MARCH 29, 2011 HOMEOPATHY

“Dream as if you'll live forever, live as if you'll die today.”
James Dean (1931 - 1955)

I love this quote. I love to dream. I have always dreamed, or perhaps daydreamed. I feel I have dream sequences when I meditate. My dream sequences during meditation are not as lively as those from An American in Paris, although I do feel as if I am in a different world when meditating. It seems so strange that James Dean only lived to age 24, whereas Elizabeth Taylor born the same year died at age 79. Both lived life to the fullest. Perhaps a good actor was needed 'elsewhere.' Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions and sensations occurring involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. Dreams have been a topic of speculation and interest throughout recorded history. The scientific study of dreams is known as Oneirology.

If I had not chosen to study herbs and botany recently I would have engaged my mind by learning homeopathy. Homeopathy is a form of safe, non toxic natural medicine based on the principle of "like cures like". This is also called the law of similar, discovered by Samuel Hahnemann of Germany. I love homeopathy because it is drawn from all of the aspects of the natural world: plant, animal and mineral. Health professionals who are trained as Naturopathic Doctors (N.D.) utilize homeopathic remedies as well as herbs, but use homeopathic remedies as their primary treatment.

Bastry University is a premier School for Homeopathics, one of only a few in the United States. The substances used in homeopathy are chosen because they have the capacity to generate symptoms in healthy people. There is FDA supervision for homeopathic remedies in the United States. What I cannot grasp is that since it is regulated by the FDA, why aren't Naturopathic Doctors (ND) licensed in every state? For example, N.D.'s are NOT licensed in New York. I am interested in the homeopathics derived from plants. The plant medicines are drawn from both medicinal and non medicinal plants from all various plant families. Plants in the same family share the same sensation, but each plant also has individual characteristics.

I have recommended homeopathic remedies for many autistic children. I have seen incredible results in these children as well as in those with many other chronic illnesses.

I also recommend the book, The Healing Power of Flowers: Bridging Herbalism, Homeopathy and Flower Essences and the Human Energy System by Rhonda Pallas Downet. Some of you have used homeopathic remedies without realizing it. These are the Bach remedies. These flower essences were first developed in England in the 1920's and 30's by Dr. Edward Bach. He always sought the simpler and natural approach to healing. I can picture myself wandering the fields and meadows of England with Dr. Bach searching for more flowers and plants.

Why do I love homeopathy and herbs? I like the fact that herbalism, flowers and homeopathy exist on a continuum. This natural healing all comes from one source. A source which is very dear to my heart: PLANTS. Plants heal in many ways affecting us physically, psychologically and spiritually. This is the connection. I present it to my patients as healing Body, Mind and Spirit.

You must realize that ancient cultures without the medicine as we know it today practiced healing for centuries. This includes the Greeks, Romans, Mayans, Aztecs, many Asian cultures, and North American Indians. These cultures passed down their wisdom about using plants, animals and natural substances to younger generations and so on. We know some of these today. Few were documented.

Even conventional doctors trained at fine institutions used herbs as a form of treatment in the late nineteenth century and early 20th century. What happened?

Monks, alchemists, prophets and even doctors used herbs as plant medicine.

Why don't we use more herbs for treatment?!

Until tomorrow...