Our botanical medicine class had the opportunity to go on a tour of the CCNM garden this term. We were introduced to many of the herbs and plants in the garden and learned a great deal of valuable information. In class, we have learned that by connecting with plants and their properties through the power of energy you can begin to understand what their properties are without any previous knowledge of the plants. This was something I had a hard time wrapping my mind around, but we had the opportunity to do a meditation with a plant and we found some interesting results. Find out what happened during the meditation at the very end of the post :)
Below are some of the herbs we studied!
Echinacea spp. (Cone Flower)
- You know you have a good quality Echinacea plant if your tongue will go numb and you can't taste anything when you eat some of the seeds.
- Great for the fall/winter season as it is commonly used to prevent and treat common colds.
- Enhances the immune system, relieves pain and inflammation, and has antiviral properties making it a great plant for treating various conditions such as urinary tract infection, sinusitis and hay fever.
Gingko (Ginkgo biloba L.)
- Ginkgo was first used in Western medicine in 1965 in Germany.
- The shape of the leaves are very similar to the cross section of the human brain.
- Primary actions include increasing blood supply, along with protecting and enhancing brain function.
- Used primarily in times of difficulty in concentration and memory, absentmindedness, confusion, lack of energy, tiredness, decreased physical performance, depressed mood, and anxiety.
Chaste Tree (Vitex agnus-castus)
- This is for the ladies... due to its ability to normalize female sex hormones it is recommended for painful periods, PMS, irregular periods, changes of menopause, etc.
- Chaste tree in tincture form doesn't exactly have the best taste, but it's definitely worth it if you are suffering from any of the above mentioned symptoms. It is a herb I used to successfully combat my symptoms related to PCOS.
Herbal Guided Meditation
Now it's time for the herb meditation results. Our class had the opportunity to try to connect with a herb that none of us had previously studied about. We were guided through a series of questions on the physical sensations we experienced when around the plant and what we observed while looking at its properties (e.g. leaves, thorns, colours, etc.). The plant I studied had leaves with small spikes, contained berries, about 2-inch thorns (which I did not even see at first), and was a very tall tree. Some of the feelings we felt were along the lines of deceivious, warming, and scared. The plant felt friendly but had long thorns which felt harmful. Through the guided meditation, we were asked to close our eyes and become aware of the sensations we felt. I felt a sensation in my heart, others felt their chest opening up and most of us felt like we were being drawn into the plant's space.
We then found out the plant was actually Hawthorne (Crataegus spp.). It is generally used for cardiovascular disease as it increases the contractibility of cardiac muscle and helps to keep the heart in a healthy condition (e.g. can help to minimize coronary heart disease). This information was truly interesting especially because the sensations I felt were directly related to the heart. This exercise made me realize to be open to anything I learn even if it sounds like it may not be possible. If we strive to be open to new experiences, there is no boundary to what can be learned. Below are some pictures of Hawthorne.
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