"Lemon Balm" Plant Spirit Meditation Offering

360 Friendly Lane,Wilmington NC 28409

22 April, 2023

Description

Event Overview: For this community meditation offering, we will gather in sacred space, a safe environment for all, and will open our time in a song circle led by Jackie Deconti along with her guitar and drum. Jackie and Kristy have selected songs that inspire feelings of deep connection and rhythm within our hearts and with each other. You will be invited to sing along, which will help open and weave our hearts together, helping us drop deeper into the plant meditation. As our hearts begin to expand, Kristy will cast a circle of protection and blessings by calling in the directions and their energies into the sacred space and circle. Kristy will then guide you through a 35-minute meditation with an overnight infusion of "Lemon Balm", followed by ~35-minutes of weaving experiences, plant profile discussion and open-discussion. This plant spirit meditation practice is rooted in the Wise Woman Tradition, one of the oldest traditions of our time, honoring the sacred connections of our ancient roots, foods, traditions, practices, rituals and the mother earth herself. This practice serves to rekindle the deep remembering that we humans are nature and how much we need nature, plants and their medicine to survive, remember who we are, to thrive, and to come back to a sense of wholeness, well-being and balance in the context of self, community, and natural world altogether. General Description of Plant Selection: In modern western herbalism, lemon balm is a common remedy that many herbalists keep in their apothecary for general relaxation and the treatment of nervous disorders. Lemon Balm originated in Southern Europe and has been used and cultivated in the Mediterranean for about 2000 years and by the Middle Ages it was cultivated throughout all of Europe. Lemon Balm was first mentioned in a medieval manuscript as “Herbe Melisse” in 1440. It’s botanical name, Melissa, stands for “bee” in Greek. A Muslim herbalist once recommended Melissa “to make the heart merry”. In Greek history, lemon balm was used to improve gout, promotes menstruation, remedy toothaches if mixed with wine, and even used as a treatment for scorpion stings and dog bites. The Swiss physician and alchemist Paracelsus (1493-1541) believed that lemon balm was an “elixir of life”, offering gifts of strength and longevity. Guided Plant Meditation: For the guided meditation, Kristy will cast a circle of protection and begin guiding you through a meditation to soften the body and connect with the heart space. During this meditative journey, you will be guided to enter sacred communion with the spirit of Lemon Balm, as you sip an overnight infusion of this herb, further opening to receive the plant medicine, healing, and plant wisdom. Through this communion and practice, we open and soften into deeper sense of connection with our intuitive self, the earth, & spirit. At the completion of the meditation, you will have an opportunity to jot down your observations and experience. We will follow with an open discussion by sharing & weaving our experiences together, followed by an overview and discussion of the plant profile & traditional uses before we close in gratitude. A pdf of the plant profile will be emailed to participants, following the event, in an effort to conserve paper. Caution & Disclaimer: If you have any specific health conditions or are pregnant, please check with your health provider for permission before attending. If you are taking any prescribed sedative or thyroid medications, lemon balm may interact with these specific medications and it's best to consult with your healthcare provider before attending to ensure whether or not it is safe for you to consume. The Lemon Balm to be used for meditation is organic, and in general, is considered a safe and widely used herbal remedy; however, we do not wish for anyone to consume something that may interact or interfere with medications; therefore, we kindly and respectfully request that you discuss any risks or concerns with your healthcare provider before making a decision to attend. Location: The ceremony will be held at 360 Friendly Lane, Wilmington, NC 28409. If the weather conditions are suitable, we may gather outside on blankets in the garden. Otherwise, we will circle inside, seated on the floor padded with blankets, with optional seating areas available for extra support and comfort. In preparation for the Event: Please wear comfortable clothing, bring your favorite mug, a journal and pen, water, and a comfortable blanket or prop for you to sit on. Due to the nature of this meditation and limited timeframe, please arrive 15-20 minutes early as we will begin joining in circle at 1pm to allow for brief introductions before beginning the meditation. Arriving early with plenty of time to get settled, will help ensure that everyone's time and energy is mutually respected, enhancing the collective energy of the space and optimizing the bliss, connection, and experience for all. I'm greatly looking forward to greeting you and sharing this beautiful communion with Lemon Balm, together in community! With love and gratitude, ~ Kristy @ Sacred Wild Roots Contact Email: [email protected] on Instagram: @sacredwildroots_