Spirit Food – Chaga Mushroom
ORIGIN
Chaga is a most remarkable medicinal mushroom that grows on the bark of living trees. Chaga makes the powerful medicinal wood of birch trees edible for humans. Chaga mushrooms grow most abundantly in nearly all species of birch found in the circumpolar temperate forests of Earth’s northern hemisphere.
The medicinal super-powers of the Chaga mushroom are well known across the world. Used for centuries in Siberia as a traditional medicine to boost immunity and improve overall health; shamans recognised the Chaga Mushroom as the ‘King of all Mushrooms’. Their Latin name is Inonotus obliquus.
A Chaga mushroom is a polypore mushroom because it has pores instead of the gills that are seen on most fungi. The outside of the mushroom grows like burnt black charcoal on the trucks of Birch trees. The growths are roughly 10-15 inches in size. Within a Chaga mushroom is a golden orange flesh which feels like a cork when touched.
Traditionally, Chaga mushrooms were grated into a fine powder and brewed as a herbal tea. Practical uses of Chaga include the making of a perfect slow-burning wood that is used to make campfires. It also acts as a natural clothing dye and is used to adorn bland material with its yellow-orange and dark charcoal pigments.
CHAKRA – Third Eye
PHYSICAL BENEFITS
Chaga is an immune system adaptogen. Weight for weight it is the most potent antioxidant on Earth. The Chaga mushroom contains a full spectrum of phytonutrients and it is well known for its medicinal properties.
Most of the health benefits contained within Chaga arise from the Birch tree itself. The Chaga fungus draws out dense amounts of concentrated nutrients that are found in the Birch Tree. Acting like an alchemist, Chaga transforms these Birch tree nutrients into bio-active compounds which are easily digested by people.
There are many bioavailable vitamins and minerals found within the Chaga mushroom. These include zinc, selenium (a brain nutrient), B vitamins, iron, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, manganese, copper, rubidium, and potassium. Chaga mushrooms also contain many essential amino acids.
Chaga mushrooms are packed with antioxidants which help to fight free radicals and inflammation. This dark black mushroom combats the oxidative stress that is linked to skin ageing. Chaga mushrooms may also prevent or slow the growth of cancer, and lower the levels of bad cholesterol in the human body.
Chaga extract may fight cancer and improve your body’s immunity. Animal and test-tube studies have discovered that Chaga extract prevents chronic inflammation, fights cancer, lowers blood sugar levels and reduces cholesterol.
Scientific studies suggest that Chaga extract can positively impact immunity by reducing long-term inflammation and fighting harmful bacteria and viruses. Chaga stimulates white blood cells by promoting the formation of beneficial cytokines. These are specialized proteins that regulate the immune system that helps to fight infections from minor colds to serious illnesses.
Other test-tube studies show that Chaga can prevent and slow cancer growth. It is likely that the anticancer effect of Chaga is partly due to its high content of antioxidants. These protect cells from damage by free radicals. Chaga contains the antioxidant triterpene which can kill cancer cells when very concentrated. This fact alone requires proper research.
Chaga extract may also decrease blood sugar levels reducing your risk of diabetes, and moderates levels of cholesterol thus reducing your risk of heart disease. In scientific studies, Chaga extract increased antioxidant levels whilst reducing LDL cholesterol, total cholesterol, and triglycerides. Chaga also increased the quantity of healthier HDL cholesterol. Researchers believe that the antioxidants present in chaga are responsible for its effect on cholesterol levels.
SPIRITUAL BENEFITS
According to all known scientific knowledge, Chaga has the highest levels of naturally occurring melanin known to man. Melanin helps de-calcify your pineal gland and helps to restore normal function to your brain. Chaga also facilitates activation of your Pineal Gland. Melanin converts to melatonin in your body, and it also helps to support the production of melatonin within your Pineal Gland.
The surplus of melatonin created from consuming Chaga helps you to awaken your third eye when you engage in spiritual practice such as meditation, energy work, and dream exploration. These practices help you to unlock your intuition and your connection with the universe and source energy. Your consciousness will also increase as well clairvoyance, a feeling of oneness, and spiritual awareness.
You can experience the most intense dreams of your life a few hours after taking Chaga. Your dream experiences can approach the intensity of a DMT experience and are often lucid, which is being conscious in dreamtime. Melatonin and DMT have a similar chemical structure. So by introducing extra melatonin such as by eating more Chaga mushrooms, you can induce a similar brain state to that of a DMT trip.
CONNECT WITH CHAGA MUSHROOMS
There are several ways to make refreshing Chaga tea. To make some Chaga tea, add some Chaga mushroom chunks to hot water together with spices, such as cinnamon, cardamom and simmer on a low heat.
Blend Chaga tea with raw cacao powder and plant-based milk and create a raw cacao and Chaga latte. Chaga has a similar bitter taste to coffee and is a good substitute for it.
Chaga mushrooms are also available as a powdered supplement or inside capsules. Add Chaga powder to your morning smoothie or make a frothy Chaga chai latte.
Go find a quiet spot indoors or outside and meditate with a cup of Chaga tea. Sit upright and slowly focus on your breathing. Take several deep breaths. Let your mind naturally slow down. Take a sip of the warm tea. Note the earthy, sweet taste. Let it trickle down your throat. Repeat this until you have finished your cup. Be grateful for the gift of the Chaga tea and also the water that has nourished you.