We’re in the thick of the festive season, a time when life feels like it’s bursting with everything all at once. While there’s a sense of endless possibility and play to be had, if you’re anything like us the energy can often feel a little frenzied, even chaotic.
As much as possible we try to dance with a sense of balance, rising with the expansiveness of the season so we can make the most of all that it has to offer while also making the effort to rest and recharge. The festive season provides the perfect opportunity to really tune in with ourselves amidst the chaos and notice how we’re feeling within. Are we mentally and physically primed to get out there and mingle or is sitting a social engagement or two out just what we need? Are we dialled in and focused ready to plough through our end of year to do list? Or do we feel our energy reserves waning and can we prioritise only what’s absolutely essential?
By riding the wave of the festive season with a little more balance we’re able to protect our energy levels, be more present (the ultimate gift!), and tap into the joy that the season brings, moving forward into the new year without such a heavy tax on the bodily systems that fuel our inner reserves and ultimately our longevity.
Medicinal Mushrooms for Festive Season Support
The three medicinal mushrooms we lean on the most across the festive season to help support a sense of balance are Reishi, Cordyceps and Lion’s Mane. As adaptogens, medicinal mushrooms are powerful, yet gentle allies in helping our mind, body and spirit to adapt to stress and move us closer to a state of equilibrium.
Reishi ~ Stress Relief
Known as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ Reishi is treasured for its ability to guide the body, mind and spirit back to a state of calm. The adaptogenic beta-D-glucans and triterpenes in Reishi work to relax the nervous system and ease mental stress. This is the means by which Reishi can help calm the mind and promote a relaxed state of focus similar to a meditative state. We also turn to Reishi as a natural sleep aid with the accumulative effects of using Reishi mushroom being shown to increase states of deep sleep and ease insomnia [1].
Work with Reishi if:
~ You’re feeling frantic, tense and looking to take the edge off a little, bringing about a greater sense of grounded-ness, and clarity, and slowing the pace down.
~ You’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep. With busier schedules and sometimes irregular bedtimes, the festive season can see our circadian rhythm fall off balance. A cup of Reishi tea before bed can help calm the nervous system and slow a busy brain making way for a peaceful night’s rest.
Cordyceps ~ Energy Support
We like to think of Cordyceps as a deep energy awakener. Not just for athletes looking to boost their physical performance, Cordyceps is commonly coveted to help build adaptive energy and restore foundational energy reserves after times of physical exertion and fatigue[2]. Cordyceps can also be of great support when it comes to feelings of mental fatigue, being shown to aid the neuroendocrine system during times of stress and overwhelm, balancing and elevating mood while supporting the central nervous system and adrenal glands to stabilise energy. And it’s that steady, stable energy that we’re looking for to help us glide through the holiday period!
Work with Cordyceps if:
~ You’re feeling weary and overcommitted or waking up feeling tired and looking for consistent and stable energy.
Lion’s Mane ~ Clarity & Mental Energy
Famed for its status as a natural nootropic and often referred to as nature's nutrient for the neurons Lion's Mane is a powerful shroom when it comes to balancing our mental energy, and mood, and enhancing focus, supporting us to more easily drop into a state of flow. Lion’s Mane mushroom has been studied to be able to support healthy brain states by stimulating nerve growth factor (NGF) [3] and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF in particular helps increase brain plasticity, which supports your brain cells in staying resilient in the face of stress or ageing. Buddhist Shaolin monks are said to have used Lion’s Mane mushroom in meditation practice to enhance focus and allow them to better cultivate life-force energy Qi. We like to think that cultivating a sense of focused presence allows us to be truly present and tap into the joy of the festive season.
Work with Lion’s Mane if:
~ You’re feeling distracted or mentally frazzled, jumping from one task, commitment or event to the next and looking to bring about a greater sense of focus, clarity and flow.
Reishi, Cordyceps and Lion's Mane are the top 3 mushrooms we work with this time of year to keep the ship steady. Our extracts are easy to pop into your tea or coffee, smoothie, sweet or savoury meals, or enjoy them in our Adaptogenic Blends, Dawn, Day and Dusk; whatever works best for your routine. For recipe ideas and inspiration head to our Journal.
While consistency is always a great strategy to experience accumulated benefits you can always choose to work with a particular mushroom as and when you might need it. From the calming effects of Reishi mushroom to the energy-boosting properties of Cordyceps, we like to think of medicinal mushrooms as a natural way to help us navigate the holiday season with a little more ease, balance, joy and flow.
Our Medicinal Mushrooms
At Inner Atlas, we specialise in medicinal mushrooms and we’ve worked hard to offer you what we believe are the most potent and pure mushies available.
Our Inner Atlas Reishi, Lion’s Mane and Cordyceps are:
~ Highly potent, containing greater than 30% beta-D-glucans.
~ Semi-wild cultivated and wood-grown.
~ Certified USDA & EU Organic.
~ Fruiting body only – 100% real mushrooms with no added fillers or mycelium.
~ Sourced from pristine di tao locations.
~ Lab-tested for purity and potency.
References:
[1] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3255119/
[2] https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1749-8546-2-3
[3] https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24266378/
