Body in Balance

15/08/2026

Absolutely 🌹 Here is the clean version again, ready for your Substack Article. No copy box.
ONE ROSE
Wild, Historic and Modern — The Story of the Rose
There are flowers we admire, and then there is the rose.
The rose is more than a flower. It is part of human history — growing in gardens, appearing in paintings and poetry, filling the air with perfume, and becoming a symbol of love, remembrance, friendship and celebration.
Today, there are tens of thousands of named roses in cultivation. Yet behind this extraordinary diversity lies a much older story.
Every garden rose has a history.
Some of that history begins in the wild.
THE WILD ROSES
Long before breeders created the roses we know today, wild Rosa species grew across Europe, Asia and the Middle East.
These wild roses provided many of the qualities that later generations of breeders would use: fragrance, colour, hardiness, hips, climbing ability, disease resistance and, in some cases, repeat flowering.
Rosa gallica, the Gallica Rose, is one of the great European ancestors of cultivated roses. It became the foundation of the historic Gallica roses and has been grown for centuries.
Rosa damascena, the Damask Rose, is one of the world’s great perfume roses. Its fragrance became particularly important in the production of rose oil and attar, connecting the rose with the history of perfume.
Rosa chinensis, the China Rose, changed European rose breeding forever. Its ability to flower repeatedly was particularly important in the development of the modern rose.
Rosa foetida, the Austrian Briar, played an important role in introducing stronger yellow colouring into European rose breeding.
Rosa rugosa, from East Asia, became famous for its toughness, fragrance, foliage and large hips.
Rosa canina, the Dog Rose, remains one of Europe’s best-known wild roses.
Rosa spinosissima, the Scots Rose, is admired for its hardiness and dark foliage.
Rosa multiflora and Rosa wichuraiana later became important in breeding climbing, rambling and cluster-flowering roses.
And Rosa moschata, the Musk Rose, contributed its distinctive fragrance to cultivated roses.
These wild species are the living foundation beneath the enormous world of cultivated roses.
THE HISTORIC ROSES
Before modern rose breeding, gardeners selected their favourite roses and gradually developed great historic groups.
Gallicas.
Damasks.
Albas.
Centifolias.
Moss Roses.
Chinas.
Bourbons.
Noisettes.
Hybrid Perpetuals.
Each group has its own story.
One of the famous ancient Gallicas is Apothecary’s Rose, Rosa gallica Officinalis, traditionally associated with medicinal and apothecary use.
York and Lancaster became famous for its unusual striped colouring and its association with the Wars of the Roses.
Old Blush, an important China Rose, helped demonstrate the extraordinary importance of repeat flowering.
Quatre Saisons is an old repeat-flowering Damask, treasured for fragrance.
Cuisse de Nymphe is a beautiful Alba rose with delicate pale-blush flowers.
Then came roses such as Madame Hardy, introduced in 1832 by Alexandre Hardy in France. This magnificent white Damask is still admired for its flower form and fragrance.
Souvenir de la Malmaison, introduced in 1843, became one of the great Bourbon roses. It was named after Joséphine Bonaparte’s famous garden at Malmaison and is remembered for its large, romantic flowers.
Zéphirine Drouhin, introduced in 1868, became one of the most famous Bourbon climbers. It is particularly loved for its fragrance and nearly thornless stems.
Madame Alfred Carrière, introduced in 1879, became a classic Noisette climbing rose with pale flowers and a long flowering season.
These roses belong to a time when the garden rose was beginning to change dramatically.
THE BIRTH OF THE MODERN ROSE
Then came 1867.
A rose called La France was introduced by Jean-Baptiste André Guillot fils in France.
La France is generally regarded as the first Hybrid Tea rose and is traditionally used to mark the beginning of the modern rose era.
It combined characteristics of Hybrid Perpetuals and Tea roses and opened the way for a completely new generation of roses.
The modern rose had begun.
Another landmark was New Dawn, introduced in 1930 in the United States. It became one of the great climbing roses of the twentieth century.
THE GREAT ROSES OF THE TWENTIETH CENTURY
The twentieth century produced some of the most famous roses ever grown.
Peace, introduced in 1945 by Francis Meilland, became perhaps the world’s most famous rose.
Its large flowers, yellow at the centre and edged with pink, captured the imagination of gardeners around the world.
Its name was particularly meaningful because it appeared at the end of the Second World War.
Queen Elizabeth, introduced in 1954, became one of the great pink Grandiflora roses.
Iceberg, introduced in 1958, became one of the world’s best-known white Floribundas, famous for its generous flowering.
Fragrant Cloud, introduced in 1963, became famous for its powerful fragrance.
Mister Lincoln, introduced in 1964, became a classic deep-red Hybrid Tea with an exceptionally strong fragrance.
Double Delight, introduced in 1977, became famous for its red-and-white flowers and strong perfume.
Bonica, introduced in 1982, helped demonstrate the growing importance of shrub roses that could flower abundantly and perform well in the garden.
But another revolution was already taking place.
THE ENGLISH ROSE
David Austin wanted something very special.
He wanted to bring back the beauty, fragrance and romantic flower forms of the old roses while retaining the repeat flowering and useful qualities of modern roses.
His first English Rose was Constance Spry, introduced in 1961.
Although it flowered only once, it represented the beginning of a remarkable breeding journey.
Then came roses such as Graham Thomas, Mary Rose, Heritage and Abraham Darby.
Graham Thomas became one of the world’s most famous yellow English Roses.
Mary Rose became a classic soft-pink English Rose.
Heritage brought a delicate, romantic character to the garden.
Abraham Darby became famous for its large apricot-pink flowers and strong fragrance.
Then came Gertrude Jekyll.
Gertrude Jekyll became one of the great English Roses, particularly famous for its powerful Old Rose fragrance.
In 2025, Gertrude Jekyll was voted the World’s Favourite Rose by the World Federation of Rose Societies, with votes from rose societies in 40 countries.
Other famous English Roses include William Shakespeare 2000, The Generous Gardener, Lady of Shalott and Olivia Rose Austin.
The English Rose became a bridge between two worlds.
The romance of the past.
And the possibilities of the modern garden.
PETER BEALES AND THE PRESERVATION OF ROSE HERITAGE
Another important name in the world of roses is Peter Beales.
Peter Beales was a rosarian, breeder, author and passionate champion of species and historic roses.
He founded Peter Beales Roses in Norfolk in 1968 and spent much of his career promoting and preserving the extraordinary heritage of the rose.
His work is important because rose history is not only about creating new varieties.
It is also about protecting the old ones.
Among roses connected with the Peter Beales story are Sandringham, The Oxford Physic Rose, The Queen’s Jubilee Rose and Highgrove.
Peter Beales represents an important link between rose conservation, breeding and the modern rose garden.
THE MODERN LANDSCAPE ROSE
As gardening changed, so did the rose.
Gardeners increasingly wanted roses that were beautiful but also healthy, vigorous, repeat flowering and easier to grow.
Pierre de Ronsard, also known as Eden Rose, was introduced by Meilland in 1987. It became one of the world’s most famous romantic climbing roses, with large pink-and-cream flowers.
Knock Out, bred by William Radler and introduced in 2000, became a major modern landscape rose because of its repeat flowering and disease resistance.
Julia Child became a much-loved yellow Floribunda.
Munstead Wood brought deep crimson colouring and strong fragrance to the modern English Rose.
The modern rose continues to evolve.
THE ROSE GARDENS OF SCANDINAVIA
Rose history does not live only in books.
It lives in gardens.
Scandinavia has some remarkable rose collections.
In Norway, the Rosarium at the Arboretum and Botanical Garden at Milde near Bergen contains more than 500 different roses.
It is Norway’s largest rose collection and is particularly interesting because it brings together the story of wild, historic and modern roses.
It is almost a living history book.
In Sweden, Gothenburg’s Rosarium in Trädgårdsföreningen contains around 1,200 different rose varieties.
It is one of Scandinavia’s great rose collections and, in 2025, received the Award of Garden Excellence from the World Federation of Rose Societies.
For anyone who loves roses, these gardens are living libraries.
ONE ROSE — THOUSANDS OF STORIES
From Rosa gallica growing wild…
To the ancient Damask…
To the roses of medieval and Renaissance gardens…
To the great Bourbon and Alba roses…
To La France and the birth of the Hybrid Tea…
To Peace after the Second World War…
To David Austin’s dream of bringing Old Rose beauty back into the modern garden…
And to today’s healthy, repeat-flowering roses…
The story continues.
Every modern rose carries something from the past.
Some carry fragrance.
Some carry colour.
Some carry hardiness.
Some carry the genes of wild ancestors.
Some carry the shape and perfume of the old roses.
That is what makes the rose so extraordinary.
A rose is never simply a rose.
It is nature.
It is history.
It is breeding.
It is art.
It is memory.
And sometimes, when we stop and smell one beautiful flower, we are standing in front of thousands of years of human history.
ONE ROSE.
Wild. Historic. Modern.

14/08/2026

14/08/2026

THE ALCHYMIST BLOGPOST BY AASE BIRKHAUGICA

The Alchemist Within — The Art of Transformation BLOGPOST
There is an old human desire to transform one thing into another: darkness into light, failure into success, confusion into understanding, and something ordinary into something precious. The ancient alchemists expressed this desire through their search for the philosopher’s stone, the legendary substance said to transform base metals into gold. They also searched for the elixir of life, hoping to discover the secret of health, longevity, and perhaps even immortality.
Today, we may understand alchemy differently.
We no longer need to imagine ourselves standing over a mysterious furnace, mixing metals and mysterious substances. The deeper idea of alchemy can be applied to everyday life. It can mean the ability to take what we experience—our mistakes, emotions, questions, ideas, relationships, and challenges—and transform them into something meaningful.
That is the idea behind The Alchemist Within.
What does an alchemist actually do?
At its heart, an alchemist experiments.
They begin with something that already exists. They study it carefully. They change conditions, combine elements, observe results, and learn from what happens. The process requires patience because transformation rarely happens instantly.
This is also how meaningful change happens in our lives.
Imagine someone who has failed at something important. There are at least two ways to respond. They can decide that the failure proves they are incapable and stop trying. Or they can examine what happened.
What went wrong?
What could have been done differently?
What did the experience reveal?
What can be learned?
The event itself may not change. The past remains the past. But its meaning can change. Failure can become information. Information can become understanding. Understanding can become a new strategy. And a new strategy can eventually create a different result.
That is a form of alchemy.
The raw material is already here
One of the most interesting ideas in alchemy is that transformation begins with material that seems ordinary or imperfect.
Our lives are like that.
We often wait for better circumstances before beginning. We think we need more confidence, more money, more knowledge, more time, or a completely different life.
But perhaps the first question should be:
What do I already have?
Maybe you have an unfinished idea.
Maybe you have a difficult experience.
Maybe you have a skill that you have never developed.
Maybe you have curiosity.
Maybe you have a problem that keeps returning.
Maybe you simply have a question that you cannot stop thinking about.
These things can become raw material.
The purpose is not to romanticize suffering or pretend that every bad experience is secretly wonderful. Some experiences are genuinely painful and unfair. Transformation does not mean denying that reality.
It means asking whether something useful can eventually be created from what happened.
The experiment
The Alchemist Within is not about presenting a perfect formula for life.
There probably isn’t one.
Instead, it is about experimentation.
Try something.
Observe.
Learn.
Change.
Try again.
This approach is powerful because it replaces the pressure to be perfect with the freedom to explore.
Suppose you want to become healthier. You do not necessarily need to transform your entire life overnight. You might begin with one experiment: walking every day for two weeks.
Then you observe.
Did your energy change?
Did your mood change?
Was the routine realistic?
What made it easier or harder?
You learn from the experiment and modify it.
The same principle works for creativity, relationships, work, learning, and personal growth.
Instead of asking, “How do I completely change my life?”
you can ask:
“What small experiment can I run next?”
That question is much more approachable.
Turning questions into discoveries
Questions are another form of raw material.
A question can be uncomfortable because it exposes something we do not know. But uncertainty is not necessarily an enemy. It can be an invitation.
Why do I keep repeating this pattern?
Why does this idea interest me?
What would happen if I tried the opposite approach?
What am I avoiding?
What would I do if I were not afraid of failing?
Good questions open doors.
An alchemist does not rush to close every question with an easy answer. Sometimes the most valuable part of the process is staying curious long enough to discover something unexpected.
This is especially important in a world where information is everywhere. We can find an answer to almost anything within seconds, but having an answer is not the same as having understanding.
Alchemy is about the transformation of information into understanding.
From information to wisdom
We can read hundreds of books and still struggle to change.
We can listen to podcasts, watch lectures, save articles, and collect advice. Yet knowledge sitting inside our minds does not automatically become wisdom.
Wisdom comes through experience.
You learn something.
You test it.
Reality responds.
You reconsider.
You try again.
Over time, knowledge becomes integrated into the way you see and act.
This is why The Alchemist Within is not intended to be simply a collection of information. It is a place for ideas to be tested against real life.
The important question is not only:
“Is this interesting?”
It is also:
“What happens if I actually use it?”
The transformation of creativity
Creativity is another kind of alchemy.
A blank page looks like nothing.
A lump of clay looks like nothing.
An empty room can look like nothing.
A thought in someone’s head may appear insignificant.
But the creator sees possibility.
They take something incomplete and begin shaping it.
The first version is rarely perfect. It may even be terrible. But that does not mean the experiment has failed. The first version provides information about what the second version needs.
This is why creating is often more important than waiting for inspiration.
The alchemist works with the material available.
They begin.
They make something.
They observe.
They refine.
Eventually, something that did not exist before exists.
That is extraordinary.
What about the inner alchemy?
There is also a more personal dimension.
Sometimes the greatest transformation happens inside us.
Anger can become awareness.
Fear can become courage.
Loneliness can become self-understanding.
Curiosity can become purpose.
Grief can deepen compassion.
A difficult experience can change the way we understand another person’s pain.
Again, this does not mean that difficult emotions should simply be “turned into positives.” Emotions need to be experienced rather than immediately fixed.
Inner alchemy is not about suppressing what we feel.
It is about listening to it.
What is this emotion telling me?
What does it reveal?
What do I need?
What boundary has been crossed?
What matters to me?
What needs to change?
Sometimes the emotion is not the enemy. It is information.
The gold is not always what we expect
The ancient alchemist searched for gold.
But perhaps modern alchemy asks us to reconsider what “gold” actually means.
Maybe gold is not money.
Maybe it is clarity.
Maybe it is freedom.
Maybe it is a meaningful relationship.
Maybe it is a creative life.
Maybe it is the ability to understand yourself.
Maybe it is simply waking up one morning and realizing that you are no longer trapped by something that once controlled you.
The valuable thing is not always visible from the outside.
A person may look exactly the same while their entire inner world has changed.
That is transformation.
A laboratory for life
Think of this blog as a laboratory.
Not a laboratory where everything is controlled and predictable, but one where life itself provides the material.
Each experiment begins with something real.
A problem.
An idea.
A habit.
A conversation.
A failure.
A book.
A question.
A possibility.
Then we explore it.
What happens when we look at it differently?
What happens when we change one variable?
What happens when we stop trying to be perfect?
What happens when we actually put an idea into practice?
Some experiments will succeed.
Some will fail.
Some will produce results that were completely unexpected.
All of them can teach us something.
That is important because failure becomes less frightening when we stop treating it as a verdict.
A failed experiment does not necessarily mean that you failed.
It may simply mean that you discovered one way that does not work.
And that discovery has value.
Becoming your own alchemist
You do not need special equipment to begin.
You need attention.
You need curiosity.
You need the willingness to experiment.
Start with something small.
Choose one thing in your life that you want to understand or change.
Do not try to solve everything.
Observe it.
Ask questions.
Make one small change.
See what happens.
Then learn.
The process may look insignificant at first, but transformation often begins quietly.
A single idea can become a project.
A project can become a skill.
A skill can become an opportunity.
An opportunity can change a life.
And it can all begin with a question.
What can this become?
That is perhaps the most important question an alchemist can ask.
Not because we can turn everything into gold, but because we are surrounded by possibilities that we have not yet learned how to see.
The Alchemist Within is an invitation to look again.
To experiment with ideas.
To learn from experience.
To turn knowledge into action.
To turn mistakes into information.
To turn curiosity into discovery.
And, whenever possible, to transform the ordinary material of everyday life into something meaningful.
The real alchemy may not be changing metal into gold.
Perhaps it is learning how to change experience into wisdom.
And perhaps every one of us has an alchemist within waiting to begin

11/08/2026

KUNDALINI Medicine

Great choice. Here’s a polished blog-post draft built around “Kundalini Medicine: What It Is—and What It Isn’t.”

Kundalini Medicine: What It Is—and What It Isn’t

Kundalini medicine is a term that is becoming increasingly visible in conversations about spirituality, consciousness, meditation, and holistic well-being. But what does it actually mean?

The answer depends on which lens we use.

In traditional yogic and ta***ic teachings, Kundalini refers to a transformative spiritual energy associated with human consciousness. In contemporary wellness culture, the word medicine is sometimes used more broadly to describe practices or experiences believed to support healing, balance, awareness, and personal transformation.

These two worlds can overlap—but they should not automatically be treated as the same thing.

What is Kundalini?

Kundalini is traditionally described as a latent spiritual potential, often symbolized as a coiled serpent at the base of the spine. Through practices such as meditation, breathwork, yoga, mantra, and disciplined spiritual practice, Kundalini is said to awaken and move through the subtle energy system.

Traditional teachings often describe this process through concepts such as chakras, nadis, prana, and consciousness.

These concepts belong to specific spiritual and philosophical traditions. They are not simply alternative names for structures or processes recognized by modern anatomy and medicine.

And this distinction matters.

So what is “Kundalini medicine”?

There is no single universally accepted medical system called Kundalini medicine in conventional healthcare.

The phrase is better understood as a contemporary umbrella term that may refer to practices inspired by Kundalini yoga, meditation, breathwork, embodied awareness, spiritual inquiry, and other mind-body approaches.

For some people, these practices become part of a meaningful personal wellness routine.

They may encourage:

greater self-awareness
focused attention
relaxation
mindful breathing
emotional reflection
a stronger sense of connection between body and mind
personal or spiritual growth
However, experiencing benefits from a practice does not automatically mean that the practice is a medical treatment.

What Kundalini medicine is not

It is important not to confuse spiritual practice with evidence-based medical care.

Kundalini practices should not be presented as a proven cure for serious diseases, nor should someone discontinue prescribed medication or medical treatment because of a spiritual or energetic practice.

Similarly, experiences described as an “energy awakening” should not automatically be interpreted as evidence of a particular medical or neurological condition—or as proof that a disease has been healed.

A respectful approach can hold both perspectives at once:

Spiritual experiences can be deeply meaningful, while medical claims still require medical evidence.

The body, breath, and nervous system

One reason Kundalini practices attract interest today is that many of them involve breathing, movement, concentration, meditation, and heightened awareness of bodily sensations.

Modern research into meditation, yoga, breathing practices, and other mind-body interventions continues to investigate how these practices may influence stress, attention, mood, and physiological processes.

But this does not mean that modern science has validated every traditional explanation of Kundalini.

There is a difference between saying:

“This practice may influence how I experience my body and mind.”

and saying:

“This practice activates a specific energy pathway and therefore treats a particular disease.”

The first can be a personal experience or an area of scientific investigation. The second is a medical claim that requires appropriate evidence.

Kundalini awakening can be powerful

For people who practice Kundalini-related disciplines, experiences can sometimes feel profound, unusual, or transformative.

Some practitioners describe sensations of heat, vibration, movement, emotional release, altered perception, intense concentration, or a powerful sense of connection.

Such experiences can be interpreted through a spiritual framework.

At the same time, intense or distressing experiences deserve care rather than romanticization. If someone experiences persistent physical or psychological symptoms, seeking appropriate professional support is important.

Spiritual practice does not have to compete with healthcare.

A bridge between tradition and modernity

Perhaps the most interesting possibility of Kundalini medicine is not trying to prove that ancient spiritual concepts are secretly modern medical science.

Instead, it may be about creating a respectful dialogue between different ways of understanding human experience.

Traditional Kundalini teachings ask profound questions about consciousness, identity, attention, embodiment, and transformation.

Modern medicine asks different questions: What can we observe? What can we measure? What interventions are effective? What are their risks and benefits?

Both perspectives can contribute something valuable—but they should not be confused.

A more grounded definition

Perhaps we can think of Kundalini medicine as a modern wellness concept inspired by traditional Kundalini practices, rather than a replacement for conventional medicine.

Its potential value may lie in practices that encourage people to slow down, breathe, move, observe, reflect, and develop a deeper relationship with their inner experience.

Whether someone approaches Kundalini as a spiritual path, a meditation discipline, a yoga tradition, or simply a subject of curiosity, the most useful approach may be one that combines openness with discernment.

We do not need to dismiss an experience simply because science cannot fully explain its meaning.

And we do not need to call something medicine simply because an experience feels healing.

The invitation

Perhaps that is where the real conversation begins.

What happens when we explore the ancient language of energy alongside the modern language of physiology—without forcing one to become the other?

That question may be more interesting, and ultimately more useful, than trying to prove that Kundalini is either everything or nothing.

Kundalini can be explored as a spiritual tradition.

The body can be explored through science.

And the human experience exists at the fascinating intersection between the two.

If you want, I can next make this more mystical, more scientific, or more provocative/SEO-friendly while keeping the same title and core message.

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09/08/2026

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