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Posted on August 28, 2008 by Stephen D. Rogers, MS, AP | Posted under Spirituality
Feed Your Spirit!
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Of course you would! Well, I'm going to introduce an ancient secret that masters used for centuries to boost their inner development. But, let me preface this by saying, “nothing is more important than your meditative practice regarding spiritual growth!" Ancient masters of the Far East knew this absolutely - their meditative practice was called Inner Alchemy. Webster's Dictionary defines alchemy as, “turning something common into something special," or “to change from one form to another" (typically into something better than its original form). Many historians think the Ancient Alchemists researched transforming lead to gold. It's true, many did. However, true alchemists, spiritual alchemists, sought something far more valuable than gold, in fact, something priceless—Spirit. Rather than melting and combining metals into a special mixture in the hopes of making gold, they turned their attention inward, hoping to transform their ordinary selves into something extraordinary—hence, Inner Alchemy. Though Inner Alchemy was the core of their spiritual practice, they also discovered ways to expedite their growth. These practices were called Outer Alchemy, and involved living a natural lifestyle by incorporating such things as mindful movement, breathing exercises, proper nutrition, acupuncture, massage, and herbology. Of those external practices, herbs provided the greatest advantage. Not just any herbs, though, rather specific botanicals with super boosting properties, referred to as tonic herbs. [Webster's Dictionary defines a tonic as: something that lifts the spirits or makes somebody feel better generally; a medicine that purports to make patients feel stronger, more energetic, and generally healthier.] Out of the hundreds of herbs available, but a few are truly considered tonic herbs! Of these, a handful have the properties that enhance one's spiritual growth, thus considered a spiritual tonic or a substance that helps to turn something common into something special. After centuries of research, ancient physicians discovered the secrets of these herbs. And, modern science is beginning to uncover the same secrets of these potent tonic herbs named adaptogens. The term adaptogen was first popularized by Russian doctors and scientists when they discovered the amazing healing effects these herbs had on their Olympic athletes. The recovery time from their intense athletic training significantly reduced! To summarize it, scientists discovered these specific herbs help the body to better adapt to all forms of stress, be it mental, emotional, physical or environmental. How does this relate to your spiritual development? In spiritual thought, we originate from Spirit, Source, Consciousness, or Shen. When Shen takes the earthly form of our bodies, it does so into what Taoism calls, the Triplex Unity (paralleled in the Christian idea of the Holy Trinity). The Triplex Unity, the body, can further be classifies as the Three Treasures—awareness, energy, and essence. Awareness is the subtlest, most refined level of the Three Treasures; it governs the life of the body. Energy is the bio-energetic force that animates the body, similar to the way electricity powers a home, but it's less subtle than awareness—without it, the body is lifeless. Essence, the densest of the three, comprises the material aspects of the body: the blood and bodily fluids, tissues and organs, and especially the hormones, neurochemicals, and enzymes. It is the substantial form of the body. When awareness, life force, and essence are fully integrated and unobstructed, we remain in a perpetual state of optimal health and wellbeing. If any of them is out of balance, all suffer greatly. These Three Treasures give rise to our sense of being, will to live and ability to express ourselves. These precious substances are referred to as treasures, because without them, we could not survive. To the extent we learn to protect, cultivate, and conserve them determines the length and quality of our lives. Most importantly, the Three Treasures allow us to return to source—Shen. In meditation, the Alchemy process is activated; attention turns inward toward the body and away from its usual anxious, forward-driven inclinations. The body acts as a cauldron where the Three Treasures accumulate. Once restored sufficiently, they ignite an internal purification process. This portion of Inner Alchemy is similar to that of building a campfire; first we gather wood, and then light a spark to ignite the fire. The inner alchemical fire burns away physical toxins, repressed emotions, unwanted belief patterns, and expands awareness, ultimately leading us back to Shen. In East Indian spiritual thought this transformation is referred to as awakening the Kundalini Serpent. When a seeker has sufficiently turned their gaze inward long enough, and allowed their essence to build, life force will ascend upward along the spine until it reaches the head. At this point, a reciprocating descending force meets it at the crown, and thus stimulates a myriad of brain chemicals that alleviate disease, reduce aging, expand consciousness (awareness), and a host of other spiritual phenomena. Look at it this way: “Essence is likened to the wick in a candle, energy is likened to the flame, and awareness of Shen is the resulting light. When the wick burns out, the flame goes out, and with it so does the light." Essence can be further classified into two categories, acquired and congenital. Acquired essence is derived from food, air, and water, whereas congenital essence is inherited from our parents. Though essence includes the entire body, the adrenals house the most potent of all essences—congenital essence. The adrenals also store many of our sex hormones that keep us vital and youthful. In the Inner Alchemy process, they have a much more important role; these sex hormones or congenital essence are the underlying biological fuel for our spiritual fires! The biggest reason why most seekers struggle maintaining a deepened spiritual awareness is that somewhere in their lives they are depleting and exhausting their Three Treasures—namely essence. How? Well, stress exhausts the adrenal glands, which depletes congenital essence. More specifically, the way we metabolize the effects of stress causes essence depletion, and translates into the number one cause for all health imbalances. No matter how much we meditate, if the fuel in our adrenals is exhausted, we won't get very far. That is exactly why tonic or adaptogenic herbs are incredibly helpful! The core benefit of adaptogens is their ability to help the body cope with stress and help heal the systemic damage caused by stress. Adaptogens recharge the adrenal glands, the body's primary mechanism for responding to stress and emotional change! To sum it up, stress exhausts the adrenals, which is problematic since the most potent of essences resides there. However, adaptogens restore the adrenals. Therefore, adaptogens restore essence and help build our biological connection to Spirit! Today many supplements use adaptogens in their formulas—randomly. Some such herbs are: Licorice Root, Eluethero Root, American Ginseng, Atractolydes, Astragulas, Matiake, Schisandra, and Lychii Fruit. Most formulations target general health and wellbeing. I suggest using formulas specifically for recharging the adrenals and essence. More powerful formulas are ones that combine several adaptogens coupled with a food delivery system for optimum assimilation. For more information regarding adaptogens or adaptogenic products, visit www.shentrition.com. About The Author: Professionally educated as an Acupuncture Physician, Stephen D. Rogers specializes in preventive health and spiritual development. Visit www.shen-life.com ShenTrition, 866-497-7436, www.shentrition.com or Stephen D. Rogers at Stephen@shen-life.com “Adaptogenic Herbs: Nature's Solution for Stress," by Edward C. Wallace, N.D., D.C. from Nutrition Science News as posted on Chiro.Org "Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina and Stress Relief," by Steven Maimes and David Winston, Healing Arts Press (Inner Traditions), Rochester, VT 2007 "The Way of Chinese Herbs, by Michael Tierra," Pocket Books, New York NY 1998 "Materia Medica, Revised Edition," by Dan Bensky and Andrew Gamble with Ted Kaptchuk, Eastland Press, Inc. Seattle, WA 1993 |
Tags: SPIRITUALITY, PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT, INNER ALCHEMY, STRESS, SELF-IMPROVEMENT, SUPPLEMENTS, VITAMINS, WELLNESS, AGING, ALTERNATIVE-MEDICINE, HEALTH, LON
