- A Calm Mind / Nervous System
- A Healthy Stress Response
- A Meditation Practice
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From $42.00
What is Shen Essence?
Shen is the Third Treasure in the Taoist system of tonic herbalism. Shen, along with the other Treasures; Jing and Qi, lacks a direct translation in English but is roughly explained as one’s Spirit or higher consciousness. Shen can also be conceptualised as one’s personality, joie de vivre (joy of living) or soul.
Shen is expressed through the higher part of ourselves that sees life, and the situations and challenges we encounter, from a birds-eye view. Shen energy allows us to go beyond reactivity into a space where we can gain an understanding of our lives beyond the physically identified ego and the realm of right/wrong, good/bad. Allowing us to remember who we are, not only as spiritual beings but as physical beings too.
The Heart is the home of our Shen (Spirit) energy. One of the Heart’s primary roles is to protect the Spirit/Shen. If the Heart is a calm and comfortable place for Shen to inhabit, then we will be calm, and content and have the potential to develop our higher consciousness through our daily activities, gaining wisdom as we go.
Maintaining Heart Fire Flow: Why it is important for balanced Shen
The Heart Fire regulates the activeness (Yang) and quietness (Yin) of a person. In harmony (which means the Shen can be adaptively expressed), the Heart Fire allows a person to be serene and poised while also being driven in their aspirations.
A good way to identify whether the Heart Fire is balanced and in sync with the world around us is our ability to rise with the sun, be active through the day, and retire to rest deeply at night. When there is a disturbance in the Heart Fire (and hence a lack of Spirit/Shen being expressed), disharmonies in one’s ability to be restful and/or active will become evident. If this state of disharmony becomes chronic, the body will lack the ability to embody Shen energy.
What does a Shen disturbance/deficiency look like?
In Taoist philosophy, there is an inextricable connection between the Heart and the mind. As an instrument of the Heart, the mind acts as a means through which our Shen, soul or true personality can anchor and channel.
The mind will be clear, crisp and quiet when the body is balanced, in this state we are more able to receive a steady stream of Heavenly Shen energy. When the body is out of balance, Shen flow is interrupted and the mind loses its purpose, becoming erratic, polarising and chatty. In the West, we call this state “the monkey mind”. When one is prone to anxiousness, depression or erratic emotions, the Taoists will look firstly at the person’s Shen.
Shen herbs work primarily through the Heart meridian system to keep this cycle of Qi flowing smoothly. The Heart controls the rhythm and circulation of Blood throughout the body, delivering life, nourishment and Spirit to every cell (Blood follows Qi remember).
We use the SHEN formula primarily to help release emotional disturbance, and mental chatter so we can move through our days, months and years, with a calm mind and joyful spirit, rising above the obstacles of our lived experience to gain wisdom and character.
The SHEN blend can be of great assistance when you are working to:
- Deepen your meditative practices
- Cultivate a calm and quiet mind
- Steady your emotions
- Harmonise mental disturbances. Shen herbs can help bring the Spirit back into the body. Depression, anxiousness and states of panic or despondency can suggest that there is a Heart Fire/Shen disharmony. Shen herbs will not come in as an absolute treatment, but rather as a nice support, along with professional care.
- Increase overall joyfulness and sparkle. Shen herbs can be used to cultivate a feeling of buoyancy when you’re feeling lifeless and dull.
- Take the next step in your tonic herb journey, after replenishing your Kidney Essence/Jing
Shen herbs pair well with
In the context of health optimisation and the Taoist tradition, tonic herbs are not directly used to treat or clear individual symptoms, but rather to create harmony within the system as a whole. To further utilise the medicinal magic of the herbs in the SHEN blend, pair its use with the following:
- Meditation
- Yogic practices
- Qi Gong
- Psychological development
- Tantric or Taoist sexual practices (or when bringing greater love and consciousness to your sex life in general).
- Therapy
- Emotional release
- Experiencing monkey mind
- Heartbreak
- Work to alleviate anxiousness
- Mental stress reduction practices
- Spirit work
- Work with master plants/plant medicine.
- Mantra
Tonification / Treasures
Tonification
In ancient Taoist medicine, tonic herbs and medicinal mushrooms were used to nourish and tonify specific systems within the body. These systems correlate with the natural elements, and their direct effect can be classified as either Major or Minor.
Major - Heart Fire
Minor - Liver Wood, Spleen Earth & Lung Metal
Treasures
When there is harmony between the body systems and elements, we cultivate the expression of health known as our Treasures.
Major - Shen
Minor - Blood
Serving Suggestion
Frequently Asked Questions
- A Calm Mind / Nervous System
- A Healthy Stress Response
- A Meditation Practice
select size
From $42.00
Awaken Your Spirit With SHEN Blend
Calm the mind, Soften the Heart and awaken your spirit with SuperFeast SHEN blend.
Calm Mind, Joyful Spirt: The SHEN Blend with Mason & Tahnee (EP#91)
Mason and Tahnee introduce us to Shen, the Third Treasure of the Daoist system. Mason and Tahnee reveal our new SuperFeast baby - the SHEN blend, journeying through the herbs present in the formula and the actions and virtues they afford us when we work in harmony with them.