What did you learn in the White Rabbit Institute of Healing course?

This past week, I stumbled onto whiterabbitinstituteofhealing.com. On the first page, I see this sentence, "White Rabbit Institute of Healing™ (WRI) is dedicated to providing you with the best of Western scientific and Eastern energetic healing practices..." -- I was hooked and wanted to learn more.

Cordyceps have been gaining traction in Western science over the past few decades and its been used for centuries in Eastern cultures. Additionally, Alan Watts - one of my favorite philosophers - was known to articulate Eastern philosophies and practices in a way that made sense to those living a Western lifestyle. This blend of Eastern and Western practices, in any field, is an area of interest for me.

Knowing that Cordyceps are linked between the East and West, I figured the White Rabbit Institute of Healing may have an insight into Cordyceps. I was correct! Not only was there information on Cordyceps, there was an entire e-course. I purchased the course, went through all the modules taught by the lovely Ann Christensen, and wanted to share what I learned with a blog article.

By the way...the White Rabbit Institute of Healing is an incredible resource with detailed information on hundreds of herbs. This will be a go-to source for us is herb research if we ever expand out our Specialty Cordyceps tincture line.

White Rabbit Institute of Healing Cordyceps Course

The name of the course is "Cordyceps (Dong Chong Xia Cao)". "Dong Chong Xia Cao" means "worm in the winter, herb in the summer". This expression refers to the fungus first infecting a caterpillar in the fall and growing out of the caterpillar as a mushroom in the summer (from the article "Cultivated Cordyceps: A Tale of Two Treasured Mushrooms). This type of "transforming" is discussed more in the course and linked to some of the adaptogenic properties of cordyceps.

The course was broken down into the following sections:

• Overview of Cordyceps
• History/Folklore
• Benefits of Cordyceps
• Western Perspective
• Eastern Perspective
• Constituents

Overview of Cordyceps 

As mentioned above, "Dong Chong Xia Cao" means "worm in the winter, herb in the summer". This phrase refers to the process by which a type of cordyceps native to the Tibetan Plateau in China called Cordyceps sinensis (now reclassified to Ophiocordyceps sinensis) propagates. On the Tibetan Plateau, the Ophiocordyceps sinensis fungus will overtake the brain of a caterpillar during the winter months and force it to crawl up to the surface in the summer months. When the caterpillar is at the surface, the fruiting body of the fungus will emerge -- killing the caterpillar and allowing for the spores of the fungus to spread and overtake other caterpillars...continuing the fungal lifecycle (YouTube Video: Cordyceps Season: Hunt for the World’s Most Expensive Fungus - Channel Goldthread).

On the Tibetan Plateau, it is typical to see Cordyceps sinensis parasitize caterpillers. In Pennsylvania, its common to see Cordyceps militaris...a different species of Cordyceps, take over moth pupae or other insects. The video on repeat here is our friend Justin Knaub finding Cordyceps militaris in the wild coming out of a pupa (YouTube Video: Foraging Cordyceps in Pennsylvania - Channel: Foraged to Foods).

Ann wraps up the welcoming section by mentioning that Cordyceps are tonic herbs. Tonic herbs can be used daily, for long periods of time, and are powerful nourishing agents.

With the Bffd Blog and Cordyceps Chronicles, we spend a lot of time looking at Cordyceps from a Western scientific perspective. This course dove into more Eastern energic uses of Cordyceps. When covering the information learned from this course, we'll cover the Eastern energetic uses of Cordyceps in more detail. This is because at Bffd, we are more familiar with the Cordyceps benefits found using Western scientific methods. As the Eastern healing practices are more foreign to us, we will attempt to understand this aspect further.

History/Folklore

Cordyceps have been used for thousands of years to improve energy, appetite, stamina, and libido. Indian and Chinese traditional healers used Cordyceps as a tonic to treat ailments such as diabetes, infertility, and erectile dysfunction. Cordyceps was considered a Yang tonifying herb to protect kidney and liver function in Oriental medicine (more on the Yin/Yang combo in the eastern perspective section).

One of the first written records of Cordyceps dates to the Tang dynasty in 620 AD (the Tang dynasty lasted from approximately 618 to 907 AD). Here, Cordyceps were noted to be a mythical and magical substance that can transform from an animal to a plant throughout different seasons. The mystery arises from it's ability to essentially "be" an insect -- feeding on and parasitizing the body in the winter to "morphing" into a mushroom as the season changes to the summer -- all while absorbing the different energies offered by the different seasons. The constant adaption of the Cordyceps fungus assists in its adaptogenic properties. This aspect of Cordyceps was observed closely by the early Taoist herbalists.

Benefits of Cordyceps/Western Perspective

We touch on a lot of these benefits throughout the Cordyceps Chronicles series. Ann covers several benefits of Cordyceps in her course including:

• Building immunity
• Cordyceps have been historically used to prevent coughs, colds, flus, allergies, and ailments that are indicative of a weakened immune system
• Antioxidant/Anti-aging properties
• The antioxidant properties help counter the effects of free radicals which may play a role in disease and aging
• Anticancer properties
• This may be due to the signature compound of Cordyceps...cordycepin
• Building endurance
• Cordyceps was shown to potentially improve VO2 max in athletes, enhance oxygen utilization, and upregulate ATP production
• Countering stress
• Managing Type 2 Diabetes
• Cordyceps may also assist in managing blood sugar levels
• Supporting heart health
• Cordyceps has been used in eastern medicine to treat an irregular heartbeat
• Adaptogen
• Aids the body in adapting to the effects of stress
• Antibacterial/Antimicrobial
• Assists in fighting bacteria, viral, fungal, and yeast infections
• Anti-inflammatory

An Eastern Perspective

I will quote the following paragraph directly from the course as I think it provides a powerful distinction between the Eastern and Western medical perspectives.

"You will note in the following section that organs and other words are capitalized. This is to highlight the fact that in Oriental medicine the meaning of a word is not the same as it is in the West. For example, in the West we write, “liver” to mean the liver organ. In Oriental medicine we write “Liver” as in this context the word refers to an entire energetic system that includes the liver organ, but means more than just the organ itself."

Before getting into Cordyceps from an Eastern medical perspective, here are five bullet points to keep in mind with Eastern/Traditional Chinese Medicine (from a conversation with ChatGPT):

1. Energetic Systems
• A capitalized organ (e.g., "Kidney") refers to the physical organ AND the organ's associated energetic system.
2. The Concept of Qi (pronounced "Chi")
• Qi - Vital energy or life force
• Each organ system is responsible for certain types of Qi which impact specific bodily functions and emotional states
3. Interconnectedness
• The health of one energetic system can impact other systems
• Balance and harmony is a focal point in Eastern medicine
4. Holistic Approach
• Treatment aims to restore balance and harmony to the entire body rather than addressing specific symptoms or disease
5. Diagnostics and Treatment
• Diagnosis included observing signs and symptoms in the context of the whole body and their energetic systems
• Treatment is tailored to the individual's unique pattern of disharmony and is focused on addressing the root cause of imbalance

Cordyceps are thought to impact the Kidney and Lung energetic systems. Some ailments Cordyceps were used to treat include:

• Infertility
• Erectile dysfunction
• Chronic fatigue
• Kidney stones
• Renal failure
• Colds
• Flu
• Bronchitis
• Low back pain
• Lupus
• Crohn's disease
• Proteinuria (abnormal amount of protein in the urine)
• Weak extremities
• Blood coughs

Cordyceps are also thought to cleanse the kidney and liver, protect the lungs and kidneys, and build stamina.

Yin and Yang

Oriental medicine looks at energy in the world as being made up of yin and yang.

Yin is moistening, nourishing, and cooling energy. It's associated with passivity, darkness, downward movement, and an interior focus. Yin symbols commonly include water, the moon, and the earth. Yin represents structure and substance. The body's fluids and physical form is thought to be a Yin aspect.

Yang is warming, transforming, protective, and moving energy. It's associated with activity, light, function, and an exterior focus. Yang symbols commonly include fire, the sun, and the sky. Yang represents function and activity. Taking part in physical activity and the body physically functioning are thought to be Yang aspects.

Everything is believed to have both Yin and Yang characteristics which are constantly in flux and balancing each other to maintain harmony and health.

Cordyceps are thought to tonify Yang energy by supporting immunity, moving Qi, moving blood and fluids throughout the body, and preventing hemorrhaging. Cordyceps are also thought to tonify the Kidney and transform Phlegm. Phlegm becomes pathogenic when produced in excess which can obstruct the usual flow of Qi and Blood. Transforming Phlegm is to reduce and dissolve excess Phlegm, assisting with expelling it from the body and restoring the flow of Qi and Blood.

Cordyceps are also thought to augment Lung Yin. Augmenting Lung Yin includes preventing dryness, coughing, and shortness of breath.

Constituents Found in Cordyceps

The course mentions the following constituents that are found in Cordyceps. We also do an in-depth breakdown of the constituents found in Cordyceps in episode 3 of the Cordyceps Chronicles. 

• Polysaccharides
• Nucleosides
• Cordycepin
• Mannitol
• Adenosine
• Ergosterol
• Hypoxanthine
• Superoxide Dismutase
• Protease
• Lectin
• Tryptophan

Cordyceps exemplify the essence of longevity and adaptability, embodying these principles not only through their remarkable anti-aging, endurance-enhancing, antioxidant, and adaptogenic properties but also in their extraordinary life cycle. This fascinating fungus navigates the seasons with a transformative journey, beginning its cycle by parasitizing caterpillars or insects in the winter, then emerging as a mushroom in the warmth of summer. This cycle of transformation, from parasite to plant, mirrors the adaptability and resilience that Cordyceps can bring to the human. Cordyceps stand as a testament to the marvels of nature and its enduring wisdom.

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The main resource used to write this article was the wonderful White Rabbit Institute of Healing course on Cordyceps taught by Ann Christensen. The link to her website and this course is in the references section. I also looked up several things -- in particular with Eastern energetic healing practices, using ChatGPT. The link to this ChatGPT conversation is in the references section. There were some YouTube videos used as references (also in the references section). The recurring video of Cordyceps militaris being found in the wild is from our master extractor and friend Justin Knaub and his YouTube channel. Some references to past Bffd Blogs and Cordyceps Chronicles episodes were also made in this article.

There is a note at the bottom of the White Rabbit Institute of Healing website that says "Redistribution permitted with attribution". All valuable content from this article are thanks to Ann and the White Rabbit Institute of Healing along with the other resources used in the creation of this post. All mistakes made are mine and mine alone.

Be your best,

Johnny

REFERENCES AND FURTHER READING

Conversation with ChatGPT located here

White Rabbit Institute of Healing - homepage

White Rabbit Institute of Healing - search "cordyceps"

White Rabbit Institute of Healing - Cordyceps Course

Foraged to Foods YouTube - Foraging Cordyceps in Pennsylvania

Goldthread YouTube - Cordyceps Season: Hunt for the World’s Most Expensive Fungus - In Season (S1E4)

Chinese Medicine and Culture Article - Cultivated Cordyceps: A Tale of Two Treasured Mushrooms

Bffd YouTube - Ep3 Part 1 | Cordyceps Compounds | Cordyceps Chronicles

Bffd Blog - How does cordycepin work?

For those interested in exploring the scientific basis of cordyceps benefits further, reputable sources such as PubMed and Google Scholar offer a wealth of research articles and studies on the topic.

Also, stay up to date with Bffd Cordyceps Research on our YouTube Channel, Instagram and website.