Benefits of Himalayan Shilajit
A lot of what I choose to eat and supplement my biology with is purely intuitive. Over the years, through much practice, I’ve learned to tune into and provide what my body is asking for. A couple of weeks ago, I felt called to incorporate Himalayan Shilajit into my biology. I don’t know why, but I tend to smell everything before I eat it. So, I smelled the Shilajit and was surprised to be transported back to my childhood and Band-Aids. Yes, the scent of Shilajit reminds me of Band-Aids.
Why would I want to ingest something that smells like Band-Aids? Beats me. But, I did and I have been. The flavor is a bit strong and definitely it’s own thing, unlike anything else I’ve eaten. Like anything else, when the body want something and needs something, I kind of go for it. You know what? I like it and, I miss eating it if I happen to not have it on a given day.
What is Himalayan Shilajit?
Shilajit is formed from the compression of organic materials between the rock fissures within the Himalayas. In the summer months, this compressed biomass oozes out of these fissures.
Himalayan Shilajit, also known as “the Conqueror of Mountains and the Destroyer of Weakness,” contains over 85 plant-based minerals and trace elements in an ionic and bio-available form. Minerals that are bio-available are ready for uptake and integration into our system without our bodies needing to break down, or catalyze, the minerals first. Himalayan Shilajit also contains fulvic acid, which aids in the cellular uptake of the minerals and trace elements.
What are some of the benefits of Himalayan Shilajit?
- Adaptogen. Shilajit helps the body to adapt to given stressors, much like many tonic herbs. It helps the body fight stress and fatigue, while providing energy at the cellular level.
- Energizes. Shilajit helps the body produce additional ATP (adenosine triphosphate) – our body’s primary source of energy.
- Anti-aging. Shilajit activates, stabilizes, and revitalizes CoQ10, an important cofactor in mitochondrial production. The mitochondria serve as the body’s energetic powerhouse and is used in the production ATP.
- Decreases fatigue and turbo-charges the body. Shilajit contains humic acid. Humic acid increases the rate of electron transfer to the mitochondria, which, in turn, increases the production of ATP (energy). Humic acid is bio-available.
- Helps to maintain brain function. Shilajit inhibits the enzyme responsible for catalyzing (breaking down) acetylcholine — a neurotransmitter responsible for memory retention and attention span.
- May help delay the onset of Alzheimer’s. Shilajit brings additional oxygen, minerals, and nutrients to the brain, which assists the body’s natural ability to self-protect against plaque forming proteins amyloid beta and tau.
- Calms the nervous system. Shilajit has been shown to increase parasympathetic activity, thereby decreasing stress (the fight or flight response) within the body.
- Boosts performance and pleasure. Shilajit may trigger the release of dopamine – the feel good hormone – as well as increase performance when under stress.
- Supports fertility. Shilajit has been shown to increase sperm production by 60% and activity by 12%.
According to Ron Teeguarden, Shilajit’s traditional functions are:
- “Jing tonic – Tones the sexual organs, supports sexual energy and stamina (traditionally considered to be an “aphrodisiac”), supports healthy prostate function
- Qi tonic – Enhances energy and stamina.
- Shen tonic – Enhances spiritual power
- Enhances bioavailability and action of other herbs
- Detoxifying – huge high-valence surface area collects debris and free radicals, cleansing the blood and tissues of the body
- A carrier – binds to herbal constituents and minerals, delivering them to their targets
- A catalyst – promotes the activity of minerals and organic constituents
- Supports urinary functions
- Supports healthy microcirculation
- Supports healthy menstrual functions
- Supports the immune system
- Supports healthy fat metabolism
- Supports lung functions
- Used for general fortification and tonification of the entire body.”
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Feeling Triggered? 5 Benefits to Weathering the Storm
Chances are if you are human, you’ve experienced the wonderful pleasure of feeling triggered. Either something someone said or did likely set you off. Perhaps you felt unworthy, sad, angry, unloved. You may have cried, screamed, yelled, gone off and hidden in your wo(man) cave, or all of the above. You may have reacted to the trigger and ripped someone a new one or told them how you really feel…possibly regretting it later. Ouch.
Sounds pleasant, doesn’t it? Perhaps you’ve gone so far as to blame the other person for what you are experiencing. Doh. Psst…your feeling triggered has absolutely nothing to do with the person who has triggered you.
If feeling triggered is such a volatile experience, how and why is it beneficial? Read on to discover why I feel grateful when I feel triggered and why I would rather experience a trigger than feel like someone has to walk on their tip-toes around me.
- It shows us that we are human.
If we were never triggered, we’d be robots. We are emotional beings here to soak up this incredibly human experience of being human – part of which is feeling triggered at times. - It shows us what is unresolved and unhealed within ourselves.
Feeling triggered is an opportunity to look into the mirror of your soul and see what is there in a way that we are unable to without someone else reflecting back our stuff. It’s an opportunity and a gift to be shown where the dark, fertile soil resides so that we may tend to the earth of our heart and plant the nourishing seeds of our souls. - Intimacy, or into-me-I-see.
Are you craving intimacy? Here is your opportunity to step through the threshold, open up and be intimate with the person who triggered you (as long as you feel safe doing so). It’s also an opportunity to share an incredibly intimate co-versation with the part of yourself that is asking for resolution and healing. - The art of vulnerability and authenticity.
Would you be willing to share when you feel triggered, vulnerable and raw? Or, are you more likely to put on a stoic mask and hide your triggered self under the rug, in the dark recesses of your closet, or under your bed? There is little more real than being fully present in the moment and authentically sharing from your heart your vulnerable self. - Projecting or owning your own shizzle.
When you give yourself permission to step back for a moment and witness yourself being yourself, you can see whether you spew projections at others when you feel triggered, whether you internalize your projections, or whether you own your own shizzle. Each of these has its benefits and its pitfalls. The first step is noticing which you tend to do and why.
So, next time you feel triggered, buckle up and get ready for a wild ride. I’d be curious to hear how these 5 benefits to feeling triggered help you weather your next storm.
On A Limb Movement & Wellness 