Health Archives | Page 27 of 68 | Natural Health with Merrilyn Hope

Home Made Eucalyptus Rub For Sore Joints

Eucalyptus Soothing Rub

Eucalyptus globulus can be used to make a home-made remedy which can be used externally as a massage oil to soothe aching muscles and joints, rheumatic aches and pains, or to rub on tired feet. “Herbs For Health And Beauty”, by Margaret Roberts, Lowry Publishers, South Africa, 1986, recommends the use of eucalyptus leaves infused in oil to relieve aches and pains.

Simply take half a dozen freshly picked eucalyptus leaves, put them in a jar, and cover with cooking oil, such as grape seed oil, or olive oil. Let steep in a warm place for three days. Drain, and your massage oil is ready to use.

If you live in Australia, where gum trees are indigenous natives, you will have many varieties of gum to experiment with. The lemon-scented gum has a beautiful fragrance which is carried through in a home made oil infusion such as is used in this method above.

Eucalyptus Inhalation From Gum Leaves: Eucalyptus leaves, or gum leaves, can be used fresh off the tree to make a hot inhalation for the relief of colds, flu, and other bronchial complaints. Simply put a handful of fresh eucalyptus leaves into a bowl, pour hot water over, and your steam inhalation is ready. I have used this steam inhalation many times to relieve conditions such as croup and other bronchial ailments, in combination with homeopathic remedies. For young children, it is often a help just make the eucalyptus steam inhalation up, and to leave it in the child’s room at night. Make sure that your children cannot reach the inhalation, and make sure that it is not too hot, just in case of spillage.

It is a while since I used eucalyptus gum leaves to make an inhalation, or to leave in a bowl in a room to treat an illness. I often used a branch of leaves and simmered these in a pot of water for about ten minutes. The pot can be left on the stove with the lid off, and the heat turned off. The eucalyptus vapours will travel through the house. This is a lovely technique for cleansing the house of anything negative.

Personally, I find herbs infused in oil to be very potent: The active ingredients in the herbs are made more potent by soaking them in oils or water. They will work homeopathically – the more these oils are diluted, the stronger the effect of the active ingredients will become. So use just a little of your home-made eucalyptus oil at first, to try out its effect. There is no danger of toxicity, used externally, if the directions above are followed. If you find you cannot tolerate diluted eucalyptus oil, made in this way from fresh leaves, simply wash it off the skin.

Importance Of Medicinal Weeds, Comfrey, And How Fennel Tea Helps With Weight Loss

Fennel – Foeniculum vulgare: This is a valuable herb which is becoming more rare to find these days. It used to grow in abundance near railway tracks, and along the sides of the roads in what used to be called hedgerows. Fennel tea is good for the eyesight. It can be used, cool, to bathe the eyes. Fennel Tea is also helpful in losing weight, because Fennel is a natural diuretic. You can make Fennel Tea by using a quarter of a cup of fresh herb, and topping the cup up with boiling water. Allow the fennel tea to cool a little, then drink. Fennel tea is a naturally sweet-tasting tea which aids good digestion. Just a teaspoon of fennel tea can be given to babies with colic. Good to take Fennel Tea before a meal, or in place of that coffee.

Many other valuable healing herbs have been lost from our environment – Comfrey, called ‘Knit-bone’ and ‘All-Heal’, is the Queen of all healing herbs. Comfrey has been conveniently banned in many countries, simply because drug companies wanted to own, and manipulate for their own use, the healing power of Comfrey.

Pesticides and Herbicides Kill Our Healing Herbs: These things are extremely toxic, bad for the environment, and cause diseases such as cancer, arthritis, multiple sclerosis, parkinson’s, and heart and circulatory problems. They are also bad for the environment generally. Another reason that they are harmful to us is that the world-wide use of pesticides and herbicides is killing off many of the valuable medicinal plants, called ‘weeds’, which used to grow naturally on waysides and hedgerows in all so-called ‘civilized’ countries. I believe that this is no co-incidence. The same makers of pharmaceuticals are often related to the companies which make pesticides and herbicides, or are just the same firm anyway, with a different brand name. They do not want us to be making our own herbal remedies, using Comfrey, or using homeopathy, or any other alternative medicine. Their herbicides kill off all the good weeds and leave their weak type of grass behind. And those grass seed companies, and producers of agricultural food seed, are just another branch of this collaborative empire of control: Many of these same companies have vested interests in the companies which genetically modify our vegetable seeds, and grass seeds, so that they will not reproduce again all by themselves.

Commercial grass mixtures are another evil, as far as the regeneration of the natural herbs goes, because commercial mixtures for grasses do not contain the variety of ‘stray’ plants in them, but are deliberately engineered so that they will not even seed to regenerate their own grass again. Once you destroy the natural grasses on your soil, and replace them with these commercial mixtures, you will need to keep buying that commercial grass seed each year to keep a good head of grass on the land. A Maori woman on New Zealand ‘Country Calendar’ a couple of weeks ago, Channel One TVNZ, complained about the paddocks of grass which had been planted with this commercial, weakened grass seed. Her paddocks of grass which still had the original old grass on them, complete with all the stray ‘weeds’, were self-perpetuating, and regrew year after year without needing any fresh seed on them.

Relying on commercial grass seed which is engineered to die out, rather than reproduce, is not a sustainable type of agriculture. This benefits only the pockets of those international giants, the seed-sellers who market their ‘stuffed’ product. Apart from needing to buy more grass seed from those companies each year, the wide variety of natural herbs, such as dandelions, plantains, self-heal or prunella vulgaris, chickweed, and many others, are non existent in these seed mixes. These natural herbs, or ‘weeds’, all have an important part to play in keeping soil healthy, and in providing a variety of natural medicines for animals to eat. They are also of enormous value in making herbal medicines for people.

to be continued……

Cayenne Pepper And Lime Tea For Cleansing and Pain Relief

Cayenne is a Natural Pain Reliever and Circulation Remedy

My friend Bernhard Petersen, who is in spirit, told me just yesterday that I should take Lime and Cayenne each morning, to stimulate circulation, to stimulate the appetite, to improve bowel function, and improve the vitality and general health. His advice was not specifically as a pain relief, as I am not in any pain, but I thought it was interesting to get information about cayenne, as later in the day, I randomly came across a reading in a book which recommended cayenne as a natural pain reliever. I figure he would like me to talk about the health benefits of cayenne, as well as to remember to use it myself. Bernhard’s message about using Cayenne and Lime Tea prompted me to post up an article on using Cayenne for Shingles, yesterday, and now this one follows.

Cayenne and Lime Tea For Internal Cleansing: Bernhard’s recipe was to take a small lime, cut it up and put into a small saucepan, cover with 2 cups of water, add 1/2 small teaspoon of cayenne, and warm it up in the pot, simmering gently for 10 minutes. Allow to cool. Take one cup of this warm mixture, ten minutes to half an hour before breakfast in the morning, before you have anything else. Leave the lime pieces in the remainder to use later. Warm this up before the mid-day meal, and drink all that remains. I have already tried Bernhard’s recipe, using paprika pepper instead of the cayenne, to good effect. Paprika is also good for the circulation, and is a mild laxative as well as having antibiotic and antiviral properties.

The mixture can be made the day before, and left to stand. This gets more of the active ingredients out of the lime into the tea. Warm up next day before use.

Cayenne Pepper and Lime Tea Helps Alleviate Desire For Coffee: I have an addiction to coffee. I have found already, that the cayenne, or paprika and lime tea, helped enormously in reducing the desire for coffee.

Cayenne Pepper is recommended as a pain reliever for Shingles and arthritis. Remember that if you have either of these conditions, that it is advisable to see a health practitioner for advice before using home remedies. Cayenne as a pain reliever is mentioned in the book ‘New Choices In Natural Healing’, which is edited by ex-editor of ‘Prevention ‘ magazine, Bill Gottlieb. Hot peppers contain an active ingredient, capsaicin, which has been used in the making of the pharmaceutical ‘Zostrix’, which is used to treat Shingles pain. Adding cayenne pepper, or ginger, or paprika, to meals is helpful to Shingles and arthritis sufferers: Bernhard’s recipe for cayenne and lime tea should be helpful to people with these conditions if they were to take it on a daily basis.

Chant To Soothe Your Nerves and Increase Energy

Singing and Chanting Is Music Therapy which is very healthful for mind, body, and soul. Thousands of books have been written about how to use chants and singing to improve the spiritual consciousness, and create a more healthful being. This article will tell you how to practice the OM chant, and give examples of several other chants.

Music Therapy is an age-old science: Pythagoras, the Greek mathematician and philosopher, formulated ‘prescriptions’ of music for specific purposes around 2,500 years ago. “Prescriptions’ of music were given to his students for the purposes of increasing concentration, and to aid sleeping and relaxation.

Rudolph Steiner is one famous psychic and teacher of the last century to recognize the value of music in healing and to write about it. He also formulated a music therapy which uses different combinations of notes to produce different effects in the body and psyche.

The Hindu and Buddhist traditions have hundreds of different chants and tunes which are sung because of their spiritually enhancing qualities. Singing and Chanting are an integral part of all the great religions of the world, including the Christian faith, and this is because singing, especially singing Praise, is one of the most beneficial things that we can do for the mind, the body, and the soul.

Religious chants, soulful arias, and tuneful folk ditties are generally more effective for soothing the nerves than singing any rowdy pop song, of course. The singing should be done sweetly to have a good effect on yourself and the people around you.

Chanting a mantra, which can be a traditional Indian mantra, or a phrase which uses just a few affirmative words, is especially soothing for the nerves and the mind: If it is practiced for 20 minutes at a time on a daily basis, this will produce a deep tranquillity in mind body and spirit. People have been healed of sickness through the singing of chants and mantras on a regular basis.

I will list just several of my favourite chants: There are many, many more, but these ones I find to be wonderfully healing. Whichever you choose, try to practice it for 20 minutes at a time, at least once a day: Regular chanting and singing sessions of up to 20 minutes per day will bring you good health and peace of mind. If you are severely stressed, or seriously ill, then repeating the exercise twice a day might help, though you might have to start out with just a few OM chants to begin with, and build up gradually. Your strength will improve with doing this exercise, whether you are sick or no. The secret in building up that Prana, or nervous energy, is to increase the time of chanting or singing gradually. If you are healthy, then, of course, a 20 minute session of OM chanting, or chanting some other mantra, would be quite manageable.

OM Chant For Peace Of Mind: The Buddhist chant ‘OM’ is one of the most effective sounds for soothing the nerves, increasing vital energy, called ‘prana’, and improving the soul. This is a universal sound which has been sung for thousands of years. The universal sound OM, when chanted for a length of time, produces vibrations up the spine, in the brain, and throughout the whole body. This sound, when chanted, helps to unblock the channels of vital energy, and this is very beneficial for the nerves.

How To Do Your Om Chanting To Soothe the Nerves: Sit down in a quiet place. If you can, then sitting cross legged on the floor or the ground is good, and the lotus position even better. But the chanting still has a beneficial effect even if you sit in a chair. The main thing is that the back be straight.

Close your eyes, rest your hands gently on your thighs, take a long, slow, deep breath in, and release the breath with the sound of ‘OMMMMMMMMMM’. Just let the air come out naturally, slowly and evenly in a long exhale, so that the OMMMM sound is increased for as long as the breath.

When the breath has fully exhaled, rest in that spot for a second, before inhaling again. Let the inhalation be nicely drawn out too, so that the breath in is deeper than the usual inhalation. Fill the lungs up with beautiful air, then repeat the ‘OMMMMMMMMMM’ chant again.

It is important not to overdo it. If you are not used to Om chanting, or singing or chanting at all, then the rush of oxygen to your brain, nerves and blood might cause you to feel dizzy. Take it easy. Build up slowly.

Hindu Prayer Which Increases Vital Energy and Soothes Nerves:

This prayer is a chant which is sung repeatedly. It is an especially beautiful thing, and is a favourite of mine. I learned it at the Satyananda Yoga Institute in Auckland many years ago, when they had a centre in Grey Lynn.

The words are: Sri Ram, Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Rama Ram

Sri Ram, Jaya Ram, Jaya Jaya Rama Ram.

The song is very rhythmic, and you might want to clap your hands with this one as you sing it. Sit on the floor, legs crossed, if that is comfortable for you. Otherwise, sing the chant in a chair. Again – straight back is necessary. The melody, as given in the key of C major will go:

E……E, D, E E E D, E E F G F…E E…….

Sri Ra-m, Ja-ya Ra-m, Ja-ya, Ja-ya Rama Ram

D……D, C, D D D C, D C D ED C…B A

Major and Minor Keys: This chant is interesting: It begins in what we call, in western music, a major key, but it ends in the relative minor of that key. In analysis, this is would have a very beneficial effect on the mind and body, because it is incorporating both the ‘sad’ but softer effect of the minor key with the more cheerful and bright major key.

Singing this chant regularly brings you closer to God and increases awareness of the infinite. It also, like the OM chant, increases energy flow and encourages spiritual aspirations.

Homeopathy For Shingles

The Herpes Zoster Virus: Shingles is caused by the Herpes Zoster virus, which is the same virus which causes chicken pox. The virus can remain dormant in the body for years, and then suddenly make an appearance when stressful conditions arise, such as a physical or emotional shock, or exposure to chemicals which weaken the immune system. The Shingles condition causes terrible itching, similar to having chicken pox, with the characteristic little red specks over the skin.

Having a vaccination for Chicken Pox does not prevent you from getting Shingles: Shingles can occur in people who have been vaccinated. I recommend Homeopathic treatment for Chicken Pox rather than vaccination, but you will need to see a professional homeopathic physician about this.

Homeopathic Ranunculus bulbosus is highly recommended for treating Shingles, the dose being 6C up to four times daily. This remedy is especially good if the Shingles rash is mainly on the trunk of the body. Ranunculus bulbosus helps the pain of Shingles, and should bring relief in a couple of days. If improvement is not noted, then you must see a health professional for his or her advice.

See Merrilyn’s January 2013 post entitled ‘List of Homeopathic Remedies For Shingles‘ for more information on the subject of shingles.

Stephen Messer, who is a practicing naturopathic physician in Oregon, gives Ranunculus bulbosus as being one of the best remedies for helping Shingles. He and his remedy are mentioned in the book ‘New Choices In Natural Healing’, edited by Bill Gottlieb, the former editor of ‘Prevention’ magazine.

Yoga and Meditation are recommended for people with Shingles. Quiet restful music is also very helpful, as is sitting quietly in a leafy glade where there might be heard the music of a waterfall and the birds singing. Anything which soothes the nerves is helpful to the Shingles sufferer. Music therapy, with gentle bird sounds, running water, joyful singing, and string quartets, are all good.

Blue Lighting for just 20 minutes before bed would be very good to quieten the nerves. All you need for this is a blue light bulb. Blue light will help to soothe the angry red of the skin as well as calm the nerves. 20 minutes of exposure to a blue light could be very helpful applied in the morning as well.

Breathe Vital Force Into The Solar Plexus while you are lying under the blue light. This is a marvellous exercise for taking in ‘prana’ or life force, and distributing it through the body and brain. It benefits the nervous system, and so is especially good for shingles sufferers. Here is the exercise, to be done twice a day, or three if you feel the need.

Breathing Exercise For Shingles To Calm Nerves and Improve the Vital Force: Simply close the eyes, and put the fingertips on the solar plexus area at the centre of the stomach. Press slightly. Hold the fingers there while you breathe in very deeply with your eyes closed. As you breathe in slowly, count One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Don’t worry if you cannot make it to ten. Just do what is comfortable.

Now, still with the eyes closed, place your fingertips gently on your forehead, at the eyebrow centre space just above the nose. Hold the fingers out while you breathe out slowly. Count to yourself as you breathe out: One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Then place the fingers back on the solar plexus to begin the round of breathing in again.

Repeat the Whole Exercise Ten Times, ten breaths in and ten breaths out. At a snail’s pace, of course.

Yoga Nidra is also excellent to help Shingles nerves. I have a post on this which you might like to look at.

Cayenne Pepper For Pain: Another home remedy for helping the pain of Shingles is Cayenne Pepper, according to Allan Magaziner. He says that the pharmaceutical medicine commonly prescribed for Shingles pain is a preparation called ‘Zostrix’. This is derived from capsaicin, which comes from hot peppers. In order for it to be efffective, a little Cayenne Pepper needs to be taken with each meal.

Vitamins B and Vitamin C are essential for helping Shingles sufferers. If you are on medication, then you must ask your doctor about these. Vitamin B helps reduce stress in the body, and so does Vitamin C. Vitamin C helps to eliminate toxins from the body, which is helpful in any disease. Taking 1000mg of Calcium Ascorbate, a non-acidic form of vitamin c, at bed-time, will help you to sleep well, as it is a mild tranquillizer. If the Shingles is very irritating, then the dose of Calcium Ascorbate Vitamin C can be increased to 2000mg twice a day, and then reduced again when the symptoms subside. Vitamin C in large doses works as an antibiotic, and an antiviral medicine.

Other Homeopathic Remedies For Shingles: Dr John H. Clarke recommends Rhus toxicodendron 30, three times daily if there are Shingles on the scalp as well. He says that three days only of the Rhus tox 30 is needed, usually.

I have found Rhus tox to be useful for shingles on the legs – three doses daily of Rhus tox 30 to begin with for several weeks – then once a week after about a month. After three weeks or so of one dose a week, a daily dose was given for another month. Repeat the procedure as necessary.

Other recommendations of Dr Clarke are: Variol. 6, 4h for general cases of shingles. this is often followed by one of the following: He recommends Rhus tox 3, 2h for people who have not reached middle age, and Mezer. 3, 2h. for shingles in older people. When there is ‘intractable’ pain, he recommends Pru. spi. 30, 3h. He uses Arsen. 3, 4h for chronic cases.

A useful lotion which can help soothe Shingles and relieve the pain is Cantharis. This, like the above remedies, would have to be prepared by a chemist. The proportions he gives for the lotion are: Cantharis, 3x, ten drops to the ounce. This is applied externally only, on linen cloth or gauze.

A reprint of Merrilyn’s 1980’s Health Book entitled: NO CANCER NOTEBOOK is available for purchase.

The price is $60 New Zealand currency.