Luminous Reishi
Whispers from the forest
"The mushroom is the elf of plants, at once magical and mysterious"
- George Carlin
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If that is true generally of mushrooms, then Reishi would be an elder Elf. The 10,000-year-old wise one.
Reishi is luminous and shining. A heart-awakening mushroom to calm the mind and open doorways. A protector of the physical and energetic body. Once so rare and precious, all the Reishi in Imperial China was secured for the royal court.
Read about Reishi and you’ll find an abundance of references to happiness, good luck, health and longevity. You might also find yourself smiling, more assured that life’s challenges are not insurmountable. Perhaps you’ll be touched by Reishi’s playfulness. Its peacock tail shape, bright halo and beautifully rich, shiny colours look as though a child drew and painted it with the precious colours of Autumn. In the woods, it’s possible to imagine a little forest being dozing peacefully on the cloud-like body of Reishi, before sliding right down its stem through a portal in the tree and into another world!
Let your mind wander… It's in the gentle drifting that we may begin to sense the personalities and potentials of plants. Science may dissect and confirm what sages and herbalists once intimately understood through observation and connected awareness, but the essence of nature cannot be studied in a lab, it reveals itself when we're ready to learn.
The spirit of play
Reishi has long been treasured in Chinese tradition as a herb taken to support a long and happy life. If play keeps us young and present, Reishi has been valued for generations by those seeking calm, clarity, and steadiness as we navigate the twists and turns of life.
Animals and humans all love to play. Play is possible when our mind is calm, free from the burdens of obligations and absurd governance. When we allow ourselves the time and space to play, the demands of work and the world are more easily balanced. Stresses may arise, but never to the point of consuming or depleting us.
Elders who appear young at heart have a twinkle and inner calm that beguiles their age. They've seen enough to know that nothing is really as serious as it first seems, and no problems were ever solved by rooting oneself in a fixed position of either denial, victimhood or aggression. As a wise elder, Reishi opens the doorway to shifting more freely and fluidly between states.
The magic of Reishi
Reishi is classified as a ‘shen tonic’ – which translates loosely to mean a herb which nourishes the spirit. When we’re stressed, our nervous system becomes chaotic and tangled. Nothing flows. Reishi can induce a state of relaxed focus. Work and play. Productive and calm. Peaceful and alert. The perfect balance. Zen.
There are scores of books, science papers and articles on Reishi’s powerfully positive effect on the body. Life’s demands are so much these days that sheer willpower isn’t enough – we need allies we can rely upon. Traditionally, Reishi has been called upon to calm a restless mind, strengthen the heart, replenish vitality, soothe lungs, and shield the body from the wearing effects of stress. Reishi’s anti-inflammatory nature eases tension and irritation throughout the body.
Reishi often shines for those living with chronic stress, where the nervous and immune systems are frayed, reactive, or out of sync. Stress may come from an internal or external source. Reishi has traditionally been turned to by those carrying the weight of modern life. Whether you are sleep deprived, anxious, or under constant pressure, it has long been valued as a calming daily ally.
Why Reishi must be extracted
Unlike other mushrooms that can be eaten, Reishi is tough, almost woody. Raw, powdered Reishi isn't very helpful for the body. Its goodness is locked away, needing to be carefully extracted. The flavour is distinctly bitter and the more bitter it is, the more potent. The gods must be playful, making what's good for us not always sweet and easy. Don't look for capsules, you'll never know the quality of the Reishi inside them because you cannot taste it. As unappealing as it may be, we need to taste what we take. Keeping them in the mouth and letting the body process the delicate compounds before they enter the digestive tract is vital.
Ways to enjoy Reishi? My favourite is a pinch in homemade chocolate. Its bitterness dances with pure cacao. For coffee lovers, it’s just as simple — a little Reishi in your cup brings a subtle, earthy depth. We’ve also included Reishi in our Tonic Gold M blend — blended with care to offer enough richness and complexity to delight even the most devoted coffee drinkers with a nourishing alternative.
Reishi invites us to step into a space of presence, play, and quiet strength. Welcome to this magical mushroom 🍄
Written by Jemma Claire, co-founder Na'vi Organics
