“Your power is in your mind. Your body is just a vehicle. You are not eating food, you are eating for your health, your vitality, your energy, your prosperity, your strength, your “fateh”—your power to conquer. When you eat food, it is God’s own self.”
-8/13/92 Yogi Bahjan
What a great season to talk about the role of food, herbs, and nutrition in supporting our wellness practice: wintertime and the beginning of a new year. Things are moving much more slowly and with much more depth, and we can best utilize this special time by reflecting on our ability to nourish ourselves, mind, body, and spirit.
Eastern medicine reveals to us how we were created, teaches us the relationship between all the elements of our body, and guides us with specific directions in how to sustain perfect balance and harmony within each unique season.
Whether we are brand new to meditation or we already have an established practice, a continued deepening of sensitivity and awareness are natural and common benefits. This is not only true of the clarity of our mental faculties, but also of the authentic awareness we develop to the real needs of our physical bodies. The deeper we go into meditation, the stronger this connection between the mind and the world, between the inner and outer. This sensitivity can be used for our own benefit, but we must learn to listen to and work with our powerful intuition in order for it to guide us well, otherwise this heightened sensitivity could work against our intentions, making us incredibly vulnerable in an ever-changing world.
The mind must be kept attentive, open, and flexible, and that requires that it also be kept full of oxygen. Some of my favorite ways to achieve this are through asana, kriya, pranayama and regular outdoor activity like walking and hiking. However, in order to fully fortify the physical system and support the mental and emotional bodies’ efforts in coping with the environment, adaptogens, also known as superfoods, are essential and can make all the difference. Here are my top 3 favorite power herbs that you can take daily throughout the year or by just through the winter months:
Ashwaganda: Known as the ginseng of India, this herb is one of the most used superfoods in the ayruvedic tradition. It helps to fight stress and anxiety, strenghtens the nervous system, counteracts low energy, and alleviates constant impatience towards the self. The best way to take ashwaganda is either in capsule form or by taking a teaspoon of the powder in your favorite morning drink or smoothie.
Rhodiola: Sometimes called “artic root” or “golden root,” rhodiola is considered an adaptogenic herb, meaning that it acts in non-specific ways to increase resistance to stress without disturbing normal biological functions. In other words, it helps us adapt to whatever life is offering us. Rhodiola is one of the best plants for healing patients suffering from “21st century stress”: fatigue, mental fog, trouble concentrating, low energy, and depression.
Lavender: Some of the most important health benefits of lavender include its ability to relieve stress, improve mood, promote restful sleep, reduce inflammation, lower skin irritation, prevent infections, eliminate dandruff, and soothe stomach bloating.This plant has long been recognized among many European cultures as a master plant, and drinking lavender tea at night can change your whole sleeping pattern and fight insmonia and other sleeping disorders.
For those of us that don’t mind the extra texture and taste that come along with herbal supplements, all of these plants can be added in their powder form to smoothies or other morning drinks (yes , even coffee!). They can also all be purchased in capsules and are found in practically every health store or online shopping site.
Consistency is the best way to understand and receive the benefits of these plants.
Unlike Western medicine, Eastern medicine’s approach to healing and wellness is more subtle and slow, building sturdy foundations of real change. Take them once daily for at least 15 days, and if you find they are soothing your constitution, continue for a full month. You can then take a break, leaving an 8-day period before your next intake cycle.
I hope that this information opens your perspective about how to strenghten your mind-body connection through working in collaboration with the magical medicines of Mother Earth. As we make this part of our daily lives, we are more and more able to prevent disharmony and cultivate wellbeing in this exciting but often “harsh” illusion of physical reality.
Love and long-lasting feelings of peace to you all!
Miguel Méndez
Plant Yogi Chef
*** Always consult your physician before starting or taking any new supplement into your diet as each body is unique and has different needs.