Did you know homeopathy is a system of natural health care that has been in worldwide use for over 200 years? It is recognised by the World Health Organisation as the second largest therapeutic system in use in the world! While it is most popular in India and South America, over thirty million people in Europe, and millions of others around the world, benefit from its use.
Over the years it has grown in popularity in the UK and with this has come greater attack and negative press. It is hard to understand why, when it has such a wonderful track record, people go to homeopaths because of referrals, not because of big advertising and marketing campaigns. Just because we do not fully understand something we should not be so quick to judge it. It was not so long ago we all believed the world was flat. Is it that hard to believe in this day and age that there is more to life than just the Newtonian model of molecules and physical matter? Energy drives everything in nature - molecules are held together by it; the universe is full of it; homeopathy works with it.
Homeopathy is based on three fundamental principles:
Like cures likenThe first principle of ‘like cures like’ can be looked at in several ways. One way is to assume that the body knows what it is doing, nature knows how to survive and will do its best to ensure the survival of the organism. Symptoms are the body’s way of taking action to overcome illness. Some ‘thing’ has disturbed the body, it could be a virus, or continued stress levels at work, or being caught out in cold rain. The body produces symptoms; this is its defence against illness; nature’s way of shaking the illness off. This healing response is automatic in living organisms; we term it the vital response. The similar medicine acts as a stimulus to the natural vital response, giving it the information it needs to complete its healing work – ‘like cures like’.
A crude example may help to explain this. If your hand is cold and you want to warm it up you can either plunge it in hot water (opposite) or into icy water (similar). By making the hand colder you stimulate the internal vital response to naturally heat the hand.
Single remedynNo matter how many symptoms are experienced, only one remedy is taken, and that remedy is aimed at all of the symptoms. For example there is no such thing as a standard homeopathic flu remedy. The remedy you take has to match your particular flu - where it occurs, what brings it on, what type of pain it is, what aggravates it, what makes it feel better, your state of mind and other symptoms you experience. Everyone is unique; everyone experiences disease differently. Homeopathy asks ‘why do you have the flu, how is it individualised in you and what is it an expression of’ and then looks to treat this, just stopping flu symptoms with orthodox medicine is like putting tape over a warning light without getting to the source of the problem.
The minimum dosenOnly enough is administered to initiate the healing process, which then carries on, driven by its own internal healing mission. Homeopathic medicines given in minimum doses stimulate the body’s vital response and do not produce the gross side effects that are so often the pit-fall of conventional treatment.
Homeopathy works on all levels - physical, mental and emotional. It treats all the issues as one, it addresses the cause, not the symptoms. Homeopathy does not have treatments for diseases, it has remedies for people with diseases. It takes into account the whole person and their situation.
Prescribing the right homeopathic remedy takes a little more time and patience than conventional medicine. It often is a highly rewarding process - healing in itself. Just taking the time to talk about what is troubling you, and to hear yourself say it, shifts things and being truly listened to is often a rare occurrence in our busy lives.
Why is homeopathy so popular?n• Homeopathic treatment works with your body’s own healing powers to bring about health and well being.n• You are treated as an individual, not as a collection of disease labels.n• Homeopathy treats all your symptoms at all levels of your being – spiritual, emotional, mental and physical and finds the ‘like cures like’ match for them.n• Homeopathically prepared remedies, providing the minimum dose, are gentle, subtle and powerful. They are non-addictive, and not tested on animals.
About the authornMani Norland is Principal in the wings at the School of Homeopathy (
www.homeopathyschool.com) and Managing Director of Alternative Training (
www.alternative-training.com). Mani trained as a homeopath with the School of Homeopathy and is currently in his post diploma year. He looks after marketing for the School, sits on the Core Team and is involved with the day-to-day running of the business. He also represents the School of Homeopathy at the Homeopathy Course Providers Forum. He is the Managing Director of Alternative Training, the business that manages the School’s home study courses. Mani teaches students in the 4th year about setting up in practice. In his ‘other life’ he worked in London as a brand and business consultant for over 10 years. He advised board level directors on business creation, vision and image. He has experience working with leading companies including those as diverse as Sainsbury’s, Sky, and KwikFit.nnnnnnnnn