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Develop increased sensory awareness of your interconnectedness to nature and plants. Practice body-based meditation to feel your biological unity beyond a conceptual level. Study the four levels of using herbs in Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine, from medical to spiritual.
David Crow – Medicinal plants & Spiritual Evolution
Excerpt from Plants that Heal: Essays on Botanical Medicine by David Crow, L.Ac.
We are entering a period in history when human health will be seriously challenged. If the destructive trends of rapid global warming, accelerating loss of biodiversity, widespread pollution and degradation of ecosystems, deepening poverty, malnutrition, and political instability are not reversed, all forms of medicine will become increasingly ineffective, unaffordable, and unavailable. For large populations in many parts of the world, this future has already arrived.
The causes of these conditions are numerous, complex, pervasive, and seemingly overwhelming. There is, however, one solution that has the potential to unify humanity in worldwide healing – the plants.
Plants are the foundation of civilization and culture. They created the biosphere of the earth’s surface, and they regulate its functions. Plants are the ultimate source of all health and prosperity; they feed us, give us clothing and shelter, provide fuel, fiber, and countless other necessities. Every breath we breathe is the breath of plants, which supports all life. Plants are the origin of medicine.
When healing an illness, there is often relatively little that doctors and patients can do to directly produce optimum functioning of human physiology. Plants, however, provide the biochemical and nutritional compounds that assist the body’s internal ecology and promote its innate homeostasis and equilibrium. Phytonutrients nourish the organs, support the tissues, and enhance immunity, while the medicinal constituents of botanical species detoxify metabolic waste and xenobiotics (harmful foreign substances). No synthetic pharmaceutical drug can perform these functions.
Similarly, there is relatively little that people can do to reverse global warming, to stabilize disturbed weather patterns, or to detoxify environmental contamination. But plants do all of these things. They cool the planet, help regulate the seasons, recharge groundwater, restore soil fertility and stop erosion, regenerate the ozone layer, bind atmospheric carbon dioxide, and purify the toxins we put everywhere. Plants perform the same crucial functions in the outer environment as they do in the inner environment of the body.
This article, along with “The People’s Pharmacy” and “The Pharmacy of Flowers,” outlines a broad vision of plants as humanity’s primary resource for solving the complex and potentially devastating challenges we face. The article begins with a brief overview of how plants created and sustain the biosphere, followed by an exploration of the parallels between human and plant physiology, and comparisons between disease processes in the human body and planetary ecosystems. Finally, it outlines some of the ways plants are being used for healing the environment, and how these functions are similar to healing mechanisms in the human body.
Plant physiology and planetary evolution
The life-supporting elements that we often take for granted are the result of unimaginably long cycles of evolutionary processes. It can accurately be said that plants created, and continue to create, the world we live in. Recognizing our dependency on the eco-functions performed by plants increases our sensitivity to the conditions of the environment, and encourages us to protect and restore the natural world.
From the perspective of plant eco-physiology, four events are of major significance in the long biological history of the earth. The first is the appearance of single-celled photosynthetic organisms in the primordial ocean about three billion years ago. This preplant photosynthesis brought about three planetary changes: the radiant energy of sunlight began to be converted into chemical energy, which became the nutritive foundation for all subsequent life forms; atmospheric oxygen increased, which allowed the evolution of more complex organisms and life forms; and atmospheric oxygen was converted to ozone, which provided protection from solar ultraviolet radiation and allowed migration of life onto land.
The second evolutionary step was the migration of multi-celled organisms, the precursors of modern plants and animals, onto land about 450 million years ago. By 400 million years ago, early vascular plants were radiating across the land.
The third important development was the evolution of plant roots. By 375 million years ago, root structures penetrated almost a meter into the soil. This development brought about major changes in the soil and atmosphere; between 400 and 350 million years ago a 10-fold decrease in atmospheric carbon dioxide occurred, as a result of plant respiration and microbial activity in the root systems.
The fourth evolutionary step occurred around 100 million years ago, with the appearance of flowering plants. This relatively sudden development brought about a rapid expansion of biodiversity, culminating in human beings, as new forms of life evolved in symbiotic relationships with the plant realm. [End of excerpt]
Read on to find out more about David’s Medicinal Plants and Spiritual Evolution course …
During this 7-module program, you’ll:
- Develop increased sensory awareness of your interconnectedness to nature and plants.
- Practice body-based meditation to feel your biological unity beyond a conceptual level.
- Study the four levels of using herbs in Tibetan and Ayurvedic medicine, from medical to spiritual.
- Understand how to bring plants into your life to enhance your immunological, neurological and emotional intelligence.
- Develop new ways to work with energy, consciousness and healing.
- Learn how medicinal plants can specifically be used to develop awareness of our unity with the elements of the cosmos.
- Understand how rejuvenation and detoxification therapies can support your spiritual evolution.
- Discover the differences between the molecular intelligence of medicinal plants and pharmaceutical drugs.
- Learn how to use classical meditation methods such as Vipassana to cultivate ecological spirituality.
- Establish more botanical intelligence and understand how that relates to your own chi and health.
- Increase your olfactory awareness and expand your ability to taste foods, notice body sensations, and become more aware of the toxicity around you (in home, in food), allowing you to create a healthier, happier environment.
- Expand your self-awareness leading to lasting lifestyle changes because you can actually feel what is going on.
- Release toxic patterns and get natural feedback from your body, enhancing your health and spiritual evolution.
- Develop discernment of the internal healer – the awareness about what to eat, what to avoid and which products to use.
This program is appropriate for professionals in any discipline who work with herbs, plants, oils or energy, as well as any person who is intrigued by the healing and personal evolutionary benefits of botanical medicine.
This course will draw from David’s more than 30 years of studying the healing powers of plants in various cultures with many gifted teachers, from the shamanic traditions of the Amazon to the alchemical mysteries of the Himalayas and the ancient wisdom of Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine. It is a unique offering of knowledge, information and insights that we are sure you will find deeply enriching as well as practical.
What You’ll Discover in These 7 Modules
Course sessions are on Tuesdays at 12:00pm Pacific.
In this 7-module transformational intensive, David will guide you through the fundamental skills and competencies to become attuned and aligned to your deeper biological interconnectedness with the plant kingdom. You’ll develop a broader spiritual lens that will support a deconstruction of false notions about your relationship with plants, and you’ll learn how to work with energy, consciousness and healing in new ways.
Each contemplation and training session will build harmoniously upon the last, so that you’ll develop a complete, holistic understanding of the practices, tools and principles of evolutionary healing with plants as you connect to the greater biological realities of creating a sustainable culture that supports all.
Module 1: The Evolution of Light
Into Consciousness
Cultivating Awareness of Biological Unity & Understanding Its Importance to Human Survival
Spiritual traditions arose from a deep relationship to the cycles of nature and its universal healing powers. For indigenous cultures, everyday life was built on the foundational awareness of the human biological relationship with the surrounding environment as well as the greater cycles. Cultivating awareness of our intimate relationship with plants and the elements of the earth develops a relational and integral understanding of ecological spirituality as a basis for natural compassion – which builds a collective awareness and natural effort to protect and restore the life sustaining powers of the biosphere.
During this session you’ll discover:
- An exciting perspective on our spiritual evolution and the powerful role ecology plays in it.
- The evolution of light into consciousness which builds natural compassion.
- How to transcend superficial identities at the root of global conflicts.
- A profound realization of shared humanity grounded in nature.
- What it means to be in sacred relationship with the biosphere.
- Ways your relationship with plant communities serves as a path to cultivating ecological spirituality.
- An understanding of your dependency on plants, cultivating an awareness of biological unity.
Module 2: Botanical Intelligence
Plants as Agents of Nature’s Self-organizing Intelligence
By understanding the intelligence of medicinal plants and how this intelligence functions in the biosphere and the human body, we can bring plants into our lives to enhance our immunological, neurological and emotional intelligence, medically empower ourselves and support our spiritual evolution – both individually and in communities.
During this session you’ll learn:
- How to harness the medicine from plants as agents of nature’s self-organizing intelligence.
- Powerful ways to treat elemental imbalances of both the body and biosphere with medicinal plants.
- The 5 root causes of diseases, and how they are solved by the intelligence of food and medicinal plants.
- Which are the most important herbs for you to grow in a home medicinal garden.
Module 3: Children of Flowers
Our Biological Relationship with Flowering Plants
The foundation of our food chain is flowering plants. With genetically modified foods and mass monoculture production, we’ve lost a natural relationship with flowering plants. In societies across the world, we see imbalances in our agriculture, food plants and the quality of nutrition – which are both a cause and result of our collective consciousness. Now is an opportunity to develop a spiritual relationship with food and rebuild a solid and sustainable alliance with plant diversity and flowering plants.
During this session you’ll discover:
- The evolutionary nature of angiosperms and the creation of a flowering plant.
- The biological relationship between flowers, nectar and the essence of food plants.
- Ways to work with nutrient essences as the basis of consciousness, immunity and contentment.
- What GMOs have to do with the disturbance of botanical intelligence and the threat to all spiritual evolution.
- Universal themes of spiritual agricultural traditions that enhance our spiritual relationship with food.
- The importance of the ecological basis of seed sharing and genetic diversity.
Module 4: Soma
Elixirs for Rejuvenation, Longevity, Wisdom and Transcendence
Many plants are legendary for their abilities to produce visionary states, enhance meditation, support healthy brain functions and slow aging. These plants have been applied in botanical medicine to reverse health imbalances and to maintain long-term wellbeing. And their visionary capabilities have been harnessed in sacred ritual and sacramental ceremonies as important plant allies for spiritual evolution.
During this session you’ll learn about:
- The legend of Soma as well as this plant’s effects on brain chemistry.
- The impact of plant allies on Vedic traditions and development of Chinese medicine.
- When and how substances support spiritual evolution, including entheogens as visionary plants that awaken higher consciousness and elevate the spirit out of the mundane world.
- Contemporary ritual traditions of divine botanical sacraments.
- The 4 levels of herbal treatments, according to Tibetan medicine.
- The 2 levels of alchemy, according to Taoism.
- Rasayana (rejuvenation) and Vajikarana (aphrodisiac) therapies.
- How Human Growth Hormone, endorphins and serotonin impact our day-to-day wellbeing.
Module 5: The Perfumed Garden
Plants, Olfaction and Consciousness
The olfactory system transmits the intelligence of botanical aromatic molecules directly to the brain. The link between the breath, the limbic system and the healing powers of plants provides us with a powerful yet easily accessible tool to enhance meditation, concentration and memory and reinforces positive mental and emotional states.
In this session you’ll learn:
- How breath is the most direct path to experiencing biological unity.
- The link between the atmosphere, breath, brain and consciousness.
- How sensory intelligence is related to spiritual evolution.
- The impact of climate change and extreme weather is a message from nature to pay attention.
- The vital links between olfaction, memory, moods, creativity and emotional states.
- To use aromatic plants to calm, balance and uplift your body, mind and spirit.
- The concepts of Shen in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Prana Vata in Ayurveda.
- How stress disorders, depression and anxiety can be opportunities for spiritual evolution, and ways that plants may serve as teachers in these processes.
Module 6: Wish-fulfilling Gems
Ceremonial Plants for Removing Obstacles, Creating Synchronicity and Attracting Good Fortune
Many plants have been used for millennia for their aromatic powers to uplift the mind, balance the emotions, enhance immunity and remove pathogens, thereby removing various kinds of negativity, stimulating creativity, manifesting intentions and supporting spiritual evolution.
You’ll discover:
- How to engage the tradition of the Vedic fire ceremony, homa, involving aromatic offerings to please the celestial devas (intelligence of the atmosphere), as a practice for uniting heaven and Earth.
- Charaka’s prophesy of global warming from 2500 years ago and its vital message for today.
- Ways epidemics are the result of corrupt governments.
- The wish-fulfilling gems and how to use these botanical gifts to enhance spiritual practice.
- The sacred scents as important ceremonial plants used for prayer, protection and blessings.
- The nature of the “primary plants” and how to use them to receive medicinal and spiritual benefits.
- What is sattvic synchronicity and how it can be created with ceremonial plants and scents.
Module 7: Freedom and Fulfillment
Medicinal Plants, Detoxification and Spiritual Evolution
Pain and suffering are both catalysts and obstacles to spiritual evolution. Medicinal plants can be highly effective for not only treating illnesses and addictions, but also for transforming pain into a spiritual path.
In this session you’ll discover:
- The role of medicinal plants in removing the obstacles to the Four Aims of Life in Ayurveda.
- How to cure illness, detoxify, increase vitality, strengthen immunity, improve mental functions, balance emotions and become free from addictions with medicinal plants, essential oils and food.
- The joy of bringing the powers of fresh herbs into our homes, including the basic herbs that support Soma and rejuvenation.
- How to develop a closer relationship with the intelligence of plants, including the role of nutrition, ojas and Soma in creating contentment, comfort and happiness.
- The importance of high quality natural food, the flow of nutrients through the body and our inseparability from food production methods.
- Basic herbs that support Soma and rejuvenation.
- The importance of essential oils for balancing moods and mental states.
- Powerful insights into the key sacred scents that support meditation, prayer and intention.
- Detoxification and spiritual evolution.
- What medicinal plants do that pharmaceutical drugs do not.
- The two roots of illness in Traditional Chinese medicine.
- The role of nutrition, ojas and Soma in creating contentment, comfort and happiness.
Read more: http://archive.is/gqgog
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David Crow – Medicinal plants & Spiritual Evolution : Sample
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