I recently returned from a very restorative trip to the beach. It’s been two years since I have been able to feel the ocean’s breeze on my face and smell the salty cleansing air. It’s been a rough nearly two years for the whole world; including me.
The constant worrying that you or a loved one will get sick from something you cannot see.
The grief we have felt for the people we have lost and also the parts of our own lives that no longer exist.
The unknowns of the future leave our normal solid foundation a bit jagged and crumbled.
Living like this creates an unavoidable wall around the heart in order to safeguard it from pain.
Not being able to expel a full out breath sigh of relief for such a long time turns any free flowing natural human energy into a knot that is clenched up and tense right around the chest. Life in some areas has returned partly back to normal, a new normal, and science has shown us a way to be there. But so many have been walking around still feeling that constriction of energy whether consciously or subconsciously. That tightness forms a shell around the spiritual heart acting like a deadbolt lock not allowing anything good or bane to penetrate through. It leaves you walking through life a bit deadened and numb unable to see and fully feel any joy around you.
The clenching and tightening within has gone on for too long though. The locks need to be opened and the shields around the heart need to be softened to bring back in joy to the mind and the body. We all need to embrace a softening within our being and bring in some gentle warmth to our souls to begin refueling our inner being with nourishment again.
But how do we bring softness back into our lives?
It’s been a long road and for many that shield may have been up for far more years than just during a pandemic. Life isn’t always easy and we don’t always walk a path lined with a neon strip showing us the way to walk the one that is soft and smooth. For many that road has giant potholes, curves, and steep cliffs that need to be traversed. So how do we begin softening our world around us?
Plant medicine is a great start.
There are certain plants that key in immensely for times like these to help bring us back. Rose is one of them and my absolute favorite for softening the spiritual heart and softening your perception of the road you are on.
On my recent trip to the ocean, I was surrounded with Beach Rose, Rosa regosa. She can be found all over the coasts of the Northeastern part of the US where I live and she thrives in the harsh environment that the coast provides where not much else can always survive. The blistery winds that pierce down to the core, the salt spray that spreads for miles cleansing away all in sight. Not much vegetation can survive the harshness experienced, but Rose just sits as if on display gleaming with brightness from leaf to stem.
Medicine of Beach Rose, Rosa regosa
Beach Rose is a low growing shrub often found on the coasts. It has bright green leathery looking leaves and stems that are covered from tip to bottom in very sharp thorns making her hard to miss when you brush up on her. Despite the harsh exterior she possesses amongst her matching environment, she also produces the most amazingly beautiful colored blooms of bright pink and white flowers that open up widely to the world as if they were showing you her soul.
Once the petals drift off to the winds large red buds eventually form about an inch wide known as hips. Both the petals and hips are what are used for medicine and both can be present at the same time on the plant. The hips are mainly used for their high Vitamin C content and can be used in teas or made into jams. Just remove the seeds before using them as they are sharp and tough.
The flowers are the main medicine used for working on the spiritual heart softening our hearts and easing us through our grief helping to melt away the barriers we create and soften our perception of our world.
Rose allows us to open up our hearts while also being protected as we doing. The sharp thorns on her key into one of her superpowers as they protect the plant from being eaten by predators. Those thorns also provide spiritual protection when we consume rose which is how she can soften us without making us feel too exposed so we can gently and safely ease ourselves into a more open awareness of the world. We don’t want to immediately open the doors wide as that would be too intense. A nice gentle open as we are ready more and more is what Rose provides.
Working with Rose Medicine
Simply spending time amongst Rose for a few days while at the beach allowed me to feel the chains and walls I myself put up slowly melt away like removing layers of armor one at a time and letting the heaviness of it fall off my body. Just being in the presence of a plant we’re able to take in so much of its healing energy whether we are aware of it or not.
The more we work with them the easier and more powerful this awareness becomes and it becomes just as, if not more, healing medicine than taking the plant internally. Try it next time you come across some roses. Spend a moment just breathing them in gently. Notice the difference in how you feel afterward. It’s no coincidence we give roses to our loved ones to make them happy. That is amazing plant spirit medicine in the working!
Besides just being near the plant I love adding Rose to tea blends for the softening and opening aspect. Rose is also amazing for grief work helping us release our wounds while allowing our hearts to not feel so jagged in the process. Her taste is a bit intense in large amounts so I like to add small amounts with other restoring plants.
A great tea blend recipe that works lovely to bring some softness into our lives is below along with a sensual body oil recipe.
Unlocking walls tea to soften the heart
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon Nettle leaf
1 teaspoon Oatstraw
1/2 teaspoon Rose petals
Directions:
- Put the herbs in your desired mug and add hot water.
- Cover with a lid and let steep for 10 minutes and strain.
Enjoy.
How To Make Rose Infused Herbal Oil
Rose is also amazing infused in oil to be used as a body oil. Pure bliss as your mind melts away while applying. Even better when a partner uses it as a massage oil. I call it melt right into the bed medicine. She is so gentle but so strong at the same time in how she works. The scent isn’t overwhelming like any Rose perfume you might think of. It’s a faint natural fragrance and the more you work with her the more profound you will find that only a few drops of her intoxifying scent can melt your soul.
Ingredients:
Fresh rose petals (or dried Rose but you need to gently heat the oil to extract from dried)
Oil of choosing (olive oil, almond, or grapeseed oil work great)
Directions:
- Fill a small glass jar with rose petals.
- Then pour oil over the petals until they are covered fully with oil.
- Use a chopstick or a small spoon/stick to gently swirl around the petals to make sure they are all covered in oil and allow the air to bubble out.
- Then fill the rest of the jar all the way to the top with oil.
- Cover the jar with a lid and place in an area that allows you to see it often and put a small plate underneath.
- Some oil will leak out over time so the plate is important to prevent a mess.
- Check the level of the oil the next day and add more oil if it’s not filled to the top. Making sure there is no space for air is important to prevent mold from growing.
- After 1-2 weeks strain out the petals and bottle up the oil.
This oil can be used as a massage oil or body oil however you desire. The more often the better 🙂
I hope you find a way to enjoy some Rose in your life and wish you a wonderful bliss filled journey of opening your heart back up to all the amazing beauty life holds!
