Expeditions
Mount Emei
Huddled between the foothills of South Sichuan in the Himalayas, Mount Emei is one of its five sacred Buddhist Mountains. Qi Gong master Liu, who was Anthony's friend and teacher traveled here with Anthony. They
made the expedition to meet Mater Shi, a devoted Buddhist who has practiced herbal medicine in these mountains by gathering herbs from the wilderness in a nearby national park. With a special permission from the government, he stays in his house inside the national park.
Master Shi collects herbs that are distinct and unique. He steers clear from
any agricultural produce. Herbs that grow naturally in the wild often
have strong energy. The locals hold the belief that herbs that grow this way have great spiritual power. Because of this, it is also believed to be how the Sichuan herbalists in the olden eras. Anthony got the
opportunity to learn directly from Master Shi and is thankful for the
knowledge he received from him.
With home-made metal spikes tied to the bottom of our shoes, we climbed to the temple at the top of Mt. Emei and look down at the world below.
Master Shi's house hidden and in the protected by the surrounding Mt Emei forest.
This is a He Shou Wu Herb aka Polygonum multiform that was collected by Master Shi from the forest.
It is an herb that aids in hair growth and helps improve appearance. In this image, it is in its wild form. At White Lotus, it is used as the core ingredient of the Hair Restoration Spray. As seen here, if the herb looked like a person, it is believed to have more value.
Master Liu and Ganoderma
An image of Master Liu and Ganoderma (Ling Zhi) mushrooms. This mushroom is well-known in Asia and in Japan is called the Rei Shi mushroom. The importance of this mushroom can be deciphered by looking at ancient pictures where the pattern created by these is mostly painted as the backdrop. A powerful adaptogenic herb, it can be sold for thousands of US dollars. Especially it is large as seen in this image. Although it is
rare, it can be found sitting among Master Shi's collection like any other. Clearly, money was not of importance to Master Shi.
Aswan
This was an expedition to Egypt that took Kamila and Anthony to meet new suppliers for natural attar oil and aftershaves. Most of the best-sourced ingredients used in perfumes can be found in India and Egypt with the latter nation's ingredients being recognized as superior. During this time in Aswan, they were able to see the first cupping images that are depicted on ancient walls. This therapy is well-known in Japan, Korea, and China in the medical and cosmetic industry. The use of this therapy can be seen carved into the walls in the ancient African Egypt. In White Lotus, these ancient cups are now supplied as a modern silicon version for cosmetics.
Hieroglyphic images representing the use of ancient cups as part of therapy. The medical uses that compose the therapy are also explained in the image.
Images of the cups which better displays the other medical implements used during the ancient times.
Kamila going through the products at a traditional attar oil and spice shop.
Tibet
Tibetan medicine has the unique combination of using traditional
medicine from China and Ayurveda medicine from India. Anthony's expedition took him to the last standing Tibetan hospital that teaches this medicine. Although modern medicine has arrived in Tibet, many people still prefer the traditional medicine and travel from all over the region to this hospital. The herbs used as part of this medicine comprise of both herbs that grow in the region's wilderness and those that been shipped from China and India. When Anthony traveled to altitudes of more than 5000 meters, these herbs helped prevent altitude sickness.