“Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food.” – Hippocrates

A holistic approach to wellness is globally validated at this point. We see this reflected in the rise of plant-based diets, the legalization of marijuana, the growing popularity of herbal supplements, and even in medicinal plant ceremonies.

We are finally shifting our nutritional ideals back to eating whole foods, found as they are from the earth. This is quite a change from the processed, packaged era of cooking we come from where nothing short of a science project was considered edible.

Not only are we waking up to the value of plants for curing physical health symptoms, but we’re also witnessing their expanded use for alleviating suffering on the mental, emotional, and spiritual levels.

Last fall, I had the pleasure of visiting the Rhythmia Life Advancement Center in Costa Rica. This healing playground allows guests to balance their health through a custom exploration of natural, plant-based modalities.

Mia Rue, M.A., a Rythmia partner, shares, “For eons plants have served as a bridge for human beings to recalibrate themselves back to nature’s rhythms. Modern science has demonstrated the efficacy of several plant-based modalities, and it is these we are focusing on at Rythmia; from farm-to-table food, fresh juices, plant-based tonics and superfoods, to sacred plant ceremonies. We are seeing miraculous transformation in our clients and a global community is forming around this holistic plant-centric movement.”

When we cleanse the body of stress and toxicity physically, we align our inner experience with the vibration of truth and love at the spiritual level. The mental and emotional bodies will then naturally return to a state of equilibrium. The purer we are within, the more gracefully our life unfolds outside ourselves.

This is the intention behind my 21-day cleanse and nutrition program. I support my clients in returning their bodies to their inherent states of perfection. Using organic herbal supplements and plant-based nutrition, we create a strong physical container where mental and emotional suffering cannot exist.

Whether we eat more plants, cleanse our bodies with herbs, or sit in a sacred plant medicine ceremony, there are multiple spiritual benefits we will reap. These benefits are intangible and unquantifiable, but are often far more profound than one might expect.

Here are 10 spiritual benefits of plant-based living:

1. Enhanced personal awareness:

As we purify our vessel through natural remedies, our personal growth accelerates and we awaken to the causes of our habitual behaviors. Nature exists in harmony, so when there is disharmony within our bodies it rises to the surface to be healed. We become incredibly aware of our imbalances and become empowered to create change.

2. Greater spiritual enrichment:

When we choose elements from Mother Nature, whether through food or medicinal applications, we take in and absorb her wisdom. We feel an enhanced experience of ourselves as an extension of the universe. We experience a sense of being guided and protected by something larger than ourselves.

3. Experiencing oneness:

When we connect with plant medicine, we experience ourselves as one with all life. We come to understand that there is no separation. We long to alleviate the suffering of others and take responsibility for our own contribution to the world. This includes becoming more aware of the impact of our own thoughts, feelings, and actions.

4. Interconnectedness of all things:

We live in an interconnected universe where every choice has a ripple effect. Our thoughts create energy and thus our direct experience. Simultaneously, every action has a reaction—nothing exists in isolation. With this understanding, we are able to see our part in the greater experience of life on Earth.

5. Opening the heart:

As we return to our true essence, there is an opening of the heart and a willingness to share love with others. There is no need for the ego’s false sense of protection because we remember how love is the most powerful force in the world—one that cannot be penetrated.

6. Surrendering to the process:

Plants assist us in letting go of attachment to outcomes so we can show up and take action while staying open and accepting of what is in the present. Surrender is not a passive act. It is the willingness to accept whatever outcome arrives.

7. Trusting oneself and the unknown:

Feeling balanced physically inspires an experience of inner trust and an enhanced trust of our individual guiding principles. This is when life gets juicy and we share our beauty and gifts with the world freely. From this trust, we feel empowered to take initiative to create change.

8. Activating life force energy:

Nature is filled with so much life force and it passes this on to those who are willing to receive it through natural food, herbs, and purification practices. When we let go of suffering, there is an incredible amount of energy available to us that we can channel into creating positive results.

9. Understanding our limitless potential:

Our souls are expansive. When we fuel our body with plant-based nutrition, cleanse our body of stress and toxicity, and create an inner experience of love, we find our natural essence. Our physical, mental, and emotional bodies are primed to let ourselves play in the earth and express our talents, gifts, and abilities without limitation.

10. Deep inner peace:

Peace is our natural state, but when the body is polluted with inorganic foods and substances, we throw our systems out of balance and disrupt the harmony in our bodies. Relying on nature for our medicine keeps us in flow with its deep knowing and relaxed, peaceful state.

Each person holds within them a deep sense of wisdom. As we attune all aspects of our being with the natural benefits plants provide, we ultimately experience the miracles present in our everyday reality.
~

~

~

Author: Nykki Hardin 

Image: Tanveer Iqbal / Flickr

Editor: Danielle Beutell