Reishi Mushroom and Meditation

Thanks to an increase in the popularity of mindfulness apps, more people than ever are dipping their toes into meditation. Numerous health benefits are associated with regular meditation, with stress relief topping the list.

Whether you've been meditating for a few days or years, your practice always has room for growth. If you're new to meditation, you may struggle with consistency or worry that wandering thoughts keep your mind from fully relaxing. More experienced meditators may desire to strengthen their spiritual connection to self.

Reishi, also known as Ganoderma lucidum, is a functional mushroom and adaptogen that offers similar benefits as meditation for the body and mind. Combining Reishi and meditation may enhance the positive effects of meditation.

What is Meditation?

Meditation is a practice that uses thoughts, visualizations, and/or breathwork to help you focus on the present moment, enhance self-awareness, and focus the mind. Like functional mushrooms, meditation has a long history of use in Eastern cultures and religions.

Meditation is an example of a stress management tool. Many people begin a meditation practice to lower stress and increase calmness.

Benefits of Meditation

Researchers have associated mediation with many health-promoting benefits, confirming what traditional medicine practitioners and sages believe to be true.

Regular meditation can help you manage stress and anxiety, as well as:[1]

• Improve sleep[2]
• Support mood[3]
• Promote relaxation
• Help you focus[3]
• Enhance self-awareness
• Lower blood pressure[4]
• Support healthy aging[5]

One of the most well-known benefits of meditation is stress relief. Many of us deal with multiple stressors daily, which can negatively impact our physical, mental, and emotional health.

Stress activates the sympathetic nervous system and triggers the release of cortisol, resulting in the “fight or flight” response. Chronic stress can: interfere with getting adequate sleep, increase anxious feelings, make it hard to concentrate, raise blood pressure, and increase your risk of serious health problems.

Let’s explore the similarities between meditation and Reishi and how these two practices can be combined for synergistic wellness.

Relaxation Benefits of Reishi

Like meditation, Reishi has a long history of use in Eastern cultures and medicine. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, Reishi stimulates the shen, or spirit, by supporting emotional and mental well-being.

Reishi contains bioactive compounds called beta-glucans and triterpenes that stimulate the parasympathetic nervous system and are responsible for rest and relaxation. When activated, the parasympathetic nervous system helps counteract activity in the sympathetic nervous system so you feel calmer, more focused, and less bothered by stress.[6]

In addition to relaxation and stress relief, researchers have observed that Reishi supplementation promotes sleep improvement, blood pressure management, immune system function, and healthy aging.[6]

The relaxing effect of Reishi is similar to a meditative state. Combining Reishi and meditation can help enhance the act of meditating and amplify its benefits.

Combining Reishi and Meditation

We may forget to meditate when life gets busy. Reishi can help support your body's stress response, promote relaxation, and improve sleep quality when you don't have time to meditate. However, the magic happens when you combine a daily Reishi supplement with regular meditation.

Creating a ritual around your practice can help you meditate more consistently. Rituals don't have to be fancy or time-consuming; simply lighting a candle, sipping tea, journaling for a few minutes, or hitting play on meditative music can help signal to your brain that it's time to meditate.

Adding Reishi to your meditation ritual can also help prepare your mind and body environment for meditation. Try taking your Reishi mushroom gummies shortly before you meditate, perhaps as the start of your ritual.

Reishi and Meditation Daily Practice

The evidence is clear: meditating offers great benefits for your mental, emotional, and physical health. Regular supplementation with Reishi, one of the most well-studied functional mushrooms, offers similar benefits as meditation, including enhanced relaxation, better sleep, and more balanced stress response.

Taking Reishi before meditating may enhance the effects of your meditative practice so you get even more out of it. Each serving of our delicious apple-flavored Reishi Mushroom Gummies contains the equivalent of 500 milligrams of Reishi mushroom. Grab a bottle by your bedside, desk, yoga mat, or wherever you prefer to meditate.

References

1. Burgstahler MS, Stenson MC. J Am Coll Health. 2020;68(6):666-672. doi:10.1080/07448481.2019.1590371.
2. Rusch HL, Rosario M, Levison LM, et al. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2019;1445(1):5-16. doi:10.1111/nyas.13996.
3. Basso JC, McHale A, Ende V, Oberlin DJ, Suzuki WA. Behav Brain Res. 2019;356:208-220. doi:10.1016/j.bbr.2018.08.023.
4. Bai Z, Chang J, Chen C, Li P, Yang K, Chi I. J Hum Hypertens. 2015;29(11):653-662. doi:10.1038/jhh.2015.6.
5. Black DS, Slavich GM. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2016;1373(1):13-24. doi:10.1111/nyas.12998.
6. El Sheikha AF. Foods. 2022;11(7):1030. Published 2022 Apr 1. doi:10.3390/foods11071030.