Regarded by ancient herbalists as the ‘mushroom of immortality’ and ‘queen of the mushrooms’ reishi is traditionally used in Chinese medicine to support healthy immune system function and promote a healthy stress response.
A famous Shen tonic, reishi is recommended to calm and balance the spirit, and to enhance sleep quality.
Strengthening the Heart, Kidneys, Lungs, and Liver - it is one of those special herbs that work on all Three Treasures (Jing, Qi, and Shen), as well as all the five Taoist organ systems.
In China, reishi is known as ling zhi which means 'spirit plant' or 'tree of life mushroom.' The Chinese character for ling zhi is composed of three characters that represent a shaman praying for rain. The Latin translation of Ganoderma is ‘gano’ (shiny) ‘derma’ (skin).
Reishi is extremely rare in the wild and was once reserved for use amongst emperors and royalty only. Immortalised throughout Chinese art, temples, statues, and paintings, reishi mushroom was held in the highest esteem amongst Chinese royalty and is surrounded by many legends over the past 4 millennia. Kuan Yin, known as the goddess of healing, was occasionally depicted carrying a reishi mushroom. This polypore was extremely prized amongst the Orient and often hung above doorways as a protector.
Reishi is high in beta-glucans and over 100+ distinct varieties of polysaccharides.
Traditionally used in Chinese medicine to
- Balance the spirit
- Support healthy immune function
- Improve sleep quality/deep sleep
