REISHI
Did you take your mushrooms today?…..I took my mushrooms today! No, I’m not “tripping out!" I take medicinal mushrooms. Funny story: When I began working at a healthcare facility years ago, I told my co-workers that I took mushrooms. Well, word got around to a certain doctor (the medical director!) that I take these mushrooms. He came prancing up to me one day and said rather playfully, “Now I know why you’re always smiling!” But really...mushrooms ARE magical, and they DO increase one's vitality and wellbeing and will make you want to smile! Reishi is one of those powerhouse mushrooms that I take regularly and the mushroom I'd like to focus on right now.
We are emotional, spiritual beings. We are beautiful. We like to feel good! Yet we trick ourselves into negative circumstances or thought patterns which may negatively affect our health. As my mother would say, “it’s our stinkin’ thinkin'."
Mother earth gifts us with everything we need in order to heal our bodies, and in this particular blog post, I’d like to share with you the story of the “spirit mushroom,” the “mushroom of immortality,” a mushroom of Gods. In the year 100 AD, Wang Chung quoted:
They dose themselves with the germ of gold and jade and eat the finest fruit of the purple polypore fungus…By eating what is germinal, their bodies are lightened and they are capable of spiritual transcendence.
The common name of this mushroom Wang Chung describes is Reishi, originating from Japanese tradition. In Chinese, it’s known as “Ling zhi,” meaning “spirit plant” or “tree of life mushroom.” Its other names are: “ten-thousand-year mushroom,” “good fortune mushroom,” and in Latin--Ganoderma lucidum which means “shiny skin” due to its bright, varnished nature.
In China, Japan, and other Asian countries, Reishi was used for at least 4000 years for medicinal purposes. It’s the most widely depicted mushroom in these countries, and found on temple walls, tapestries, statues, and paintings. Reishi is dried and displayed on mantels or hung on Christmas trees in parts of Central Europe. The gift of Reishi was traditionally given in Asia to men by women as an expression of sexual interest.
The 16th century physician Li Shih Chen describes in his book “The Great Pharmacopoeia” that:
The continued use of Ling Zhi will lighten weight and increase longevity….it positively affects the life-energy, or Qi, of the heart, repairing the chest area and benefiting those with a knotted and tight chest. Taken over a long period of time, agility of the body will not cease, and the years are lengthened to those of the Immortal Fairies.”
Reishi mushroom boosts the immune system; it treats viral infections such as the flu (influenza); lung conditions including asthma and bronchitis; heart disease and contributing conditions like high blood pressure and high cholesterol; kidney disease; cancer; tumors; and liver disease. It is also used for HIV/AIDS, altitude sickness, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), trouble sleeping (insomnia), stomach ulcers, poisoning, and herpes pain. It reduces stress and reduces
inflammation. It’s a general health tonic.
Because this mushroom is tough and woody with a bitter taste, most people make a tea out of it. Steep 10 grams of Reishi slices in hot water for about 30 minutes or more, then use throughout the day. I’ve tried this before, and my suggestion is to add honey OR steep with apples to add natural sweetness to the drink.
Others take it in dried, powdered form. I take it in this form every day in capsules. This mushroom can be taken on an empty stomach. The dosage needed for treatment varies, but is usually between 3 and 6 grams per day.
The story of the powerful Reishi mushroom reminds us that nature is here for us, not against us. This is but one of the many healing remedies mother-nature created for our use. A friend once told me, “If you can eat, sleep, poop, and smile, you are healed.” Allow yourself to heal and feel good!
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