a bolt of lightening strikes a clear spring, for the fusion of fire energy, water cohesiveness and earthly solidity produces the crystallized essence.

As mentioned in its name the ren shen root can often take the shape of a man, it is difficult to find and grows deep in deciduous forests in rich loam and with a preference for shaded and inaccessible places. There are legends that some of the collectors used to try to find it at night. They say that it glows at night and would fire arrows at the glow, then search out the arrow in the day light. One explanation for this tale is that glow-worms are attracted to the plant but some prefer the more ghostly explanations.

Ginseng was never a common plant and today it is extremely rare to find in the wild. Most of the plants in use today come from cultivated sources. Wild ginseng, when available, still commands very high prices as it is quite different in consistency and taste to cultivated ginseng and many believe it to carry greater benefits.

Even cultivated ginseng is an expensive herb, it is difficult and finicky to grow and is not harvested till seven years old. It is however readily available and is not at risk of extinction as the wild root is. Ginseng is grown in many areas, with Korea, China and America being the most common. Russia also grows ginseng but one should not confuse the Siberian Ginseng (Eleutherococcus senticosus) with Panax Ginseng they are not the same, nor is their use in Chinese medicine the same.

So why is Ginseng such a valuable herb? What is it used for?

In Chinese medicine ginseng is considered a powerful Qi tonic, it is able to replenish the qi of organs and meridians. And since qi is the essential energy or vitality of life it is fundamental to life itself. Over 2000 years ago one of the most famous herbalists from China Shen Nung said "Ginseng is a tonic to the five viscera, quieting the animal spirits, stabilizing the soul, preventing fear, expelling the vicious energies, brightening the eye and improving vision, opening up the heart benefiting the understanding, and if taken for some time will invigorate the body and prolong life."

In modern times ginseng is said to possess non-specific restorative qualities. It can strengthen your ability to deal with stress effects, improve your metabolic efficiency, help you maintain physical or mental activity, promotes the function and strength of your immune system and much more. In essence it supplements the functional capacity of your being, it supplements your Qi.

Ginseng can be used by both men and women, it can enhance strength, beauty and stamina. It can help those who study, meditate, perform yoga or tai chi. It athletes perform sports or those whose work can demand long endurance either physical or mental.

The ancients believed that ginseng has the strongest ability of all herbs to absorb the energy from the earth. It absorbs the Five Elemental energies, which are then available in abundance to anyone who consumes it. They understood that ginseng is capable of extending the powers of adaptability to any who consume it.

Those that use it wisely (as in all things, over use is not always wise) can become radiantly healthy beings, with an adaptive freedom unsurpassed by others.