Tag Archive for: Holistic Healing

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When Can I Make It Myself & When Should I See an Herbalist?

what can an herbalist help with - when to see an herbalist bev mcleish herbal north york region aurora

I wish I got asked this question more often.

Most people think herbs are easy to understand and easy to take because they grew up immersed in a Western mindset when it comes to substances that affect the body. They think of natural remedies as safe because they’re gentle and not as strong as medicinal drugs. At the same time, they view plants as if they are single substances all to themselves, when nothing could be further from the truth. For instance, many believe when you take an herb labelled for a specific condition it will only work on that condition and a particular part of the body. In addition, many believe that if an herb doesn’t work for them then it doesn’t work for anyone with that condition. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

The reality is that herbs are multifaceted. They contain many chemicals and constituents which work on more than one condition simultaneously. Because there is more to them than one dimension, herbs can work for someone’s joint pain and not another’s. I’ll be touching more on this in next month’s blog.

The main point I am trying to make here is that just because an herb doesn’t work for you doesn’t mean plants are not going to be helpful to you and your situation. This is the very reason why there are herbalists out there. And why some herbs work for some people and not for others.

Small Stuff

When it isn’t serious and happens infrequently, go ahead and use plant remedies for:

  • Colds & Flus
  • Insomnia
  • Headache
  • Aches & Pains
  • Cramps

If there is an issue that has been bothering you for a while or the herb you used did not help or seemed to make things worse, reach out for an herbalist.

We are specially trained to determine which plant would make the best impact based on what you are experiencing – and there are thousands of plants out there.

A WIDE ARRAY OF HERBS IN JARS

When It’s Time to See an Herbalist

If you have any kind of longstanding, chronic or repetitive issue, you should see a medical practitioner. This is to ensure it does not progress into something dangerous; or points to something more problematic going on inside your body.

That being said, plant remedies can do a lot to alleviate discomfort. And can help with any condition the body cooks up.

Menstrual cramps, headaches, long-term insomnia, musculoskeletal pain, digestive issues and nervous system issues are all conditions where herbs can provide a lot of support.

To continue reading this blog please click this link…

 

 

Bev McLeish

Chartered Herbalist

Herbal North

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Get Past Your Fear Of Change

get past your fear of change it can be different karen spencer york region nlp

My last blog discussed why people are afraid of change. Why they opt to stay stuck, rather than push forward toward a new version of themselves. Feelings of discomfort, uncertainty, fear of criticism or failure were the main culprits. Now that we recognize why we resist change so much, the next question is how do we get past those feelings and start moving forward differently?

I have had some major times in my life where I knew that I needed to change, and change BIG, in order to get out of the mess I was in and to get to some place better. But I was scared of making those changes. I didn’t jump into the sea of change right away. I dodged and darted, avoiding what my intuition was telling me for months, even years. It was only when my life got so unhappy and unbearable that I accepted the challenge to make changes. I highly recommend not waiting to embrace change until life gets overwhelming like I did. It leads to chaos, many sleepless nights, and unrelenting anxiety.

I realize that choosing to stay right where you are, doing exactly what you’ve been doing, can provide temporary relief. You won’t need to worry about all of the “what-if…” scenarios. You won’t have the unknown future staring you in the face. But, if you never embrace change, especially the changes you know deep in your heart you need to make, then you will never know what might have been. And isn’t that scarier than the fear of change?

I have listed below six steps that will help you face change more easily in your life.

To continue reading this blog please click this link…

 

Karen Spencer

Master Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and Coach, Master Time Line Therapy® Practitioner, Master Hypnotherapist

It Can Be Different

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The Age Old Practice of Herbal Energetics

Herbal Energetics, Bev McLeish Chartered Herbalist Herbal North Aurora York Region Out of the Woods Wellness in Aurora

The practice of energetics is almost as old as herbal medicine. It has been practiced for thousands of years around the globe, but what exactly is it?

The general idea behind energetics is body balance or homeostasis.  This idea is connected to the herbalist belief that the body can heal itself. That it will do whatever it can to even out its internal processes to come back to its original state of health/balance. Energetics is a method we use to view what’s going on inside the body to help it return to its normal state using herbs.

How the Ancients Viewed Disease

Long ago, disease was seen as a sign that the body was experiencing internal disharmony or imbalance. Symptoms weren’t seen as the problem, but pointed to how the body had to contort itself to continue to function. It was believed that disease, or dis-ease, occurs when one organ isn’t functioning properly. Another organ or function in the body starts to overwork or stops working altogether to compensate instead. Once this happens we start to see or experience symptoms that create pain or discomfort for us.

The symptoms themselves weren’t necessarily seen as the problem but as a sign post or a red flag that communicated what might be going on in the body so that the source of the symptoms could be addressed. The body and disease are seen holistically when using energetics.

The Six Tissue States

Traditional medicines use various ways to understand the body’s language and help the body make the internal adjustment back to health. In those days, we all trusted the plants and our bodies to be on our side. We believed that our body and plant remedies could be trusted and worked together to help us regain a healthy state. We saw these entities as sources of great intelligence.

To continue reading this blog please click here…

 

Bev McLeish

Chartered Herbalist

Herbal North

 

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An Herbalist’s Perspective on the Legalization of Marijuana

Legalizition of Marijuana, Bev McLeish, Herbal North, Out of the Woods Wellness Aurora

Just like everything else, the legalization of cannabis and its various product derivatives brings both positives and negatives. My perspective as an Herbalist is unique. I work with natural plants every day to help people with their physical concerns. So it probably goes without saying that my opinion will differ from the majority.

Here’s my take on this development and my advice to any who may wish to experiment with these new products.

On the Positive Side…

With this new change in legislation, society is starting to reflect a more open mindset. The idea that the natural world can’t be trusted is eroding away. Ten short years ago, cannabis was seen as an enemy to civilized society, something only the young or rebellious would use. Two decades ago, the idea that we would legalize marijuana was laughable.

Since then we’ve done a lot of changing and we are now starting to recognize that there are viable natural alternatives to address our health concerns. This shift is small but mighty and I believe it’s just a matter of time before other plants finally see their day in the sun.

Once the majority agrees that one plant can support our well-being and quality of life without the scary side effects of man-made drugs, it’s just a matter of time before other plants receive their much due recognition. This is the reason why we’ve used plants for health for thousands of years.

It’s Not All Rosy Though

Being an herbalist, you’d think I would praise CBD, cannabis and marijuana from the rooftops as the next best thing. I won’t. In fact, I have to admit I get a little angry when I see people who don’t know anything about plants selling CBD oil and saying everyone should be taking it.

To continue reading the rest of this article please click here…

 

Bev McLeish

Chartered Herbalist

Herbal North

 

 

 

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What Does Anxiety Look Like?

what does anxiety feel like, Karen Spencer NLP, Out of the Woods Wellness Aurora

In this blog, we are going to explore what anxiety looks like, what it feels like, and how it shows up in our lives.  I am talking about anxiety that is not productive.  You know, the kind that keeps you up at night, that stops you in your tracks, that makes you and everyone around you crazy.

This unhealthy anxiety can strike at any moment and usually does.  It sometimes creeps into your life bit by bit, tapping you on the shoulder like a person trying to get your attention.  Or it can barge into your life like a house invader that just broke down the front door.  Throwing things around without regard for your feelings.  Totally unwanted and frightening.

What Does Anxiety Feel Like?

When someone asks me what anxiety feels like, I generally talk about these symptoms.  You can feel panicky, unsure, irritable, jittery, numb.  Sometimes you become hypervigilant.  You can experience headaches, migraines, vomiting, nausea, clammy hands, clenched jaw, panting, trembling, racing heart, inability to speak or think clearly, breathlessness, tight chest or insomnia.  You can start performing repeated patterns such as scratching or picking at yourself and you can develop a sensitivity to light or sound.

Thoughts You Can’t Turn Off

You may also have repetitive thoughts that you cannot turn off, no matter how hard you try.  Random, flittering thoughts that are most likely negative and predict a worse-case scenario.  These thoughts tend to lead from one disaster to another such as “this will happen and then that will happen and then that will cause this to happen.”

These stories that we tell ourselves are vivid and melodramatic with everything that could possibly go wrong occurring all at once.  These stories are always in the future and have nothing to do with the exact moment that we are living in.  Convoluted and detailed, they become ingrained in our current consciousness as if they were actually happening.

All of this thinking and imagining is so easily triggered and yet so very difficult to stop.

To continue reading the rest of this blog, click here …

 

Karen Spencer

Master Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) Practitioner and Coach, Master Time Line Therapy® Practitioner, Master Hypnotherapist

It Can Be Different

 

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