BenGreenfieldFitness.com/herbalism
When I interviewed Gordon Wilson in the show "Are Christians Destroying The Environment? A Biblical Approach to Environmentalism and the “Dominion Mandate.”, I mentioned a book called The Lost Language of Plants by Stephen Buhner, describing the innate intelligence built into the plant kingdom, and the loss of natural connectivity we rational, scientific humans have developed when it comes to the plant kingdom.
Since then, I've continued my interest in the, shall we say, more spiritual, medicinal, and little-known aspects of the plant kingdom, including trees, leaves, roots, herbs, flowers, flower essences, essential oils, plant medicines, and beyond. One book I've discovered along the way is Evolutionary Herbalism: Science, Spirituality, and Medicine from the Heart of Nature by today's podcast guest, Sajah Popham.
In the book, weaving together herbal and medical traditions from around the world into a singular cohesive model, you're guided from an herbal practitioner's point of view to a comprehensive understanding of the practice and philosophy of healing with herbs. Sajah presents an innovative approach to herbalism that considers the holistic relationship among plants, humans, and the underlying archetypal patterns in Nature.
Organized in five parts moving from the microcosmic to the universal, this work explores a unique integration of clinical herbalism, Ayurveda, medical astrology, spagyric alchemy, and medical and esoteric traditions from across the world into a truly holistic system of plant medicine.
A balance of the heart and the mind, the science and spirit of people and plants, Evolutionary Herbalism provides a holistic context for how plants can be used for transformational levels of healing for the body, spirit, and soul. For both the student herbalist and experienced practitioner, Popham's original perspectives guide you to a more intimate, synergistic, and intuitive relationship with the plant kingdom, people, and nature as a whole.
Sajah Popham's mission is to share knowledge, tools and medicine that spread the healing power of plants - to not just heal our bodies of disease, but to assist in the evolution of human consciousness back into its natural state. His holistic focus is on finding the universal principles and practices across herbal traditions and using plants in a way that not only brings about physical healing and rejuvenation, but psychological and emotional health, and spiritual transformation.
He holds a degree in Herbal Sciences from Bastyr University and has studied herbal traditions across the world and with some of North America's top clinical practitioners. His unique approach integrates not only clinical Western herbalism, Ayurveda and Chinese medicine, but also the practices of Medical Astrology, Spagyric Alchemy, and western esotericism.
Sajah's approach unites these traditional models in a way that utilizes the whole plant (chemistry, energetics and spirit) to heal the whole person (body, spirit and soul) by getting to the root causes of disease. He lives in the Pacific Northwest forest with his wife Whitney.
During our discussion, you'll discover: -How an evolutionary herbalist describes his "day job"...06:25 -The study environment at Bastyr University...10:15 -How a disconnection between the human and plant kingdom has helped to create some of the chaos we see today...13:00 -"Vitalism" and its connection to evolutionary herbalism...17:30 -Can plants be misused as is often the case with pharmaceuticals?...23:45 -Molecular herbalism contrasted with evolutionary herbalism...28:50 -How plants have their own electromagnetic field...36:20 -How plants have the same senses we do...40:15 -The "song" of a plant...45:20 -The Doctrine of Signatures and how Sajah "gets to know" a new plant...49:15 -A sneak-preview of what's to come in Part 2 with Sajah...1:07:04 -And much more!... Episode sponsors:
-The Boundless Cookbook
-Organifi Green Juice
-Paleo Valley Beef Sticks
-Kion Cold Thermogenesis Challenge
-Butcher Box
Show notes: BenGreenfieldFitness.com/herbalism
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