Iceland’s floral splendor with Sara Crow L.Ac.
This dynamic land of fire and ice has long inspired. A palpable bond of kinship was felt many years prior to setting foot on this island that foreshadowed my work with Icelandic flora now spanning a decade. Days in the field provide new opportunity for discovery and concentrated study of medicinal flowers.
In this northern locale of sharp contrasts, fire and ice co-exist, long dark winters fade into lengthy summer days with its midnight sun, soft green beds of lichen hug rugged black volcanic fields and other striking natural polarities find harmony here.
One of the most active volcanic regions on Earth with nearly all types of volcanic and geothermal activity, Iceland’s shapeshifting lands are held within a vast wilderness of stillness and tranquility.
Perhaps in no other part of the world is the embodiment of the contrasting forces of yin and yang so apparent in the environment. In Ancient Chinese medicine, yin and yang are opposing forces (dark and light, soft and hard, still and shifting) that are complementary, interconnected, and interdependent in the natural world. Yin and yang give rise to each other as they interrelate to one another. This dynamic world is a unique fusion of ‘yin and yang’ that gives rise to a timely and unique healing application of medicinal flora.
Plants in Iceland have learned to adapt and thrive in quickly shifting conditions including active volcanic development, sudden cold and precipitation, relentless Arctic wind, nutrient-poor scant soil and other unpredictable conditions.
Many plants such as those growing in dense mats are adapted to sweeping Arctic winds and disturbances of the soil. Many can grow under a layer of snow and some specialized plants can flower at lower temperatures than any other flora on earth.
Plants have adapted to long winters and short, intense polar summers. Adaptations such as small size, hairy stems and the ability to grow and flower quickly in short summers have helped plants survive. During the short polar summer, plants use the long hours of sunlight to quickly develop and produce flowers and seeds. The plants have a very small window to reproduce! Nature’s life force energy is high and this among the aforementioned conditions lends itself to highly therapeutic medicinal flowers.
The medicinal flowers hailing from this dynamic world are imbued with powerful therapeutic qualities and are of particular importance for unstable modern times. Medicinally, these plants help you adapt and thrive in rapidly shifting conditions, strengthen your resilience, stunt stress from your body, fortify Shen (your mind and spirit), assist with finding your true North, and much more.
The wild medicinal blooms found in Floralchemy formulations are invaluable for uncertain or destabilizing outer conditions as these flowers can help build inner skills such as resilience, serenity and stability. These infuse beauty into our everyday life and help us navigate our path with clarity and confidence.
For skin care, they are powerful tonics possessing unparalleled anti-aging constituents for resilient skin.
