Gui Pi Tang

Restore the Spleen Decoction

Nourish the Heart • Strengthen the Spleen • Build Qi & Blood • Calm the Shen

Gui Pi Tang is one of the most important classical formulas for addressing Heart and Spleen Qi and Blood deficiency, particularly when emotional stress, mental overactivity, and digestive weakness combine to disturb sleep, memory, and emotional balance. First recorded in the traditional medical literature of Chinese herbalism, it has become a cornerstone formula for nourishing the relationship between the Spleen’s ability to generate Blood and the Heart’s need for adequate nourishment to house the Shen.

Unlike formulas that primarily sedate or calm the mind, Gui Pi Tang works by rebuilding the resources that allow the Heart and Shen to settle naturally. When patients present with insomnia, excessive thinking, forgetfulness, fatigue, anxiety, and signs of deficiency, this formula often becomes a practitioner’s first consideration.

Beyond sleep disorders, Gui Pi Tang has earned a reputation for supporting complex deficiency patterns where stress, overwork, postpartum depletion, or chronic fatigue have weakened the Spleen’s ability to transform nutrients into Qi and Blood.

Traditional Indications

• Insomnia due to Blood deficiency
• Excessive thinking and mental overactivity
• Anxiety with fatigue
• Poor memory and forgetfulness
• Palpitations
• Dizziness
• Low appetite
• Fatigue and weakness
• Pale complexion
• Irregular menstruation due to deficiency
• Spotting or bleeding tendencies
• Postpartum Qi and Blood deficiency

TCM Pattern

Heart/Spleen Qi and Blood Deficiency

Gui Pi Tang strengthens the Spleen, nourishes Heart Blood, tonifies Qi, calms the Shen, and restores the body’s ability to create and maintain the nourishment required for healthy sleep, cognition, and emotional stability.

Modern Clinical Applications

Many practitioners reach for Gui Pi Tang when supporting patients experiencing:

• Stress-related insomnia
• Difficulty falling asleep due to overthinking
• Fatigue with anxiety or emotional exhaustion
• Brain fog and poor concentration
• Memory challenges associated with deficiency
• Postpartum depletion
• Fertility patients with fatigue and Blood deficiency patterns
• Menstrual irregularities linked to stress and exhaustion
• Anxiety accompanied by digestive weakness
• Chronic patterns of overwork and depletion

Its unique ability to simultaneously support digestion, cognition, and emotional regulation makes it one of the most versatile deficiency formulas in clinical practice.

Ingredients

Ren Shen — 7.5%
Huang Qi — 7.5%
Bai Zhu — 7.5%
Fu Ling — 7.5%
Zhi Gan Cao — 5%
Suan Zao Ren — 7.5%
Long Yan Rou — 7.5%
Dang Gui — 7.5%
Yuan Zhi — 7.5%
Mu Xiang — 5%
Sheng Jiang — 2.5%
Da Zao — 5%

Based on classical ratios and standard modifications

Crafted using our signature Two-Cured Decoction™ process—combining a traditional hot water decoction with a secondary high-proof alcohol extraction—to capture both water-soluble and alcohol-soluble herbal constituents for a full-spectrum tincture.

Practitioner Favorites

Anxiety with Phlegm & Mental Restlessness

60% Gui Pi Tang + 40% Wen Dan Tang

Excellent when Heart/Spleen deficiency is complicated by phlegm accumulation, producing anxious thoughts, mental congestion, restlessness, and difficulty settling the mind.

Insomnia with Heat & Deficiency

50% Gui Pi Tang + 50% Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan

A favorite combination when deficient patterns contribute to insomnia with heat signs, irritability, restlessness, dry sensations, or difficulty staying asleep.

Single Herb Pairings

For further customization, consider adding:

Mu Li or Ye Jiao Teng — when deeper sleep support and stronger Shen calming are needed.

Bai Shao — when cramping, abdominal tension, or additional Blood nourishment is required.

Urban Herbs Practitioner Advantage

Every 16 oz amber bottle is designed for fast, customized dispensing in clinical practice. Blend Gui Pi Tang with complementary formulas to create individualized prescriptions in minutes—giving your patients the convenience of a liquid tincture while providing your practice with a flexible, space-saving herbal pharmacy.

Double-extracted. Ready to dispense. Built for practitioners.

Why Practitioners Keep Gui Pi Tang on the Shelf

Every practitioner eventually encounters the patient who says,

"My mind will not shut off. I’m exhausted, but I cannot sleep."

That patient is often the classic Gui Pi Tang presentation.

Its ability to rebuild Qi and Blood while calming the Shen makes it unlike formulas that simply address symptoms of anxiety or insomnia. Gui Pi Tang recognizes that an unsettled mind may be rooted in a body that lacks the nourishment needed to anchor it.

Practitioners frequently reach for Gui Pi Tang when treating:

• Students under intense mental pressure
• Professionals experiencing burnout and exhaustion
• Postpartum mothers needing restoration
• Fertility patients with deficiency patterns
• Insomnia with excessive thinking
• Anxiety accompanied by digestive weakness
• Forgetfulness and poor concentration
• Stress-related menstrual irregularities
• Chronic fatigue with signs of Blood deficiency

Because Urban Herbs tinctures are designed for blending, Gui Pi Tang becomes even more versatile when combined with formulas that transform phlegm, nourish Yin, or address deeper sleep disturbances.

For many practitioners, it is the formula they reach for when the mind is overactive because the Heart is undernourished and the Spleen is depleted.

One bottle. A timeless solution for restoring the connection between digestion, Blood, sleep, and the Shen.

Practitioner Snapshot

Category

Qi & Blood Tonifying Formulas

Primary Actions

• Tonifies Spleen Qi
• Nourishes Heart Blood
• Calms the Shen
• Supports Memory & Concentration
• Strengthens Digestive Function
• Helps Restore Qi and Blood Balance

Best For

• Insomnia with overthinking
• Anxiety with fatigue
• Forgetfulness
• Poor concentration
• Postpartum deficiency
• Fertility support patterns
• Stress-related depletion
• Heart/Spleen deficiency

Pairs Well With

• Wen Dan Tang
• Tian Wang Bu Xin Dan
• Suan Zao Ren Tang
• Xiao Yao San
• Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang

Clinical Personality

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Heart & Spleen Nourishing
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Shen Calming
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Qi & Blood Building
⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ Sleep Supporting
⭐⭐⭐☆☆ Digestive Strengthening

Clinical Pearl

Gui Pi Tang is one of the classic formulas every practitioner associates with the phrase “the scholar’s formula.” Its hallmark indication is a patient who has spent too much energy thinking, worrying, studying, working, or caring for others—eventually leaving the Spleen unable to generate enough Qi and Blood to nourish the Heart.

While famous for insomnia and excessive thinking, Gui Pi Tang’s deeper significance lies in restoring the connection between digestion, Blood production, and emotional stability. Its ability to strengthen the Spleen while nourishing Heart Blood makes it one of the most clinically valuable formulas for deficiency-based anxiety, cognitive fatigue, and sleep disturbances.