Adaptogens Help us Meet Modern Demands

The class of herbs known as adaptogens have gained popularity as a solution for the challenges of modern life. For most of us, life is far different from that of our grandparents. Our lives are more hectic. Besides many more diverse experiences, demands have changed too. Needing to keep up with the pace of busy schedules creates a unique aspect of modern society: constant emotional stress. We navigate through traffic jams in concrete caverns, struggle with our depleted bank account, worry if the kids will make it home safe from school, or agonize over the difficult relationship with our boss, co-worker or family member.

The constant stress and anxiety are more debilitating than most people are consciously aware of experiencing. It erodes and diminishes our vitality and energy reserves in ways that the human system was not built to endure.

Dr. Hans Seyle, coiner of the term stress, stated that no living organism can exist healthily when enduring constant anxiety; we need to relax and enjoy life as well. A serious health pitfall in constant stress that is often ignored or unattended is adrenal exhaustion. Adrenal depletion is experienced by many people in varying degrees.

Our Hormonal Stress Response

The adrenals are the gateway to our autonomic nervous system. They contribute to governing and regulating the two branches of nervous response. The familiar adrenaline rush, often referred to as “fight or flight,” is technically called the sympathetic response; while the parasympathetic response allows us to relax after a stress trigger is diminished. Both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems flush adrenal hormones into our bloodstream as a response to stimuli.

The cascade of hormones of the sympathetic system are generated from fear, worry, anxiety, and other emotions. They cause our muscles to tighten, our breath to become shallow and our eyes to focus on specific details of images in our view.

The parasympathetic hormones flush into our brains and muscles when we eat a piece of cake, make love, create art and music, or experience enjoyment. These effects include a relaxing of the musculature (letting down our guard), widening vision and deeper breathing.

Stress and the Need to Build Stamina

As Dr. Seyle said, we need both of these responses in consistent interaction to be vibrant. Constant stress can wear us down until we are unable to access our true vitality or stand up for our rights. In time, we can lose our creative and adventurous drive because of the lack of energy reserves. Without this vital base energy, we can become vulnerable to disease and health disorders. If we can get away for a vacation to forget our troubles and obligations for a while, our adrenals would rejuvenate, and we might recover some stamina. But that may not be enough to refresh for the year ahead.

Herbal Remedies to Strengthen the Adrenals

Fortunately, there are a number of herbal plant-based remedies that have been shown to carry genetics and phytochemicals to help us regulate and balance the adrenal responses. In the 1940s, Russian Doctor Nicoli Lazarov studied Rhodiola rosea, a plant that grows in high Siberia. The local people claimed that taking Rhodiola fortified them for the harsh winters.

When studying the root structure, Dr Lazarov found it contained complex constituents and unique genetics to survive and flourish in the extreme environment. This robust and beautiful plant grows out of rocks in places where almost no other life exists.

Adaptogenic Rhodiola and Stress Relief

Lazarov’s studies found Rhodiola rosea could impart humans with nourishment of both the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems via the adrenals to support our circadian rhythms. For instance, when we need stimulation upon waking, tea of Rhodiola root has invigorating nutrients that provide energy. At night, when we want to wind down, Rhodilola also provides for calming. Lazarov created a word to identify these properties defined in Rhodiola rosea: adaptogen.

Plants as Adaptogens

Russian and Chinese researchers have identified other adaptogenic plants. Some of the herbs in the Chinese herbal pharmacopoeia include: Rhodiola sacra (Tibetan variety), Astragalus, Schizandra, Ginseng, Eleuthero, Reishi, Cordyceps, Gynostemma. Ayurvedic adaptogens include the super-rasayan (rejuvenative) Shilajit, the popular tea ingredient Tulsi (holy basil), Amla, and the root Ashwaghanda (Withania somnifera).

Other popular adaptogens include the Peruvian root Maca (Lepidium meyenii), and Chaga mushroom. In general, adaptogens are non-toxic and have non-specific, broad-spectrum therapeutic benefits. Used over time, they can help us restore bodily homeostasis. Adaptogenic herbs can be powerful allies when navigating today’s world. They can benefit athletes, creative and sexually active people, multi-taskers, and those who need clarity and maneuverability through their diverse experiences.

Adaptogens are available at health food stores and natural pharmacies. Since there are various grades of quality with herbs and fillers are sometimes added to herbal products, it is important to research the ingredients on product labels. You can contact the company or a health professional to ensure herbal products are pure, effective, and safe.

Including adaptogenic herbs in a daily health regimen will help balance stress, to support more actively pursuing goals, expressing creativity with confidence, and living with vitality and optimism.

Rehmannia Dean Thomas

Rehmannia Dean Thomas is President of Shaman Shack Herbs (shamanshackherbs.com) and creator of the online course on Tonic Herbalism (GateofLife.org). His books include Raw Chi, Shilajit; The Resin of Life, and Healing Thresholds.

www.shamanshackherbs.com

The post Adaptogens are Solutions for a Stressful Society appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Mushrooms, including reishi, are also known to affect the psyche and perception in ways that aren’t yet fully documented or understood scientifically. Reishi does not induce psychotropic experiences, but it appears to expand perception. Let me attempt to explain some possibilities for this potential, as well as delve into many mysteries around the origins of life on Earth and the role advanced fungi (including reishi) may play in consciousness.

Reishi Mushrooms and Astrobiology

Some revelations may exist in the study of Astrobiology. Many mycologists believe that mushrooms are extraterrestrial life forms, due in part to their taxonomic sovereignty and because fungal spores are capable of surviving space travel. Mushroom spores are microscopic and light enough to drift out of our atmosphere and into space (gravitropism), potentially making Earth a cosmic fungal sporulation lab. The spores are initially launched from the fruiting body cells through ballasting processes that may involve diamagnetic electrostatic repulsion, propelling them high enough into the air to be caught in wind currents. (1)

Astrobiologists proposed that basic archaea and much of Earth’s prokaryotic (single-celled) life is extraterrestrial

Beginning in the 1970s, Astrobiologists proposed that basic archaea and much of Earth’s prokaryotic (single-celled) life is extraterrestrial, having originally blown into our atmosphere or arrived in blocks of ice and on meteorites. (2) In the case of the mysterious red rain of Kerala, scientists discovered the tinting was caused by moisture capturing an extraterrestrial algae that was drifting into Earth’s atmosphere. The event was preceded by a sonic boom that may have been from a meteorite that entered our outer atmosphere and exploded, dispersing the algae.3 Such microbes are called extremophiles, due to their resilience under heat, cold and pressure. Extremophilic organisms are now thought to be responsible for seeding planets with biologically active life.

Origination of the Reishi Mushroom

During Earth’s early stages, it is thought that bacteria sought refuge from solar radiation inside the permeable fat-filled membranes of algae cells, this forming colonies that eventually created cooperative intercellular organelles and mitochondria, leading to the rise of complex multi-cellular (Eukaryotic) life. (4) I discussed in my book Threshold to the 4th Chakra that it is unlikely that bacteria alone created these cellular components. Bacteria remain in their own kingdom and perform many symbiotic actions within their milieu, but they do not become functioning DNA of larger organisms. These scientists overlook another important kingdom responsible for the rise of complex life; fungi may have supported the development of microtubules of cellular cytoplasm, which serves as the information transport system of the cell. By this, I believe that bacteria, algae and fungi combine to create higher life forms.

Fossils reveal that Earth’s earliest masses of carbon material, called stromatolites, were composed of lasagna-like layers of algae and bacteria, enabling nitrogen fixing, molybdenum oxidation and other important components for life. As this material decomposed, carbon substrates formed, creating a medium conducive to fungal sporulation, and tiny filaments of mycelia permeated the substrates, creating nutrient-delivery systems that were remote, thus introducing the conscious transfer of information. I believe that without fungal mycelia, life would merely be composed of tiny organisms living and dying to create sandwiched mounds of matter. While bacteria and algae do function consciously, they would have continued within this cooperative environment into perpetuity. It wasn’t until mycelinating fungi created neurologic systems that symbiotic multicellular life with higher consciousness evolved.

A Higher Conscious Life

The cytoplasm found in eukaryotic cells has no physical similarities to colonized bacteria, but it does resemble fungal mycelia in structure and function. And now, for the mystery question: If fungi, bacteria and algae combined to create higher conscious life, when and where did this original evolution take place? If these microbes, archaea, diatoms, and spores have been transported to Earth over potentially vast distances and over spans of time (or even through time travel), then where did they come from? The only answer we can assume is: everywhere.

Earth’s oldest rock samples (approx. 3.5 billion years before present) contain fossilized cyanobacteria (algae-mimicking bacteria that can engage in photosynthesis). (5 ) This indicates that they evolved somewhere long before Earth’s atmosphere was established. These considerations imply that Earthly life follows a pre-established order that is symbiotic with all life in the cosmos, and indicates a universal blueprint. Every celestial body in the universe may be dusted with bacteria, algae and spores, and, depending on a planet’s proximity to a star, they will begin a long process of creating and regulating an atmosphere that is conducive for life, where evolutionary patterns will progress to create environments and organisms that share common biology with our planet.

A Mystery Unsolved

Then again, we must ask, where did all this begin? We can only humble ourselves in the face of this mystery, but we can also know that there are worlds beyond ~ before and after, for, if these lifeforms arrived on early Earth, they must have evolved on planets identical to ours. As mentioned, bacteria are functional symbionts of biological activity; algae create oxygen atmospheres, which, along with bacteria can congeal to create carbon substrates, but the advanced fungi appear to be the harbingers of consciousness, allowing organisms to cooperate and contemplate life, and by which Humans might even someday discover and communicate with life on other worlds.

Where did all this begin? We can only humble ourselves in the face of this mystery.

We have long known that mushrooms benevolently affect consciousness. Reishi is not psychotropic and does not alter perception, but benefits mental clarity and helps instill a reverent attitude. Reishi enhances spiritual enlightenment, and seems to “weave us into the mycelial web of life.”

Read more about reishi and consciousness in Rehmannia Dean Thomas’ article here.

References
1. Trail, F. Fungal cannons: explosive spore discharge in the Ascomycota. FEMS
Microbiology Letters 276.1 (2007): 12-18

2.  Gibson, C., Schild, R., Wickranmanasinghe, C., The Origin of Life from Primordial planets. Int. Journal of Astrobiology (no date), UK

3. Louis, G., Kumar, S., The red rain of Kerala and its possible extraterrestrial origin. M. Gandhi Univ. press 2006.

4. Margulis, L., Symbiosis in cell evolution. New York: W.H. Freeman. 1981.

5. Schirrmeister, B., Gugger, M., Donologue, P., Cyanobacteria and the Great Oxidation Event: evidence from genes and fossils. Palaeontology, Vol. 58, issue 5, 2015 pg.769- 785.

Rehmannia Dean Thomas

Rehmannia Dean Thomas is President of Shaman Shack Herbs (shamanshackherbs.com) and creator of the online course on Tonic Herbalism (GateofLife.org). His books include Raw Chi, Shilajit; The Resin of Life, and Healing Thresholds.

www.shamanshackherbs.com

The post The Cosmic Origins of Reishi appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Reishi is a tree fungus that is highly revered throughout the history of Asian herbalism. Its Japanese name, reishi, is most commonly used. In China it is called lingzhi, and the Vietnamese name is linh chi; all of which mean “soul/spirit mushroom” or “supernatural mushroom.” Reishi is said to support a long, vibrant and beneficial life, and has earned the titles “mushroom of spiritual immortality,” and “good luck herb.” Its Western botanical name is Ganoderma lucidum, so named for its shiny upper surface.

Polypore Mushrooms

Reishi is a member of a class of tree mushrooms called Polypores, due to their fine porous bottom surface, as compared to the gilled underside of most common and edible mushrooms. Polypore mushrooms grow in forests on dead wood. High quality, semi-wild ganoderma is grown outside on cut logs, and commercial varieties are cultivated in controlled environments on moistened rice, oats, hay, and other substrates, with varying degrees of quality (1).

Polypore mushrooms are generally not edible, as the cellulose is tough and fibrous, with a lignin structural matrix similar to cork wood. The fruiting body and mycelia are used to create reishi products, but the fruiting body is thought to be the most valuable part for health. Cracked spore and spore oil products are recently available, but I believe breaking the spore cell wall is destructive to reishi’s natural design and intention.

Polypore mushrooms include varieties of reishi that vary in color, and its many cousins such as Ganoderma oregonese, chaga (Inonotus obliquus), maitake (Grifola fronderosa), Phellinus lintaeus, and turkey tail (Coriolus versicolor). These mushrooms are found growing in many regions, with varieties of ganoderma occurring around the world.

Cultural Significance

Many studies have proven the effectiveness of polypores for supporting general immunity (2), and reishi is also said to enhance spiritual perception. Its illustrious reputation was cultivated over thousands of years of experiential observation, and a great deal of Asian art and literature has documented reishi as a spiritual herb, although modern scientific analysis has not yet developed the mechanisms to evaluate these properties.

Chinese folklore attests that one who takes reishi can attain immortality, and that regular consumption can “initiate benevolent cycles of health.” My favorite saying is that reishi is a “bridge between Heaven and Earth.” Reishi is said to imbue immortality when taken regularly. “Celestial Immortals” have been described throughout Chinese literary history. Many of these Immortals are still said to dwell in the high realms of China’s five sacred mountains. The Queen Mother of the West, China’s Matriarch, lives atop Kunlun Mountain and holds a reishi mushroom in her lap. Historic writings in the Shennong Bencao, possibly dating to 5975 B.P (before present) state that reishi can “prolong life so as to make one an immortal.” Ge Hong (1734 B.P.) created an elixir with gold reishi that was sought after by emperors. He stated that reishi could pertain to “an intermediate dimension between mundane and transcendent reality,” and that the mushroom could “produce geniehood.” Li Shizhen (437 Before Present) stated that it could “lengthen life to that of the Immortal fairies.”

The Science Behind It

Since discovering reishi, I have sought to decipher the possible biochemical pathways responsible for its purported spiritual enhancement and its ability to support long life. I began with the impressive modern research on reishi’s immune-supporting potential. Analysis reveals polypores contain a class of powerful polysaccharides called Beta 1-3-6 glucans, which are found to activate cytokines, special enzymes that penetrate and invigorate white blood cells, or macrophages ~ our body’s primary immune defense agents. When macrophages are empowered, the immune system will be engaged in cellular protection from anti-microbial activity through phagocytizing and general blood cleansing. Reishi also contains organic germanium (up to 6000 parts per million or PPM, and is high in triterpenes, also called ganodermic acids, which comprise the bitter component and are measurable as the therapeutic biomarker (3) (bitter is better).

When the body’s internal defenses are strong, we feel safer and more protected, which relieves the adrenals of the stress from worry and insecurity.

When the body’s internal defenses are strong, we feel safer and more protected, which relieves the adrenals of the stress from worry and insecurity. If we feel empowered, we are confident and willing to engage in life’s adventures. This optimistic attitude can brighten one’s light. Confident people will attract many friends and admirers, and in time, we become “The Light,” inspiring those around us. We then find we can help people, and we receive help. Thus, we unveil the “benevolent cycles of health” mentioned before.

Benefits of Reishi

We have long known that mushrooms benevolently affect consciousness. Reishi is not psychotropic and does not alter perception, yet it benefits mental clarity and helps instill a reverent attitude. Reishi enhances spiritual enlightenment, and seems to “weave us into the mycelial web of life.” The subterranean relationship of fungi with plants is called mycorrhiza. Humans attempted to sever ourselves from this relationship through disassociation with the ground (pavement, shoes, tires, etc.). Protracted taking of reishi appears to resuscitate our connection to everything else; plugging us back into our Earth. Nature is calling us to reunite for common survival, and that is why I believe reishi and other tonic herbs and superfoods are emerging in our consciousness that this time.

It is relatively simple to create and maintain the micro-environments and conditions for growing our own reishi, so it cannot be controlled, usurped, sequestered, or denied from us. Wild reishi is a worldwide phenomenon that could never be exhausted or endangered, therefore, we all have access to this life-changing messenger. By taking reishi, we could quickly experience the rapid unfoldment of our higher stage of evolution, which could metaphorically correlate with the Fourth Chakra energy of the Heart ~ the energy of giving. Of reishi’s five colors, the red reishi is associated with the heart. Curiously this is the variety that is revealing itself to us as we walk in the woods, and is even seen growing on trees in city streets.
The timing of this is impeccable for our advent into a higher phase of evolution, as Earth will not continue to provide the seemingly inexhaustible resources we have been used to consuming. As we take reishi, we understand our destiny as propagators and managers of life on Earth rather than simple usurpers and consumers. In our pending advanced evolutionary phase, we begin replenishing the fruits of Mother Earth. We will be required to redirect the majority of our activities to collective remediation of nature.

Read Rehmannia Dean Thomas’ discussion of reishi and astrobiology here. 

Our unfolding awareness of reishi carries the messages of this new empowerment. After 20 years of personal use and observation, I believe that taking reishi, along with other tonic herbs and a wholesome living-food diet, will provide the accelerated progression of our evolution into caring beings that live symbiotically with our planet. As more people take reishi, we may quickly and effectively adapt to and apply the changes that are immanent, and the Human race and our world will be healed and preserved.

References

1. Hennicke, F., Cheikh-Ali, Z. Distinguishing commercially grown Ganoderma lucidum from Ganoderma lingzhi from Europe and East Asia on the basis of morphology, molecular phylology, and triterpenic acid profiles. Phytochemistry July 2016, Vol. 127- 37
2. Mori, M. – compilation of numerous studies. The Cooperative Research on Ganoderma Lucidum (Lingzhi/Reishi). Wakan Shoyaku Botany, Tokyo Japan.
3. Watchel-Galor, S., Tomlinson, B., Beizie, I. Ganoderma lucidum (Lingzhi), a Chinese medical mushroom; biomarker responses in a controlled human supplementation study. British Journal of Nutrition (2004) 91, 263-269

Rehmannia Dean Thomas

Rehmannia Dean Thomas is President of Shaman Shack Herbs (shamanshackherbs.com) and creator of the online course on Tonic Herbalism (GateofLife.org). His books include Raw Chi, Shilajit; The Resin of Life, and Healing Thresholds.

www.shamanshackherbs.com

The post The Benevolent Consciousness of Reishi Mushroom: Spiritual Perception, Enhanced Immunity and the Energy of the Heart appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Shilajit (pronounced shee-lah-jeet) is a nutrient-dense humic resin derived from the high Himalayan Mountains of India and Nepal. It is famous throughout Indian history as a rasayana. This is a Sanskrit term for substances and herbs that enhance overall health, such as superfoods and adaptogens. (Adaptogens are stabilizers of homeostasis that increase resistance to stress.)

Outside of the Indian and Nepali Himalayas, many variations of shilajit are sourced from Mongolia as well as the Caucasus and Altai Mountains of Russia where it is called mumio, from the Greek meaning “saving the body.” Native Americans used similar humic substances called medicine rock, sourced from the Grand Tetons in Wyoming.

What is Shilajit

Shilajit is a black or dark brown resinous material resembling tar that exudes from high rock strata in spring and summer. A significant portion of the composition of shilajit is derived from long-term humification of plant and animal matter, possibly containing the condensation of entire ancient ecosystems, including plants, animals, and their byproducts, along with microbial metabolites, lichen, and mineral extracts.

Shilajit contains complexes of phenols, lignoids, sugars, lipids, amino acids, mineral oxides, and salts that affected by biochemical, microbial and enzymatic processes under conditions of geothermal pressure. Its resinous texture is from the breakdown of latex-bearing plants, including the succulent Euphorbia royleana.

In the formation of this remarkable medicinal substance, we go back in time to when the Himalayas were an inland sea. As tectonic plates collided, the land rose, exposing the seabed with its rich collection of shells and marine ammonites. This exposed land subsequently became a tropical forest. By twenty million years (BP) before present, the forests had produced rich and diverse soils. As the land rose into mountains, seashells were fossilized by volcanic activity and the forest biomass was enveloped in pockets of rock strata. When warmer spring and summer temperatures cause rock expansion, the shilajit now exudes out of cracks, where it is eaten by animals and collected by humans.

Conqueror of Mountains

Shilajit is said to have been discovered when Bhutanese jungle monkeys were observed climbing into the high crags of the Himalayas to eat the black substance seeping from the rocks. These monkeys were known for their cunning and swift agility. Human consumption followed and shilajit came to be called “Conqueror of Mountains, Destroyer of Weakness,” due to the significant health benefits it apparently bestowed. Princes, Sultans, Yogis, Sufis and the historical elite used shilajit daily to enhance their overall health. Many Indian mystics have attributed their super-human powers to the strengthening effect of shilajit.

In addition to its use in Ayurveda, shilajit was the drug in ancient China known as Wujinsan. In the ancient Western world, Aristotle even wrote of the health benefits of taking mumia, as did writers including Paracelsus and Leonardo Da Vinci.

Shilajit in Vedic Writings

The ancient Vedic writings ascribe a divine nature to shilajit; they state that Brahma (the Creator) created Vishnu (the Preserver) to reinstate Earth’s equilibrium during unstable periods. Brahma places Vishnu in the rocks, awaiting his time. When called, Vishnu perspires out of the rocks. Vishnu is often depicted with the black hue of shilajit and he sometimes holds a black seashell, possibly indicating that ancient people knew that seashells were involved in the unique formation of shilajit. Vishnu’s first incarnation was even in the form of Meen Avtar (a fish).

Another story involving shilajit is found in the sacred writings known as the Puranas, which states that Mahayana (known as the supreme God) lived in water and wished to rise out of it—so he became a boar and dug the bottom of the ocean into a mountain of dry land. He then imbued Vishnu in the rock, where varajeet (possibly meaning microorganisms) attacked him, and he sweated down the rocks to become a source of nutrients for other organisms.

Biochemistry of Shilajit

Biochemically, shilajit is high in humic and fulvic acids, which are concentrated molecules that are food for other organisms. Humic acids are formed as the result of long-term breakdown of carbon matter from soil, rocks, plants, lichen, mosses, fungi, and animals and found in peat bogs, riverbeds, and layers of ancient soil strata. Humic acids are believed to contain a spectrum of chemical components that vary with the environment. Composition of humic acids may include lattices that trap and preserve other organic compounds, which could explain why shilajit remains biologically catalytic for thousands of years.

Most humic materials from sources like peat bogs contain recent plant and animal detritus. Shilajit, having been entombed inside rock strata for millennia, is more concentrated than soil-derived humic substances; true shilajit is only found in rock strata above 10,000 feet.

Many humic components of shilajit are not yet fully scientifically understood. They display different characteristics than other organic substances, which hinders definitive examinations.

In an attempt to standardize shilajit, renowned product chemist Dr. Shibnath Goshal analyzed samples collected from varying regions, including a variety from Antarctica. His research revealed the presence of the common component Dibenzo-alpha pyrone (DBP). This chromoprotein is traced to the orange and purple pigments in Pre-Cambrian sea mollusks. Fossilized sea shells were found in the rock strata at all source sites of Dr. Goshal’s samples, representing the one common denominator in all varieties. The presence of this phytochemical in shilajit demonstrates how shilajit is unique when compared to soil-based humic substances, and that it is derived through tectonic pressure. DBP may represent a thread that connects early biology to currently living organisms. It is currently being studied for its immunomodulating and adaptogenic properties.

Ayurveda, Shilajit, and the Doshas

Ayurvedic practitioners believe shilajit supports the overall balance of all three doshas. (The three doshas are the categories of energy: vata, pitta, and kapha). Used in excess, shilajit does have a tendency to be heating, which can increase the fiery pitta dosha. I

n Ayurveda, shilajit is traditionally powdered and mixed with triphala, which may buffer and balance its powerful energies. Ayurvedic writings describe shilajit’s ability to help treat a range of disorders. These include: diabetes, anemia, ulcers, wound healing, bronchial asthma and other allergic conditions, hemorrhoids, enlargement of spleen, liver diseases, epilepsy, kidney support, gastro-intestinal infections, sexual dysfunction, prostate health, genito-urinary disorders, and geriatric problems.

Modern research has also found an impressive spectrum of benefits. Some researchers claim that pure shilajit may contain balanced ratios of all elements found in nature as well as a vast profile of components that are beneficial for human health.

Quality of Shilajit

Due to the fact that shilajit is rare and difficult to acquire, additives are sometimes used by processors. Shilajit is a mostly unregulated substance. Some additives could include soil-based humus, dirt, sawdust, mineral dusts, and resins. Many inferior shilajit products may even include traces of cow’s urine and animal feces. This underscores the importance of doing thorough research before buying or using a shilajit product. Research and standardization of shilajit has not completely determined which origins and varieties are pure and clean.

High-quality shilajit has been heated and filtered to remove rock and plant detritus. It can be purchased as a pure resin ~ there are good ones on the market, as well as some clever fakes.

A few reputable American companies supply high-quality resin and powdered shilajit. But, as mentioned, thorough research is important to verify a trustworthy supplier. I advise contacting a company representative for detailed information on sourcing and production before buying any shilajit product. Ask them to supply a certificate of analysis (COA) before purchasing.

Dosage of Shilajit

As shilajit gains in popularity, demand could outweigh supply. Very little true shilajit is available to us, as the perimeters of its development are very narrow and precise. Those fortunate enough to attain some quality resin should use it sparingly as it is a very concentrated substance. For the triphala-blended powder, take half a teaspoon diluted in water, once or twice daily.

Use Shilajit with Respect

Shilajit is a potent substance that can help imbue powerful health. It should be used with reverence and respect. And it should be used in moderation so that more people can enjoy its broad-spectrum health benefits.

**Shilajit has not been evaluated by the FDA, and this information is not intended to cure, diagnose or prevent disease.

Rehmannia Dean Thomas

Rehmannia Dean Thomas is President of Shaman Shack Herbs (shamanshackherbs.com) and creator of the online course on Tonic Herbalism (GateofLife.org). His books include Raw Chi, Shilajit; The Resin of Life, and Healing Thresholds.

www.shamanshackherbs.com

The post Shilajit: The Resin of Life in Ayurveda appeared first on LA Yoga Magazine - Ayurveda & Health.

Ancient Chinese history is replete with tales of wise elders (men and women) who lived as recluses in the high forests of China’s five sacred mountain ranges. Legend states they attained immortality by taking elixirs of special herbs. Scroll paintings depict old sages drinking tea or collecting herbs in the forest, often accompanied by a young apprentice.

In 2975 BCE, Shennong wrote the first book on herbs and their therapeutic actions, proclaiming that many of them could promote a very long life. Indeed, tonic herbs are still revered to offer long-term benefits for our health when used along with a nutrient-rich diet. These rejuvenating and empowering herbs are said to tonify (bring to homeostasis) the body, mind, and spirit. They comprise the superior class of herbs in Chinese medicine. Tonic herbs offer holistic health benefits and are considered safe for long-term daily consumption.

Tonic herbs can help counter stress, rejuvenate the kidneys and adrenals, assist metabolism, strengthen blood, fortify the reproductive and adaptive energies, and support spiritual well-being. They can also lengthen our lives and improve our vitality.

Tonic herbs can help us adapt to the stresses of modern life. Constant stress can chip and wear on our health. When our adrenals are taxed, we have less energy for life’s endurances and excitations. Our immunity and other defense mechanisms, libido, sense of adventure, and creative drives may be depleted by stress; physical, emotional, and spiritual. Spiritual suppression may block us from realizing our higher calling. This kind of stress may stem from past hurt or doubt, and can cause a proverbial dark cloud to block our light. Over time, the Chinese masters found herbs that tonify the spirit, enhancing general health.

The following herbs are highly regarded for their empowering qualities. Long-term consumption can help us gain enduring equilibrium of body, mind and spirit.

• Reishi mushroom (Chinese; Lingzhi) (Lat. Ganoderma lucidum) tonifies spiritual clarity (Shen), and is called the “Mushroom of spiritual immortality.” Reishi has also been found to support the body’s protective energies—the immune system. The beta 1-3 glucans found in reishi are a unique class of polysaccharides that embolden the white blood cells to phagocytize unhealthy elements in the blood. Shennong stated of reishi, “Protracted taking may make the body light, prevent senility, and prolong life so as to make one an immortal.”
• Astragalus (Huang Qi) supports general immunity and “upright Chi.” Astragalus is a premier adaptogenic herb, helping to fortify and balance the adaptive and defensive energies.
• Ho Sho Wu (Polygonum multiflorum) is purported to return gray hair to its natural pigment by tonifying the kidney and adrenal meridian. Ho Sho Wu is the premier anti-aging and rejuvenation herb.
• Rehmannia glutenosa (Shu Di Huang) is another excellent anti-aging Jing herb, called “The kidney’s own food.” It also fortifies blood. It is used in fertility formulas.
• Goji (Lycium Chinensis) is a nutrient-packed berry, high in beta carotene and other antioxidants. This is one of the best longevity super-herbs.
  Schizandra (Wu Wei Tze) is a superior wild berry that is tonifies all five organ systems according to Chinese medicine. It is also considered a beauty herb in Asia.
• Jujube date (Hong Zao) is used to harmonize herbal formulas and nourishes metabolism in the spleen meridian (digestive organs/glands).
  Note: The herbs in this tea formula are considered safe for long-term daily consumption when prepared and used traditionally. Between one and two cups of tea daily is considered beneficial for assistance in general health maintenance. Yet, one should not rely entirely on this tea to produce suitable health. Drink this tea in conjunction with fresh green juices, a healthy living-food diet, and sufficient daily exercise.

Directions:
Add all herbs except schizandra into pot (glass or clay preferred) with one gallon of water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to lowest simmer and cover pot.
Cook 1-2 hours. Add schizandra in last three minutes only.
Allow to cool 1-2 hours. Strain and drink two to three cups daily.
Keep the tea in fridge and keep the leftover herbs in a separate sealed container and refrigerate.
You may cook the herbs again, same as above (you don’t need to separate the schizandra in the second cooking).

Rehmannia Dean Thomas

Rehmannia Dean Thomas is President of Shaman Shack Herbs (shamanshackherbs.com) and creator of the online course on Tonic Herbalism (GateofLife.org). His books include Raw Chi, Shilajit; The Resin of Life, and Healing Thresholds.

www.shamanshackherbs.com

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