My interesting month, January, which came with many learnings for me had this one too.

Exhausted, overwhelmed and on my hands and knees on the floor (this time it's no metaphor), I cried. My daughter turned to me and said 'you have a choice mum, you can either choose to be sad or you can choose to be happy'. I thanked her from my weariness and she told me that's what I'd have said to her. Oops!

Still, reflecting on it now I think she's right. I probably would have done. Hopefully slightly more gently with a little story around it perhaps. But beyond that we usually do. We may feel imprisoned, trapped and stuck but most of us may have a choice.

How often we forget that endorphins make a difference to our sense of wellbeing, forget to exercise and then wonder why we feel bad? How often we feed ourselves processed foods, lacking in life and are perplexed when our body feels tired and our mind less sharp than we'd like? How often we get stuck in our story, not realising that we are not our thoughts, they are just a part of us, and we can believe them or not?

Hmmm. I think she's right, my wise one, sent to teach me. And I thank her for that. And you for reading.

Wishing you a beautiful day ahead,

With love,

Em

Cycling along yesterday I was struck by this pond and its absolutely non judgemental nature. It reflects what there is. That's it. Nothing more, nothing less. And accepts what is.

Not like us overly intellectualising self reflective condemning humans (I speak, I hope it's obvious, for myself and if the shoe fits feel free to walk with me a moment). Recently I was brought a situation that created significant dis-ease for me and found (I really know this stuff in my head but getting it in your heart - well that's different!) how beautiful forgiveness is. Not of others but of ourselves. I'd advise this work to be done with a practitioner ideally but for the purposes of sharing I'll talk more here.

Make a list of the characteristics of the person (probably best to use one individual at a time) that are most bugging you. At the side of them write the opposite trait.

For example: uneducated:educated.

Then set aside the positives and take a moment to reflect on the negatives, one at a time. Try to recall a time you've ever behaved in that way, and sit quietly with that knowledge for a moment.

If you like (and I do), you could use the Ho'oponopono practice of saying -

I love you

I forgive you

I'm sorry

Thank you

to yourself at your deepest soul level. To the core of you, that part that makes you absolutely unique and individual.

Do let me know how you get on. And as always if you wish to ask more feel free to get in touch.

With love,

Em x

'The physician's highest and only calling is to heal the sick, to cure, as it is termed.'

Samuel Hahnemann, founder of homeopathy

Not, I notice now, to medicate continuously whenever the symptoms arise. It's one way but not the way I prefer to live or practise in my role as a homeopath. I would like to highlight here that I'm not anti conventional medicine. I think it can be life saving, incredible and don't want it to go away. What I would really like perhaps instead or as well, is a different viewpoint. Acute care, emergency care is wonderful and our NHS (which has, since it's inception in 1948, offered homeopathic care as part of the package) is a marvellous service. I suppose one of my perceptions is that often chronic conditions are looked at from a short term perspective. Instead of treating the underlying cause why, the symptoms are suppressed. These are our clues, our guidelines to be aware of how we can bring about relief, not 'bad' things that need to be sent away. Taking out the warning light on a car results in there being no error light on. It doesn't mean the car is fixed.

On the train yesterday I noticed the advert I used as the image on this blog. This was my path 20 years ago. I'd have been rushing to try the next drug, the stronger relief.

Options are everywhere. This is one I used to use all the time. Happily I very rarely need to resort to anything now as headaches are so rarely a part of my story anymore. From migraines at primary school to beta blockers at 17 to get through exams I found nothing effective at ultimate drug free freedom from the claws of headaches and migraines until I found homeopathy.

Feel free to get in touch by email or phone if you'd like to chat about how homeopathy might be able to help you,

Warmly,

Em x

What if we did? Dance through life? Mindless and careless? Without worrying who was watching, worries about who was saying we were fat, loud, not enough, not dancing right and didn't deserve to be there?

What if we were just there? As we come into life, as pure expressions of joy able to ask for what we need without being conscious of anyone else's needs? Whilst I'm not suggesting a 'take what you want and forget the rest' form of society, what if we were more in touch with our beauty, the wonder of our being?

What if we didn't hide our light, if we smiled at that stranger just because they had beautiful eyes and there they were in front of us on the tube. Without anything more than a simple act of joy.

My beautiful friend Debbie has suggested a calendar of themed months this year. April, if I remember rightly is 'Act of Kindness' for random acts of kindness. If you'd like to take part too let me know... Just a simple thing. Maybe something like this:

With love and gratitude for being. Just as you are,

Em x

This morning I had one of those moments. I came downstairs into the kitchen (some washing up leftover, not all tidied away and beautifully set for breakfast... just to set the scene), and had a realisation of just how awesome I am. It was before I'd cleaned and tidied the lounge for seeing clients later, before I'd been out on the bike for an hour and before I'd washed up. It just was. An appreciation of what I've achieved in my 7 years of single parenthood (albeit with probably the finest support crew a girl could ever ask for) and my 36 years of roaming the earth.

I share not through a sense of gloating, of pride in my achievements but because my realisation was ultimately how amazing we all are. We all play small, critisise ourselves, receive criticism from others and it is this we dwell on. Not the complements. It is this we take to bed at night. And this we repeat to ourselves.

And why? I've recently read a fascinating theory around the brain development and our switch from a forest inspired diet to the more meat heavy intake we have today. The overdevelopment of our left brain along with the restriction and suppression of our right brain has entirely fascinated me as a potential cause. And, excitingly (for me), the kindle I left on the train was handed in and is awaiting collection!! So I can continue my exploration of that later... But there's many reasons and theories I suppose.

How to move forwards is probably more relevant than why and it's this I love working with. With clients using homeopathy, mindfulness - and food awareness too. To increase our joy, realise our beauty and play out more in the world.

So today, just as a start, I'd love to invite you to share with yourself (or feel free to share with me if you want) 5 things that make you really really awesome.

With love,

Em x

Doing a role as I do in supporting homeopaths with social media, I can't help but notice the weight of support for the recent NHMRC report from Australia, categorically stating that homeopathy does not work, and plenty of suggestions that what we're doing is dangerous.

If you'd like to read more about the serious flaws in the report you can do so here: https://www.hri-research.org/2015/03/nhmrc-publishes-flawed-report-despite-concerns-raised-during-public-consultation/

I defer to the scientific capacity of my colleagues at the Homeopathy Research Institute for their thorough examination of the report. And in that way I can continue doing my job and not need to get involved in the discussions and the answering back, defending what I love to do.

Recently I've seen people reduce their antidepressants after over 30years dependency on them, gain freedom from headaches, discover new leases of life after years of being stuck in chronic fatigue states. I've seen eczema improve, babies begin sleeping, depression lift, hot flushes reduce, chronic colds no longer happen, ulcers heal that had been getting steadily worse. I've seen arthritic pains lessen (even had people come back and tell me there's now no evidence on scans of their previously diagnosed arthritis). I've seen gastrointestinal disorders clear, lifelong constipation resolve.

And, where I get it 'wrong' I've seen nothing happen. If I've prescribed what I felt was a well matched remedy but it's not fitted properly, there may be no change until I change the remedy to a better fit. For me that wipes out half of the placebo argument. Although the suggestion that I'm so nice to people they just feel better after a 1-2hour long chat with me is OK, and of course the placebo effect works everywhere to some extent. I'll take the compliment but I can see what I and others in my field do extends way beyond it.

So, back to the report - I'd defer back to the clients and patients of homeopaths who've tried everything else and then tried homeopathy. These patients are common, hey even have their own acronym - TEETH patients. For many, homeopathy was a complete life changer. And for me? I'm with the people, going to carry on just helping one person at a time whilst the shouting subsides.

We have a saying in Yorkshire: 'today's news, tomorrow's chip papers'.

Long may this healing art continue. As yet I've found nothing else out there like it.

January for me turned into juicing January, with a (not quite as strict as I'd thought I'd be) juice fast for 28 days. Most of the month was 4-5 juices a day (some were blended with avocado/banana/seeds etc). It was a funny old month for me for several reasons but as I nearer towards the end of it I was so drawn back to my fruity lifestyle and convinced that for me, eating high carb, low fat raw vegan - a frugivore diet if you want the proper term, was my favourite lifestyle.

I'll give that there's a time and a place for fresh juice definitely, it's a brilliant way to get an larger amount of fruit and veg into your diet. My daughter at the moment doesn't want to eat veg so she drinks it instead. With 2 oranges, 2 apples, spinach, broccoli and carrot in her morning juice, she's had a reasonable hit to start the day.

And short term juice fasts, 3-5, or even 7 days too, are able to give us an opportunity to rest our system, enable some healing to happen and realise bad habits and patterns. However, my personal feeling is we don't have to continue with this dependency - we can eat real whole fruits and vegetables and not be tied to the juicer (or subsequently the kitchen sink). For a simple, delicious, long term lifestyle, I can't think of much more back to nature, vitality, energy and wellbeing than mono meals and simple eating.

Is like to share that I'm definitely still not an expert and absolutely still on my own food discovery journey. You can know all the information and still reach out for something non optimum. I've been away for the weekend and indulging in cooked foods, which is fine, but definitely harder for a couple of days to get back on with eating the way I know I'll feel best.

So for me it's back to simple meals, water rich delicious melons for breakfast, big mangoes, lovely bananas, ripe fruits and fabulous tasty salads. If anyone wants to join me just shout - I'm happy to share ideas.

With big fruity love,

Em x

I think so many of us forget we're really children in a grown up body. Or if not that them perhaps just even that we were once children. We knew how to laugh joyfully til our bellies ached, do things just because and for no reason whatsoever and to live with hearts filled with joy.

I re-read a letter recently from my grandparents to my parents. Just that act made me think.. What have we to survive nearly 30years - a catalogue of Facebook updates, some blog posts? Anyway. A note from 1976 with wanderings from my grandad (any possible doubt as to where my waffling, tangent filled writing style came from was quickly confirmed), filled with joy at the world around him. The foals in the field behind their house, the sheep lying down, a patch of blue sky and the grass blowing in the breeze. Beautifully described and delightfully, joyfully a letter of nonsense.

Joy. Easy to forget perhaps when there's bills to pay, school to get to, meals to cook, pets to sort, work to do, ironing (ok that last one I wouldn't know about). You get the drift. And yet so life enhancing to feel, to really experience joy bubbling up through all your cells.

A friend mentioned that I like the word play the other day. I suppose I really do. I had forgotten a little to play out last year - and this one? I'm trying to build in some 'me' time and play more again. There's such joy in the remembering to dance, sing, skip, love openly without fear and just notice the miracles that happen around us all the time. Yesterday mind, my gift to me was my afternoon bath and nap. I strongly recommend that for fabulous joyful feelings too.

With love and joy. Do go forth and play today :)

Em xx