• 1/4 Cup Rooibos (steeped 20 minutes)
• 2.2 lbs of Sugar
• 1 Cup Evaporated milk
• 6 Tablespoons butter (use organic if desired)
• 1 Teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Heat your rooibos tea, sugar, milk and butter over low heat, stirring until sugar has dissolved
2. Boil mixture until it reaches the soft ball stage at about 240 F
3. Allow pan to cool slightly and add your vanilla extract.
4. Beat the mixture until it begins to settle
5. Pour into a well greased baking sheet and cut into squares when set

For added variety, try using a flavored rooibos tea. Add a pinch of cayenne pepper to spice up your rooibos fudge creation.

Enjoy with your favorite cup of tea. back to top

July 8th is National "Sundae Day"

Whatever flavor is your favorite - chocolate, strawberry, butterscotch - with or without nuts - piled high with whipped cream - or not - vanilla, chocolate, strawberry swirl, chocolate-chip mint or any other variety ice cream underneath - it’s still a sundae.

Without druggist Edward Berner of Two Rivers, Wisconsin it wouldn’t even exist. It seems that on this day, back in 1881, a patron came into Edward Berner’s drug store and sat down at the soda-fountain counter. Since it was the Sabbath, the customer couldn’t have the desirable, but scandalous, flavored, soda water. Mr. Berner compromised and put ice cream in a dish and poured the syrup on top (chocolate syrup was only used for making flavored and ice-cream sodas, at the time). Voila! An ice cream Sunday (the spelling was later changed to ‘sundae’). The customer was happy; Mr. Berner was happy ... he just invented a dessert that he could serve on Sundays and remain morally correct; and we are happy ’cause we like ice-cream sundaes no matter what day of the week it is.
This is one time we can say, “Always on Sunday ... or is that sundae?” Check out our Dessert Teas! back to top

by Tina Sams - Editor Essential Herbal Magazine

May and June are months that find us working in the gardens from early morning until the sun sets. We love digging, hoeing, and fighting with the roto-tiller. We move boulders, small mountains, and wonder why using a wheelbarrow looks so easy when other people do it. A flat of bedding plants that comes home from the nursery can become a never-ending source of guilt, and an innocent looking garden hose at 10 a.m. becomes a 2 ton boa constrictor by 4 p.m. The sun we longed for during the Winter now seeks us out, baking us with no mercy. Need I mention the mosquitoes, gnats, bees, and spiders? No, I think not.

By the end of the day, we are grimy, smelly, and ache to the bone. How can you not love that? There is the feast for the senses that makes it all worthwhile. The birds sing their hearts out. The earth feels and smells like life itself. The plants that respond to touch by emitting their fragrance, and the dancing butterflies that flit about us while we work, all help to make it so very worthwhile.

Now with a bit of forethought, we can end this experience (for today) with a soothing, fragrant, decadent bath. It is so easy, and lets face it…. We deserve it.

Look for plants that will have healing qualities as well as fragrance. Use as many or as few as you like. Remember that many people believe that plants that choose to grow near us have something to offer us. Here are some to try:

lavender flowers rose petals plantain tarragon elderflowers sage chickweed comfrey honeysuckle wild oats rosemary thyme violets – flowers and leaves lovage mint valerian flowers calendula echinacea leaves

Gather enough so that there is about a loose quart of leaves and flowers. Put away the gardening implements (no need to feel guilty later). Place the plant materials in the blender or food processor and pulse just enough so that the plants are bruised (this is where the Doctrine of Signatures comes in :->). Dump the mixture onto a one foot square of cloth and tie up the bundle. If bugs or plants have caused an itchy feeling, add ¼ cup of oatmeal first. Place the bundle in a stockpot with a couple of quarts of water and heat on the stove to a gentle simmer. Meanwhile, run a bath. Add a few drops of eucalyptus or peppermint oil for those muscles. Squeeze in some aloe gel to help with the sunburn. Get out the candles, add music, and pour yourself a well deserved glass of wine. Pour the contents of the stockpot into the tub.

Climb in and reap the early rewards of gardening. Another feast for the senses. back to top

by Rachel Johnston

Originally when my first “tea blends” came into creation, I was wild about making teas that were not only tasty but provide a healthy beverage for people. So many times, herbal concoctions for health and wellness just tasted bland and brittle to my palate. Today, I am still very passionate about this aspect of blending, but have expanded my repertoire. When you visit SBSteas.com, you will find an expansive selection of green, white and black tea varieties as well as herbals (often referred to as tisanes).

My process for blending teas and scents is quite simple for the most part. Once a week and sometimes daily, I sit down and do a meditation to get different ideas. This way my mind is clear and focused and I am “in the now” of what I am doing. Fabulous ideas come to me in my sleep as well.

After meditation, I sit down with all of the herbs and teas in my studio and begin choosing them on instinct. I rarely pair tastes together on purpose, but rather let Spirit guide me to the perfect combination. I have coined a term in my classes for this type of blending. I call it "blind blending" where I simply close my eyes and choose at will. This is one of the primary ways tea is blended here at SBSteas.com.

As the teas and herbs are added, I smell each one and give thanks to the plant for being part of the blend. I also inhale the scent of each ingredient very deeply to get a sense of the essence or personality of each botanical. My sense of this part of the process is what one might call “dry aromatherapy”. Different herbs will evoke powerful feelings and memories and propel me towards the next ingredient to be added. When the blend is complete, I take a moment to give thanks to Spirit for guiding me. Then the blend is mixed thoroughly and I record my notes, thoughts and recipe in my tea blending book.

We then begin taste testing which is my son’s favorite part! My son is also learning to blend teas and scents. At the ripe age of 13, he is proving to be quite a creative genius in the process. He lends his own unique style and insight and is a perfect addition to our growing company. We also make custom blends and scents as well.

There are many wonderful companies that provide teas in the world. We like to think we do things differently through our creative process. This process and our commitment to outstanding customer service is what makes SBSteas.com stand apart. Choosing tea and scent are both deeply personal choices for people. We recognize this and are always here to answer questions and to offer assistance anytime. We know that our clients have a choice where they purchase products and we value them for choosing us as a source for fulfilling their needs. back to top

Step 1. Add 3 tablespoons SBS Teas Chai to a saucepan, add 1.5 cups of water and 1 cup of milk. Stir and bring to a boil.

Step 2. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in 3 tablespoons of sugar or honey.

Step 3. Strain and pour into a mug or pitcher

Quick chai or chai on the go!

Step 1. Place 2 heaping tablespoons into your infuser or an easy to use tea filter (item 458) from SBS Teas

Step 2. Add boiling water, fill your cup ¾ of the way full leaving room for cream or milk.

Step 3. Steep for 5 minutes then remove the bag, add cream and sugar to taste. back to top

by Seng T'san, the Third Chinese Zen Patriarch.

The Great Way is not difficult
for those who have no preferences.
When love and hate are both absent
everything becomes clear and undisguised.
Make the smallest distinction, however, and heaven and earth are set infinitely apart.
If you wish to see the truth then hold no opinions for or against anything.
To set up what you like against what you dislike is the disease of the mind.
When the deep meaning of things is not understood, the mind’s essential peace is disturbed to no avail.
The Way is perfect like vast space where nothing is lacking and nothing is in excess.
Indeed, it is due to our choosing to accept or reject that we do not see the true nature of things.
Live neither in the entanglements of outer things, nor in inner feelings of emptiness.
Be serene in the oneness of things and such erroneous views will disappear by themselves.
When you try to stop activity by passivity your very effort fills you with activity.
As long as you remain in one extreme or the other you will never know Oneness.
Those who do not live in the single Way fail in both activity and passivity, assertion and denial.
To deny the reality of things is to miss their reality;
To assert the emptiness of things is to miss their reality.
The more you talk and think about it, the further astray you wander from the truth.
Stop talking and thinking, and there is nothing you will not be able to know.
To return to the root is to find meaning, but to pursue appearances is to miss the source.
At the moment of inner enlightenment there is a going beyond appearance and emptiness.
The changes that appear to occur in the empty world we call real only because of our ignorance.
Do not search for the truth; only cease to cherish opinions.
Do not remain in the dualistic state. Avoid such pursuits carefully.
If there is even a trace of this and that, of right and wrong, the mind-essence will be lost in confusion.
Although all dualities come from the One, do not be attached even to this One.
When the mind exists undisturbed in the Way, nothing in the world can offend.
And when a thing can no longer offend, it ceases to exist in the old way.
When no discriminating thoughts arise, the old mind ceases to exist.
When thought objects vanish, the thinking-subject vanishes:
As when the mind vanishes, objects vanish.
Things are objects because of the subject (mind):
the mind (subject) is such because of things (object).
Understand the relativity of these two and the basic reality: the unity of emptiness.
In this Emptiness the two are indistinguishable and each contains in itself the whole world.
If you do not discriminate between coarse and fine you will not be tempted to prejudice and opinion.
To live in the Great Way is neither easy nor difficult.
But those with limited views are fearful and irresolute:
the faster they hurry, the slower they go.
And clinging (attachment) cannot be limited:
Even to be attached to the idea of enlightenment is to go astray.
Just let things be in their own way and there will be neither coming nor going.
Obey the nature of things (your own nature) and you will walk freely and undisturbed.
When the thought is in bondage the truth is hidden for everything is murky and unclear.
And the burdensome practice of judging brings annoyance and weariness.
What benefit can be derived from distinctions and separations?
If you wish to move in the One Way do not dislike even the world of senses and ideas.
Indeed, to accept them fully is identical with enlightenment.
The wise man strives to no goals but the foolish man fetters himself.
There is one Dharma, not many.
Distinctions arise from the clinging needs of the ignorant. To seek Mind with the (discriminating) mind is the greatest of all mistakes.
Rest and unrest derive from illusion; with enlightenment there is no liking and disliking.
All dualities come from ignorant inference.
They are like dreams or flowers in air - foolish to try to grasp them.
Gain and loss, right and wrong, such thoughts must finally be abolished at once.
If the eye never sleeps, all dreams will naturally cease.
If the mind makes no discriminations, the ten thousand things are as they are, of single essence.
To understand the mystery of this One-essence is to be released from all entanglements.
When all things are seen equally the timeless Self-essence is reached, No comparisons or analogies are possible in this causeless, relationless state.
Consider movement stationary and the stationary in motion, both movement and rest disappear.
When such dualities cease to exist Oneness itself cannot exist.
To this ultimate finality no law or description applies.
For the unified mind in accord with the way all self-centered striving ceases.
Doubts and irresolutions vanish and life in true faith is possible.
With a single stroke we are freed from bondage:
Nothing clings to us and we hold to nothing.
All is empty, clear, self-illuminating, with no exertion of the mind’s power. Here thought, feeling, knowledge and imagination are of no value.
In this world of suchness there is neither self nor other-than-self.
To come directly into harmony with this reality just say when doubt rises "not two".
In this "not two" nothing is separate, nothing is excluded.
No matter when or where, enlightenment means entering this truth.
And this truth is beyond extension or diminution in time and space:
In it a single thought is ten thousand years.
Emptiness here, emptiness there, but the infinite universe stands always before your eyes.
Infinitely large and infinitely small; no difference, for definitions have vanished and no boundaries are seen.
So too with Being and non-Being. Don’t waste time in doubts and arguments That have nothing to do with this.
One thing, all things, move among and intermingle without distinction.
To live in this realization is to be without anxiety about non-perfection.
To live in this faith is the road to non-duality, because the non-dual is one with the trusting mind.
Words!
The Way is beyond language,
for in it there is
no yesterday
no tomorrow
no today. back to top

By Penny

1 small roasting chicken
3/4 cups loose tea of choice (SBS Teas Fiesta Mate is tasty for this recipe)
Water~ enough to cover chicken
2 TBS lemon juice
2 tsp basil
salt and pepper to taste
Large stock pot


Clean chicken place in stock pot. Make tea (I made the tea in a coffee pot using the same tea and just adding water until I had enough to cover the chicken, I have an eight cup pot and made 4 pots of tea). Add lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper to chicken. Cover with tea, bring to a boil and boil until chicken is done (45 minutes- 1 hr) making sure to filp chicken over once in a while and stir it so it doesn't stick to the pot. back to top

by Rachel Smith

1 chicken - enough to cover the chicken
10 cups prepared SBS Teas Masala Chai tea
1 crockpot

Clean chicken and place in crock pot. Make Chai Tea in the traditional manner by boiling the spices for 15-20 minutes. I made the tea in a large pot using 6 Tablespoons of Masala Chai tea to 10 cups of water. Once Chai is finished, strain out the spices and add the liquid to the crock pot. If you don't cover the chicken completely, just ad a bit of water. Cook 4-6 hours on low or until completely done. Flip the bird (ha ha) one time half way through cooking to get the spices on the top half too.

First Moon Ceremony

By Tina Sams

All through the ages, cultures all over the world have performed rituals celebrating the passage from childhood to adulthood. Different cultures mark this time in a child’s life with differing customs. The American Indians, for instance, mark this passage by honoring not only the child, but also mothers and grandmothers or fathers and grandfathers. The celebration begins with a period of fasting. A ritual dance is followed by a meditation sweat lodge. The young girl/woman is joined by her mother and grandmothers, and other female elders of the tribe. A young boy/man is joined by his father, grandfathers, and male elders. The ritual is completed with a feast at the end of the evening..

One summer we performed a First Moon Ceremony for two young girls….friends who had experienced their first period within weeks of each other. As their mothers, Maggie and I felt it was important to welcome our daughters into womanhood. With the input from four women, we began early in the morning, asking each girl to choose something from their childhood that they would be willing to leave in the past. We offered them no other information, thinking that initiations should have an element of mystery.

As they played and swam at the pool, we completed our plans. We spent our day making tussie mussies with flowers from our gardens. We gathered flowers and seedheads to scatter in their path as they wound their way through a simple spiral, lined with luminaries. We each brought gifts to share that signified adulthood.

The ceremony was set to take place in a private space overlooking a creek. A fire was laid and as evening approached, we asked the girls to dress in something special, which to them meant a dress, heels and crowns. As they began their “journey” through the spiral, we smudged them and ourselves with smoldering sage. We asked both girls to think, as they made their way to the center, what changes life might hold for them. As they reached the center of the spiral, they opened a chest that contained their gifts. Replacing their new treasures with the treasures from their childhood, they closed the chest and retraced their steps to a small circle of waiting women.

The bonfire was lit, and the “elders” shared their insights and experience with the two young women. The intimacy of friendship, confidences, love and respect was revealed that night between friends and daughters.

Meanwhile, back at the house the men had prepared a feast for the women, complete with a celebration cake. An important passage was observed that night. Perhaps some feel that such a ceremony is silly or worthless, Perhaps some feel that only the girls can really get something out of such a ceremony. But, in essence, the rite of passage brings the young into adulthood with respect and shared wisdom and is an opportunity for women to celebrate their own spiritual being. back to top

By Tina Sams
www.essentialherbal.com

Traditionally Mead wine is started in the beginning of February (Candlemas) to be ready for the Harvest festivals of the next Autumn.

Like everything else (think soap….) I thought winemaking would be difficult and that it would require some extensive left brain activity. As is so often the case, once you decide to try something, it is surprisingly simple. A neighbor who took the following recipe and ran with it turned her garage into a “winery” where she had all sorts of fruit juices in bottles, perking away. I’ve talked to people who made wine using a simple sweetened TEA!!!

Wine happens when sugar – usually from grapes – and yeast combine and form alcohol. Mead uses honey as the sugar source instead of fruit, but many meads still have fruit juice added. This mead will be ready to decant after a month, but don’t drink it for at least 6 months. I broke that little rule once, and it was very … what’s the opposite of smooth? We left it corked for another 6 months, and it was a completely different beverage.

Ingredients:
1 T Cloves
1 c fresh apple peel
1 c fresh orange peel
½ c fresh lemon peel
2 cinnamon sticks (6”)
2 bay leaves
3 nutmegs
1” sliced ginger, crushed
1 t vanilla extract
¼ t allspice
1 gallon water
1 package champagne yeast*
2.5# honey

Place all ingredients except honey and yeast in a large stockpot. Bring slowly to a boil so that it smells heady with the spices and citrus. Add honey and stir until completely dissolved. As the mixture slowly boils and the honey is dissolved, scoop off the froth that will form. Remove from heat when the honey has dissolved.

Activate the yeast by suspending in ¼ c warm water. When honey mixture has cooled to lukewarm, add yeast and cover pot with a thick towel. Allow it to stand for three days.

Strain and bottle the mead mixture in loosely corked containers or a gallon jug with a loose top to allow fermentation pressure to escape. I always use a balloon as a stopper, as it will inflate and deflate as the pressure changes. When the bubbling stops, sample to be sure the mixture is sweet enough. If you want it sweeter, pour into a pot and add more honey until the results are pleasing. You can also add fruit juice such as raspberry, apple, elderberry, or strawberry.

Cork or close the bottle tightly. In September or October, you will have wonderful mead, ready to share and enjoy.

*Regular bread yeast will work, but have less alcohol content. Champagne yeast can be found on-line. back to top

by Bill Kohlmeyer MSW, LMHC

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” ~Buddhist saying

This is a practice that will help bring mindful awareness to pain and ease the suffering that is associated with pain. Pain concentrates the mind in the Now. On careful examination or resting awareness, the pain is changing from moment to moment; it is dissolving and reforming and dissolving again. Can our mind be sufficiently spacious and receptive to allow all that appears to arise without our resistance or aversion?

It is only in mindful awareness of our condition in the Now that we can cultivate the mental stability that is required to practice non-preference of the conditions of our life. If we rest in that space between yes and no; no pain can rule our life. We can begin to live with our suffering in such a way that frustrations and disappointments and losses are part of the rich tapestry of living.

~Scan the body from toes to head breathing in and out of every part of the body becoming aware of pain and tension in the body. Scan your daily life situations and do the same.

~Meditation beyond relaxation. Relaxation is done with a goal in mind. Meditation is about emptiness and non-striving. Meditation doesn’t “work” or “not work”; it’s about being with things as they are.

~Go to where the pain is. On the out breath, allow the mind to let go. Just be in the fullness of what happens as you let go – one breath at a time.

~Intentionally bear witness to the pain rather than trying to distance yourself from it. Just rest in awareness.

~In that moment there is no need to tell yourself stories about the pain: “It’s ruining my life.” “I’ll never get over it.” “I’ll never be able to do this or that again.”, etc. all of that is ego-mind chatter.

~ Rest in the awareness. Ask yourself, “Is The Awareness in pain in this moment?” Usually the answer is: “The Awareness of pain is not in pain.”

~Rest in The Awareness.

Needs aren’t the problem. It is rigidly clinging to a particular strategy to those needs that produces suffering. Mindfulness doesn’t solve every outer and inner conflict immediately. But it softens and illuminates them, bringing to light hidden assumptions in thought and speech. Mindfulness will help remap the inner landscape.

Bill Kohlmeyer MSW, LMHC
206-870-9079
hebamatu@earthlink.net back to top

9 Whole graham crackers
2 tablespoons Sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons Ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Unsalted butter -- melted

-----FILLING-----
1 1/2 pounds Cream cheese -- room temp.
3/4 cup Sugar
2 tablespoons Dark rum
1 tablespoon Brandy
1 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon Ground nutmeg
3 large Eggs -- room temperature
-----TOPPING-----

1 1/2 cups Sour cream
1 1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1/4 teaspoon Vanilla extract
1 teaspoon Ground cinnamon
Cinnamon sticks
For Crust: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375 F. Grind graham crackers, sugar and ground cinnamon in processor. Transfer crumb mixture to medium bowl. Add butter and toss until evenly moistened.

Press crumb mixture over bottom and 1-3/4 inches up sides of 9-inch-diameter springform pan with 2-3/4-inch-high sides. Freeze crust until cold, about 10 minutes. Bake crust until beginning to brown, about 8 minutes. T ransfer crust to rack and cool.

For Filling: Beat cream cheese and sugar in large bowl of electric mixer until very smooth. Add dark rum, brandy, vanilla extract and ground nutmeg and beat to blend. Reduce speed to low. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating after each addition until just blended. Spoon filling into crust. Bake until filling is puffed, very light brown and softly set in center, about 45 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool 30 minutes. (Center may fall slightly.) Increase oven temperature to 400 F.

For Topping: In medium bowl whisk sour cream, sugar and vanilla extract to blend. Pour mixture gently over cheesecake, filling center depression, and spread evenly to edges. Bake until set, about 8 minutes. Transfer cheesecake to rack and cool. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Cut around sides of pan to loosen. Release pan sides. Sift ground cinnamon and nutmeg over cheesecake. Arrange cinnamon sticks in a pattern of choice on top. back to top

by Unknown Author

Understanding how I experienced certain life events gives me greater knowledge of myself and more detachment from my self-destructive patterns. When I refuse to remember the pain of early experiences -- projecting it onto others and making it about them, rather than sitting with it and feeling it myself -- instead of resolving the problem, I compound it.

In my inability to sit with my own pain, I ask others to contain it for me through dynamics such as projection. It is identifying in someone else what I should be identifying in myself, displacing a painful feeling by dumping it onto an unsuspecting receiver.

This does not allow me to do the inner work that I require to be clean and healthy, and it crosses another person's boundary in an unfair, unhealthy way. My greatest potential for learning is in studying myself with honesty and openness.

I will look honestly at myself. back to top

by Susy Parker Goins

So the news is back! The line showed up pink (I had to do the test three times just to convince myself), or the rabbit died (is that still politically correct?) or however you found out. You’re pregnant! What a grand adventure you’re embarking on.

So now what?

First off, find some support. A midwife and/or doula are indispensable. But that’s another story. Please don’t listen to the women who would have you think it’s all hell.

Second, educate yourself on healthy pregnancy. Read books, check out the internet, talk to women you trust (enter knowledgeable midwife and doula).

Third, let homeopathy support you in your pregnancy. With the changes your body will go through over the next several months, homeopathy is a gentle and effective means of supporting a healthy pregnancy. Herbal and nutritional protocols may be used simultaneously.

What about morning sickness? If you’ve been pregnant before you know “morning sickness” can be a misnomer. I got sick any time, anywhere. The answer why morning sickness happens is as varied as the times of day it can happen. Your body is adjusting to the new hormones, purging itself of toxins to create a healthier environment for your baby, and on and on ad nauseum. (Oops.)

So what will help? Ipecac in homeopathic form works best for incessant nausea that is not relieved by vomiting. If your stomach is queasy and you’re irritable and peevish, maybe even feeling resentful, then Ipecac is your remedy.

Pulsatilla is the “weepy” remedy. If you cry at the drop of a hat, your moods change, you want sympathy but are cranky about it, Pulsatilla is your best bet. If you’re vomiting in the evening, especially after eating rich fat food or you crave diary but it doesn’t agree with you, it’s Pulsatilla time! Also, consider Pulsatilla if you’re sensitive to heat, better for fresh air and like open windows.

The race for the bathroom Any time I was pregnant, I made sure I knew where every bathroom was wherever I went. Even the men’s. Rest a little easier with these remedies.

Cystitis (urinary tract infection), if treated early enough, can be resolved with homeopathy. Take Cantharis 30C three times a day for three days for a burning feeling or pain. Sarsaparilla is helpful for burning pain, too, but toss in severe pain at the end of urination and a constant urge to this remedy’s symptoms. Involuntary urination from coughing or sneezing will benefit from Causticum.

As if urinating every hour isn’t bad enough, what about diarrhea? Oy! If your runs have been caused by eating tainted food, get out the Arsenicum album. Mercurius is effective for the “not done” feeling with diarrhea. Mercurius’ diarrhea is accompanied by vomiting that leaves you exhausted. Sulphur is your remedy for explosive diarrhea that gets you up at 5:00 am and at night. You’ll be weepy, irritable and indifferent about your appearance.

At the other end of the spectrum, use these remedies for constipation: Bryonia alba works for constipation accompanied by a splitting headache and dry mouth. You feel thirsty, irritable and all you want to do is to keep still.

Hydrastis canadensis (golden seal) is best for constipation without the urge to go or that is accompanied by hemorrhoids that hurt and bleed.

Nux vomica works is effective after eating a lot of spiced rich food or drink coffee and you feel lazy and irritable. Take the 30th potency three times a day for up to three days if you have frequent urges to go but can’t. Like Bryonia, Nux vomica’s symptom picture includes headache, but also includes hemorrhoids, back ache or a feeling of “I’m not quite done” after a bowel movement.

Sepia shares the symptom picture with Nux vomica, but it is specifically for women.

To top the whole “nether region” drama off, what about a yeast infection? Don’t lose heart. Find your Candida 30C and take it until you see signs of improvement.

Oh my aching back! Take Arnica Montana 30C every three hours when your back hurts from overexertion.

Bellis perennis 30C (lawn daisy) will help when you can’t walk because of the pressure exerted by your baby.

When you feel that your back is weak, take one tablet/pellet of Kali carbonicum 6C every 6 hours.

Rhus toxicodendron 30C is great for ligament and sciatic pain that eases with movement or is better at night. Take one pellet every three hours for muscular stiffness from over exertion or exposure to cold or wet.

What happened to my legs? Leg cramps keeping you awake? Keeping up with your water intake may help reduce the incidence of leg cramps. You can also try Nux vomica or Magnesia phosphorica. Dissolve the remedy, in this case, in warm water and sip while you have the cramp. (See? Increasing water intake at the same time.)

Swollen ankles? One thing swollen ankles tells you is to get off your feet. Take a break! Supplement that break with Natrum muriaticum 30C. Hee-hee, that’s salt. Who woulda thunk it?

Varicose veins could happen to you. Homeopathic witch hazel, Hamamelis 30C, is great for venous congestion that is worse from warm, moist air.

And Bellis perennis 30C is best for venous congestion due to fetal pressure. That kid could get big and press down on you in such a way that your legs will show strain and protest. And when the warm baths and snuggly bed don’t help, Hamamelis is for you.

Heartburn. What can I say? I tried sipping gallons of water to put the fire out. Sometimes water helped, but I am the champion Charcoal in capsule form user. No, it’s not homeopathic. But Magnesia phosphorica and Carbo vegetabilis are. Again, dissolve the Mag Phos in water and sip.

As your date approaches As you get closer to your delivery date, your pubic arch (and every other part of your body it seems) hurts from the ligaments softening up to let your baby’s head come through. Calcarea phosphorica helps relieve that pain. Rhus toxicodendron works great for the “rusty gate” feeling – once you get up and moving, you feel better.

And through it all, there’s sleeplessness. My thoughts would churn for hours after I went to bed. I found that Coffea cruda 30C would put me out like a light on those nights. Cocculus 30C is great for the nights when you just can’t get back to sleep. Keep a tube/bottle of it on hand for those nights when you’re nursing your baby in bed with you.

When to call for extra help Some circumstances in pregnancy definitely require attention from your healthcare provider. Homeopathy can still support you and your baby. For instance, a breech baby may benefit from two 200C doses of Pulsatilla two days apart in your 35th week. And marginal placenta previa can be reversed with Erigon 30C taken three times a day for three to four weeks. An outbreak of herpes can be helped with Hepar sulfuricum 30C or Varilolinum 30C taken once a day until you see improvement.

As a newly pregnant woman, you are faced with a myriad of choices. With homeopathy, some choices are not so apparent. You will know you have picked the correct remedy if you r symptoms get worse, but then you see steady improvement. I know that’s not comforting, but it’s how homeopathy works to nudge your body into healing mode.

Good luck with your pregnancy and may your labor and delivery be easy. back to top

My Kid's Got the Sniffles! Now What?
by Susy Parker Goins

It's been a long day. You're ready to take a break. One look at your child, though, and you see the signs of a dreaded winter cold.

What can homeopathy do for your child? A lot.

Homeopathy: No fake-outs
First, understand that homeopathy is not about suppressing symptoms. Homeopathic remedies are not antihistamines that fake out the body into believing it's healthy. Homeopathic remedies nudge the body's immune system toward healing rapidly and gently.

If you recognize signs of illness early enough, homeopathy can nip it in the bud, helping you to avoid a long and severe illness altogether. (Of course, if you're anything like me, you refuse to admit you're ill until you are flat on your back, with oogy disposable tissues scattered all over.)

Observe and select
Take some time to observe your child's symptoms. Remember, you are the one who knows what's normal for your child. What is his overall demeanor? What color is his phlegm? Is he sneezing? Coughing? What makes it worse? What helps?

A patient seldom manifests every symptom listed for a particular remedy, so decide which symptoms are most bothersome to your child and choose the remedy that fits closest to the symptom picture.

Once you have chosen the correct remedy, expect the symptoms to be aggravated and then relieved. Recommended dosages for a child would be 3 pellets of 30C potency every two hours for 6 hours or until the symptoms are relieved.

Cold and flu recommendations
At the first signs of cold or flu, try these remedies.

Aconite napellus is the remedy for the first signs of a cold due to exposure to cold drafts. Your child is restless and thirsty, especially for cold drinks. You can alternate with Bryonia at the first signs of a cold. Symptoms are improved by open air and by being carried. Symptoms are made worse by warm rooms or lying on affected sides.

Belladonna is excellent for sudden onset symptoms and fevers in children. Does your child suffer from violent or congested headaches? Does he have an aversion to loud noise, movement, light or water?

Bryonia alba is better for symptoms with a slow onset. Your child may be thirsty for great amounts of water. He sneezes a lot and his eyes are red and watery. His nasal discharge is watery, but his lips and mouth are dry. Symptoms are made worse by any kind of movement. Your child may feel faint on rising, be irritable and want to be left alone.

Ferrum phosphoricum works best for tiredness and vague symptoms of the beginning of an illness or cold with a slight fever. There is no other indication for other remedies. If not treated, this cold typically develops into a left-sided earache.

After the first 24 hours, try these remedies.

Allium cepa is red onion. The symptoms reflect the effect of red onion: watery, red and burning eyes and clear, irritating nasal discharge. Open air and cool rooms help; warm rooms and evening aggravate symptoms.

Eupatorium perfoliatum is good for bone and muscle aches as well as head colds with a cough (which can be relieved by getting on the hands and knees). The hoarseness and cough are aggravated by cold air. Other symptoms include fever, morning chills and aching in the long bones of the legs and arms.

Euphrasia is effective for colds with eye irritation, including watery eyes and nose discharge with thin, bland secretions that burn. The discharge is worse at night and while lying down. The cough is worse by day and better when lying down.

Gelsemium helps when there is a heavy, sluggish feeling in the limbs and lids, along with fatigue and wooziness. Symptoms show a slow onset. Chills may run up and down spine. There is often a headache in the back part of the head and seldom any thirst. There can be much sneezing with a feeling of dryness in nose despite abrasive discharge.

Nux vomica works best for symptoms resulting from excess in food or drink or not enough sleep. There is frequent sneezing upon waking. The nose runs during the day or in a warm room but is stopped up at night. Your child may be extremely chilly, unable to get warm and shudder after drinking fluids or after the least movement. Symptoms are improved by being outdoors.

These remedies help for the later stages of a cold.

Arsenicum album is effective for fear and anxiety. These colds feature red nose and eyes, low energy and a nose that feels stopped up but still runs. There is much sneezing. Heat helps, as well as elevating the head or drinking warm drinks. Cold things, wet weather and times past midnight aggravate symptoms.

For Kali bichromicum to be worthwhile, your child must be very emotional. His nasal discharge is thick, purulent, stringy and hard to expel. It has a tendency to invade sinuses and is usually yellow. Your child's nose is crusty, and there may be some pressure at root of nose. Symptoms are worse between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m.

Pulsatilla is best for a whiny or clingy child in the later stages of a cold. Nasal discharge is yellow or greenish, bland or creamy. There may be peeling and chapped lips, hot cheeks and no thirst. Symptoms are worse at night and in warm rooms. Symptoms improve when outdoors.

Even more remedies are useful for winter colds:

Chamomilla is great for teething infants but can also benefit a child who has one cheek red and hot and other cold and pale. There can be chills and thirst. Your child is in a very irritable temper and feels better when carried.

Hepar sulfuricum works for colds brought on by exposure to cold, dry weather that affects the nose, ears, throat and chest. The cold often spreads from the throat to the ears and the pain extends to the ears on swallowing. Discharge is watery at first, then becomes thick and offensive. Symptoms are made worse from the least little draft. Your child demands to be well wrapped up.

Mercurius solubilis hahnemanni works for colds that start with a creeping chilliness. Other symptoms include violent sneezing, runny nose, a pale, flabby, indented tongue, a foul taste in the mouth and bad breath. Nasal discharge is corrosive and greenish-yellow. There is profuse sweating that doesn't help and your child is very thirsty. Symptoms are worse at night,

Natrum muriaticum handles colds that begin with much sneezing. The nose is stopped up with a loss of taste and smell. If there is a cough, it may develop stitches in the chest. Your child is annoyed by sympathy.

The remedies listed above are among the most common remedies that you can find in your friendly neighborhood grocery store with a health food section.

Which is the right remedy?
With homeopathy, there are a lot of remedies to choose from for all sorts of symptoms. How can you tell the remedy you think is correct actually is? The easiest way is to observe your child. Taking a few extra minutes to differentiate between a yellow discharge and a green or any of the other conditions will help you be more effective at homeopathy.

If you see no change in your child's symptoms, check the symptoms again and try another remedy.

If your child's mental clarity or sense of well-being improves, then you have chosen well. It is likely that while the sense of well-being improves, the symptom will actually worsen. That's perfectly normal -- not convenient, but normal. If needed, dispense more of the remedy when its effects wear off. Then, a slow and steady improvement will put your child on the road to recovery.

An informal student of natural health for years, Susy Goins is currently completing her studies in homeopathy with the American College of Health Sciences. Being a mother of three has provided ample opportunity, she says, to test first hand the benefits of trusting one's heart and instincts in parenting. The self-proclaimed out-of-the-mainstream mama is a writer, belly dancer, actress and cook and will soon be celebrating 20 years of marriage to her husband. back to top