Flower Essences: gentle messages that heal the Heart

Our Heart is the Ruler that sits on our inner throne and ensures harmony in our world.

Summer is the season of the Heart and the emotions. And right now, all our Hearts could use some support. Recent events have stretched us to feel beyond our old thresholds, leaving us many in a raw and tender place. The Heart in Chinese medicine is likened to our inner empress or emperor. Just as in ancient China, when it was rare to actually glimpse the revered Emperor, our own Heart Ruler is a behind the scenes presence that  rules not through force, but gently, effortlessly, through the quality we refer to as Wu-Wei. Thus, we approach the Heart Ruler gently and reverently. For this reason, the Heart channel and Heart Back Shu points were classically forbidden to needle. The approach is too direct. Approaching the Heart Ruler requires refinement and reverence.

When we think of herbal treatments for the Heart and emotions, we may also wish to consider a more subtle approach. One way we can do this is with flower essences. A flower essence is an energetic imprint of a flower captured in water. Unlike essential oils or tinctures, which use vast amounts of raw plant material and are extremely strong and concentrated, a flower essence is subtle and delicate. It is created through the alchemy of sunlight, pure water, and freshly picked blossoms.

 Flower essences speak to our spirits and are wonderful for balancing all kinds of emotions. They can be used to help settle fear and anxiety, treat insomnia, lift us out of sadness, calm us down in anger, and provide grounding and support during acute stress, trauma and ptsd, and more. Whatever we are feeling, flower essences can support our process. The energetic imprint of the flowers in water communicates with our own emotional waters. Because our bodies are 2/3 water, we can actually create profound shifts with flower essences and attune ourselves to a more balanced, harmonious state.

 Flower essences are easy to use: just put a few drops in your water bottle and sip freely throughout the day. This allows the crystallized energy of the flower in water to speak directly to our own water, to remind us of our own beauty and harmony.

Flower essences are also simple to make. All you need is light, water, flowers, and a crystal bowl

HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN FLOWER ESSENCE:

You will need:

a small crystal bowl

pure water (spring water or rain water is best)

 a sunny day

 brandy to preserve your essence when finished

a glass jar or bottle

Because you are making a delicate energetic medicine, it is important to meditate and center yourself first.

Tune in with the plant you wish to work, offer your thanks, and ask permission to use its’ flowers as medicine. You may receive messages from the plant about how it can be used.

Fill a small crystal bowl with water. (copper, silver, gold, or other gems or metals work too- but they each impart a different energy to the essence, so choose carefully). Pick the flowers and place in the water. (some people use tweezers, rather than their hands, to pick the flowers so the energy stays absolutely pure). Cover the entire surface of the water with flowers.

Let the flowers and water sit in bright sunlight for 2-4 hours. You will see little bubbles form in the water. You may wish to continue to meditate with your essence during this time.

When finished, strain out the flowers and pour the water into a glass jar. Leave half the jar empty and put in an equal amount of brandy, to preserve the essence. This is the Mother Essence. To make a Stock Essence for everyday use, take 10 drops of Mother essence and put in 1 mL bottle. Fill the bottle 50/50 with spring water and brandy. To use- simply put 5-10 drops of stock essence in your water bottle and sip throughout the day. Flower essences act immediately and are best taken regularly over a period of time for best results.

Herban Herb Walk: there's medicine right outside your door!

People and plants are always in communication- the plants we choose to grow right in our own yards are the best medicine for us.…it's no coincidence. Many of our common California landscaping plants are actually Chinese Medicinal Herbs. On this walk, we explore the incredible array of medicinal plants growing in just one city block. Come get to know your plant neighbors!

Healing Sound: Medicine of Our Times

The language of sound is universal. We don’t have to explain or understand. The language of sound brings us fully to the present moment- it gives us a place to land in ourselves. In the intensity of these times, more and more of us are returning to the most ancient medicine of all- sound. Ancient Chinese culture knew this already- that’s why the characters for “medicine” and “music” are the same.

Check out this great article on medium.com, which highlights some wonderful sound healing resources offered by myself and other members of the Bay Area sound healing community.

Sound Healers Lydia Hwang and Athene Eisenhardt perform at the Google DANS Conference in 2019

People and Plants Together for Our Planet! Guided Sound Healing and Meditation

Plants and People, together for Our Planet! This Sound Healing and guided Plant Sprit Meditation is my offering to all life today..... Happy Earth Day Everyone!

California Medicine Herb Walk- live video!

I love leading herb walks! There’s nothing more special than connecting with medicine plants in their native habitat. I couldn’t do it in person this year, so this video blog is my offering to you instead!

In this video, we take an integrative native herb walk in the California hills, exploring California native medicine plants in the context of Taoist 5 Elements and Traditional Chinese Herbalism.

I hope you have fun on the walk! If you’re excited to learn more about how to stay healthy with Herbal Medicine, please book a consult!

(due to shelter in place, herb consults are currently via video, and available only for existing clients. distance energy work sessions available to all.)

Attunements Sound Healing Album- digital release is coming!

Digital version of my solo sound healing album, Attunements, is coming! the cd is already available.

First song to release will be Soaring Wings, the song of a hawk flying free over the desert.... which is also about being able to fly in the realms of spirit no matter what limitations there may be in the physical. Soaring Wings will be on Spotify, Amazon, iTunes, Googleplay and more…

Spotify link below:

https://open.spotify.com/album/3HAEyihhsb6L2ySCFtTpNy?si=I1ts6cA-SqeIO41UvaNj5A

Attunements Sound Healing Album Release- sneak preview clips!

I’m delighted to share my new meditative sound healing album- Attunuements. The album will be released mid-September, available here, and on bandcamp.com, as well as in local East Bay/Oakland businesses.

Attunements is a 53 minute album of original meditative music for the healing arts- created with the source frequencies of ancient healing instruments such as didjeridoo, native flutes, singing bowls, chimes, voice, and percussion. Attunements is a journey into the healing spirit of music and light that exists in us and with us always, forever being echoed back to us through nature.

I hope you enjoy these sneak preview mp.3 clips!

Blessings!

Enjoying the Bloom of Summer

With Summer, the season of Fire upon us, we only need to step out our doors to see the reminder everywhere: Summer is the season of Flowers.

The Nei Jing (Chinese Medicine classic text) tells us that the movement of Summer is growth and flowering. The element that corresponds to Summer is Fire, and of all the parts of a plant, flowers pertain most to the Fire element. The beauty of our gardens and the colorful wildflowers that are still so alive in our local hills remind us of that. Flowers are light and yang in nature, they lift and brighten our spirits and bring us joy. Flowers in Taoist medicine are mostly used to affect the upper parts of the body, where the spirit (Shen) resides. Their fragrance is opening and moving.

Many of our local flowers can be eaten as food, and including them in a meal can be a beautiful way of attuning to the Summer energy and the Fire element. These include:

Nasturtium– these bright and spicy flowers make a beautiful salad garnish and can also be made into Nasturtium pesto.

Borage– the beautiful blue star-shaped flowers can be sprinkled atop salads, or used in soups and dressings.

Rose (mei gui hua)- Rose has an affinity for the Liver and Pericardium and sweetens any experience. It can be made into Rosewater, Jam, Chutney, Milks, and Butters.

Hibiscus– the petals can be eaten fresh as a cooling treat on a hot day or made into sun tea.

Honeysuckle (jin yin hua)- calms inflammation can be infused in honey and served with a little mint. Or use it to flavor yogurt or sauces.

Lavender– calms the spirit and relaxes the mind, can be included in baked goods, chocolates, and Milks of all kind.

The Metal and Wood of Detoxification: Spring Cleansing from a Taoist 5 Element Perspective

In ancient Chinese Medicine, the spring season corresponds to the Liver and the birth of new ideas and visions. As we move fully into spring, the Liver qi needs to be able to move smoothly and without restraint, so we can bring forth our visions into reality. In our modern age, so many peoples’ Livers are encumbered by the toxic impacts of modern life- chemicals, exhaust, smoke, processed foods, excessive EMF exposure and the like, that the Liver becomes stagnant and overburdened, unable to flow the qi smoothly. The new energy and ideas that should emerge with the springtime cannot be expressed if stagnation and toxins are overburdening the Liver. Thus, gentle cleansing at the start of Spring is an important way to help enhance Liver function.

Many of us imagine that more drastic measures are required to cleanse ourselves such as coffee enemas, gall bladder flushes involving drinking pints of olive oil on an empty stomach, purgatives and fasts. However, these more excessive cleansing measures are often quite depleting to our system. As a result of the modern lifestyle coupled with a nutrient poor diet, most of us are not only stagnant,we are also deficient. Excessive cleansing can exhaust the qi and thus may not be appropriate in cases of deficiency. One teacher once told me there is no need to cleanse any organ, only provide it with the proper nourishment it needs, and that organ will cleanse and restore itself.

In Chinese Medicine, we understand each organ as having a “soul” or intelligence of its own, beyond mere physiology, that ensures the health and function of that organ. Drastic and harsh cleansing of an organ “insults” and over acts on that organs’ intelligence…we send a message to that organ that we don’t believe in its ability to do its own job. Extreme cleanses override the natural beauty and wisdom of the Liver and force it through harsh and depleting regimens in a “mind over matter” kind of way. Over time, this kind of approach can derange the qi.

In the 5 element system, The Liver corresponds to the Wood element and is controlled by Metal (corresponding to the Lungs), which is the element most concerned with purity. If we overcontrol our Wood and drive ourselves to purify it in an out of balance and overly rigid way, our Hun and Po (visionary and physical-body souls) fall out of harmony. Instead of being able to reach to the heavens to express our highest potential, the Wood element is stunted and cut down by the harsh sword of Metal.

While an out of balance Metal element is overly rigid and fanatical about purity, an in balance Metal actually does have something of value to offer us in our Spring cleansing process. Just like the minerals in the soil, Metal brings quality to Wood. Metal is the child of Earth, representing the finer, more rarified nourishment available from trace minerals and micronutrients. A plant deprived of minerals will appear unhealthy, perhaps with discolored foliage or irregular growth, whereas a flourishing plant with plenty of minerals will appear vibrant, flexible and healthy.

In this way, Metal brings quality to Wood to express its true potential. Metal can help Wood determine and know what is truly of value, and what needs to be detoxified. This can relate directly to the detoxification pathways of the Liver, which require certain minerals such as Selenium, Copper, Zinc, and Manganese in order to properly function, and thus activate the Livers own innate intelligence around purification and detoxification. From a Chinese medicine perspective, minerals also help to build the blood. Healthy blood helps to “soften” the Liver and assist it in maintaining the smooth flow of qi. A brittle, blood deficient Liver will be too rigid to spread the qi smoothly.

Thus, at the beginning of spring, a nutrient and mineral rich diet is important- we can find that in foods such as Nettle, Chlorella, Dark leafy greens- particularly Brassicas such as Kale and Collards, chickweed, dandelion leaf, parsley, and arugula. Dark leafy greens also have strong anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, and many help to increase the production of glutathione, the master antioxidant produced by the Liver during phase 2 detoxification. Brassicas and chlorella in particular also enhance the body’s ability to detoxify dioxins and other cancer causing molecules.

So, if you’re wondering how you might support your Liver by doing a little spring cleaning, you might begin simply, by making sure your are including plenty of these foods in your diet, along with some sour foods (sour is the flavor of the Liver in Chinese Medicine). This could include Apple Cider Vinegar- time honored remedy for Liver inflammation, fermented foods like sauerkraut, kefir and miso, and citrus like lemon. In addition, simply avoiding some of the foods that put the most stress on the Liver such as sugar, refined sugar and white flours/white rice, processed foods, alcohol and caffeine, rancid low quality vegetable oils such as sunflower oil, corn oil, and canola oil, and non-organic fruits and veggies which have been sprayed, will do wonders in unburdening the Liver and helping it to detoxify naturally. Once the diet is in order, then your herbalist can work with you to prescribe herbs that specifically support Liver detox… some of the key players might include Bupluerem- particularly good for pent up emotions with ribside pain, distention, and bloating. Dandelion Root- moves the bile and promotes bowel movements , Burdock Root- excellent blood purifier useful for all sorts Liver related skin conditions and damp heat rashes like eczema , Milk Thistle- repairs damaged liver cells and promotes all phases of Liver detox, Schisandra- particularly good for repairing chemical/environmental damage to the Liver, Artichoke Leaf- for sluggish gallbladder and poor fat digestion, and Turmeric- anti-inflammatory which slows down phase 1 detox and enhances phase 2 detox, thus helping an overburdened Liver pick up the slack. These are just a few possibilities in the realm of Liver support.

It is important to remember that of all the organs, the Liver may possibly be the most sensitive to herbs- due to a phenomena called hepatic first pass, most any herb or medicine we consume is always directly processed by the Liver before entering the main bloodstream and being carried to the rest of the body. Furthermore, everyone’s Liver has a unique profile of Liver detox enzymes, part of this is genetic, part of this is determined by diet. Due to the differences in Liver enzyme profiles, different people will respond differently to the same herbs. So, get to know your Liver well, and do not hesitate to seek the advice of a trained herbalist.

May your spring unfold with peace and ease!

The statements here are not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease. all rights reserved, copyright 2019

upcoming sound healing events with Athene: Google 2/6, Savasana Sound in Berkeley 2/18

2/6- Honored to offer sacred sound alongside the talented Lydia Hoang to open the DAATAI national summit at Google, www.dans.ai.

2/18- Savasana Sound, Berkeley. Using over 30 different instruments, including Tibetan singing bowls, didjeridoo, flute, light gongs, santur, Celtic harp, guzheng, monolina, harmonium, ambient guitar swells, and chimes, we are excited and pleased to introduce an enlightening journey of seven beautiful soundscapes for each of your chakras.

Wendy Tahara, David West, Lydia Hwang, and special guest artist Athene Eisenhardt will help lead participants in a wonderful evening to delight your senses and well-being.

WHEN: Monday, February 18th @ 6:00pm, doors open at 5:30pm

WHERE: Rudramandir Center for Spirituality & Healing, 830 Bancroft Way, Berkeley, CA 94710

for tickets visit: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/savasana-sound-presents-a-sound-journey-experience-tickets-55609092292