Grief

bleeding heart

The flowers of this plant which you see at this time of year, lead to its name, “bleeding heart” shaped as they are like hearts with teardrops falling.  It reminds me of the remedy “Ignatia” commonly used by Homeopaths in a high potency for the early stage of grief, when a person can often be overcome with emotion, either expressed or unexpressed*.   I have found it helpful after bereavement when I needed to be able to get on with my day.  Time out for ourselves is vital at this stage, but we still often need to do the school run, the supermarket shop and work in spite of going through this most difficult period.  Bereavement is not only the death of a loved one – it can be a friend moving away, the ending of a career or the breakdown of a relationship.  Being kind to yourself at times like this is very important.

  • (source Materia Medica Boericke).

 

Christmas time – overdoing it

Christmas is a time for over indulgence.  In the depths of winter we take advantage of the excuse to eat more rich food, meet up with family and friends who we may not see very often and stay up late.  Add to that the pressure of buying the perfect gift for everyone, and having the perfect Christmas day and we can end up stressed on lots of levels and in need of some remedies!  Homeopaths historically use for relief:

Nux Vomica
Over doing it on rich food, alcohol and burning the candle at both ends, leading to hangovers, irritability, stomach upset and headaches.

Colocynthis
Indigestion with bloating and pain,  Pressing on the tummy or bending double helps.

Staphysagria
Sense of being bullied, put down, humiliated which is being tolerated but causes seething inside, eventually may lead to angry outbursts or becoming ill or both.  Commonly seen when spending enforced days with family over Christmas where this is an unresolved issue.