Читать книгу Self-Sufficiency: Natural Home Remedies - Melissa Corkhill - Страница 8

I started this journey as a child, always fascinated by plants and intrigued at the natural remedies that my mother used to treat us when my brother, sister and I were ill. She had a huge collection of homeopathic remedies and through her treating us, I learnt about many of them, what they were made from and what symptoms they could be used to treat. I came to understand that a heavy cold could benefit from a dose of Pulsatilla, that a case of nerves before an exam was effectively treated using Gelsemium, and that a hot honey and lemon drink was the best remedy for a sore throat.

When my own children were born I started to use natural remedies to treat their illnesses and found that as they got older they were able to decide what remedy would work best for them. They instinctively know what plant will be most effective to help their bodies to heal. I have learned to trust their innate knowledge and at the time of writing none of us has seen a doctor for six years! We are our own doctors, which is a liberating feeling.

No one can know and understand your body better than you can. I like to do a body scan meditation every once in a while to give my body a chance to really let me know how it is feeling and any problem areas that need looking at. Simply lie down in a comfortable place where you can be sure that you won’t be disturbed for at least 20 minutes. Bring your attention to your feet.Think about how they feel. Give your body time to respond, as you may not be used to focussing on individual parts in this way. If you can’t decide how your feet are feeling first time, don’t worry, simply move to your ankles and focus on them.

Slowly move up your body, thinking about how it is feeling, until you get to the head. You may have thoughts such as ‘I’m tired; I feel confused; I feel stuck’. After you have worked through the whole body, sit up and jot down each of the messages from your body parts so that you have a reference to work with over the coming weeks. You can then refer to the advice given in this book to treat and heal any problem areas.

When parts of my body feel stiff or blocked, I use yoga and herbs to help me release the tension. Yoga is an incredible therapy for moving and releasing blockages that might go on to cause illness if allowed to build up. For example, I developed a benign lump in my breast two years ago and through the practice of yoga and use of natural remedies I managed to shift the blockage and now feel healthier than ever. (Remember you should always consult a doctor if you discover a lump in your breast or any other part of your body.)

In this book I will share remedies and techniques that I have used myself for decades and on my children for over ten years. Many of the recipes for healing lotions, infusions and tinctures are ones that we use regularly in our home. I hope that they will be useful for you to help you create optimum health for you and your family.