13 Apr Growing in Relationship with Medicinal Mushrooms
Regeneration with Fungi: Healing the Body with Medicinal Mushrooms
Fungi have been offering their medicine to the world for around 1.3 billion years in the form of decomposition, plant & animal mutualism, nutrient recycling, and providing food and medicine to many beings; including humans. We have been co-evolving with fungi for tens, if not hundreds of thousands of years. No matter the lineage of which we hail from, all of our ancestors have worked with fungi in some capacity; wether for food, medicine, materials, and/or ceremony. Fungi are true alchemists, turning death and decay into rich, life-giving medicine through ancient metabolic patterns and processes. No matter where you are in the world, there are medicinal fungi in the ecology around you, often in the most conspicuous of places. How do we honor these sacred beings and step into reciprocal relationship with them?
In this class, we begin to bridge the human-fungal worlds by starting with the question, “who are fungi and what medicine are they giving to their environment?” before we ask the question, “what medicine can they give to us?” We will cover basic fungal ecology, life cycle, what makes medicinal mushrooms medicinal, speak on a few abundant medicinal fungi found in the Pacific Northwest and their constituents as well as honorable harvesting practices and finally, some approachable, accessible ways that we can bring their medicine into our lives and communities.
In a world of quickly growing “trends” and commodification of medicinal mushrooms, we must be aware how we approach these beings and walk humbly towards a rich relationship based in mutuality.
Taye Bright will be sharing Growing in Relationship with Medicinal Mushrooms.
