Muscles move the body by contracting and relaxin', in the universe of lunar waning and waxing. A contracting muscle becomes shorter, tissue stacking like bricks and mortar, while muscle relaxin' is the art of sliding apart, muscles become longer and thinner, a work of art! Myosin and Actin dwell together in cubbies, referred to as the super special sarcomeres - WIKA WIKA these two hubbies, livin' together in the functional units of skeletal muscle cubbies, do neat things during contraction. they get actin', sliddin' over one another, reducing sarcomere length, and in essence, have each other's backin'. Moon moves tide, brain sends message, partners in muscle crime, do their dance of contraction and relaxin'. Exercise keeps muscle strong, large and ripe, and the Central Nervous System is soothed like the smoke from my peace pipe.... hehe. We're all in it together, the moon, muscles, bone and brain, of human, plant, animal, wind and rain. Contracting and relaxin', in a cycle we grow, From small to large to small to no mo'.....
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So... I've fallen off the Holistic Human Physiology train. For weeks I've been attempting to complete the Movin' and Groovin' Badge but every time I open my Anatomy and Physiology book I keep getting hit by a feeling of "gawd, this is SO boring. This is NOT how I want to learn about myself and the world..." Bone growth and remodeling in particular has been a tough subject to work through. Osteoclasts, trabeculae, epiphyseal.... my brain can't cut through the science jargon to latch onto anything earthy or real. UGHHH. ROARRRR. It's also summer and the wild flowers out the window are way more interesting. The Anatomy and Physiology book feels like a crime against all living things real and glorious. The language and terminology does not do justice to the beauty and sensuality of the living world... I want soul. I want vitality. I'm so sick of dwelling on the functionality of life and the grip of science and exactitude. I want to be swept away and arrested by the richness that surrounds me. Can't we talk about bones in a way that celebrates and acknowledges their sacredness and beauty? Do we have to couch everything in science terminology? When we talk about bones, can we do it with soul? Modern medicine (and modern Anatomy and Physiology books GRRRRrrrr) abstract the body into chemistries and anatomies so that the sensual, soul-filled, expressive body is hidden behind graphs, charts, numbers, structural diagrams, and boring language. Is it possible to take a medical approach that is also in tune with art, one that is interested in the symbolic and poetic suggestiveness of an organ or a bone? We give intelligence and power to the brain and then reduce the bone to a tissue. The bone has its own intelligence, style and special force. The bone has soul, metaphoric richness AND its own private life. Bones aren't static or stable. They're imaginative and hungry beings of our body and every day in conjunction with the rest of our delicious, sensual creature bodies our dear bones build (with osteoblasts) or chew madly (with osteoclasts) like a squirrel to digest and break-down bone based on the body's needs and desires. Bones are magical - made of a matrix of minerals (mainly calcium) and collagen and they act as a holding nest for the rest of the body's mineral needs and desires. Our body pulls calcium from our bones to replenish the blood if calcium levels get low. As herbalists and body bone lovers we lovingly consider strengthening bone health to provide the nutrients and conditions and soulspace that encourage bone building and decrease the factors that encourage bone loss. Many factors affect bone health, but there are three crucial components that matter most and are needed together: -weight bearing exercise -calcium -vitamin D As one ages, the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis increases dramatically. Women in particular, without estrogen during the post-menopausal years, lose protection as bones demineralize and become porous, increasing the risk of bone issues. It's never too late, in youth or old age, to slow down or reverse bone loss or celebrate with delicious herbal remedies these magical, loving, desire-filled, intelligent, sensual bony parts of our world. I could describe more about bone formation and remodeling but I'm not feeling inspired. I don't want to retreat into language that regards the body with textbook poverty of imagination. I think this is as deep as I want to go about osteoblasts depositing new bone and osteoclasts increasing bone diameter. Phew. Cats out of the bag. Thanks for reading through my science angst. A poem of Bone Gratitude - to be read on the full moon with a horsetail cocktail.... Bone sleek, Bone narrow, Oh dear Bone, what's in your marrow? Storing my salts, protecting the inner of me, containing many secrets, some from the sea. With ancient levers we can dip, roll and dance, producing red blood cells in the wake of our prance. Heart and sacred organs safe within your ancestral domain, as muscle, ligaments and tendons attach to your vital frame. Bone sleek, Bone narrow, fierce like fire, rock and agile like the sparrow, Oh dear glorious and beautiful Bone, how grateful I am, For the joyous connection we share, throughout my life span. So on this full moon, I raise a horsetail cocktail to thee, And celebrate our vitality, Bone, you and me! (Herbs for Bone health: Nettle, oat straw, red clover, alfalfa and horsetail! ) ![]() Ohhhh lordy, the integumentary system (pronounced [in-teg-yuh-men-tuh-ree]) ! Ufffffff. What a system! The integumentary system protects, experiences, regulates, excretes and synthesizes. In some ways, this is the system I am most intimate with. This system is what separates me from the outside world and through it I experience my life. I also tend to this system- I do things that support its healing like when I get a cut on my hand or when I observe it as hair sprouts or changes color, freckles darken, and lines appear. I marvel at its changes as I marvel at the changing seasons. My skin is my living, evolving personal landscape. Covered in bacteria, a garden of healthy support, and built to sustain me for some time - it both simultaneously protects me from danger and yet - with the right caress or touch- ignites my passion! OOoooo eeeee! The Integumentary System is the largest body system and includes the skin (also called integument) and the skin's appendages - the hair, nails and certain glands. The integumentary system performs many vital functions: - protection of inner body structures -sensory perception -regulation of body temperature -excretion of some body fluids -synthesis of vitamin D The Layers of the Skin
The Epidermis is the outermost layer and varies in thickness from less than 0.1 mm on the eyelids to more than 1 mm on the palms and soles. It's our translucent shield and allows light to pass partially through it. I was surprised to discover that the epidermis is composed of various other layers that are distinct sections and are named for their structure and function: -The stratum corneum - (or horny layer... hehe) is the outermost layer and is comprised of fierce, tightly arranged layers of cellular membranes. -The stratum lucidum - (or clear layer) blocks water penetration or loss. Not everyone has this layer and some folks with thin skin are missing it. -The stratum granulosum - (or granular layer) forms keratin and again, is missing in some thin skinned folks. -The stratum spinosum - (or spiny layer) also helps with keratin formation and is rich in ribonucleic acid. -The stratum basale - (basal layer) is the deepest layer of the epidermis and produces new cells to replace the superficial keratinized cells that are continuously shed or worn away. The dermis, also called the corium, is the skin's second layer. It's an elastic sysem that contains and supports blood vessels, lymphatic vessels, nerves, and the epidermal appendages. This section of our skin contains collagen that gives strength and resilience to the dermis AND it has elastic fibers that bind the collagen and make the skin flexible. The dermis is what gives our skin strength, structure and elasticity. The subcutaneous tissue is the third layer of our skin and it's allll about fat. It contains adipose cells which are filled with luscious fat and this section of the skin also contains larger blood vessels and nerves. This section sits on our muscles and bones of our body and is known for helping with insulation, shock absorption and storage of energy reserves. Accessory structures of the skin include hair, nails, sweat glands, and sebaceous glands. These structures embryologically originate from the epidermis and can extend down through the dermis into the hypodermis Here are my notes on the accessory structures of the skin and the functions of each: ![]() Energetics Review We recently wrapped up our class on Energetics and I thoght it would be fun to circle back and review humoral theory and relate it to physiology. The above watercolor is a graph that I made to help me remember the humoral temperaments, a medical concept of humorism that suggests there are four fundamental personality types that correspond to the four elements- air, water, fire and earth. According to history, the ancient four humors theory may have origins in ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia but it was the Greek physician Hippocrates (460 - 370 BC) who developed it into a medical theory. He believed that certain behaviors, emotions, and moods were caused by an excess or lack of body fluids (called "humors"). The humors being blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm. Galen came along (AD 129-c. 200) and started to search for physiological reasons for different behaviors in humans and classified them as hot/cold and dry/wet. He believed that there could also be a sweet balance between the qualities, yielding a total of nine temperaments. By the way, the word "temperament" comes from Latin "temperare," "to mix." Galen believed that in a balanced human, the complementary characteristics of warm-cool and dry to moist were divinely balanced. In four less ideal types, which we now call the temperaments, one of the four qualities was dominant over all the others. Galen named these types "sanguine", "choleric". "melancholic", and "phlegmatic" after the bodily humors. Each type was the result of an excess of one of the humors that produced the imbalance. An excess of yellow bile resulted in a temperament believed to be warm/hot and dry, and associated with the element of fire [Choleric]. An excess of red bile resulted in a temperament believed to be warm/hot and wet, and associated with the element of air [Sanguine]. An excess of white bile resulted in a temperament believed to be cool/cold and wet, and associated with the element of water [Phlegmatic]. An excess of black bile resulted in a temperament believed to be cool/cold and dry, and associated with the element of earth [Melancholy]. Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) and various other folks who came after Galan theorized on the four temperaments and greatly shaped our modern theories of temperament. While stodgy "modern science" has rejected the theories of the four temperaments, many herbalists today are doing some exciting work with it and I think it has an important place in our human consciousness. The following is a brief overview of the four types: Sanguine The sanguine temperament is traditionally associated with blood, air, springtime and childhood. People with this temperament tend to be lively, sociable, talkative and pleasure-seeking. Warm-hearted, optimistic, imaginative, artistic and friendly are all works associated with this type. They can be flighty and changeable and can struggle with following tasks all the way through. Some muse that they can be best reached through awakening their love for a subject and admiration of people. Choleric The choleric temperament is traditionally associated with yellow bile (choler), fire, summer and youth. People with this temperament tend to be extroverted, excitable, impulsive, restless and with reserves of aggression, energy and/or passion. They try to instill their aggression, energy or passion in others. Words that come to mind: task-oriented, efficiency, "do it now", ambition, strong-willed and they like to be in charge. They can be strong leaders, are good at planning and are often practical and solution-oriented. They appeciate receiving respect and esteem for their work. Some muse that cholerics can be best reached through mutual respect and appropriate challenges that reconize their capabilities. Melancholic The melancholic temperament is traditionally associated with black bile (melancholy), earth, autumn and maturity. People with this temperament may appear serious, introverted, cautious or even suspicious. They can become preoccupied with the tragedy and cruelty in the world and are susceptible to depression and moodiness. Focused, conscientious and loners. Melancholics tend to prefer to do things themselves, both to meet their own standards and because they are not inherently sociable. This type is so sensitive and experience pain so deeply that they tend to be the most deeply compassionate. Some muse that melancholics can be best met by awakening their sympathy for others and the suffering of the world. Phlegmatic The phlegmatic temperament is traditionally associated with phlegm, water, winter and old age. People with this temperament may be inward, private, thoughtful, reasonable, calm, patient, caring and tolerant. They tend to have a rich inner life, seek a quiet, peaceful atmosphere and be content with themselves. They tend to be steadfast, consistent in their habits and thus steady and faithful friends. Phlegmatics may appear somewhat ponderous or clumsy and their speech can be slow or appear hesitant. Some muse that their interest is often awakened by experiencing others' interest in a subject. Temperament Story: My friend Ashley worked at a Camphill Community called Heart Beet in Hardwick, Vermont and this community, based on the teachings of Rudolf Steiner, did a lot of work around temperaments. I heard this story from Ashley who heard it from her friend Seneca. I love it and thought it would be helpful to share here: The four temperaments are hiking along together when they come to a giant rock in the middle of the trail. They all respond to this obstacle in different ways. The phlegmatic sits down and starts mapping out a plan, considering all the options to deal with the rock - a pros and cons list, a sketch of the terrain, GPS points, etc. The sanguine spies some wild flowers off the trail and decides to go off and pick them, completely forgetting about the rock problem. The choleric says "we're going to do this now!" and climbs straight up over the rock, without a plan, just wanting to get it done. The melancholic shuts down, wailing "this is the worst thing that could happen" and in their pain, feels into the rock and the suffering of the world and empathizes with everyone. The phlegmatic continues to plan and strategize while the other temperaments go on with their day. Hehe. Why the Temperaments are Important: I really enjoy thinking and musing about the temperaments because it helps me feel more at peace with myself and those around me. Understanding that we're not all programmed the same, an obvious conclusion but sometimes difficult to accept, is comforting and takes the pressure off living up to others' standards. For example, learning about the sanguine personality type allowed me to take a deep sigh of relief. For one, I really identify as a sanguine and sometimes I can get really hard on myself for being flightly and not following through with projects. I'm an experiential learner and sometimes it takes starting a project to realize it's not something that I want to fully commit to AND, there are so many positives to the sanguine personality that when taken as a whole, as a fully vital and beautiful pie piece in the slice of life, it's OK. And now, when I'm out and about in my life, and someone irritates me or wants to do something a different way I pause. I stop and think "okay, this is such a melancholic approach- and it's different than how I do things but I can work with it." Understanding the humoral theory has helped me become more tolerant of others' differences. Being able to visual all of humanity bundled up into various manifestations of air, fire, earth and water takes the pressure off. We're different and it's juicy and exciting and sometimes annoying but at the end of the day it's OK and it's our duty to be fully the manifestation of we're deeply called to be. Yee haww! If you're thirsty for more on the temperaments, check out herbalist Rebecca Altman's work: http://www.cauldronsandcrockpots.com/2015/12/temperaments-part-1/ OKAY, so.... The Four Tissue Types! WHAA??? In physiology, we're studying the four human tissue types and I thought it would be interesting to consider these types within the context of humoral theory. Tissues are groups of cells that perform the same general function and there are four basic types. These tissues respond to and interact with body fluids (humors) in different ways and perhaps, PERHAPS there is a resonance with the temperaments. Let's explore: Epithelial Tissue- the Phlegmatic Tissue of the Body: Epithelial tissue is the continuous cellular sheet that covers the body's surface, lines cavities and forms certain glands. The primary functions of epithelial tissues are: (1) to protect the tissues that lie beneath it from radiation, toxins, invasion by pathogens and physical trauma; (2) the regulation and exchange of chemicals between the underlying tissues and body cavity; (3) the secretion of hormones into the blood vascular system, and/or the secretion of sweat, mucus, enzymes, and other products that are delivered by ducts; and (4) to provide sensation. Epithelial tissue forms glands to secrete, covers our body like a giant tissue ocean, lines our lymphatic vessels and helps provide us with sensation to experience the world beyond our body. Epithelial tissue resonates with the phlegmatic temperament due to this tissue's connection to water but also because it helps keep parts of us inward, private and calm. This tissue type helps us thrive by having a separate, rich inner life. Steadfast, consistent and calm, this tissue type thrives on keeping us inward and private yet sparking an interest through sensation, the brush of a feather or the hand of a love interest.... Connective Tissue - the Melancholic Tissue of the Body Connective tissue is the bone, cartilage, and fatty issue (adipose) that binds together and supports our body structure. This includes loose connective tissue- the large spaces that separate the fibers and cells and contain inter-cellular fluid and dense connective tissue - tightly packed fibers arranged in various patterns (regular or irregular) to provide structural support including tendons, ligaments and fibers found in the dermis, submucosa of the GI tract and fascia. Connective tissue is melancholic- it's the earth of our body, the fat and bone and bulk of who we are. Melancholics are heavy and deep feelers and it is connective tissue that encircle the bases of the pulmonary trunk, aorta and heart valves. This tissue provides structure and support for the heart, the guiding force of melancholics. Melancholics are deep, slow and feeling. Their wounds cut deep, and the melancholic, like the collagen that supports our heart or the fatty tissue on our hips that act as insulation to conserve body heat or a cushion for internal organs, strives to self-protect on a deep level. Muscle Tissue - the Sanguine Tissue of the Body Muscle tissue is a soft tissue that composes muscles and gives rise to its ability to contract. This tissue varies with function and location in the body and there are three types: skeletal or striated, smooth or non-striated and cardiac muscle. Smooth and cardiac muscle contract involuntarily, without conscious intervention and may be activated both through interaction of the central nervous system as well as by receiving innervation (WOAH - cool word) from peripheral plexus or endocrine (hormonal) activation. Striated or skeletal muscle only contracts voluntarily, upon influence of the central nervous system. Due to this tissue receiving a generous blood supply compared to other tissues, I associate the muscle tissue with the sanguine temperament. Muscles allow us to be lively, pleasure-seeking and active. Muscles love movement, imagination, artistic expression and being friendly. Muscles can be flighty, just like sanguines, and they're changeable - this tissue varies greatly with function and location in the body just like sanguine bouncing between social gatherings, activities, projects and inspiration. Muscles awake when they're presented with something they love - a hike, a dance, an embrace just as the sanguine ignites with heart centered connection for people, experiences, and places. Nervous Tissue - the Choleric Tissue of the Body
The nervous tissue's main function is communication. It's primary properties are - irritability and the capacity to react to various physical and chemical agents and conductivity - the ability to transmit the resulting reaction from one point to another. Neurons are nervous tissue specialists- they generate and conduct nerve impulses. Neuroglia support structure of the nervous tissue, insulating and protecting neurons. Nervous tissue is all about irritability, conductivity and transmitting impulses. ELECTRICITY. It is this spark and fire and conductivity that align nervous tissue with the fiery choleric temperament. This tissue is comprised of highly specialized cells that generate and conduct nerve impulses much like the choleric person who channels their fire into energy, accomplishments, reactions and passion. Under stress, cholerics frequently respond by wanting to fight against it (I'm going to beat this!), and may fall into patterns of anger and frustration if they're not easily able to do so just like the nervous tissue response to physical and chemical agents on the body. Hot-tempered, quick thinking, active, practical, and strong-willed choleric communication impulses surge through our system via the nervous tissue. How this relates to Herbal Medicine: Understanding the Whole Person Picture We've talked a lot about how it is important to understand the whole person rather than just a disease or an issue when working as a herbalist- understand the whole person and use a whole plant to treat the whole disease. Herbal medicine uses systems to recognize and describe patterns that we see- these patterns can include Traditional Chinese Medicine and an understanding of ying and yang and the five elements or Ayurvedic medicine and the three doshas and the five elements. Greek/Arabic medicine uses the four elements, the four qualities, the four temperaments and the two tissue states. Nineteenth century Western herbalism uses a system of six "tissue states." Understanding the underlying physiology and tissue types of the human system helps us have a better sense of what's happening within the specific lens pattern system we're using to get the whole person picture. ![]() This evening at the Wabanaki Ethnobotany: Food and Medicine course with Dr. Frederick M. Wiseman the topic covered was "Sun Dance Season: An Introduction to Indigenous North American Healing; Botanical Materials and World View." Drawing on his extensive experience with healers and gardeners in Guatemala, Belize, Northern Mexico, the American Southwest, Louisiana and the Northeast, Prof. Fred Wiseman discussed the basics of ethnobotanical Native healing arts; from the doctrine of animism and metaconnection; to syncretic Roman Catholic/Native healing. He also gave insight into ancestral environmental experience, healing through community and various other juicy topics my favorite of the evening being "coyote and trickster medicine." Dr. Wiseman described how the coyote or trickster spirit appears in many cultural traditions around the globe and that the raccoon Azeban appeared as a trickster spirit in Abenaki mythology. (The traditional homeland of the Abenaki is Wobanakik (Place of the Dawn), what is now called northern New England and southern Quebec. ) Azeban, pronounced ah-zuh-bahn, does many foolish and/or mischievous things in Abenaki folktales but is not considered dangerous or malevolent. In fact, Dr. Wiseman described how the trickster spirit is one of the most complex spirits and that it has the power of creator wrapped into its spirit of wise trickery and serendipity. Nothing in life is going to happen exactly the way you want it to happen and the trickster spirit teaches us that that's okay. Many people see the circumstances of their life as either good or bad but Azeban teaches us that it's okay to hurt and that sometimes the cards you are dealt are exactly what you need... Many native traditions held clowns and tricksters as essential to any contact with the sacred and Dr. Wiseman described how many creation stories involve the antics of tricksters. He used the example of a famous creation story involving coyote's gluttonous ways leading to the stars spilling out into the universe. Gluttony can kill but it can also create beauty and the lines between good and bad become blurred when honoring the power of the trickster spirit. One can not pray until they have laughed, because laughter opens and frees us from rigid preconceptions. Many native traditions include profane humor with their creation stories and trickster spirits. We need to have the trickster spirit with us, even in the most sacred ceremonies for fear that we forget that the sacred comes through upset, reversal and surprise. The trickster in most native traditions is essential to creation and to birth. I ended up bringing a beautifully beaded huichol bowl (that I found in my father's possessions after he passed away in November) to class for Dr. Wiseman to look at it. He told me that the ornately decorated gourd bowl is a talisman vessel and that three days before the Day of the Dead in November I can put dried food into the bowl, leave it in front of an empty seat and invite my father to the table. This is customarily how the bowl was used. The gourd has images of corn, sun, rain, and peyote- which symbolizes the union of conciousness and earth. This talisman really resonated with some of the traditions that Dr. Wiseman spoke about in class and I marveled at the synchronicity of it all. The bowl is one of the most cherished possessions that I have from my father's belongings.
A raccoon ran in front of my car on the way home from class and I got to thinking about trickster spirits, my Dad and my life. At the core of my being is a deep love and appreciation for profanity, rule-breaking, and pranks- I'm pretty sure this is something I got from Dad. Throughout my life I have struggled with authority and have often been accused of "poking the bear." For some reason I've been intensely drawn to jobs that have involved destruction and creation, an important aspect of trickster spirit. I worked as a patient advocate at a feminist abortion clinic and as a trail worker tearing up land to make new trails. I've always had a deep knowing that it's OK to destroy when appropriate, when you're clear in your action. Trickster spirit knows that sometimes a tiny fetus must be sacrificed to preserve the life of the mother or that trees must be killed and plants torn out of the ground to make trails to contain human feet to preserve the rest of the National Park. Our society sees things as good or evil but beyond that is a field where Azeban resides and this friendly raccoon isn't shy about leading us there... In the spirit of celebrating this trickster spirit, I thought I'd share a story that I told recently at Extempo's Annual Storytelling Tell-Off Competition in January. After my father passed away I channeled my initial grief into a story that epitomizes my relationship with profanity, magic, my Dad and the trickster. It won first place and the people's choice award and it was one of the most healing experiences of my life. Hope you enjoy it: http://www.extempovt.com/The%20Family%20Jewels.mp3 This week at Herb School we are diving head first into human physiology, the scientific study of the chemistry and physics of the structures of the body and the ways in which they work together to support the function of life. Science! Chemistry! Physics! AHHHHHH!!!! These words make me want to go running for the hills BUT I'm not going to because, with a little creativity and some colored pencils, I know I can make this material come alive. The word physiology comes from Ancient Greek and means "nature, origin" and the "study of." Physiology is a sub-discipline of biology and it focuses on how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells and biomolecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. Much of the study of physiology has centered on the body's tendency towards homeostasis. Homeostasis is defined as the state of steady internal conditions maintained by living things. But we know that nothing in life is really steady or static. That the only constant in life is change and that at the core of existing is a sense of everything always evolving and falling apart. Gosh, change is everywhere at all times and the world and life is dynamic. It is this very state of flux that presents opportunities for growth and innovation and creativity. But it can also be a source of great anguish. Scientists now recognize our fluctuating state of human baseline existence as Allostasis - maintaining stability through change or dynamic balance. As humans, we actually fluctuate constantly, like a tight rope walker, and we want to make sure our fluctuations are supple but not too extreme that we fall off the tight rope. For example difficult life situations, chronic health conditions, stress, gastrointestinal inflammation adding to stress levels (etc.) can all contribute to an allostatic overload. And now... for a story about spiders and allostatic overload. Lila the Spider Lila the spider lives in a chaotic household. Sometimes the roof leaks on her web and sometimes the wood stove gets cranking so hot in the cabin that her web gets dry and spindly. Lila never knows what to expect next - a broom from an angry human spraying chemicals and madly wiping the surfaces of her world, the cold draft and wind from a door left ajar or the vibrations from a loud stereo system and humans stomping on the floor. At times, Lila gets worn down and struggles to adjust to the load of stresses in her environment. She gets a bad cold, and has a predisposition to having her eggs knocked from her hips, and the broom wrath of the humans has continually disrupted her sleeping habits as of late. For Lila - after losing another round of eggs and not getting enough sleep - life is exhausting and sad. Her web swings wildly from these stressors. And then one evening, late in the wee hours of the night, Lila feels an excessive amount of heat radiating from the stove and she listens as a loud roaring noise emanates from the brick chimney. Smoke fills the cabin and Lila runs scrambling into a crack in the wall. But the crack becomes too hot and fills with smoke and she quickly parachutes to the floor and scurries out the door, narrowly avoiding the humans dashing in and out with buckets. Lila scurries up a tree and into a deep crack in the bark of an old maple tree and watches as the cabin roars up in flame and collapses in ash. This is spider allostatic overload. For awhile her web swung to and fro from brooms, vibrations and a heavy draft but after some illness, the loss of her children and the burning of the cabin she falls heavily from the fluctuating state of her lovely baseline spider existence. Adjusting to a universe of wet, damp and dew is challenging. Lila scurries through the forest, under leaves and over logs, and hurries far from the mound of burning ash that was once her home. She crosses a paved road, watches monsters on wheels roar by and climbs deep into the woods up the side of a mountain. After many days she finds herself in a clearing full of flowers and spies a woman with a long braid down her back digging in the earth. Lila feels at peace here. As Lila begins to rebuild her home in new surroundings, she meets some plant friends who instruct her to drink the dew on their leaves each morning. These friends - including Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, Eleuthero - speak kind whispers to Lila about their ability to help her adapt to stress, heat and cold, noise, high altitudes, loss, grief and other stressors. The woman with the braid loves these plants dearly and the plants love the woman. Lila wonders if some day she'll be loved and noticed by the woman with the braid too. Lila listens to the plant stories, their murmurs of secret adaptogen powers and finds that their morning dew elixir imparts the strength, energy, stamina, endurance and mental clarity that they exude. With time, Lila finds that she can deal with the world better and that fire, snow, wind and heartache does not rattle her web so fiercely. One morning, caught off guard by the woman with the braid, she receives a cooing "good morning, spider friend" from her human neighbor as Lila sips the dawn tulsi dew. With her tiny spider heart and her spider dreams- for flies and ions of children- she relishes in the unpredictability of the world and the many adventures and friends to be found here. Body and Mind as System Our body and mind is a system and when you inject a traumatic experience, exposure to toxins, a predisposition (genetic) to cancer, pathogens AND the way our body responds affects the WHOLE BEING - mental, physical and spiritual health. Adaptogens (like Holy Basil, Ashwagandha, Eleuthero mentioned in the story above) help generate adaptability and increase our allostatic load as we generate resiliency to face the unpredictable, ever changing flow of life. What's neat is that when you break things down to the cellular level, we have these layers of independently functioning units within our living organism that are constantly adapting and responding to our life experiences and lived events. Cells are the smallest unit. All living structures of human anatomy contain cells and almost all functions of human physiology are performed in cells or are initiated by cells. Molecules combine to form cells, cells combine to form tissues, tissues combine to form organs, organs combine to form organ systems and organ systems combine to form us- organisms. Cells have a nucleus that act as the brain of the cell, playing a role in cell growth, metabolism and reproduction. We have layers upon layers of brains and mission control panels. Check out this diagram I drew for more information on the various parts of the cell: The plasma membrane that surrounds each cell allows some substances to move in and out of the cell but restricts others. On average, humans have around 37.2 trillion cells in the body. That's a lot of nucleuses making a lot of decisions.... See below to learn more about the plasma membrane and the various modes of transportation into and out of cells. Guido Mase gave us a lecture a few months ago about how reality is self-similar on multiple levels and how many of the basic rules that exist on the quantum level can be seen in our world. It's fascinating to me that cells, the smallest independently functioning unit in our body, have a brain (nucleus) and we are made up of trillions of cells and trillions of mini brains that work together to create a larger brain in our head...... and if we keep going from there.... that reality is self-similar on multiple levels... what other bigger brains are out there, that we are a part of? Aren't we just a form of bacteria in the hugeness of the universe?
AND that life is hard-wired at the basis of the universe to dissipate and accomplish the goals of entropy or lack of order or predictability; gradual decline into disorder. As humans we chug along aiming to achieve allostasis, finding a safe rhythm to our fluctuations as we grapple with the duality of life and destruction. As herbalists, when we understand the basics of our cellular makeup and the nature of the universe in hand with our plant spirit connections and communications with a layer of modern technological enchantment we can help ourselves and our community heal through the chaos and diversity of life. We can encourage circulation, movement and a response towards vitality across all self-governing parts of our entire system. As we see even on the cellular level, encouraging flow and movement enhances VITALITY. As I study the components of the cell and the plasma membrane and diffusion, I'm struck by how relationships are way more important than the components of these parts of us. It all comes down to... relationship. The stomach lining from a sheep we slaughtered last fall "Long before writing was invented, human beings read their world. They interpreted their dreams and the flights of birds. They read the intestines of sacrificial animals and the memories of their ancestors. They read the things that surprised them, or the things that reminded them of something else. Most of all, they read in the places where there were holes — spaces — gaps. They filled up the blanks of the universe, as though they were pages, with writing. Leonardo advised aspiring artists to "discover" the pictures to be found in the cracks in walls; Chinese sages were conceived as their mothers stepped into the footprints of unicorns; all of us make up our lives out of the cracks in the walls or our past memories and the unicorn footprints of our futures. The making of a life is similar to the making of a text. We live by reading our own stories. We read by recall and imagination. A sacred text is made by making up what is felt to be already there, just like a life. A sacred text is an impression in stone, or imagination filling up the maker of the space."
-Linda Sexson, Ordinarily Sacred "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science. He to whom this emotion is a stranger, who no longer pause to wonder and stand rapt in awe, is as good as dead" - Albert Einstein We're planting an apple orchard in St. Johnsbury, Vermont. I snapped this photo last weekend as we wrapped up a day full of wonder, awe, soil, mystery and hanging with the beautiful tree babies. I won't tell you what was so funny (it was dirty in more ways than one) but I did want to share this moment of amusement, a gift from the mysterious humor gods. Thanks Vermont for the light, love and laughter.
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AuthorThe adventures, studies, and musings of a student at the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism.
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