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Alchemica

The Beauty of Growing into The True Divine You - my journey with Brahmi, a stable plant influence in my life

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My Brahmi propagation reminds me of our journey of life. From the Mother plant, Our True Nature, you break off as a segment, often severely struggle, try to become an individual, go off the path for awhile, get corrupted by environmental influences you're growing around... until a loving influence lets you re-root in new fertile soil... there you find new ground to grow as a beautiful Soul, blossoming into your Divine Self.

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Here's my Brahmi in flower. I enjoy propagating these and handing them to people.

 

 

Brahmi is a most precious herb. It is a "herb of grace". I started off using commercial extracts, being a real science evidence based doser, often with Gingko to heal my mind. I required high doses and it took quite some time. It's been a stable plant in my life for quite awhile, just helping heal gently. It seems interesting in that it's a plant that grows with you as you heal, you tune into it and need less and less. It becomes a plant that provides better health for me, quite a spiritual plant when you attune to it. I hope others find that journey with it. I use it in salads etc, slight bitter taste but there are other ways you can use it.

 

Somewhere I probably wrote a technical spiel on it's pharmacology, try and add that soon if I can find it.

 

Brahmi is a wonderful herb for opening the mind, enhancing the intellect and promoting spiritual growth.

 

"Brahmi is an Ayurvedic medicinal herb which has been used for centuries. Certain neurological disorders have limited therapeutic options in Western medicine and hospitals and research institutes across the globe are increasingly looking into Ayurvedic science for effective and safer alternatives. Brahmi is a well-known nootropic herb and its uses in neurological and psychiatric disorders are well recognized. Its efficacy and safety is supported by research and thousands of years of knowledge and experience."

 

The good news is that Bacopa does not need too much of your attention for it to grow. All it needs is an adequate source of water, it likes lots of water, and enough light.

 

Bacopa (Bacopa monnieri) is a popular herb in Ayurvedic medicine. The bacopa herb is commonly known as a nootropic herb, which means that it can help repair damaged neurons and improve brain function.

 

Safety:

The intake and use of this herb should be avoided by pregnant and breastfeeding women so as to avoid possible ill effects.

While there are no studies that prove that Bacopa causes side effects, people have observed that excessive intake of bacopa may lead to stomach upset, diarrhea and nausea. To avoid the risk of suffering from these adverse effects, it would be a good idea to gauge your tolerance for this herb.

 

Start with the lowest possible dose and build up your threshold. It's highly recommended to use this herb in moderation,

just like other herbs.

 

Health Benefits

 

Bacopa monnieri offers an impressive list of health and nutritional benefits, which are usually credited to the alkaloids, saponins and sterols that this herb contains. These benefits include the following:


Has antidepressant and antianxiety properties. it was observed to show antidepressive properties in animal studies. In a human study, people over the age of 65 who used Bacopa showed a decrease in both anxiety and depression.

 

Promotes normal blood pressure. This herb has been observed to help in vascular muscle function and the complete utilization of nitric oxide. These two processes help in normalizing blood pressure.

 

Functions as a nootropic. As mentioned above, Bacopa can boost cognitive function and improve memory and creativity. It also helps in improving focus.

 

May improve memory and information retention. In a study, subjects were given placebos and Bacopa monnieri supplements.

 

The individuals who were given the Bacopa monnieri showed a higher ability to retain newly introduced information. Improved cognition was also observed in people who took bacopa regularly.

 

Acts as an adaptogen. Bacopa has the ability to regulate the body's response to acute and chronic stress. In an animal study, rats were treated with Bacopa monnieri and subjected to high amounts of stress. Their dopamine and serotonin levels were then measured, which showed that there were no observable decreases in both of these hormones

May improve epilepsy symptoms. In Ayurvedic medicine, bacopa has been used to reduce the frequency of epileptic episodes. In one study, the herb's effect on the GABA receptors, which are responsible for maintaining and regulating neuronal excitation, was measured. An imbalance in these receptors causes the abnormal occurrence of seizures. The use of Bacopa showed a change in GABA receptor activity, decreasing the frequency of seizures and epilepsy symptoms.

 

Brahmi drink: Soak a small quantity of Brahmi leaves in water overnight. Then make it into a paste with a few ground almonds, and milk. This is a first-rate tonic and cooling beverage, excellent for health and strength. This drink is especially useful for nervous debility, while invigorating and improving the brain.

 

Brahmi Pesto

Ingredients:

1 cup cashews, soaked overnight and drained
1/2 packed cup basil leaves
1/2 cup packed brahmi/bacopa
Juice of 1 lemon
1 teaspoon Himalayan salt
50 milliliters (1.69 ounces) water

Procedure:

1. Combine all ingredients in a high-speed blender.

2. Blend until smooth.

3. Transfer to a jar and keep refrigerated. This will last up for up to three days.

 

Brahmi with Lentils (Vallarai Keerai Kootu)

Ingredients:

1 to 2 cups tightly packed bacopa leaves
3/4 cup mung beans
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon homemade ghee
2 teaspoon coconut oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 dried red chili
1 teaspoon black lentils
1 teaspoon chickpeas
A pinch of asafetida
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
5 to 6 curry leaves
Himalayan salt to taste
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed

Procedure:

1. In a pressure cooker, pour 2 cups of water. Add the lentils and turmeric powder. Cook for about 10 minutes or until done. Set aside.

2. Wash the greens with cold water. Make sure that the leaves are clean and free from dirt. Blend the leaves in a food processor or a blender until it becomes a coarse paste.

3. Using a pan, heat the coconut oil and ghee on low-medium heat. Add the mustard seeds to the coconut oil and ghee mixture. Once the mustard seeds start popping, add the red chili, mung beans, chickpeas, asafetida, black lentils and cumin

seeds.

4. Add the bacopa puree and cook until the raw smell is gone. Add the Himalayan salt to taste.

5. Add the cooked lentils and mix until thoroughly combined. If the mixture is too thick, feel free to add a little water

until you get your desired consistency.

6. Add lemon juice to taste. Serve.

 

http://www.prohealth.com/library/showarticle.cfm?libid=30992

"
Brahmi-derived from extract of Bacopa monnieri (EBm). Studies have shown that EBm promotes free radical scavenger mechanisms and protects cells in prefrontal cortex, hippocampus, and striatum against cytotoxicity and DNA damage implicated in AD. It also reduces lipoxygenase activity reducing lipid peroxidation, increases glutathione peroxidase and chelates iron. Administration of EBm was seen to protect the cholinergic neurons and reduce anticholinesterase activity comparable to donepezil, rivastigmine, and galantamine. " [1]

 

Bacopa monnieri may offer benefits [1, 2, 3] Increased expression of TPH2, alterations to histone acetylation, VGLUTs, GABAergic activity and anti-inflammatory/immunomodulating properties add to bacopa’s broad spectrum of activity

 

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See more: Antipsychotic activity of standardized Bacopa extract against ketamine-induced experimental psychosis in mice: Evidence for the involvement of dopaminergic, serotonergic, and cholinergic systems.

Brahmi.thumb.jpg.76839e28f6c4da6a781de3206d549b83.jpg

Brahmi.thumb.jpg.76839e28f6c4da6a781de3206d549b83.jpg

Edited by Alchemica
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Brilliant I just embarked on my own journey with this plant.

 

Ordered one yesterday before even seeing this post. 

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Awesome write up - have also just purchased this plant along with Gotu Kola... have you also tried Gotu Kola? (also known as Brahmi in some parts of the world) Its also been known to increase mental focus and memory.

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