Anxiety, stress and depression are reaching epidemic levels. When we speak of plants as allies to counter these imbalances, we speak of energetic awareness and we must also recognize what this has to do with spirituality.
At first glance, what we can say is that anxiety, stress and depression are important indicators that we should be paying attention to something. Similar to how when there is pain or inflammation. The body and mind indicate something to us and it is up to us whether we want to evade or listen to something that could take the form of inner wisdom. Of course, it all depends on each person, their situation and their capacity to bear pain and its level.
According to various currents of ancestral medicine, there are different states of mind. We could group them into 3: spiritual, agitated and inert.
A spiritual mind, or a conscious mind, lives free of stress, anxiety and depression, not from idealism since it will surely go through situations of emotional stress, but it has a spiritual understanding and balanced action in the face of these conditions. The conscious, spiritual mind is the antidote to any suffering.
The agitated mind fills with anxiety. When the mind is agitated it does not stop, it wakes up in the middle of the night with a thought, whether it is an idea or worry, which often becomes repetitive. The antidote is to return to the peaceful mind, that sleeps deeply and serenely.
When the mind is inert, stagnant, depression is cultivated. Motivation and energy are lacking. Vitality is blocked. The antidote is to cultivate gratitude and compassion.
An agitated mind is full of anxiety, it is restless and does not sleep.
A static, stagnant mind lacks willpower, intention.
The spiritual mind is free of anxiety, stress and depression. It does not mean that it is not felt, but rather there is a different approach, or a non-identification with emotions.
Anxiety, Stress and Depression are considered ailments of the spirit. They manifest through mood, irritability, mental restlessness, and sleep.
99% of stress is not based on reality, it is mind activity. Why does the mind generate this tension? The ego (the sense of being) feels threatened. It has to do with our level of spiritual evolution, we can cultivate inner peace and return to it again and again.
When the balance of elements in the body is dynamic and follows our natural rhythm we live in that state of peace and fulfillment. When there is excess fire and/or air, we become agitated, when there is excess water and/or earth our mood diminishes.
How is our lifestyle? Nutrition, diet, nourishment? Exercise, movement, active life? Sexual life? Breathing? Habits, addictions? Quality of sleep?
How is our mind? in an agitated state or in a static stagnant state or in a state of inner peace, of spiritual consciousness.
How is our spirit? Do our eyes shine? Are we positive, inspired? Do we have an open and expanded heart?
The condition of our spirit is fundamental in how we face life’s details.
If we respond to these imbalances from conscious mind, our experience will be meaningful, transformative and we will learn something that will help us grow and surely lead us toward the root of the problem. We want to restore the flow of nature in the body to heal, purify, revitalize, rejuvenate and evolve.
When we choose to work with nature and plants, we choose not to hide the problem or sedate ourselves. The plants that help us treat these spiritual imbalances do not work like medicines. They are part of a series of adjustments we can make. Plants will not control our mind and emotions, but they can help and support us on the path to fulfilling our tasks, and returning the mind to its natural state of peace.
Plants help us many times to manage the first symptoms, and they also integrate very well with other therapies by relaxing the central nervous system. There are cases where they don’t work—The more we approach them, the more they will help us.
The purpose of the mind is to connect everything and give life meaning. If we don’t have a clear mind we don’t find answers or meaning, we don’t know what to do with the problems we are facing. This frustration results in a cascade of situations within the body.
Are anxiety and depression responses to something we are going through? Or do they come from past traumas? Or are they the result of imbalances in the adrenal glands, thyroid, liver?
In biological terms, we want to help the body navigate these conditions by balancing the relationship between the central nervous system, the immune system and the endocrine system, through the digestive and respiratory system.
The more time we manage to spend in a state of inner peace, the more our nervous system and endocrine system will respond to these patterns.
A peaceful mind has greater openness to natural medicine, which is subtle, minimally invasive, not dangerous, is symbiotic, and improves the immune system. The spiritual mind transforms the condition we are going through into something we can learn from and evolve.
Anxiety, Stress and Depression are catalysts; indicators that we need to pay attention to something. They are messages from the body and mind, and it is up to us whether we want to cover them up or listen to them as a form of inner wisdom. This depends on our individual capacity and level of pain.
The plants and practices we suggest are allies and support us in the work of transforming our lives and evolving. Sometimes they help reduce symptoms, in other cases they need other holistic treatments, sometimes we don’t see how they help.
Plants that we can take as an Infusion and Modulate the Central Nervous System
Relieve anxiety, calm the nerves, soothe, uplift the spirit:
They counteract depression, relieve mental fatigue, warm the spirit:
Healing aromas from plants
Inhaling healing aromas is a great method to sustain, nourish, calm, stabilize and elevate states of mind, emotions and consciousness related to spiritual well-being. We can also receive them through massage and especially self-massage.
They calm and elevate the spirit, rejuvenate vitality by improving sleep and rest.
They improve concentration, memory and prevent cognitive and neurological degeneration. They maintain a state of alertness.
Purification, gratitude, offerings, elevate mind, heart and spirit.
