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Lineage
The lineage that informs the work behind ELXR CRAFT is measured not in years or decades, but in millennia. It traces back to the earliest known origins of herbal medicine, long before modern distinctions between food, medicine, and ritual existed. It originates in a time when the most valuable knowledge on Earth concerned a single question: how life is sustained, strengthened, and preserved. Long before the rise of modern medicine, people understood that certain substances possessed an extraordinary capacity to support vitality, clarity, resilience, and longevity. These substances were not ordinary foods, nor emergency medicines. They were regarded as true treasures.
In Chinese tradition, this origin is symbolized by Shennong, the Divine Farmer, who is remembered as the first to systematically study plants through direct experience. Shennong’s legacy lies in identifying which plants merely address discomfort and which ones profoundly support life itself. From this distinction emerged one of the most important ideas in human health history: that the highest-value substances are those that build and protect vitality at its root. These substances were considered so significant that they were reserved for emperors, sages, and those dedicated to long cultivation of body and mind.
From this foundation arose the tradition of superior, or tonic, herbs. These were not minor additions to the pharmacopoeia. They were its crown jewels. Tonic herbs were prized precisely because they work at the deepest level of human function, supporting endurance, clarity, reproductive vitality, and overall life force. Historically, these substances were rare, difficult to source, and often extremely expensive. Their value was not symbolic. It was practical. What could be more valuable than something that strengthens life itself?
As civilizations developed, tonic herbalism remained a guarded and highly respected discipline. These herbs were not treated casually. They were studied carefully, refined across generations, and passed down through lineages that understood their importance. Many of the most sought-after tonic substances in history were traded across continents, protected by royal courts, and reserved for those whose lives demanded exceptional vitality. Their continued use over centuries reflects not tradition for tradition’s sake, but repeated confirmation of their profound impact.
In the twentieth century, one of the most important carriers of this older approach was Sung Jin Park, a Korean-born herbal master whose knowledge extended beyond standardized Traditional Chinese Medicine into deeper tonic frameworks preserved through personal transmission. Sung Jin Park emphasized that tonic herbs represent the highest tier of herbal knowledge. These were substances that demanded respect not because they were subtle, but because they were powerful. He taught that working with such herbs required maturity and discernment, as their influence touched the deepest reserves of vitality rather than surface-level function.
Among those shaped by Sung Jin Park’s teachings was Ron Teeguarden, who would later become the most influential figure in introducing tonic herbalism to the modern Western world. Ron approached herbal medicine as a lifelong discipline grounded in refinement, lived experience, and deep respect for classical tradition. He consistently emphasized superior herbs and sustained use, helping reposition tonic herbalism as a serious and enduring system of vitality cultivation at a time when much of the herbal landscape was shifting toward short-term solutions and rapidly commercialized formulations.
Ron’s depth of training and contribution to the preservation of classical herbal knowledge were formally recognized in 1994, when he was declared a Master Herbalist by Xu Guojen, Professor Emeritus at Nanjing University and chief editor of the Pharmacopoeia of the People’s Republic of China. This acknowledgment reflected not only technical knowledge, but Ron’s demonstrated commitment to traditional principles and their responsible application outside of China.
In 2009, after more than forty years of disciplined training and practice, Ron was further recognized by Sung Jin Park as a Taoist Master within the “Keeper of Rites” tradition. He was given the title Dan-O Sun Sha, translated as “Elixir of Life Master of Tao,” a designation reserved for those who have demonstrated long-standing integrity, depth of understanding, and lived embodiment of Taoist principles. These recognitions affirmed Ron’s role not merely as an educator or entrepreneur, but as a serious lineage holder whose work helped reframe tonic herbalism not as an alternative wellness trend, but as one of humanity’s oldest and most refined approaches to sustaining peak human potential.
This lineage continued through Rehmannia Dean Thomas, whose work represents a modern embodiment of the same uncompromising standards. Rehmannia is widely respected for his insistence on authenticity, sourcing integrity, and precise formulation, qualities shaped through decades of direct study and practice. He is recognized as Ron Teeguarden’s longest-standing student, having worked closely with him over many years in the preservation, refinement, and responsible transmission of tonic herbal principles. This long apprenticeship cultivated a deep continuity of understanding, ensuring that the knowledge passed forward was not theoretical, but lived and tested through sustained application. Rehmannia’s approach reflects a clear recognition that tonic herbs lose their meaning when treated as commodities. Their true power lies in correct preparation, careful balance, and adherence to principles that have governed their use across centuries. In this lineage, excellence is not optional. It is required.
Into this continuum entered Michael Sage, whose engagement with tonic herbalism began with a recognition of its unmatched depth and historical authority. His path was shaped by an understanding that these herbs represent the highest category of botanical intelligence available to humanity. Alongside this immersion, he also committed himself as a student of the leaf and tea ceremony, not as a diversion from tonic herbalism, but as a parallel discipline that refined the same capacities required to work with superior herbs. This dual engagement cultivated a heightened sensitivity to sourcing, preparation, and consistency, reinforcing how daily contact with powerful natural substances shapes the human system over time. Tea offered a lived framework through which principles central to tonic herbalism could be embodied and observed, strengthening discernment and respect for substances that operate at the deepest level of human life and the natural world, acting upon the body, mind, and spirit as an integrated whole. For centuries, both tea and tonic herbs were relied upon by scholars, physicians, monastics, and leaders not because of fashion or status, but because they reliably supported sustained clarity, endurance, and excellence. Michael’s work today reflects a commitment to carrying this lineage forward with integrity, ensuring that its principles continue to evolve thoughtfully while remaining grounded in the traditions that have safeguarded their value across generations.
ELXR CRAFT stands apart because it is rooted in time-tested traditions, not modern trends. It is a modern expression of one of the great bodies of vitality knowledge preserved across human history. It exists to deliver access to powerful tonic herbs and revered substances, prepared and formulated according to standards that have defined excellence for thousands of years. ELXR CRAFT offers something exceptionally rare, a chance to participate in a living tradition that has moved quietly through time, safeguarded by generations who understood that life force is among the most precious resources of all. May this tradition continue forward with the same care, respect, and integrity with which it has been preserved.