The Secret Teachings of Plants: The Intelligence of the Heart in the Direct Perception of Nature

This book finally came good in the end, though there were some ups and downs whilst reading it which was largely due to the sheer volume of quotes of other authors that peppered the book; mostly of which I found disruptive to the flow of meaning that the author was attempting to impart. Though once I chose to breeze past these interspersions I could hear more fully what Stephen Harrod had to say.& what he has to say is somewhat refreshing and insightful that leads you into another way of seeing things; not through the lens of reason but through opening into and reconnecting to the world around us through the heart - a metaphor for reclaiming our underused intuitive capabilities that have been in the shadows of reason since Descartes and the enlightenment age.When we choose to perceive the natural world around us through the heart what we find is a world full of hidden meaning of higher purpose and potential of which can move us forward in our own evolution and healing. By aligning ourselves with the truth inherent in nature we re-attune ourselves and our organ systems to function in a healthy and organic way.For anyone that's a frequent visitor to the mountains will find one of his earlier descriptions of a journey to the high alpine region of Colorado mesmerising, putting into words what I could only dream of describing so wonderfully; capturing the voice of nature itself. The book alone is worth reading just for this one paragraph.I also found myself quite often practicing some of the techniques used to disengage from our overused and limiting analytical mode of perception into a more heart based or direct sensory perception of the experience. A practice that can take a life time to retrain ourselves with - this lost mode of cognition and understanding.All in all an enlightening and enjoyable read.

Reading this and learning about this second and more powerful brain that we have, my mind is blown and my heart is beating at new frequencies! Thank you Stephen Buhner! For all your gifts to the world! Inspiring me to continue my journey. Would recommend this book to everyone on their spiritual journey to having their own personal understanding of this universe.

Want a book that will last? Buy this. I am a devourer of books but I have to read this in doses. The writing is fluid but packs many concepts in so I need to take my time. Much of this philosophy is new to me so maybe someone more familiar with it would find it easier. I don't regret buying it though

In this modern, cerebral “always on” world we have forgotten what it means to connect to our heart and perceive the world with it instead of with our brain (as is the case for tasawwuf) also.

Enjoying this... Read The Lost Language of Plants. Both are enlightening.