So, in my somewhat typical spontaneous way... I decided I'd do a gentle experiment in September, from the 1st to the 7th. Obviously (if you know me well, at least), I'd little idea of what it might look like, and initially I thought it might be just me. Then I invited others. I knew that I didn't want it to be me directing the show, wanted a community to inspire and empower each other. And I think that's coming together. I set up the September's Seven Days of Falling in Love (and onward) group on Facebook - it is currently a public group, you're welcome to join in if you like.

I want it to be experiential, experimental - and I will design a very optional short survey to take before and after so participants (of the survey, which again will be totally optional) and I, can see if playing with this stuff has made any shifts - in terms of wellbeing/levels of joy etc. It's curiousity, not serious research, but time and again I feel that working with some of the ideas I'll share can make a big impact on our lives in positive ways.

Oooh I'll also share my sheep paths to motorways theory at the bottom of the blog for those interested. I believe it resonates with much of this in many ways.

So if you want to take part, feel free to do it in whatever way you like. Use the daily prompts and ideas - or go off on your own path, with the general idea in mind of falling in love with life, ourselves, people around us and our gorgeous planet that we are lucky enough to live with.

There's a lovely post here which might provide inspiration for you too.

I've had my morning cup of mint tea outside with a book the last few days - and seen geese on fly-bys in their V formation, bees bobbing around the flowers and - well, I love to watch the clouds drifting across the sky. Life is happening out there and it's gorgeous.

Here's my suggestion for the days - in a gentle order of Monday to Sunday - but feel free make it your own, do one every day, do none of them, play with it however suits.

I wanted to elaborate a little, and will share these on the facebook group each day for ease too.

Slowing and noticing - when you're doing anything, how present are you? I know I can rush onwards to the next thing, be planning the day out whilst I'm in the shower, thinking of getting back to people whilst I'm walking the dogs (and the list goes on). What if we slowed and noticed the water on our skin, how it feels on impact, as it moves down our body? Smelled the honeysuckle flower, noticed how a dog's fur ruffles in the gentle (or less than gentle!) breeze.

Feeling the rain on my scalp was one of my most incredible things of having shaved my head. It's amazing and 5 years on from then I still reflect back to how it felt. Now I'm not suggesting you go and shave your head, but what about noticing more how it is when we wash our hands, shower, wash our hair. Pausing, breathing.

My friend Ruth once shared her thought 'What would Lara Croft do?'. I played with that for a while and think it's epic. How would Lara Croft shower, clean her teeth... or any other personality. Choose whoever you like. If you like. Day 1 suggestion is slowing and noticing.

Appreciating - and how often we forget! Most of us have the gift of breathing, seeing, many of us have the gift of walking. Hearing Caroline Myss in Findhorn (with my friend Ann who no longer has those gifts earth-side since she passed away), say that entitlement is one of our big problems. We forget that we're not entitled to anything. Clean water, fresh air, nope. That hit home, hard, for me. And it brought in a lot of gratitude for those things we, I, can easily take for granted. Day 2 for me is around appreciating. Can we appreciate that sip of water, smell of essential oil, rose, dinner - or anything else around us - a little bit more mindfully today?

What would my most loving self do/think/be right now? - for me, this isn't always an arena I inhabit. I think we are conditioned to see the worst in a situation - it's an amazing survival instinct that will have saved us so many times. But probably not always brought us bucketloads of joy. So if we're seeing the worst about ourselves - is it any wonder we forgot to love ourselves?

My partner and I were chatting about the concept of marrying yourself the other day. I'm aware of others who've done it, and never been inspired to myself...but the idea of commiting to love, nurture, cherish til death do you part - for yourself? That's pretty awesome I reckon. His opinion wasn't quite as aligned with mine as it might have been on the self-marriage... But why would we make promises to another and not to ourselves. So whilst I'm not suggesting a mass marrying ourselves ceremony - although actually that sounds pretty fun ;) but making a commitment to honour, nourish and celebrate yourself feels a pretty great decision to me. This question (even if not 'popping the question' to yourself) is Day 3's focus.

What are your top 5 (or even 10) joys? Credit here needs to go to my friend Peter who asked me this question recently. And to him for being able to count to 10. I got somewhere beyond 27 (I estimate), gave up counting and my brain is still presenting me with things that bring me joy. They don't have to be big things. Sparkly things was on my list. And you don't need to count.

Sometimes there might not be 5, or 2. When I've had challenging times it's sometimes been harder to count the joys, and I remember reading a brilliant piece of writing from my friend Sandy suggesting gratitude practices hadn't always been helpful to her in challenging times. So as with any of these - if they don't resonate - scroll on by. But if it does,  and you'd like to, then dive in and explore.

I would question... if you have one or more things on your list - are you doing any of the things that bring you joy on a daily basis? Sometimes we forget - it's kinda crazy busy out there sometimes, and it's not always easy... but when we forget to nourish ourselves, love ourselves, is it any wonder we feel a little less nourished/loved. Maybe it's a little chicken or the egg perhaps - just dive in wherever you can.

Make friends with your body - even if just your little finger to start with…  In a world where you can be a valuable customer - what would the benefit be in helping you to be comfortable with who and what you are? You could have plumper, bee sting lips (thanks to the lovely Julia for sharing her lip gloss secrets years ago - that was a fun experience!), more eyelashes, longer eyelashes, more clothes, a shinier watch, bigger boobs, a smaller bum, smaller boobs, a bigger bum... so where on earth is the motivation to love us just the way we are?

I think I need to jump in and mention the North East Skinny Dip at this point. It's one of the most gloriously joyful events I've ever taken part in. I was there the first year with maybe 152 or so people  I don't recall who suggested it - Leslie, Vic or Amber... or myself, but we did it together. The whole thing was utterly magical. We drove up, arrived late and knew we were up super early, so used the tent as a groundsheet and slept under the stars. Cold. Beautiful. And a display of shooting stars - plus a massive meteor (that I missed as I was in the loos changing into pjs). I was mad at my friend Vic for a bit for borrowing my hat (I could have said no, but...) and wandering around all night in his budgie smugglers and my lovely beanie whilst I shivered in my sleeping bag. Vic passed away sadly - I'd do many things to lend him that beanie again!

But the point I want to make is none of that - sorry reader!! Getting changed, on Druiridge Bay, for the skinny dip is amusing. People are discreetly changing, hiding those bits we've learnt aren't socially acceptable, squriming under towels... and then the time is ready to run... a mass of exquisite human joy running towards the sea, historically on, or close to, the September equinox. Squealing, laughing, giggling - nervously, joyfully. It's one of the most divine sounds I'm grateful enough to have heard. Truly alive to life in that moment. And then you hit the North Sea. Cue more screams, giggles, celebrating. Then it all goes on in reverse. Except everything is different.

There is an appreciation in a different way of our glorious bodies. A feeling alive. A stripping away of inhibitions. A standing around chatting whilst wearing nothing. Yes nothing. Clearly I don't speak for everyone but I've seen this phenomena time and again over my separate visits... Or even if the cold has got to you, dressing is less squirmy, more casual. There's an acceptance that I sense. A celebration. Taking photos, honouring those bits we shun, aware of our 'muffin tops' no more, just a gorgeous being in whatever shape or form, not squeezed into those jeans that'll be OK if we just lose just a few kilos...

If the only bit you like is that spot to the left of your knee, then appreciate that. Appreciation is a little like flowers I think - feed it and it'll grow. You never know what might happen next.

A section of the North East Skinny Dip painting - painted as a present for me by Ann Devlin (from an image first published in The Guardian, 2012)

What if you did one thing that pushed your comfort zone a little today? Sophie Jones is a marvellous inspiration, introduced to me by my daughter, who has taught me some of my best and hardest lessons over the last 18 years. I kept sending Isla inspirational stuff (inspiration, I realise is so subjective...) that I thought would make her smile/be encouraged etc. She was unamused generally, but sent me Soph Jones in return. Sophie is advocating rejection therapy - pushing her comfort zone - in gentle, and more challenging ways.

Check out her instagram to see her getting a role in a West End musical, wandering Brighton pier dressed as a cow, ordering coffee via her sock puppet, appeared on This Morning talking about it all and more...  Or have a look at the link:

It's joyful, sometimes silly, often thought provoking. And I've heard from at least one person who has 'done a Sophie Jones'. I totally love it!!

Can you dance today - even if just a little bit inside? I often think of the Gabrielle Roth quote...

When did we stop? And then realise we didn't feel great. One of my very favourite things is an impromtu kitchen dance, especially with my daughter. We climb on the chairs... she used to dance on the table but has got taller (and we've a less stable table in there now), pop on some tunes and enjoy a time of almost dancing on the table, for 10 minutes, an hour or an evening. Last time it was prompted by her arriving home in a hoodie with 'Players only love you when they're playing' on it. We had a fab Fleetwood Mac night.

It'd be ace to hear what makes you want to dance, makes you smile... and even more ace for you to play it for yourself today. One of my favourite getting ready tunes is this... especially if I'm by myself in a hotel room or my bedroom at home. It could be worth saying that it totally celebrates the human form (i.e. the lovely Jen is naked in sections of the video, in a very beautifully natural way). It's one of my absolute favourites.

So there we go! That's the Seven Days suggestions :) I'd love to hear from you if you're diving in with these, or other ideas - and how it is all going for you. Thanks so much for reading,

With love and joy, Em xx

Lastly... the sheep paths to motorways idea. I'm intrigued by the idea of neuropossibility. Most people I guess call it neuroplasticity... but that sounds so science-y (which I love and for me resonates with my degree in Psychology/Neuroscience... but isn't for everyone). For me neuropossibility offers us hope. Our brains can be encouraged, supported, enhanced even. We take on board the idea we have to exercise, do weights to help support our bone health, eat well... and many of us leave our brains just to do their thing.

So the theory... that our neuronal networks are like sheep paths. I live in the Yorkshire Dales and sheep abound. If you're walking across moorland occasionally you lose the footpath, and sometimes end up on a sheep trail. Often you can get just one foot in front of another.

We don't all come out of childhood equal. Some of us have more difficult starts than others, so that's going to influence the size of the path, but when we start out, originally, my idea is that most of our pathways are sheep paths. And the paths we use more often - say in a difficult family environment, perhaps the fear or anxiety path - that gets wider. The more we take that path, the easier it is to see, the quicker it is to destination fear. Any path can get quicker, easier to go along. Joy, happiness, sadness, pain, regret, guilt... the more we focus on doing something, the better at it we get. It's a marvellous thing. And can be a challenging one when we're doing something without thinking about it.

Our sheep paths can grow to footpaths, bridleways (for non-outdoorsy folk, you can take a horse down there - the clue is in the name, or a mountain bike), B roads, A roads and motorways. It's what you use more often that grows. And you get quicker to that destination - whether it be love, joy, gratitude, fear, panic or whatever else.

When we start to realise we have a choice in how our brain operates, I think this is where freedom comes in, or at least begins to. Sometimes we need help and support - I love having a support network, and am also grateful my daughter has grown up with one. Now she knows when her osteopath would be helpful, when she'd benefit from a massage, seeing her homeopath, visiting the GP (which is fairly rare - but absolutely firmly on the team), when the dentist is great, or even the holistic dentist (if you're looking for one, we love Wonder of Wellness in Huddersfield).

So here's to the love motorway...

I'm seeing 8 year olds with anxiety about the state of our world, 80 year olds with the same. And I hear them. I do. And also I question the narrative. Not that humans aren't doing damage, over using resources etc - of course that seems to be very much the case. But to live in fear every day? At 8 years old. Or at 80.

I chat about this to others, and those older than me remember living in fear of nuclear attack, those older still can tell me the noise a bomb makes as it descends from the sky, and describe the sound of air raid warnings. And I wonder. What's the gain to be made by living in fear?

Or in love?

I guess we stay smaller, less expanded in a state of fear. And whilst I don't want to get into ponderings of a political nature - it's so not my arena of expertise - I do wonder that it's easier to control a fearful population.

I also wonder how much we attach to things if we've been told they're doomed anyway. I've heard stories of amazing, inspiring women being scared to hold their babies because they were told they might not make it. What if that is happening with our world?

I've long thought that if we fall in love with someone/something, we nurture them. We fall in love with a person; we often want the best for them, amongst other elements. I fall in love with people so often and am so grateful for that. One time, in June 2012 I fell in love with someone swimming in a lake - it was so beautiful watching his movement in the water, like they were one. It's rare I see anyone swim like that. I still remember it clearly now, 13 years on.

Living in a state of love brings many benefits - both physiological and psychological - to ourselves and those around us. I believe it's a much deeper state than gratitude (I think it's pretty much all there is if I'm honest - love and not love - we can call that fear if you like), though I do wonder that gratitude can be a way in. To marvel at the state of the world around us, may encourage us to fall in love with a field, a blade of grass, a flower.

I've recently done a spot of guerilla gardening, and created my affectionately named 'lady garden' which has wildflowers blooming. It's the second small addition to a large space that is wild, but regularly strimmed - unless there's really obvious flowers in it. Creating a garden is one way of bringing a little bit of joy. I also regularly forget to water my hanging baskets and have the least green fingers of anyone out there. So if I can do it...

Falling in love can be simple - with the sensation of water on our skin, a moment in the shower, the feel of a breeze across our face. It doesn't have to be big, glamorous, diamond encrusted. I think it's all the more precious if it's not.

I keep thinking about babies and their apparent joy when they discover their hands. How they seem to gaze in wonder. What if we had more wonder in our worlds? Would we care for it - and ergo, ourselves more?

When did we fall out of love with these glorious bodies that we were so amazingly gifted? When we were told our legs were too (fat/thin/curvy/bended...) or our nose too something else. Or maybe we forgot as the world around us is so filled with distractions. Vouching only for myself, I can share that falling back in love with ourselves is an entirely wonderful (and not without challenges) thing to play with doing.

My epiphany came from a moment with a neighbour - who isn't very - or at all - in love with me - who one time shouted 'there it is again, that fkn narcissist'. By this time our dramas together had gone on long enough, I could ignore and continue sitting doing my work reading on the bench outside our house. But I carried a question with me as I went into the house a bit later.

I forget plenty, but I think that's great for our learning - and re-learning and re-learning again. If we love something we take care of it. How could we love ourselves - and those around us, including this gorgeous planet we get to live with - a little bit more?

When we're in love, I think we expand - I'm sure those who can read energy fields would observe this - I'm not that clever. But I feel an expansion, a space, a joy, a look at the world through smiling eyes. Just to remember back to a time we felt all those and more must be a great thing for our bodies to feel nurtured by.

If you made it this far - thanks for reading! I'm going to play with Seven Days of Falling in Love in September. You're welcome to have a go too should you like. It's kinda spontaneous and there's no fixed plan - I'm going from the 1st to the 7th - the Virgo in me is happy about that. Of course continue for a day - or the rest of your life... whatever works. And let's play with wonder, joy, love - for ourselves, a leaf, a grain of sand, a stone, a person or animal in our lives, and focus on what that means to us... but most of all fall in love everyday in little or big ways.

With smiles, with smiling, laughter and love,

Em xx

Or perhaps both depending which angle we see it from?

I recently borrowed my dad's lovely Volvo XC70 to go away to teach for the weekend. My car is getting older, is slightly more battered, particularly after someone drove into me - then drove off - on another teaching weekend. And so when I got the 'we'd like you to borrow our car' text the morning that I left, what else was there to say but 'thank you, that sounds great'?

Last time I borrowed my dad's car - the one before this, the clutch went strange.. so for everyone around me saying (OK just my partner) about how reliable my dad's car was, I did have a moment - mine, though it may rattle (according to our garage, the Peugeot 308s were built to rattle), it has not yet let me down once.

Anyway, a wonderful weekend of teaching passed at The School of Homeopathy, then I was to drive to my friend Jen's concert in Glastonbury, staying there for two nights with a fab friend, then home.

Driving to Glastonbury the car felt a bit odd on a couple of occasions but I pondered that it was because I was tired so I pulled over and stopped for a rest. I would add that I come from the 'oooh the car sounds a bit strange... let's turn up the music' school of mechanicing; my knowledge around all things car is pretty woeful really.

And so back on the road, mostly it felt OK with a couple of moments of 'hmmm, what was that?' And then I was pretty sure that I realised. It was equipped with a great power. It's a manual gearbox, but this one, if I accelerated a bit harder in one gear, it would drop down and give the extra boost... a bit like an automatic would do.

I had a fabulous time in Glastonbury and was really grateful for amazing connections and magic unfolding there. And then drove home. And I knew it. The car had a superpower. If I needed extra power it did it. Without me needing to change gear, I just accelerated a bit more. I was impressed to tell my dad about this great feature he'd never known about.

After which he promptly got in touch with garages to book it in so that the slipping clutch could be fixed...

It's had me pondering. If I'd have driven it home thinking it was broken, kaput, unreliable, I'd have driven it with fear and concern, and would have worried thought the 250 miles to home. As it was I drove happily, excited to share my discovery - and listening away to the Telepathy Tapes. It was a long drive, which felt so much shorter thanks to 5 episodes of what has to be one of the most mindblowing podcasts I've encountered.

It fits, looking back on the time with the clutch fun, I think into the theme - the abilities that the kids and adults discussed on The Telepathy Tapes have are extraordinary. Remarkable, and I'm pretty sure we mere mortals could class them as superpowers. And yet, many of us could look upon the challenges some people have and dismiss them. It's not always easy to put ourselves in others' shoes.

30 years ago I volunteered with physically differently abled people at a respite centre for the first time and I saw first hand how someone could ask a question, for example with a spelling board, I could speak it for them, and say, a shop keeper could respond with the answer - addressed to me. I really didn't care mostly about the thimbles that were availble, I was merely happy to be a conduit for someone who did. Or how we might not even be able to get into that shop because there were two steps up to the front door, or once in how we might not be able to walk around it because the aisles were so close together.

Sometimes our challenges could be seen to override our superpowers because the world was set up differently - in this instance for walking people, or with an assumption of non comprehension in terms of speaking an answer to me. The number of times I've heard someone shout an answer louder at someone who was in a wheelchair... their legs may not have worked but their hearing was great.

Merlin Sheldrake talks in his book Entangled Life, about how the world is often seen from a plant centric point of view when discussing fungi for example. How we view the world from a human, neurotypical (though I'm seriously questioning the validity of that term - perhaps less diverse but within the realm of 'typical' there is so much diversity), able bodied perspective is so damning to so many fellow humans for starters, but also the amazing flora and fauna we get the privilege to co-exist with.

I believe we are living the most extraordinary existence, surrounded by daily magic and stopping for a moment to consider the superpowers we all can tap into - love, kindness, empathy for others - towards our fellow human and non-human beings along the way - are several that are high on my list.

So is something a superpower or challenge - and how would we approach anything if we could see the good in it? See the wonder? The everyday magic? The potential? I think it could be different, less fearful, with more curiosity. I think it's worth an experiment. I'll report back later... Love to know what you think.

With joy,

Em x

It's been a question I've asked at a few conferences this year where I've been lucky enough to have been asked to speak. Also at a graduation day, at a couple of webinars and lectures.

It's from my talk which is called The Joy of Homeopathy - which clearly jumps right off the book title. However it's really more a talk about joy, than about the book and includes a few things we might do when that joy seems a little less tangible. I may call it The Joy of Life and keep it going for audiences other than homeopaths. I've a good friend or two who thinks it should be shared wider.

So back to the question - and maybe I give you a minute to ponder. Is your glass half full or half empty? Or as I ask the homeopathy students, how full is your homeopathy mug? ;)

It's really a rhetorical question. I don't think our glass needs to be percieved as half full or half empty. Or at least not for us to identify with that all the time. Afterall, if we have the same amount of something in a glass for too long it's going to be pretty disgusting - I know, I did plenty of half full tea mug 'experiments' in my room as a teenager, and I see simlar from my teenager these days.

I recognise my glass is refillable, and as dynamic, changing, emptying, filling at different times, perhaps with different activities or even times of the day. Some days it may be half empty, others 3/4 full, others overflowing, and other times there may be nothing left in it. The idea of a static assessment of ourselves doesn't work for me anymore. Driving many miles perhaps empties my glass a bit (even though I love driving), hanging out with inspiring people at the end of my long drive - fills it up again.

What I've also come to recognise is it's important we learn what tops it up and what doesn't. I use the analogy of going to a bar and asking for a drink. It's not likely to get us very far. We need to know what we want to put in the glass.

I'm having conversations in clinic with just about every age group who are often telling me their worry about the state of the world. Totally valid concerns I believe. And yet at the same tme often there's not so much we can do about them. Often we can end up paralysed by the inability to effect enough change, to solve world crises or end other challenging scenarios. And there are plenty of challenging scenarios.

One thing that has struck me for many years, being a lover of neuropsychology, is that our brains aren't equipped for the amount of information we are exposed to every day. Most of us have a pretty strong relationship going with a smartphone these days, which, whilst I am firmly in that camp, I'm aware that it may not be the smartest relationship to nurture. Information at the tip of our fingers, from the other side of the world... is perhaps not what we're always ready to encounter, especially not on first waking! Our system can go into fight or flight, and our adrenals get ready to respond to this instant emergency - thousands of miles away.

Of course I'm not saying don't be aware, but be aware that we may not need to be aware of everything. All the time.

In 2016, at the height of the Syrian refugee crisis, I remember sitting in my kitchen sobbing at the state of the world. At how we as humans can do things they do to each other. At how I felt to be drowning in plastic. At how useless I felt to do anything about it. And a small, 9 year old voice over the next few days piped up...

Out of the mouths of babes. There's me feeling bleak, disheartened and despairing and my wise 9 year old suggesting that we take some action. So we did. We clearly solved it all. Not. The loss of our organic fruit and veg shop in town has driven me back to the supermarket but back then, filled with hope, we took action. And over 19,000 peope signed our petition. At one point Change.org phoned me to see what my plan was - I hadn't got as far as a plan, one step at a time... and by the time I spoke to them we had a family health situation going on so there was less energy for taking on the supermarkets - single parenting, working and helping family meant the focus had had to go elsewhere.

Other petitions, Greenpeace for example, have over 2.5 million signatures on their petition to halve supermarket plastic packaging - and this one on 38 degrees has 86,000+. Change is taking place and whilst I'm pretty sure ours didn't have an enormous impact, I'm very proud my 9 year old's little voice in the darkness reached so many folk. This morning I found this article:

Supermarkets face ban on fruit and veg plastic packaging

Maybe we contributed a drop in the ocean. Or maybe not. I guess it's that thing about planting seeds. We don't need to check on them all the time to see if they're growing. Plant the seeds where we can and let them take if they're going to. We don't always need to know the outcome.

When we can't see the wood for the trees, taking action feels important. One little step. It doesn't take much to set up a petition, but it can have an impact. Back in 2016, I didn't feel that I could head out to refugee camps in Calais (refer to single parenting above and being begged by my daughter not to leave) but I could make up packs of remedies and post them to those who were going. Taking action, however small, can have a huge ripple effect, or none - either is totally fine. Sitting with despair was a part of the process, it felt so important to feel and acknowledge it; whilst longer term, taking action felt a more dynamic way for me.

Can you flip it?

I really like the flip it concept, and the first time I did it without realising was when my parents had had a sh1tty note from a neighbour about parking in their space. I do ask in my talks about who else has parking wars where they live... it seems many of us do :) My rationale was that a note was one thing, a rude note uncessary.. however obviously not for him at that time I guess.

Flipping it involves some kind of alchemy I believe. We take the not so fun experience and decide we're actively going to do something kind - for ourselves or for others. That time I decided to invite neighbours round for tea and cake which was lovely. Another incident inspired me to buy flowers and put them in a bucket near a walkway with a note that 'it seemed like a day for a random act of kindness... please to help yourself if you'd like some'. That was a particularly favourite one - one negative experience turned into several bright bunches of flowers. No magicians hat in sight.

We may be in a dark time in our human history - we may be struggling with many enormous challenges globally... reading through history shows me there have been plenty of dark times before.  And my study of homeopathy encourages me that there is never dark without light. Polarities, or opposites, are everywhere and one can't exist without the other.

Our Kindness Book Club started out reading Rutger Bregman's Humankind. A fantastic read to remind us of the good of humanity - something the 'news' frequently forgets to mention. I've mentioned it before in the blog, well worth a second mention here.

We have an awareness that opposites exist together - and yet sometimes forget this I think. The yin and yang, the dark and the light, day and night. Many novels have the same battles - The Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, even the Narnia series - the battle of evil over good. Perhaps we always need both sides. Perhaps our cup can be both half full and half empty. It's not necessarily one or the other. How are we filling it up feels more important to me. Taking action can be a part of that.

Remembering to rest is another relevant action - many of us are exhausted, burn out, overwhelmed - and still slogging onwards. I believe resting is an act of rebellion in our fast paced world. Stepping out of that stream for a while feels key to our mental and physical health.

Finding the support we need feels relevant to mention - whether that's a homeopath, other therapeutic approach, a night out with friends, a walk somewhere beautiful or inspiring. Just as important as figuring what could go in our glass, what can support us right now. Many of us are supporting others and I think it's time to remember to be self-ish... especially women, seem to keep doing for others - it's time to remember us too.

Making a joy list is worth doing - perhaps a blog for another day, but it's fairly obvious... however remembering the joys that we can weave through everyday life feels really important to note. We haven't all got time or the budget to head away on holiday, the ability to go to that uplifting motivational speaker, the transport to get to the sea, but there are usually simple things we can weave into our day. Joy weaving feels an important area to me at the moment. Where can we say thank you for simple things, where we can create rituals of gratitude - all can help wire our brain to see the light around us instead of just the dark.

I love to hear what's on other's joy lists - we have time for sharing in the talks I give... feel free to share here if you like, and if you haven't got a list of things you can weave into your day, perhaps you might like to create one.

Here's a few of mine for starters...

• Dancing in the kitchen is high on my list, alone or with my boyfriend or daughter.
  
• Walking barefoot outside.
• Looking at the stars.
• Sitting with a book - preferably outside but curled up with candles inside is great too.
• A good Netflix binge worthy series.
• My feet touching the rug I've known since I was a baby when I get out of bed, and last thing at night and saying 'thank you' each time.
• Laughter - hearing others laugh or laughing myself.
• Remembering to cleanse and moisturise my face - it takes a few moments and is so lovely to remember to do - twice a day if I can.
  

With love - and joy,

Em xx

It's not always easy. And perhaps one of our biggest and most important challenges of our time, of anytime.

Back in 2021, a group of four folk, some friends, some unknown to others, set up a small group to come together with an aim to help increase the amount of love energy in the world. Aware of the division going on, which, they felt, was perhaps driven by certain agendas, they wanted to step outside of this, accept all comers and just focus on love.

I'm one of the four and it's been an amazing experience to be a part of. We're still a small group, but we meet every Tuesday at 9am and 8pm and have done every week since our inception (even the session where I, responsible for the tech side of things, managed to forget, others hopped onto WhatsApp and still made it happen).

It strikes me that seeing division or separation may perhaps be a part of human nature - the other perhaps at times is regarded with suspicion. If that other is a sabre toothed tiger about to attack, perhaps rightly so. A shark, maybe, though I'm also fascinated about the disservice the film Jaws did to sharks, and intrigued by those hopping into the water to highlight the majesty of these ancient creatures.

I'm curious too because I love my work, and yet I see finger pointing going on around that. Dr Samuel Hahnemann, the (IMHO) genius who founded homeopathy as a system of medicine, was no stranger to dismissing the 'other' - the practitioners of orthodox medicine certainly didn't get glowing praise in his writings. These days homeopaths have been used to being dismissed at times from the 'other side' too.

On a personal level, my challenges with a neighbour continue, and she is currently appearing to be enjoying whacking our plants (which do slightly go above and outside our garden border but so too do others' in the street) as she walks past (though only if we're in the garden - if we're inside the plants remain unscathed) and loudly muttering things. It's been good training. How do you deal with active hostility on a daily basis? I don't have huge reams of advice, but for me the main ways I've come to terms with it is accepting it's not my business (thanks Byron Katie), and I love the Mel Robbins 'Let Them' theory for her. If it's making her day feel OK to have this response to me, I need to step out of my indignation about it. The plants will bounce back. As did I.

Some things are clearly not OK to allow and I've been loving the counter movement here in the UK. Flipping it is something else I love, which I've done several times with the aforementioned neighbour. When there's been acts done which I've percieved as being intentionally to irritate or annoy me, at times I've turned it on its head and gone forwards with a random act of kindness for someone else or even several folk. If we look at something like this - I wonder if we can outnumber the 'bad' to the lovely, loving acts carried out in the world. Sharing words of love, remembering so many people have it tough or are struggling and being kind where we can feels to be a gentle way to rebel in a world that is fast - and seems to be constantly telling us we have to choose a side.

If everyone does even just one act of something lovely for someone else each day - or - which I took a long time to learn - for themselves - I truly believe we can create a world of love. It took so long for me to recognise that whilst others may have said hateful things to me, I've said worse to myself plenty of times. It took me years to recognise Mother Theresa's 'peace starts at home' didn't have to mean in the home-home - but perhaps in the only home our body, our mind ever has, in ourselves. Stepping into love with ourselves feels so important right now. With ourselves, with one another wherever we can, and with this beautiful planet we live with.

I think fear creates division and a need to choose sides. Love creates unity.

I'm choosing love. Kindness. Compassion. Wherever I can. Which if I work at it, really is everywhere.

With love,

Em x

PS if you fancy coming along to hang out on a Tuesday 9am and 8pm UK time, you're very welcome. There's more info here.

PPS Well worth a read is Rutger Bregmen's HumanKind - full of fabulous examples of where perhaps the reported take on the situation wasn't quite the same as the kind reality.

I don’t think this is a book for homeopaths. You guys know it all. Maybe for students – for those starting out with this really rather marvellous medicine. Maybe for those stepping into it, in the early years. It could be that it’s worth investigating as a book to recommend to clients who may be interested in hearing more about the potential of homeopathy.

I've kind of thought of it as a book for those who say 'Oh I love homeopathy. What essential oils* do you use for that?'

* replace essential oils with herbs/massage/whatever suits. We've all been asked those questions, by those who are totally curious but know very little. It's a great question. So that's who I've often thought about it for. And as I say, perhaps students too as they start out.
 
However, Andrene Mills Principal of NWCH recently disagreed with me when I said it’s not for homeopaths in her graduation speech which followed my ‘The Joy of Homeopathy’ talk. She thinks it’s for all of us, an uplifting read if it’s been a tough day, a reminder of how epic this thing we do is.
 
Others suggest it may be useful too. Sue Asquith, Retired Homeopath says: ‘I wish I had had this book available to me when I was in practice.’
 
Dr David Lilley past-dean of the South African Faculty of Homeopathy said:
‘Em has crafted a homeopathic gem, which happily fills the gap between professional works and self-help books for the public. The book also gifts the practitioner an engaging and instructive text to be recommended to clients desiring to know more about the unique, individualising methodology of homeopathic prescribing.’
 
My lovely friend Josie who has used homeopathy for years said she would ‘thoroughly recommend this book both to those familiar with homeopathy and its uses, and to those who merely have a curiosity to learn.’
 
Outside of homeopathy, Naturopath, Nicola Corcoran said:
‘I will be recommending this book to my own clients to deepen their learning about this incredible holistic healing modality.’
 
On a similar note, Jen Armstrong, Professional Musician and Singer Songwriter, said: ‘Using real-life case studies, it is a beautiful and powerful aid for anyone interested in learning about homeopathy and the benefits it can have on our health and well-being.’
 
It does come with a warning though. Geoff Johnson VetMB MA MRCVS RSHom VetFFHOM PCH warns:
‘Read this book at your peril. You won't only want to use homeopathy, but become a homeopath.’

As these things do, it's taken a little longer than initially anticipated... but I feel sure it's going to be worth the wait.

When I was nearing completion of writing, I thought that if one person is helped by it, then it was worth the effort.

Last week I heard that had already happened, so I guess I need a new goal! 10, 100? It's strange following your heart in a project - and feeling so guided in the creation of it, it almost feels like I've done my bit - though of course I need to share the finished product and get on with the odd bit of talking about it I guess. All a new (and exciting) learning ground for me!

I've been delighted by the reception it's had from beta readers and reviewers and very grateful to those who've promised to buy a copy. I could do with a few Amazon reviews as it'll be on there too - so if you're an Amazon shopper and wouldn't mind I'd HUGELY appreciate that too.

Pre-launch sales (hardback only) open here on my website on 4th August, and I'll be posting those copies out as soon as I have them... then the book launches in ebook and hardback format on the 3rd of September.

Have a read to see the reviews - they're all here: The Joy of Homeopathy - reviews and more :)

Tho there's a few here too:

A perfect book to read for those that are interested in homeopathy in practice. The title reflects the author’s passion for homeopathy, which comes from years of experience and witnessing the healing in both humans and animals. A ‘Joy’ to read!
Gill Graham, MFHom (Int), Vice President, Faculty of Homeopathy
 
Em has crafted a captivating book on homeopathy, presenting the elegant science through her eyes and clinical experience. She intricately blends concepts, history, statistics, critical analysis, meta-analysis and, most importantly, the diverse experiences of patients and homeopaths from around the globe. Delving into this book will inspire the inquisitive mind to leap forward in the world of homeopathy.
Dr. Bhawisha Joshi M.D. (Hom) & Dr. Shachindra Joshi M.D. (Hom)
 
The Joy of Homeopathy is packed with stories from a dynamic homeopath’s life--stories to enlighten the reader about the breadth and depth of homeopathy and about the potential for healing that’s possible with this lovely modality. This little guidebook is full of inspiration. Oh and joy! 
Miranda Castro, FSHom, Homeopath, Author, Educator
 
Reading Emma Colley’s The Joy of Homeopathy was a great pleasure--indeed, a great joy. From her many years of experience in homeopathic practice, Em has crafted a homeopathic gem, which happily fills the gap between professional works and self-help books for the public. It provides ideal reading for anyone interested in understanding the principles upon which homeopathy is based and, through charmingly-presented anecdotes, affords rich insight into what a wonderful friend this gentle, yet powerful, healing modality can be in family life. The book also gifts the practitioner an engaging and instructive text to be recommended to clients desiring to know more about the unique, individualising methodology of homeopathic prescribing.
Dr David Lilley, past-dean of the South African Faculty of Homeopathy
 
In this book Em shows the process of healing with homoeopathy beautifully through stories that are relatable and authentic. A must for anyone who wants to understand what a curative journey may look like, or to delve deeper into a homoeopathic healing journey.
Camilla Sherr, FSHom. PCH

More reviews:

If you belong to an organisation or group that reviews books and would be interested in doing so please get in touch with me on [email protected]

More news soon,

With joy,

Em x

Inspired by an image a wise friend shared this morning, I recalled the feeling I had as I was giving birth. A powerful sense of connection to all women before, during and after my time. A fierce, compassionate, warrior energy. A deep knowing, awareness that it could not be other than thus. I have no idea where it came from, and plenty of times I have forgotten it, and yet this morning that sense awoke within me again.

Thanks to Paddy! And that feeling rising within me also reminded me we're not just solo tapestries, we are woven together, intimately connected to each other. Connected in ways many of us don't think about on a daily basis. Whenever I see coffee I think of certain people, at times I recall our trip to Tanzania in 2004, of the people who supported that trip both in Tanzania and from the UK, the animals we were lucky enough to see, the food we ate, who harvested the food, made the drinks, transported everything, those who flew us there and back, the others on the planes. The homeopath who packed the kit I took with me - the homeopath who designed the kits before they sold the idea to Helios... so many connections before I've even really started to properly think about it for long.

We are a beautiful, interconnected, messy mess of beings, exquisite in our differences, dependent on each other for aspects we rarely ever consider. Thank you for being a part of my beautiful, interconnected, messy mess - I am grateful!

As the wisest bear out there said:

I'd add, and more connected than you'll ever know.

We've a pear tree that was a dwarfing stock 'ideal' for a container, which grew in there for a few years and then developed a fungus on its leaves. I reached out to a plant homeopathy chap and got advice - which I tried to follow but was super complicated tbh! - I don't think most plant based homeopathy is that hard to follow, maybe our tree was special, or I was rubbish at following the instructions. Anyway, not much changed (but I think that may have been on my part) and my partner after reading Finding the Mother Tree and Entangled Life, decided to plant it near some other trees. Two years in and the tree has never looked so well. Which has made me ponder if putting a tree in its own little house (or tub/pot etc) and then creating connection for it, what does it really do for so many of us? We may be more connected than ever via our technology, but we're also the most medicated we've ever been. Most mentally and emotionally struggling. Loneliness is a major issue, and been shown to contribute to depression massively.

Beatifully, interconnected, messy - and I believe it nourishes us so much.

With love, connection and gratitude,

Em x

One of my favourite mugs (and t-shirts) talks about the mouth of a sailor and it's got me pondering... of course the idiom 'mouth of a sailor' is well known but my musings go beyond that. The adventures, joy and exquisite things sailors get to see is a total inspiration - and whilst you wouldn't in a million years ever get me doing some of the sailing my partner can and does do, I am very grateful to have experienced a week on the sea back in August 2019 with some incredible experiences.


Below: A view from a night at anchor in Two Rocks Bay, Greece. Watching the moon rise/swimming under the moon/swimming at sun rise are all some of my very favourite things too!

Another of my current loves is John Denver. Actually it's not all that current really; past, present and very likely future me will have that love. In particular I have a love for his music - and word-smithery and his love for the world around him.

During the period of writing the book (which is now in the editing stage - yay - and how long does editing go on for?!?), I'd return on school runs with Calypso playing loudly in the car.

In particular these lines really resonated with me...

 
There's so much in the song that I love and I learnt how the song was written to celebrate Jacques Cousteau's boat Calypso. Earlier this year I finally picked up Jacques Cousteau's The Human, the Orchid and the Octopus book and prompty fell firmly in love with Jacques too and his curiosity, his love of the world and those around him.

I thought I'd celebrate the mouth (and mind) of a sailor share some quotes from him - firmly anchored as one of my very favourite sailors.

His curiosity about the word, his enquiring, exploring mind takes a lot to rival - and his book was a delight of exploring with him - both the world and the huge range of what being human entails. His playful spirit in particular appealed and I'm grateful for the insights he shared. From the mouths of sailors. It's well worth an explore if you've not read it. His passion and love for others, strength and gentleness are all inspiring.

With love,

Em x

Searching for sailing quotes I also came across this site, which I explored and had a lovely time pondering. Sharing in case it's of interest :)

It's been funny exploring instagram again, with having a wee account for the book (here if you like), and I find myself having opinions on lots - sometimes it's remedy advice - 'if you feel these three symptoms take this remedy for several weeks' (I have to admit to occasional cringing and shouting 'but we need to individualise - those symptoms could fit any number of homeopathic medicines'). I had a browse of the search term 'homeopathy humour' this morning... and found the usual sidesplitting memes... one similar to this, which made me ponder a while.

Of course I've several thoughts, as ever. One is that frequently surgery is amazing, lifesaving and I'm grateful for so much about it. What an incredible privilege it is to have it available. That's forefront of my thoughts on the topic.

Another is that the 'nothing' philosophy is based on a fairly reductionist view of medicine and science and that many remarkable scientists, for example Luc Montagnier for one, who got the Nobel Prize for Medicine for his discovery of HIV sat in front of me (and many others, at a conference, not a private audience) and said 'high dilutions of something are not nothing'. Others, such as Dr Jayesh Bellare who features in Ananda More's Magic Pills film, described how unfortunately mentioning homeopathy seemed to act as an innoculation against getting published in scientific journals in future. The film website describes: "Along with his students, he discovered nanoparticles of source material in high potency homeopathic remedies, which were previously believed to be impossible.

Nanoparticles, interestingly, seem to be gaining interest in the conventional scientific world as curiousity grows around the topic.

The third, and to me, perhaps most intriguing thought is that sometimes the 'nothing' seems to avoid the need for surgery afterall. Looking at tributes to vet Chris Day recently, I discovered another story similar to ours about our horse's eye. This one they were faced with blindness in the eye due to uveitis (same condition as for us), and had two years of conventional treatment that hadn't helped. Another eye saved. Also have a read of the link, so lovely as a testimony to Chris, and also to the potential of homeopathy and other CAM modalities.

Many years ago I talked with someone who told me he'd been told he needed surgery, then after a homeopathic medicine came back and showed me the full extension of his arm, that he couldn't do previously. My partner also avoided minor surgery with a cyst that homeopathy helped after antibiotics had done nothing for.

Another story in the book tells how Kay had two surgical interventions to try and help chronic sinutitis but still had copious amounts of snot. She'd have about 2 and a half hour of relief every day (from 12 - 2.30pm) then symptoms would ramp up again. The start of the story is on the blog here. The end of the story is that last thing I heard, Kay described herself as 99% better. Earlier in the story, her medical team had said there was nothing else they could do about her sinusitis symptoms, they were latterly focussing on her ears. She had some impairment of hearing, her ears would pop and she would get intense pain if flying. Several months in to working with homeopathy, she was discharged from the ENT team as her ears were great. No pain flying, no excessive wax, hearing improved.

So maybe, just maybe, there's a time and a place for a 'pass the nothing' afterall :) It'd be lovely to explore that further - if you've a story how homeopathy came to the rescue and avoided surgery or other intervention I'd love to hear.

It's not, for me, about one or the other, but these accounts - and many more, illustrate to me that there's a place for CAM and conventional approaches to sit together in our world.

Have a lovely joyful day!

Ooh speaking of joy, I've just read a newsletter from my editor/publisher about an amazing opportunity in the Hebridian Islands. Here if you want to know more.

With best wishes, Em

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/luc-montagnier-homeopathy-taken-seriously_b_814619

https://magicpillsmovie.com/