The autumn equinox is about a month away, but the elements and energies of the seasons are already shifting, so now is the time to gently start preparing your body for the new season. From an Ayurvedic perspective, summer is hot and dry - this is pitta time of year. Autumn, on the other hand, is cold and dry - vata time of year. The winds kick up, the air gets cooler, and nature starts turning inwards. This changeover time is also when our bodies are more susceptible to picking up illnesses, so best to be prepared. Start working warmer, cooked, nourishing foods into your meals, shifting away from some of the colder, raw abundance of summer salads. Stew the last of the summer fruits and gently incorporate root veg as they slowly come into season. This is not the time to be using lots of bitter herbs or doing 'detoxes'. If you've been taking a bit of a summer break from herbal body oiling, start gently working it back into your routine - it's incredibly grounding and a really lovely way to keep that rising vata calm within your body to prevent it from overflowing in the form of autumn colds and dry skin. Finally, if your routine has gone out the window with summer holidays, start getting a core routine back into your days, even if it's not as structured as normal. Structure and routine give us roots to hold onto the ground when the winds of vata season are blowing. All together, if you start now, you'll set yourself up for a brilliant autumn.

Have you ever had that 'champagne feeling'? You know when you go somewhere or meet someone or do something that just feels so right, everything fizzes inside? That - YES! This is exactly where I'm meant to be and what I'm meant to be doing - feeling? That's exactly the feeling I had when I went on my first herbalism course. And the feeling I get now every time I teach a workshop or a course. And that's the same feeling so many people who join my workshops and courses feel - that YES! Those champagne bubbles. That 'this is where I'm supposed to be'. That calling. Everyone is on their own journey, but there's nothing like that inner champagne feeling. Are you ready to feel it?

Herbalism isn't just about learning about herbs and their medicinal benefits (in fact, I'd definitely say it's about building a relationship and familiarity with the herbs, rather than memorising lists of what they're 'good for' - but that's another conversation!). Herbalism is also about knowing your body and how to match your body's needs with the support different herbs in different forms can provide. Think of it this way - say you're in a bit of a rut and you're having a hard time getting out of it. You've got two great, well-intentioned friends. One will come round with a pot of warming, nourishing food, get the blankets out, and just spend time being with you on the couch, lending an ear and some hugs when you need it. The other will come round, get you into your glad rags and take you out dancing to change up the energy and shake things off. There's a time and a place for both, but if what you need right now is just someone to be with you, then that good friend who wants to take you out is going to drive you nuts, and vice versa. So make a point of building a relationship with both your body and your herbs - then you'll start learning how to best match the two.

Let me tell you a story - the legend of how dandelions first came to be, back when the world was full of mystery, and faeries, gnomes and elves roamed freely. When the first humans arrived, they were unable to see the elemental beings, for they moved at a very difference pace, and so the humans would often tread on them. The gnomes and elves could hide behind rocks and under the soil, but the yellow-gowned faeries had nowhere to hide, so they transformed themselves into dandelions. To this day, if you tread on a dandelion, it seems to have a supernatural ability to spring back up and survive. Indeed, even if you spray them with toxic chemicals or cover the land in concrete, they continue to grow. And it is in this manner that dandelion is most renowned for supporting our bodies - by aiding the function of the liver - an organ pummelled by the chemicals and heavy processing rampant in modern 'foods', yet dandelion helps it to clear those toxins and to continue to support us when our world is rushing at a pace far different than that of nature and the elements. So you see, there is huge value in storytelling in learning herbalism - that injection of fun and folklore paints images that stick in our minds, making the facts they allude to easier for us to recall AND they also connect us to the generations and civilisations of the past through that beautiful thread of oral tradition.

How many hours do you reckon you've spent informing yourself about the importance of natural health, but still feel like you're stuck when it comes to just having what you need to hand when someone actually gets sick? You've binned the Calpol and rarely resort to paracetamols yourself. You want out of that system. But then someone gets sick and you just stand there staring at your medicine cabinet thinking - Ok, but what do I actually do now? Maybe you've collected some teas and tinctures and dried a bit of foraged herbs. (Or maybe you're way too busy to even have time for that!) But if you're flat out with the lurgy or your child's cranky with a cold, the last thing you want to do is look at all those individual puzzle pieces alongside a pile of herbal reference books and have to think about putting something together (and then wondering if you've made a blend that's going to be as effective as it could be). That's why I created The Members' Apothecary - to give families whole plant medicines that actually support you through life's ups and downs without the compromise, so you can put all that research you've been doing about natural remedies into action in your home quickly. And I'll let you in on a secret - these are the blends my family uses when we get sick, which I formulated through our own experience. So if you want to make sure you have herbal options to hand, pop to the link to learn more.

Summer is in full swing and there is an absolute abundance of fresh herbs at the moment, so I thought I'd share a few of my favourites of the season! First is lemon balm - definitely one of the hallmark smells of summer , there is just no mistaking that lemony scent. Lemon balm makes a gorgeous gentle infusion that tastes like sunshine, but my favourite way to have it is just a few leaves right off the plant. I have one right outside my back door for munching whenever I go out. It's a lovely mood lifter and helps dissipate tension in the gut caused by stress - and when stress flows, digestion doesn't! My other top summer pick is chamomile - chamomile's benefits are probably some of the most well known, but what I love about it in the summer, in particular, is its scent when it's growing in the garden - it's like a really heady honey smell, especially when the sun is shining in its full glory. Homegrown chamomile is unlike anything you can buy in the shops - that honey fragrance will waft up from your tea cup, but you'll get the full impact of its bitter principles, which pricipitate so many of the herb's benefits in the body. So if you've got a little herb garden or a few pots free, these two are definitely well worth growing. They're perennials, so will give you gorgeous herbal delights for years to come.

You may be surprised to hear me say this, but herbal medicine isn't the end all be all. It's one important part of the puzzle to truly thrive and be resilient, healthy and happy long into the future. And one of the puzzle pieces I see time and again that is so crucially important is toxins pervading so many aspects of daily life. From personal care products and toiletries to household cleaners and laundry detergents. From perfumes and pesticides to plastics and processed foods. It may seem all-pervading, but the truth is we have got to look this issue square in the face and do something about it in our own lives. There is a lot to learn and there are many changes we can all make. Some we may have to budget for. Others may feel less familiar or convenient when we first swap. But the fact is nothing is more precious than our health and the damage these substances do on our lives - not just on our wellbeing, but on our biology - makes it imperative we act. Habits can be hard to break, and we're all human - myself included! But make it a priority to educate yourself. Do the research and never stop looking for answers. New information comes to light all the time, so be critical as you integrate it into your life, and be aware there are plenty of companies out there happy to greenwash their products and services because they have money - not your health - as their priority. Take things a step at a time, and before you know it, you'll be taking ownership of your health and living a life transformed.

We were having one of our sessions where we focus on one herb on my intensive herbalism course recently and our minds got a little bit blown about how this particular plant had so many equal and opposing qualities and actions. I mentioned how it had been found in the teeth of Neaderthal skulls dating back 60,000 years. And one of the participants asked if I thought that herb had had to evolve over such a long period of time to become that complex. So we took a moment to reflect. The Darwinian concept of 'survival of the fittest' has been so deeply embedded in Western societies. It tells us the 'best' - the one with the highest status, the most money, the biggest house - wins and survives into another generation and beats out the competition of others vying for survival. But there's another perspective - one that says every part of the ecosystem contributes to the whole, and that each part evolves to be of more contribution, so that the entire ecosystem is stronger over time. A herb hasn't continued to exist to this day because it was the biggest and best thing in the hedgerows. It has survived because it has continued to contribute - to the insects, to the animals, to the other plants around it, to the soil, and yes, to the humans, as well. In this way, they have developed nuance, deep purpose and power. They survive as part of the whole. 'Herbs for thought' for us humans, I'd say.

Time for a sense check - how many herbal remedy recipes have you got saved in your inbox, on social media or in books on your shelves right now? And how many of those roughly would you say you've actually tried? Sharing creativity and inspiration is absolutely brilliant, but they're not all that much use unless you actually start trying them. And it's really easy to get stuck between too many ideas and worry you'll put in all that effort and it not turn out right and end up not trying anything at all. So here's my top tip - start with just one type of remedy or one herb. If you choose one remedy to practice making with many different herbs, you'll start to get to know the nuances of that particular remedy - say, tinctures, for example - and develop your skill and confidence in making it. Or, if you choose one herb to prepare lots of different ways - say chamomile as a tea, an infused oil, a salve, a cream, a tincture - you're getting to now that herb and deepen your relationship with it and knowledge of it. So take a step back from inspiration overwhelm. pick a single starting point, and start making medicine!

I often get asked - if you were just starting to grow herbs or only had limited space, which would be your essentials? So here are my top 7 herbs for starting your medicinal herb garden 1 - rosemary - incredibly versatile - circulatory system, nervous system, digestive system - and tasty! 2 - chamomile - good for the gut, calming, skin healing, gentle enough for babies 3 - calendula - makes THE BEST infused healing oil - great for the skin, gut, and is antifungal 4 - peppermint - well-known, but will take over, so put it in a pot or its own bed! 5 - lavender - fragrant, relaxing, AND antiseptic - makes a whole host of lovely smelling remedies 6 - St Johns Wort - makes the most gorgeous red oil brilliant for nerve pain 7 - lemon balm - fragrant, antiviral and a gentle mood lifter, another one that will take over if not potted! Have a read of my blog post for more detail on each of these herbs, plus seven bonus herbs to forage. Get growing and enjoy your gorgeous, fresh herbs!

It can be very easy to build up a collection of books, but it's not always as easy discerning where to start, so I thought I'd share a little bookshelf tour and highlight some of my top herbalism books. I'm a massive bookworm, but what I've noticed over the years is there are a few key ones I come back to time and again. This is a very curated shortlist, but I can't fit it all into 90 seconds, so this is part 1 of 2! My number one top book is Dispensing with Tradition by Anne McIntyre - you can see how well loved this book is. Now, I've been fortunate to study with Anne personally for years, and I can safely say if I could only have ONE herbal medicine book it would be this one. It's full of really clear, straightforward plant profiles from both the Western and Ayurvedic perspectives side by side. Definitely my top reference. Bartram's Herbal Encyclopedia by Thomas Bartram was my most used book when I was first starting to learn herbalism, because it cross-references herbs, symptoms, and conditions, so it's definitely one to have in your collection.

Right! Part two of my shortlist for herbal medicine books! The Essential Guide to Herbal Safety by Mills & Bone is a bit heftier in terms of price, but I find it to be the most helpful reference when checking for safety, contraindications, herb/drug interactions because they very clearly state whether something is based on empirical evidence or theory/assumptions, and they always mention specific details for pregnancy, breastfeeding and children. Penelope Ody's Herbs for a Healthy Pregnancy is the best book specifically on safe use of herbs in pregnancy I found (and it saved me a lot of frustration when I was pregnant). Unfortunately, it's not widely in print at the moment, so do snap it up if you come across a second hand one, although it does also tend to be available in Kindle format. If you're looking for a family herbal, Anne McIntyre's Herbal Treatment of Children: Western And Ayurvedic Perspectives is really thorough and gives that extra perspective of Ayurvedic constitutions, so you can tailor your remedies more to each individual child. And it has to be mentioned, the spectacular Weeds in the Heart by Nathaniel Hughes and Fiona Owen. I will confess, it is REALLY hard to read this book because it is essentially a modern illuminated text. But if you can bear to stop admiring the stunning gilded illustrations, you'll find some really poetic reflections on a select set of English herbs by Nathaniel. This is the one to put on your gift list!

As much as many of us love the books on our shelves, enjoy meandering along the hedgerows or tending our gardens, there’s a gap between information and desire and knowledge and lived reality. Therein lies the journey of herbalism. The route you choose is as unique as the roots that connect you to this earth, and the path you take may wind and curve in unexpected ways, but an experienced guide will always support you as you follow your inner compass. At Rhodes Roots & Remedies, we facilitate the development of confident, empowered herbalists, attuned to the messages of their bodies and the natural world. Living the deep wisdom of herbal medicine within themselves, their homes and their communities, they uplift themselves and others, creating a stronger society organically. Our approach to herbal medicine is rooted in the belief that we must remember, reclaim and relearn our knowledge of our bodies, our autonomy and how to work with plant medicine in order to bring control of our own health back into our families and homes for a sustainable future for ourselves and the planet. We are guided by our core principles, which form both our own personal compass, as well as our promise to you - that we provide nourishing knowledge, get herbalism deep into your bones, and explore herbalism through our senses, stories and experiences - that by being rooted in the past, we are resilient in the present, creating a legacy of empowerment and a community in which herbalism is lived.

The journey has begun for our 2023 Intensive Herbalism Course cohort, and our spring gathering was nothing short of magical. Intentions were set with each participant choosing from our 12 course herbs and placing them in the wooden engraved basket before receiving what can only be described as a very large box of goodies. I'll leave its contents to your imagination (some things have to be saved for the experience!), but I will divulge they included the beautiful course book everyone will be shaping into their own herbal heirloom over the coming seasons. We then enjoyed a guided meditation, walks through the gardens (nibbling as we went), and a practical introduction to the five elements and three constitutions from the Ayurvedic tradition that will serve as the points on our journey's compass. Now we're in the rhythm of our live biweekly Zooms. This season, we're spending an entire week on one taste or quality and one herb, exploring all the different angles, connecting the dots, and - of course - drinking the tea of our herb throughout the week. What I'm loving seeing and feeling is the entire group so effortlessly supporting each other. I'll be dropping updates here from time to time, but if you're particularly interested in what the intensive course is up to, there's a special mailing list you can sign up to in my links - and this is the list that gets first access to registration in September for the 2024 cohorts, so do get on it!

In a world where we're so frequently bombarded with tension and opposing sides and aggravation, when you're choosing healthy practices that don't get cast as 'the done thing', it can be easy to feel like you're being reactive. By choosing not to partake in going with the flow, it can sometimes feel like your world is becoming smaller. But what if we came from a place of being powerful - which doesn't have to mean harsh and aggressive! What if we cultivated the mindset that what we're up to when we work with herbal medicine, when we eat whole, organic, unprocessed, nourishing foods, when our pace is intentional and our focus is on ourselves and our loved ones - is creating? Creating something joyful, something comforting, something supportive, something safe. We're told there have to be opposing poles - good or bad, successful or not, right or wrong. But our options and what's possible are so far beyond measure, we couldn't possibly count them, let alone divvy them up into neat categories. So let's look at this life we have as one in a huge realm of brilliant realities to create because we choose to, rather than because we have to.

You know when you end up doing something you just don't feel right about? It's never really worth it, is it? So what's happening when we ignore our instincts? We're communicating to ourselves that we don't trust ourselves, that we're looking for something or someone to trust outside of us. We're saying, I might hear you, but I'm ignoring you. If that was you trying to protect a loved one, what would you do? You might shout louder, try bolder means of getting your message across. Over time, you might just give up and stop trying to help all together. Our bodies do the same thing. That pain gets more intense and spreads to more locations in the body. Those colds come more and more frequently. Until eventually, your body pulls out all the stops and comes crashing to a halt - your immune system may even stop sending you messages all together. My point is, when we turn inwards and listen, when we trust and honour our instincts, we are showing we trust ourselves. Of course, your instinct might be telling you, I know doing something differently - like working with herbal medicine - feels right, and I need support to learn how to do it. That's great - let your instinct guide you towards a teacher and learn that skill. But above all things, trust yourself and show your body you're there to listen.

Have ever been in that situation when you knew in your gut something wasn't an emergency, but because you weren't completely certain what was going on or confident how to handle it, you panicked? What if I get it wrong? What if I miss something? Or often, simply, what is this? There are genuine emergencies in life, yes, and that's what emergency services are for. But when we're bereft of knowledge, everything feels like an emergency. And that's neither healthy for you, nor for whomever you're supporting. Imagine instead of panicking, having a foundation of knowledge to stand on. Being confident in your skills and abilities, as well as clear where you boundaries are. Imagine not having to worry about if you're able to make an appointment and what to do in the meantime. Having herbs and resources at the ready to calmly navigate a situation. With knowledge comes the ability to rely on oneself. With self reliance comes the ability to weather life's storms. It's a calm way of being and a powerful position to be in. So ask yourself, how do you want to build your self reliance?

Have you ever sat at a pile of books or posts on how to make herbal remedies and just got completely stuck wondering which herbs to use for which types of medicines? The key is different preparations are best at pulling out different properties from the herbs, so appropriate matchmaking is important for making effective medicines. Let's look at a few examples: Not all herbal teas are equal - if you're working with leaves and flowers, pouring boiling water over them to steep is perfect, but if you're using roots or berries, you'll want to gently simmer them to break down those tougher cell membranes to extract the medicine. A tincture is an extraction of the beneficial properties of a herb into alochol. As a home remedy, that's a jar loosely packed with fresh herbs, filled up with high proof vodka and left to infuse for a few weeks. A large range of compounds are alcohol-soluable, which is one reason why they're so widely used. But if you're looking to pull out more of the moistening compounds, you're better off with a glycerite, cold water infusion or a powder. You'll be able to see the difference, because the medicine will be thicker and gloopier. Herb infused oils are one of my favourite preparations and the key to effective topical remedies, but many of the compounds aren't oil soluable, which is why it makes all the difference to use Kami McBride's method - use my link below to check it out. Making herbal remedies is an important skill, so I hope you'll give it a go!

Did you know that tea tasting is more than just a bit of a fun party trick? Being able to both recognise the tastes of a herb, as well as understand the effect those tastes have on the body, means you have the ability to develop your knowledge of the medicinal properties of herbs in a way that's both memorable and extensible. It's the old 'teach someone to fish' analogy. So let's have a 'taste' of some these herbal actions! Bitter - This is the taste that's often least popular to modern palettes, but amongst many other things, it stimulates the flow of digestive enzymes, so you know when a herb is bitter tasting, it's often going to be engaging the digestive system. Salty - Instead of table salt, think green and grassy. That green aka salty taste tells us a herb is rich in minerals - nettle is the perfect example of this. Aromatic/Pungent - Think all those culinary herbs and spices. When this taste is present, it's often antimicrobial - so antiviral, antibacterial, etc. Rosemary and sage are classics. If you want to dive deeper into herbal 'tea tasting', we always get sipping learning this in more detail in my workshops and courses, so pop to the link in my bio to see what's coming up!

Do you listen to your gut? I often talk about tuning into your body's messages and your gut can be the easiest (and most impactful) place to start. When we are choosing what food to buy, prepare or consume for any given meal, there can feel like a million different voices telling you what to do - the intense sea of food marketing, the latest diet craze, how much time you have, your cooking skills. But the next time you go food shopping or out to eat, stop for a moment and take a breath. Stand in front of the wall of fresh foods or cast your eyes across the menu and ask your body - what do you need right now? Then do nothing. Be still. Listen. (I promise no one will notice.) It may take a bit of practice, but you'll feel it. You'll stand there and realise you really fancy some spinach. Or you're a bit backed up and just need something light. You may need to feed your inner child with your favourite family comfort dish. Go with it. Don't worry about shoulds and shouldn'ts - develop the skill of listening to your needs and honouring them. Even if you stuff your face for a few weeks, if you're truly listening, your body will tell you when that's enough. So try tuning into your gut. You'll be surprised how your ability to hear the other messages your body is sending you naturally develops from there.

Did you know that the ancient Greeks had a way to ascertain the medicinal uses of a plant just by looking at it? The Doctrine of Signatures began back with the earliest physicians, through the medieval period and into the present day. The theory goes that the shape, texture or colour of a plant reflects the organ or system of the body it's particularly useful for supporting. For example, elecampane has huge great leaves. When I bring them from my garden to my autumn workshops, I hold them up and immediately everyone sees it - they very much resemble the lungs. And elecampane is brilliant for supporting us through chest infections. Eyebright has wide open flowers with lines moving out from the centre that look like eyes with long fluttery eyelashes - and it's a herbalist's go to for all matters eye health. Now it's not a perfect system of classification, nor is it a substitute for getting to know a plant thoroughly to work with it safely and effectively. But the reason we explore it in many of my workshops is because it encourages you to look deeper. We don't have to pay attention to the finer details of what's physically in front of us these days. But if we choose to, and if we let our minds get creative and perceptive, you'll be surprised what you seem to know without realising it.

Nature is always looking after us, even if we don't always look after it. And if you take the time to observe, you'll notice serendipitous abundance across the seasons and years. I've known a cottage garden that suddenly overflowed with lady's mantle when its owner needed support managing menstrual flow shortly thereafter. Herbalists across the UK noticed the prolific growth of elecampane - a classic respiratory support herb - when illness swept across the globe a few years ago. Last year, feverfew was in abundance on my land and in the wild as both my clients and myself experienced more frequent headaches, sensitivity to light and visual disturbance with the arrival of summer - whether tending to be someone who commonly has headaches or not - all of which feverfew is classic for supporting. Sometimes the herbs come first. That means when you pay attention to the land, you can anticipate what's coming. When life gives you abundance, be grateful and harvest it. Nature is often one step ahead of us, so it's a path worth following.

When you think of a herbalist, what do you picture? Perhaps someone in a lovely cottage-style apron filling beautiful jars with colourful flowers or a wise woman of another era in her home filled with herbs drying from every rafter. It may look aspirational, but for most of us, it's out of reach. Not because we can't develop the skills and acquire the knowledge, but because it isn't real life. Being a herbalist isn't picture perfect, although you can certainly enjoy all the beauty of the plants and your remedies. What it is, is a way of life. When I'm making a herbal tea for my family on an evening, you can be sure I'm in my warm fluffy robe. If we're having a foot bath to clear a chesty cold, it's in a bog standard washing up basin. When I'm adding herbs and spices to our food, I just pop it in. I don't stop to style it. Because what's most important about herbalism is that you use it, that you live it, that it becomes your everyday norm. You don't have to worry about looking glamorous or picture perfect. The herbs certainly don't care. So the next time you see a beautiful image of herbalism, enjoy it, but don't let it stop you from doing it yourself. Because the most beauty and satisfaction comes from knowing you can be a herbalist, and living it.

Herbal medicine isn't new. It's the original medicine, the medicine that has been with us since the beginning of time, not just as humans, but for animals, as well. The earliest humans had to pay close attention to the other creatures in their environment to understand what was likely safe for them to put in or on their bodies. All sorts of trial and error will have occurred. Some early humanoid somewhere had to be the first one to decide to put something completely new in their mouths and hope they'd live to tell the tale. Fortunately, all this field testing has been done for us over millenia and countless generations. Far beyond the scope of modern clinical trials - even ones that have been going for decades - the safety and effectiveness of herbal medicine when used with knowledge and respect has been demonstrated for significantly longer periods of time. (And long before anyone decided it was to their benefit to fund it.) Whilst the knowledge and skills to use herbal medicine isn't at the front of everyone's minds, it is baked into all of our bones. It's been passed down with each generation, imprinted in our biology. That's why when so many people begin studying herbalism, they learn something and go, I'm not sure how, but I knew that. So allow yourself to awaken that knowledge deep within you. There's so much in there to discover.

Remember. Reclaim. Relearn. This is my mantra as a herbalist, as a woman, and as a mother. We have become so separated from our bodies, so distracted by all the noise of constant content and advertising masquerading as information, and so used to outsourcing our health to large companies and institutions, that we've lost the knowledge of basic day to day health we all once had. We've lost the ability to hear the messages our bodies are trying to send us, let alone understand them and give ourselves the support we need. We've stopped raising our voices and asking questions when something doesn't make sense, when something isn't getting better, when we know in our gut something doesn't feel right, but we don't know what other options we have. The best thing you can do for your and your family's health is remember knowledge about natural health was something we all once had, reclaim your power, autonomy and resilience by asking questions and not settling for anything that doesn't sit right with you, and relearn how to understand and support your body and life's everyday ups and down naturally. That's why I teach workshops and courses to put information, confidence, and control back in your hands, as well as provide private consultations and accessible remedies to support you in getting back into balance and caring for your health naturally, no matter where you are on your journey. I look forward to sharing this knowledge with you here.

Have you ever asked yourself what's stopping you from allowing yourself to heal? I once attended a course focused on the different components of healing, where I was told the story of the tree. A tree, like all of nature, has an inherent, unstoppable impetus to regenerate itself, to repair itself, to heal. When a storm comes and knocks off a branch or a wound is inflicted in the tree's trunk, the tree doesn't stand there lamenting its injury letting it fester and worsen. The tree simply allows the healing process to begin. It produces antimicrobial resins that cover the wound and protect it from infection. It begins to grow in a different direction and continues to produce leaves, flowers and fruits, despite its missing branch. Because the tree can't help but do anything else. To do so would be contrary to the momentum of nature and would take great energy to achieve. And yet, we as humans do this all the time. We are as much nature as the trees, and so that impetus to heal is equally within us, but we get in our own way - sometimes investing great energy in doing so. So if you've never asked yourself, perhaps it bears doing - what's stopping you from allowing yourself to heal?

I was giving an interview recently and was asked what my specialism was. I suppose I could have said digestive health, due to my own deep personal experience in this area. Or I could have said pregnancy and matrescence, as the care of new mothers is a personal passion of mine. Perhaps I might have said family health, since it is one of my core beliefs and drivers of my practice as a herbalist that every family be able to have confidence in taking ownership of their health naturally. But when I took a moment to reflect, I ultimately replied - I specialise in supporting people who want to get better. It doesn't matter to me how old someone is or how straightforward or complex whatever they're dealing with is deemed to be. As far as I'm concerned, everyone deserves to feel better and to get better, and this is equally as important as being listened to and supported. The people who say - enough is enough. I'm ready to live life and I want support on my journey. - these are my people. Will we discuss every aspect of the body and any diagnoses in a consultation? Yes, of course. But I'm not attached to the labels. Instead, I'm committed to getting to the root and supporting your body in regaining your unique equilibrium, so you can thrive. So if this sounds like you, I'm here when you're ready to go on that journey.

I often talk with my clients about the power of personal medicine. This approach has a few components to it. The first is creating bespoke remedies for each of my clients. This means every single one of my clients gets herbal blends that are crafted for their individual needs. Is there immediate discomfort that needs alleviating? What is the root cause and where is it coming from? Do they need some heart holding at this time? What best suits their constitution? The seecond is that it evolves. I work with around 100 different herbs as tinctures, dried herbs and powders, oils and topical blends in my practice. Rather than a handful of pills with various side effects to attach to a given diagnosis, I have a lot of flexibility when it comes to creating a formula that supports each client where they are on their journey in this moment. They may have the same blend for a few months and then their needs will shift, so their remedies with evolve with them, until they no longer need the support of the herbs for balance. The third, and possibly most important, is listening. No two people are the same, so I always prefer to focus on an individual's personal experience, rather than a label or diagnosis. Your body's journey to imbalance holds the keys to how to support you in getting back in balance. Together, these components create a empowering framework for all of my clients - personal medicine with herbs.

Did you know your body is pretty busy while you're sleeping? Just because we're not consciously involved, doesn't mean there isn't a lot going on. Sleep is a time when our bodies are actively focused on repairing and restoring, and this requires more than just closing our eyes for a number of consecutive hours. Your body wants nourishment throughout the day and it's hoping to be in a calm - rather than hypervigilant - state so energy is not diverted to the survival instinct, amongst other things. So if we're constantly stressed and powering through a screen-filled day with slapdash snacks and stimulating beverages, even if you're passing out exhausted at night and sleep all the way through, you may still wake up groggy and exhausted. If you're 'wired and tired' - meaning your nervous system is on the fritz - consider calming nervine herbs like chamomile, lavender, skullcap and lemon balm to get your body out of emergency mode and into recovery mode. If you're burnt out and depleted, have a look at nourishing adaptogenic herbs like ashwagandha or reishi. All of these herbs make brilliant warm evening drinks that signal to your body you're preparing for the business of sleep. So you see, what you put in your mug before bed could just be your most important beverage of the day!

When we talk about digestion, our minds often go straight to our stomachs. But the liver plays an incredibly important role in digestion - and not just of foods! One of the key roles of the liver is to produce bile, which plays a role in stimulating and moderating appetite. But The liver also processes hormones - this goes for everyone! Particularly for women, if you see clots in your flow or are embarking on perimenopause, you definitely want to support your liver in processing fluctuating hormone levels effectively. The liver also serves to break down food and medicine (herbal or otherwise) and distribute the nutrients and active compounds throughout the body. Anything your body doesn't need is pulled aside and flushed out as waste. This includes toxins. Toxins aren't just substances with big, red warning labels on them. Toxins are unfortunately present in a lot of household products and toiletries like washing up liquid, sanitary pads and tampons, bathroom cleaners, and plug-in fragrances. When our bodies are constantlly bombarded with toxins, the liver gets overwhelmed and can't clear it all out, so poor health often begins to fester. If you're interested in supporting your liver with herbs, have a look at dandelion root or milk thistle, but be sure to consult with a qualified herbalist if you're on other medications, because working on the liver is likely to effect how quickly your medications move through your body.

Did you know your period is like a free monthly health report? Here's a whistle stop tour in decoding it. Clots in your flow - Your liver needs support. The liver processes hormones, as well as food, so support your liver to help get nutrients delivered throughout your body and decrease period discomfort. Some liver-supporting herbs include Dandelion root and milk thistle. Late/missed periods with sharp pain - Your body needs movement. This happened to a lot of women when movement was restricted in the past few years. Lack of movement, especially prolonged sitting, means pelvic stagnation. So dance, walk, hike, do yoga - whatever makes you happy, and add in some fresh ginger tea or meadowsweet short term for the pain. Mucousy flow - Take a look at your food intake. The body produces mucous when it's trying to coat surfaces to protect itself from irritation. One of the many triggers for this is eating food that doesn't suit you - the main culprits tend to be gluten, dairy and sugar, especially if they're not organic. So try a month without, alongside warming culinary herbs and spices to support digestion, see how your flow is next time, . If you're experiencing anything prolonged or really painful or your intuition is saying doesn't feel right, don't ignore it - get support, but in general, grab a good book with more details about decoding your flow and start being able to give your body what it's asking for!

Have you ever heard the expression - 'when all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail'? A lot of modern medicine is pretty heavy hitting - it is often designed to put a stop to something happening in the body that's causing a serious health concern. And sometimes, in the short term, this is necessary. But once the immediate danger has passed, you want to get to grips with the underlying causes, how and why a health situation has developed to begin with, and work with medicines that are more suited to longer-term use, which will address the root and encourage the body back into balance, likely alongside some key lifestyle changes. But if all you have is a hammer, as in allopathic medicine, then everything starts to look like a nail. That's why, as a qualified herbalist, I work with a wider set of tools - because if what your body is presenting isn't a nail, no amount of hitting it with a hammer is going to help!

Have we been here before? You know those sensations your body keeps giving you - those headaches, those painful periods, that bloating and unpredictable bowel - that just keep coming back? Sometimes it can feel like one of those movies where the main character wakes with their alarm, only to realise they're seemingly doomed to repeat the same day over and over again. The scenario varies, but the way out of this endless cycle is the same - rectify the situation. It may be they need to change the way they treat others. It may be they need to be true to themselves to capture an opportunity they keep missing. Now, our bodies aren't out to judge us or make a major motion picture out of our discomforts, but they are set on making sure we know when there's something we need to rectify to restore or maintain our health. Do we need to change the way we treat our bodies - say, but giving them nourishing foods or much needed rest? Do we need to be true to ourselves by swapping that office job we fell into a decade ago for something that gives us more fresh air and ignites our passions? Because it's almost a guarantee that protagonist will do everything in their power to turn off that alarm - but it never stops them from repeating that fateful day. Silencing never stops repetition - making a change does.

There's a lot of conversation on social media about cycle-breaking, generally referring to disrupting patterns of behaviour passed down in your family, culture or society that are unsupportive or unhealthy. One pattern I feel many of us have inherited is one that concerns our health in the classic sense. Have you ever heard anyone you're close to say things like 'Doctor knows best' or 'I just take whatever they tell me to. It's not really important why? While it is of course fair to acknowledge the dedicated training and experience a health practitioner of any discipline has commmitted themselves to acquiring with the intention of being of aid ot others, I don't believe it is beneficial to anyone to belittle ourselves or take the path of willful ignorance when it comes to our health. It's been passed down through the last few generations, at least, that someone else knows better and we should accept whatever treatment they choose to give us (or not), no matter how much we may feel it's not right, disrespectful or unsupportive. So if you aren't already, I challenge you to break that cycle. Ask questions until you understand or feel comfortable. Insist on being treated with respect. Speak up if something isn't right. Only when we take action to break these cycles will these unhealthy practices cease to occur.

Did you know from the perspective of mainstream medications, we are almost all healthy white men in our 20s? When most drug testing is done to ascertain effects on the body, side effects and dosage, it's most often done on a group of health young men. Why is that problematic? For a start, we all metabolise what we take into our bodies - food and medicines - differently based on a wide range of factors. But as an example, a petite elder woman's liver is going to process what she's putting in her body differently from, say, her 20 year old rugby-playing grandson. If she processes things more slowly, there will be more of a medication sitting in her liver and her body at any given point than her grandson would have, which is likely to be at higher levels than originally intended. So the likelihood of her experiencing side effects and more of them can be greater. The irony is, these standardised doses aren't even universally appropriate for the demographic they're tested on, because they are an average of that group. No one's body is textbook and a living, breathing individual is certainly not the same as an average of a group. This is one of the reasons bespoke herbal remedies can provide more nuanced support for an individual.

Do you know your constitution? Your constitution is your unique state of balance and gives you an indication of what suits you, what doesn't, and what your strengths are likely to be, as well as your weaknesses. It's also a key indicator of which herbs will best support you. In my practice, I work with the Ayuvedic constitutions (called doshas), originating in the Indian subcontinent. Let's have a quick look at each of them. Vata - These are your creatives. They tend to have a small frame and are always in motion. This is reflected in the fact their experiences - bodily discomforts, emotions. mental focus - tend to be short, sharp and fleeting. When they're out of balance, they'll have a hard time focusing and easily lose track of time. Pitta - These are the classic go-getters. They tend to have a medium build and like the firey things in life (like chillis, chocolates and alcohol). They feel things intensely, so usually have fevers that pass quickly when they get ill. If they're out of balance, they can veer towards self-criticism and negative perfectionism. Kapha - These are the steady ones. They tend to have broader frames and enjoy home comforts and the status quo. They're not usually bothered by much, so although they'll often have a phlegmy cold, they probably won't be too concerned. If they're out of balance, they can feel lethargic and unmotivated. Can you guess what your constitution is?

Have you ever heard the phrase - when stress flows, digestion doesn't? There are a lot of different reasons why your digestion may be off, but a common theme I see with my clients is stress. Stress tells the body - there's something more urgent to deal with, so divert energy away from digesting food. Now, many of us have heard about how the state of society today is sadly one that is constantly inflicting stressors on us from all angles. Acute stress is one thing, but constantly being in that state is another. It is not natural - it doesn't give our bodies time to restore equilibrium, to regain balance, and indeed to digest our food properly. Thus, the energy in your body is diverted to survival, rather than nourishment. Whilst there are plenty of herbs that can help relieve the symptoms of a stuck digestion - bloating, wind, cramping, stomach spasms, constipation, poor nutrient absorption - and which can certainly be used, if you're feeling like stress is at the root of your tummy troubles, what herbs can be supportive to help get you out of fight, flight, fawn or freeze and back to functioning and flourishing? Chamomile, lemon balm, California poppy and gotu kola are all great options - pair them with rooting out and resolving the source of your stress, and you'll be on your way to getting your digestion flowing again.

In a former life, I had a chronic health issue (digestive, to be specific). You might know that person. You might be that person. The person who is constantly operating with an underlying level of anxiety in any social situation, no matter how enjoyable, because they’re never sure when their body will betray them. It’s exhausting. It’s endless. It’s always been that way, and it’s impossible to imagine a life that wouldn’t be that way in perpetuity. I was that person. I am not that person anymore. Having found a way out of a life of ‘I can’t’ myself through herbal medicine, I know no one should have to have that same experience - of never truly feeling better, of internalising the idea there’s something wrong with them, of not having the personal power to question what they’re being given and told. I spent half a decade retraining and qualifying in herbal medicine under the tuition of some of the most highly skilled professionals to combine that expert training with my lifetime of personal experience and acquired knowledge to be able to support you in saying enough is enough. So if you're ready to increase your knowledge, to build your power, to develop your autonomy and resilience. If you're ready to create a life where you can’t remember what it felt like to be that person, then it's time to decide who you want to be and where your journey will begin.

I often get asked, 'how do you get children to take herbs?' And my response is always - if you can, start them young. The assumption is many children are used to sicky sweet or chemically-charged stimulating tastes, and unfortunately, this is quite common, especially because these flavourscapes are designed in labs by food engineers to activate the pleasure centres of our brains and to be addictive. But our pallets can evolve and change. This is why if you can get your little ones used to the taste of herbs as early as possible, it'll be easier for them to take them, because that's what they'll be used to. If not, there are some sweeter forms of remedies using honey or glycerine, as well as other options, such as putting a tincture blend in a foot bath, rather than having to take things orally. Of course this also assumes herbs are unpleasant tasting - and although some are quite strong, many are quite gentle. But sometimes, it's simply a process of adjusting and expanding their pallets. Swapping chemically created tastes for delicous natural ones when it comes to food helps, as well. And although there may be an adjustment period, know it will be worth it. If you can start a tradition of using herbs to support your family's health, that's a legacy that will stand both current and future generations in very good stead.

This time of year, there are all sorts of 'natural cold remedies' going round, so I thought I'd share a bit of insight into the value of these traditional remedies, because many of them ARE genuinely helpful. We certainly use them in our home, even though I have a fully stocked professional herbalist's apothecary. Let's start with elderberry syrup... Elderberry is well establsihed as an antiviral, as well as a herb that supports the modulation of the immune system, meaning it can help it mobilise for action or taper off a bit as the situation requires. Some people like to take a spoonful a day when autumn comes, others use it when they have a cold. Both are valid. I've personally used it when I had the beginnings of a sore throat earlier this year, and it was gone 36 hours later. Bone broth - there are entire books written on the benefits of bone broth - from modulating inflammation to protecting damanged gut linings and dry, painful joints. Bone broth is a traditional remedy I absolutely swear by - just make sure your bones are organic and your water is filtered. And the classic lemon, ginger and honey for a cold - a definite yes. Lemon is packed with vit c, whilst the honey brings the antimicrobial and expectorant properties. Ginger is a dynamite herb that stokes the digestive fire, encouraging the seat of immunity - the gut - to work effectively.