Floracopeia Blog

Last year Sara and I were in the San Diego area for an event. I was approached by a young man who introduced himself as both a perfumer and a practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, which I thought was a very interesting combination of careers. We spent some time talking and I found that he was very inspired by the Floracopeia vision and mission of supporting sustainable production of aromatic treasures around the world.

The next day he brought some of his collection of his own aromatic treasures. It was a fascinating encounter: he had a box full of not just one agarwood oil, but numerous types of agarwood oils from all over southeast Asia, some of which have been aged for 50 years.

A couple of weeks ago, I had the pleasure of interviewing Floracopeia founder, David Crow.

The subject matter was the use of aromatherapy and essential oils according to the ancient wisdom of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).

David's perspective is quite intriguing and his mind is very attuned to the intricacies of the subject. Through his expertise in both aromatherapy and TCM, he accomplishes the difficult task of taking something that is relatively modern (the use of essential oils) and teaches it through the lens of a traditional medical context (TCM). The result is wonderful. We are left with a sophisticated and comprehensive approach to using aromatherapy that leaves no stone unturned in its ability to address the health of the human being.

Your wedding is an event to cherish and remember. What better way to preserve your treasured memory then to incorporate Essential Oils and Aromatherapy into your ceremony. Our sense of smell aids us in the most potent form of recall that can help us remember details that may remain forgotten.

When inflammation and icky, dirty conditions arise, where do you turn for a natural, holistic fix?  Most of us in the aromatherapy world answer this automatically with tea tree oil.  Tea tree oil is a fantastic substance that those of us in the know turn to for the health and well-being of numerous skin issues and for its natural cleansing properties.  So, what do we do when we encounter someone who is allergic to plants in the melaleuca family, which is the genus that tea tree belongs to?

If you have had the chance to smooth Rotuma oil on your skin you know how nourishing and revitalizing it is. Now, in honor of International Women’s Day, let us share with you the beautiful story of how the production of Floracopeia’s Rotuma oil nourishes and revitalizes the community and traditions on the remote island in which it is produced.

 

This morning I was greeted with a most enchanting message when I opened my email inbox. The email did not have anything to do with the usual day to day business matters that I am accustomed to receiving each morning.

The message was from David Crow.  He was writing from coastal Ecuador, where he and his lovely wife Sara have traveled to study one of the great aromatic treasures of the global garden, Palo Santo.

Over the next few weeks, David will be sending all of us his dispatches from Ecuador; updates from the Palo Santo Journey. The trip will culminate with a special webcast class David will be teaching from Ecuador entitled, Palo Santo: The Tree of Life. In addition, he will release an exclusive eBook called The Tale of Palo Santo. (To register for the webcast and to receive the dispatches from David's Palo Santo Journey right to your inbox, enter your info in the webform at the bottom of this email.)

The Floracopeia Wish List is now functional!  Thanks to the requests of our valued customers, it is now easier than ever to let your loved ones know exactly what you desire.  Whether it is for a birthday, holiday or other special occasion, make sure that they know that you want the gift of Floracopeia.

The recording from Kris Wrede's class Aromatica Erotica: How To Make A Love Potion is now available. Register & Listen Here.   Here are the love potion recipes from Kris' class so you can re-create the romantic mystery in your own life. The key is to honor the sacred nature of perfume and to breathe it in.....literally and figuratively every day.  Remember the root word “per-fumem” and think of it when you create a magical offering to the universe.

 

Learn the fine art of using all of your senses to bring alive a full expression of heart-centered sensuality, passion and seduction. Learn how to use plants to enhance and awaken ones passionate heart. Begin with food, libations, flirting, intimate love letters, poetry, and massage using your own custom love potion. Open up a whole new world by increasing your inherent sensuality and attracting more love and abundance into your life!

Mitti Attar captures the fragrance of the earth, derived from distilling cakes of mud into sandalwood. This rich, earthy, soothing, and exotic aroma was created by the ancient Indian perfumers to capture the smell of the first monsoon rain on the soil. 

 

"And suddenly these molecules of attar they acquire your auric field. Your entire aura becomes fragrant. And wherever you go you are highly welcomed by the people... It has a great self healing power."~Dr. Vasant Lad

Mitti attar is widely known in India for it's grounding, calmative effect. In Ayurvedic circles it is a great vata pacifying oil.

See the video of Dr. Lad talking about his favorite attar: Mitti Attar.

Dear friends,

The holiday season has both its joys and its stresses...and it is easy to get caught up in the hustle of the consumer gift craze.

This year we've tried to pull off something miraculous...in fact, we attempt it every year...

We try to somehow stay connected to the deeper essence of the holiday season, while simultaneously making sure that our business is very successful during this time.

Often, these two things are not resonant with one another....they clash. Most of us do not feel good about the materialistic pursuit that has become the primary focus of our sacred holidays.

Watch part two...

As many of you know, this week we have officially released David Crow's Aromatic Alchemy Course. After a long wait and lots of anticipation...it is finally here! Watch what Jai Dev has to say about David's course...and then below the video, enter your email to get a free intro class to the course (as well as a pretty sweet discount code for those of you who would like to get the whole package). 

When we approach an essential oil with concentration and mindfulness it begins to reveal hidden dimensions of beauty, power and intelligence that are not ordinarily noticed. As we integrate these new perceptions into a greater awareness of our own physiological reactions to the plant’s essence, we begin to understand how we are deeply connected to all of life, specifically to the photosynthetic beings that give us nourishment and medicines. By exploring this biological unity through our own senses, we come to realize directly that the processes of life occurring in and around us are truly the expressions and manifestations of an underlying miraculous and profound consciousness, as so eloquently described by the language of Ayurveda. For that reason, we call this practice “Aromatic Alchemy.”

Floracopeia has a selection of what we consider to be the finest natural perfumes that you can get. If you aren't familiar with Attars, they are the traditional perfumes of India. They are laboriously hand-crafted, using ancient distillation methods. These methods, which produce superior grade products, are being abandoned because of competition from cheaper, synthetic, low-quality substitutes.

Save 15% off Frankincense Hydrosol thru Thur Oct 13th.

If you are reading this post, you probably already understand the value of using botanicals for health, beauty, and hopefully, ritual practice. Today we’re digging into one of my favorite facial toners: frankincense hydrosol.

You know that Floracopeia’s essential oils are irresistible when a perfect stranger follows you through the aisles of a bookstore just to ask which perfume you are wearing.

The love affair with aromatic and medicinal substances of oily texture smeared on the body has ancient origins. Although the word anoint has been part of the English language only since c. 1303 A.D., historical records show human beings engaged in the act of either anointing or being anointed since the times of Ancient Egypt.

Aromatherapy Diffusers are a great way to use your essential oils to stay healthy during cold & flu season. We've found they are one of the easiest ways to use essential oils safely and effectively.

Dear friends of Floracopeia:

Those of you who have been following the growth and development of Floracopeia know that we are much more than an essential oil company: we are devoted to ongoing education through our numerous events, articles and courses; we have launched MedicineCrow.com as our online botanical community; and we are deeply committed and involved with sustainable and organic production of essential oils from many continents.  Even our lines of Aromatic Treasures reflect this diversity, with every month seeing many new oils, resins, and hydrosols coming from farms and distillers near and far.

In the age of the internet, it is rare to come across a piece of writing that truly stirs the soul, that moves us in a way that is similar to how we feel when we've just heard the song of a superb vocalist, watched a cinematic masterpiece, or tasted the cuisine of a master chef. 

Yet, that is how I felt many years ago when I first turned the pages of In Search of the Medicine Buddha (pages that have since been worn out from constant revisiting), and it is also how I felt today when I opened my email and had the good fortune of reading the latest prose born from the mysterious mind of Mr. David Crow.

If by chance you haven't heard, last month we announced what is probably the most significant education-based development in Floracopeia's history. Aromatherapy expert, senior teacher and former NAHA president, Jade Shutes, collaborated with Floracopeia's founding visionary, David Crow, to create the official Floracopeia Aromatherapy Foundations Certification Course.

This past Sunday, another historic Floracopeia event reached its completion. All I can say is that it just keeps getting better and better. The first ever MedicineCrow Live Immersion Retreat was a wonderful success. The lineup of teachers was extraordinary and the teachings were deep, profound, humorous and seriously impactful. I think it is safe to say that we all left the Shady Creek Retreat Center with a renewed sense of inspiration, motivation and grattitude. 

Blog by Jai Dev Singh

Why is it that many people, in spite of eating healthy organic food, receiving various healing therapies and using the best herbs and supplements, are still not reaching the state of health and happiness that they desire? I've been around the 'natural health' world for quite some time, and I can honestly say that the majority of folks that I meet are not what I would consider to be extraordinarily healthy people. 

The Sacred Wood

Every country in every part of the world has its botanical treasures, the greatest of which are so important to the society that they become pillars of the culture.  Palo Santo is one such medicine. It's healing powers are so numerous that it has served as a panacea for areas of South America for centuries. Its use in sacred ritual is so powerful that it is an essential tool for Shamans and Saints alike. And its aroma is so incredible that it stands among the greatest of the world's fragrant woods. Because of the extraordinary blessings it bestows upon those who have the good fortune use it, over time, plant-medicines such as Palo Santo reach divine-like status in the hearts and minds of the people.

One of the reasons why we can claim that Floracopeia's upcoming event, MedicineCrow Live, is perhaps the most important event that we have ever produced, is partly due to the fact that we will be blessed with the presence and teachings of one of the great living teachers of Ayurveda, Dr. David Frawley (Pandit Vamadeva Sastri).

A Plant-Based Revolution

In the midst of the breakdown of many old and obsolete systems mirrored in the social unrest so prevalent these days there is a growing movement that recognizes the importance of plants not just for food and medicine but for the quality of connection to ourselves that comes with interacting and stewarding the land we live on.

Watch: The MedicineCrow Live Experience David Crow Speaks About His Most Ambitious Project Yet The Price For MedicineCrow Live is G

Out of all of the healing powers that essential oils possess, perhaps their most well known and common benefit is immune enhancement and protection. Almost all essential oils have some degree of immune protectant power. In fact, an essential oil can be considered the immune system of the plant and serves to protect it from contagion and disease. Once the essential oils are distilled from the plant, we can then use them for the very same purpose that the plant world does: protection. 

When it comes to the cultivation of medicinal plants, there are few that match the caliber of Richo Cech. Richo is a rare treasure. He possesses an encyclopedic wealth of knowledge in both the growing and use of medicinal plants and food. He is charismatic, full of life and a joy to listen to every time he takes the teaching stage.

If you are not familiar with John Douillard,
let me introduce him to you...

He is one of the western world's most prolific teachers of Ayurveda, he has authored over fifteen books, CD's and DVD's, including The Three Season Diet; Body, Mind and Sport; and Perfect Health for Kids. He is the former director of player development for the NBA's New Jersey Nets, and he co-directed an Ayurvedic center with Deepak Chopra for eight years.

Last Tuesday, Floracopeia founder, David Crow, taught a wonderful class on Aromatic Treasures for Love and Romance. It was attended by hundreds of people around the world as well as an intimate live audience in the Nevada City, CA Floracopeia office. In this hour and a half class, David teaches about the healing powers and uses of the most important aphrodisiac essential oils.

 

How hundreds of Floracopeia customers are

giving their lovers 5,000 Valentine's roses:

 

When I sat down several months ago to begin the creative process of rebuilding the

Floracopeia website, one of the first things I did was surf the net to find and

analyze as many different aromatherapy and essentail oil based websites as I could

find. While I can say that I found a few that I did enjoy, the vast majority of my

findings were, in my opinion, mediocre at best. 

Dear friends of Floracopeia and Medicinecrow:

Greetings from my forest hermitage, where I have had the good fortune to spend

the last month, close to nature's elements again after a long period of travel,

teaching and work. I was rather exhausted when I arrived, especially from the

October trip to India, but I've been using herbs Read More and eating healthy

foods and doing qigong and meditating and chopping wood and carrying water,

and am feeling much better.