ABOUT SHAMANSGARDEN & IAMSHAMAN
Yes, we're still that same group of friends dedicated to spreading
the word of the plants and incense resins we adore with rich Shamanic
history in the world of entheogens and exotic ethnobotanicals such as
Kratom Leaf, Kratom Extract, Kava Kava, Blue Lotus and many others. We
also specialize in the items that have been most-requested of us over
the years. Hundreds of thousands of customers later, we've listened to
your requests and have created a new online shopping experience that we
hope will exceed your expectations. Built from the ground up to assure
you the TIGHTEST SECURITY AND PRIVACY of any online vendor, with the same values that has made us the best.
JOIN THE FIGHT TO KEEP KRATOM LEGAL!
Recent legislation has been introduced across the United States,
incorrectly categorizing Kratom as a synthetic, or seeking to
incorrectly place it on Schedule I as a controlled substance. Kratom
has been used safely for thousands of years, and does not deserve the
recent media hype, or the movement to make it illegal.
Thanks to the efforts of the Botanical Legal Defense, of which I'm
on the Board of Directors, we have successfully stopped legislation in
various places, and in March of 2014; our home state of Illinois. Don't let Kratom get taken away from responsible adults such as
yourself. It's already been banned or made illegal in Wisconsin,
Indiana, and Vermont. Don't let your state be next!
CONSERVATION, WORTHY CAUSES, & YOUR VOICE
By BODHI (shamanelf at shamansgarden dot com)
Because of our treasured customers, we have been able to make so many amazing friends and contacts over the past years. As a result, we have been able to accomplish so much of what we deeply believe in, although there is so much more to do.
Our
PERUVIAN COOPERATIVE has helped over 1,600 indigenous people buy their land back from the government and/or protect it from clear-cutting, we've been able to offer modest donations to causes we believe in, as well as bypassing many third party suppliers to deal directly with organic herbal farmers and indigenous tribes in the Brazilian Rainforests, Africa, India and elsewhere, while committing ourselves to
FAIR TRADE PRACTICES every step of the way.
As it turns out, many people are eager to find alternative ways to sustain their culture, their communities, and their forests, without having to resort to destroying it in order to survive. It's a small details, but I'm always proud to say that we've been carbon neutral since 2005 here at the shop, offsetting 100 tons of CO2 emissions each year.
It has taken some time and expense to work the details and the bugs out, but we are now also carrying products that come from certified sustainable resources that benefit indigenous tribes both here an abroad. We ensure that all of our consumable products are manufactured in FDA-inspected facilities.
We also pride ourselves on being a completely legal, legitimate, licensed business who's ALWAYS on the same side as you. It can be easy to forget that sometimes.
Some present projects include:
For anyone with a vision for helping save this planet:
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We are committed to FAIR TRADE PRACTICES in all of our Meditation Supplies such as our Shaman Rattles, our Tibetan Malas, and our Singing Bowls. Read about what this means for you as well as the artisans who craft these tools for all of us to enjoy and work with.
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We're backers of Dennis McKenna's The Brotherhood of the Screaming Abyss because we believe deeply in his unique voice in the community. Also, his talks on shamanism and neuroscience are of vital importance to help restore shamanism to the sacred place it once held in our mutual human history and evolution. His book; "Botanical Medicines" has been our standard for many of the descriptions we have for our botanicals and herbs here at the shop.
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I've mentioned it already, but we're very proud of our PERUVIAN COOPERATIVE. We are extremely amazed of what has already been accomplished with this program, and we are working hard to expand it even further with your help.
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We offer the $5,000.00 EARTH GRANT which offers a real prize with a real purpose. Each year, two "Green Minded" people will each get a $5,000.00 grant from the IAmShaman Shop, to do whatever they wish with in a few specific categories.
For you, our treasured and loyal customers:
- We have an Independent Submission Program for anyone who crafts herbal products, makes music, or has a DVD that will fit with the vibe and theme of our website. We've found ourselves with a voice we never expected and want to share it with all of you. If ou make a product, if you have a CD, or have made a DVD that you feel like-minded folks like us would like, send it in.
For indigenous cultures and emerging nations:
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We have partnered with a supplier of top quality organic herbals who worked for the U.N. for over 10 years as a consultant to struggling farmers, teaching them nitrogen-rich farming methods. This person has used her contacts with growers in emerging nations, and offered to purchase herbal from them if they reserved a part of their farmland for specific herbal items. Many of these products are featured in our Private Reserver Section, as well as interspersed throughout the site, such as our Whole Calamus Root, our Three Lotus Paste, and many others.
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We donate to places such as M.A.P.S. and the Dream Change Coalition which, in their words, was created "to fulfill the promise made to the Amazonian peoples to change the dream of the industrialized world through educational programs and materials that: shift attitudes and transform consciousness; guarantee protection of natural habitats; preserve ancient traditions that empower the dreams and lifestyles of indigenous peoples."
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Among the Peruvian herbal products we purchase directly from indigenous tribes is our new Maca products, the profits of which go are going directly to the people who grow this incredible product for us. The government is selling off parcels of land in the Amazon to outside buyers (mostly to the pig iron and oil industries from the USA), and these ancient people have a chance to buy their land from the government before it is sold off. (Yes, even though they have lived there in harmony with the land for thousands of years, the government can sell their land, with them on it to the highest bidder.) We are helping them to expand their products and markets so that in a year or two, they will be able to buy it outright, rather than being forced to move, or to clear-cut the forest to raise cattle.
For personal freedom:
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We donate to the Center for Cognitive Liberty & Ethics, who The CCLE is dedicated to protecting and advancing freedom of thought in the modern world of accelerating neuro-technologies. Our paramount concern is to foster the unlimited potential of the human mind and to protect freedom of thought.
PERSONAL WORDS
No matter what products we carry at the shop, we only buy from suppliers who do not steal their crops form indigenous or protected lands, and who are ethical and trustworthy in all aspects of their business. This often costs more, but we don't care. The reason I began offering exotic botanicals and incenses in the first place, is because I was tired of waiting weeks for my products, while paying incredibly high prices for low quality, and I was also tired of never being able to reach anyone by phone, as my repeated e-mails went unanswered. I thought that there must be a better way and set out to create that better way.
So, this is a team effort that wouldn't be possible without our loyal customers, and we are more than pleased with what we have been able to accomplish over the past 10 years and counting. Whenever you buy any of the above products, know that they come direct from the source, and that you are helping cultures that are disappearing at an alarming rate, find ways of surviving in harmony with their environment, protecting it for future generations. Admittedly, this is only a drop in the bucket, but we feel that a drop is better than nothing at all, and we hope that other importers and venders will take this example and do the same.
My dream was to find a way to help support both the entheogen community, and support, in whatever small way, the conservation of rain forests and the indigenous cultures that are disappearing at an alarming rate. None of it would have been possible if it weren't for so many people spreading the word about our shop and our work, and for that we are eternally grateful, and it's something we and I try to never forget. We show our thanks in keeping our prices low, by keeping the quality extraordinarily high, by continually researching and adding new products that we believe in, and through our unparalleled customer service.
Together, I truly believe that we can all make a difference. - Keith (Bodhi)