Bark of Silktree Albizzia Classic Formulas

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Calms the spirit and relieves emotional constraint - the signature bark herb for depression, anxiety, insomnia, irritability, grief, and constrained Liver-Heart disharmony when the Shen cannot rest.
Invigorates Blood and reduces swelling - used for traumatic injury, pain from bruising or fracture, and localized swelling where emotional trauma and physical trauma may coexist.
Unblocks the collaterals and promotes healing - later tradition extends He Huan Pi to sinew and bone recovery when tenderness, pain, and constrained circulation slow repair.
Relieves constraint gently rather than heavily sedating - especially valued when emotional symptoms are driven by stagnation, rumination, or sadness rather than strong heat or phlegm-fire excess.

Huang Hun Tang (黄昏汤) - a classical single-herb or bark-centered use of He Huan Pi recorded in Qian Jin Fang for Lung abscess and internal suppurative heat.
Modified Xiao Yao San-type prescriptions (逍遥散加减) - later clinical tradition often adds He Huan Pi when Liver constraint presents with depression, insomnia, or persistent emotional agitation.
Trauma and swelling formulas may combine He Huan Pi with Ru Xiang, Mo Yao, and other blood-moving herbs when emotional upset accompanies bruising or injury.

Shen Nong Ben Cao Jing records He Huan Pi as bringing joy and easing constraint, the classical root of its enduring use for sadness, worry, and disturbed sleep.
Ben Cao Yan Yi Bu Yi and related later texts describe He Huan Pi as treating injury from falls, reconnecting sinews and bones, and reducing swelling after trauma.
Modern Me & Qi teaching materials preserve both sides of the tradition: He Huan Pi for emotional disorders and for physical injury with swelling or pain.