Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Friday, August 03, 2007

  • Ireland - 2007

    I started out my trip in beautiful Galway, in the West of Ireland, at the 14th Irish Society of Homeopaths Conference. This is the fourth time I have spoken at this conference and I always love it.

    The Irish are a wild and friendly nation and even if the weather is bad - and it often is - the warmth of the people is just grand!*

    The Irish conferences were established in 1994 by Nuala Eising of the Burren School of Homeopathy.
    The Galway College of Homeopathy - founded in 2004 by Kate Chatfield and Clare Sheehan - are continuing a fine and fun tradition.

    The homeopathy conferences are brilliant events: unique in that they are organized by students
    - a fresh group of students each year who make all decisions, including who to invite to speak! They work incredibly hard to pull off events that are well-attended and great value. Over 300 students and practitioners attended from all over Ireland, England and Europe - and a smattering from the rest of the world.

     

    The University of Galway (the conference venue) is just outside the city of Galway.


     

    Between sessions, people and vendors galore hung out inside the light and airy building that was our
    (conference) home for 3 days!

    The auditorium was so well 'built' that speakers did not need microphones.
    As usual most attendees are women - as are most homeopaths.

    Here I am with two of the 'organizers/future homeopaths' - Helena and Breda.
    My talk went well - I spoke about the key things that I had learnt in 25 years of homeopathic
    practice.

    Jayesh Shah came from India to talk about his work with Sankaran's 'sensations'.

    Other speakers including Misha Norland (the Devon School of Homeopathy), Amy Rothenberg (who
    spoke about her husband - Paul Herscu's Cycles and Segments), and Jurgen Becker (who spoke
    about his inspirational work with the C4 diltutions.)

    It is always lovely to see old friends at these conferences, especially Francis Treuherz from
    London who is a friend and colleague for the past 30 years. He introduced me (for my presentation!),
    telling a fun story about a box of chocolates he had given me one time as a birthday present.
    The box was from Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy and inside the box were 6 bottles of tablets:
    Chocolate 6C, 12C, 30C, 200C and 1M!!! Jeremy Sherr had just completed his proving of the remedy
    (where a substance is 'tested' on a group of healthy people) and the remedies were newly available
    at the pharmacy.

    After the conference I stayed in Ireland for four glorious days, driving and walking and trying
    to stay warm! It was in the low 50s for most of that time. Thank goodness the sun peeped
    out for an hour or more some days!



    Galway City

    Galway is a small city on the west coast of Ireland at the mouht of the River Corrib which
    runs into the Atlantic ocean. It's history dates back to 1124 when a fort was built - from
    which a city grew. I had a great time walking eating fish and chips and visiting some of the
    ancient sites. I loved St Nicholas' Collegiate Church - the largest medieval parish church in
    Ireland which holds the remains of a Knigh Templar! The holy grail legends are alive and well
    in Ireland that's for sure! Galway is the fastest growing city in Europe and it's heart is a
    compact hub of delightful, winding streets full of life.

    Click the little arrow icon to hear a Galway Fiddler I passed by walking through the City.
    You can hear the people laughing and chatting outside the pubs as well!

                 


    The Burren

    The Burren looks like a lunar landscape - it's name means 'rocky place'. It is starkly beautiful, with
    gray limestone hills and valleys like giant rock gardens littered with dolmens, burial chambers and other
    megalithic tombs up to 6000 years old - older than the pyramids!!

    Apparently the spring is the time to visit the burren because Arctic, Alpine and Mediterranean plants
    are in full bloom in an amongst the stones.

    Cliffs of Mohar

    These breathtaking cliffs stand 700 feet above the Atlantic Ocean and are home to over 30,000 birds
    with 29 species nesting there including Atlantic Puffins, hawks, gulls, guillemots, shags, ravens and
    many more.

    The visitor center is a spectacular, environmentally fascinating building carved out
    of a limestone hill.


    Knocknaree

    Here are my friends Gerry and Angie who both work at the Irish School of Homeopathy
    in Dublin. I stayed in their lovely cottage in Sligo to unwind after the conference. Sligo is
    'Yeat's country and is full of the most beautiful countryside: I had many beautiful walks

    by lakes, streams and valleys

    Knocknarea is an isolated hill by the seaside marked by a huge stone cairn on its summit.
    It took a good hour to get to the top and was well worth it in spite of the bitter winds up
    there! Beautiful views abounded.

    Tradition tells that is is the tomb of the redoutable 11th century warrior: Queen Maeve
    of Connaught. Maeve is reputedly entombed in the Knocknarea cairn in an erect position,
    in full battle regalia, facing northward towards her Ulster enemies. Some tombs are
    dated to the Neolithic era, with evidence of the re-usage of such tombs in the Bronz and
    Iron Ages!


    Mute Swans

    Here are some facts and trivia! (mainly from Wikepedia)

    The Mute Swan is the national bird of the Kingdom of Denmark.
    In the     UK they are the property of the Queen and only the monarchy can kill/eat them.
    It is one of the heaviest flying birds: males reach 30lbs or more. They fly up to speeds of 55 mph.
    The swans in the moat at The Bishops Palace at Wells Cathedral, England have for centuries been
    trained to ring bells for food. Two swans are still able to ring for lunch.
    Swans are highly revered in by the ancient Celts.     Some Celtic bird-goddesses took the form of swans.
    Swans are also highly revered in Hinduism.
    The sound of the wings during flight, which has been described as a musical throbbing or humming was
    believed by both the Ancient Britons and the Anglo-Saxons to be a human voice.
    Socrates' last words before being put to death in 399 AD: " You think I cannot see as far ahead as a
    swan. You know that when swans feel the approach of death they sing, and they sing sweeter and
    louder on the last days of their lives because they are going back to that God whom they serve."
    (Plato)


    Celtic Seaweed Baths in Sligo!

    Thalassatherapy (seaweed-based therapy) has been popular for thousands of years. It is believed
    that seawater and seaweed have therapeutic properties, because seawater is similar to body plasma.
    So, soaking in warm seawater enables the body to absorb minerals and trace elements while at the
    same time eliminating toxins and impurities. Seaweed contains minerals and trace elements including
    iodine. It also contains natural oils which are released by warm water. S    eaweed baths are known to
    relieve conditions like psoriasis, eczema, rheumatism and arthritis.

    The hot bath was wonderfully relaxing and my skin was super-silky afterwards but the
    mucilaginous properties of the seaweed made me reluctant to lift an arm or leg out of the water.
    Strings of slime are not appealing to me under any circumstance. Silly me!

    Here's the beach by the baths.


    Finally ... here are some panoramic photos that i 'stitched together'

    Strandhill ...  near Sligo - home of the Celtic Seaweed Baths!

    A view from Knocknarea.

    Inniscrone Beach ... Ireland's oldest 'seaside resort' with the finest, whitest of sand and the
    softest of dunes in which to nap, sheltered from those Atlantic 'breezes'!

    I have visited Ireland several times but this was my first time to really experience it and enjoy
    more than a few days at a homeopathy conference!     It was just grand. * I can't wait to go back!
    I loved the way complete strangers would stop and talk for hours, the wicked irish sense of humor, the way the rain fell oh so gently, the creamy guinness (creamier than guinness anywhere else in
    the world!), the dry stone walls in so many more shapes and patterns than I've seen anywhere
    else, the fat and crispy chips (fries!), the sound of music and laughter in every pub ... and so
    much more.

    * Grand is the Irish 'adjectorial' equivalent to the Brit's 'brilliant'!

Sunday, October 15, 2006

  • Japan - 2006

    It's hard to believe that this time last week I was teaching homeopathy to 400 homeopathy students
    and practitioners in Tokyo plus another couple of hundred in two other locations in Japan by
    simultaneous video transmission.

     

    Japan is a long, long way away. Twenty-four hours door to door (more on the way home),
    including     two flights (three on the way home). 14 hours on one flight is just too long. After about 8
    hours I     just wanted to get off or go for a walk. While most people slept I walked a circuit of the plane
    - 100     steps each time around meant I did 1000 steps stretching all the way! That helped!!

    My first impressions of Toyko were affected by the weather. It was dreadfully gray and wet - so gray
    that the sky merged with the gray concrete of the skyscrapers and the streets and motorways all
    around.



    The view from my 22nd floor hotel room!



    Looking down!!



    ZEN Curry & Piano Cafe! What could that be?!



    A soup kitchen - like so many restaurants, beautiful, organic design.



    A peak into the restaurant.

    My time in Japan passed in a blur of exhaustion and wonder. I never managed to catch up on my sleep
    and after a few days I just stopped trying. Maybe it was the double jetlag, not having recovered from
    my UK trip the week before, or maybe it was the extra hard beds! There was so much to wonder at ...
    so much that was new or different. While I hate to travel I love to experience another culture -
    meeting the people and eating the food is always fascinating.

    My first impressions of Japan started at Narida Airport. There were lots of people but hardly any noise.
    A reverential hush best describes the atmosphere - almost church-like. The airport itself gleamed and
    sparkled like a new pin and the 'staff' were all very smiley and polite! Compare and contrast the shock
    of Chicago on the return journey. A filthy, hellish experience. Masses of noisy people. Rude,
    intimidating airport staff. What a shock this must be to Japanese people visiting the US for the first
    time.

    Then there was the food. It was out of this world. I was lucky to to eat with Japanese people - in
    restaurants or their homes. The food was a far cry from the Japanese cuisine that I have eaten in
    restaurants in England and America. It made me think of how different it is to eat Italian food in Italy.
    Japanese food explodes with freshness and with taste and texture contrasts. There was so much new
    to discover - some of it rather strange. A Japanese ice cream sundae with gray and green ice creams,
    cubes of gray and sea green jelly (jello) and a dollop of cream and a red bean on top! The gray     ice
    cream that looked as if it had been made with the ashes from a coal fire. Dirty gray with dark gray
    flecks.     It was black sesame ice cream and absolutely delicious. Udon soup with a variety of gray,
    brown and beige 'items' (not one of them a noodle) most of which were delicious but largely
    unidentifiable. There was one rubbery item that resisted chopsticks - it squeaked against my teeth
    when I chewed it and tasted of nothing. Everyone I asked about it said 'oh yes - no calories    .'  Another
    day, another soup. We cooked this one at our table. It was full of vegetables zinging with freshness,
    big slabs of soft tofu, glutens (rubbery lumps of various shapes and colors), and rolls of tofu skin. This
    highly nutritious food stretched my culinary adventurousness to its limits and slightly beyond.

    Here are just a couple of memorable meals - without smell-o-rama i'm afraid they aren't great.
    The first is from the breakfast buffet at my fancy hotel. Scrunchy salads, steamed broccoli fish and an
    umeboshi plum! Great way to start the day.


















    A lunch box! Always a hot towel. Always pickles and fresh fruit. So healthy and varied.
    This box had rice and steamed vegetables, a selection of grilled and skewered meats and fishes, and 
    salads. On the saucer are pickled crysanthemums. I told my hostess I loved bitter foods and this was
    the bitterest delicacy she could find. They were delicious.
















    Ah - sashimi! A work of art. The fish folded and placed just so. Fresh wasabi. A mound of minute,
    fragrant, purple, sweet basil sprouts. A basil leaf behind which hides a pile of grated daikon raddish.
     



















    Pickles are required at every meal. They come in an unimaginable number of colors, shapes and sizes.
    Here are just a few from the pickle booth at the covered market in Kyoto.



















    Did you want to know what a wasabi looked like?! In one restaurant the fresh, green root was served
    with a special grater so you grate your own into the soup.















    I loved the covered market: half a mile of booths selling all sorts of weird and wonderful foods.


    And so to work!!!
    I spoke for three days on using homeopathy during pregnancy, birth and the post natal period to
    students and practitioners at the Japan Royal Academy of Homeopathy. The principal is Torako Yui - a
    powerhouse of love and dedication for homeopathy. She trained in the UK and became Japan's first
    homeopath in 1995. In just ten short years she has spread homeopathy throughout her land, with
    schools, offices and clinics in three main locations. There are 600 graduates and 400 current
    students.  She has a pharmacy and has bought land to build a manufacturing facility. She has written
    two books on homeopathy and translated a dozen more into Japanese. She is also president of the
    Japanese Homeopathic Medical Association (which she inaugurated in 1998), the standard setting
    organization for homeopaths in Japan. He    r plans include many more translations (including my book,
    Homeopathy for Pregnancy, Birth and Your Baby's First Years), and a hospital. Her school is a miracle
    of technical sophistication with huge flat screen monitors absolutely everywhere, including at two
    remote locations showing the seminar at the same time and allowing for students at those locations to
    participate by asking questions.

       















       



    Torako Yui





















    Homeopathy Japan's main pharmacy and clinic - a blend of beautiful old and new woods, custom
    design, fresh flowers and friendly courtesy.













































    The school! What fun to see the Union Jack flying!



























    Just thinking about where all the shoes were going to go was deeply puzzling to me. It didn't occur to
    me that the 'empty shelves' in the school shop were empty for precisely that reason!















    One student looked beautiful in her kimono






















    The equipment!









































































    The office - a hive of quiet efficiency.






















    A 'nursery' classroom housed the mothers and babies who also watched the whole seminar on a big
    screen while, feeding, changing and playing with their babies.











































    I was full of trepidation at having to teach through an interpreter, but that trepidation all but melted
    away as soon as I met Midori, the translator, a bright and vibrant woman who laughed happily when I
    said she must feel free to make my jokes funnier if she liked. The last shreds of trepidation
    disappeared after just a short while. Row upon row of attentive students who appeared to be
    understanding my everyword made it hard for me to remember to stop after every sentence or so for
    Midori to 'catch up'.

















































    A professional photographer took photos which I taught the first morning - he must have taken
    hundreds of photos if not more. It was so embarrassing I pretended he wasn't there. On the last day
    one of the teachers at the school took more photos. I was over my embarrassment by then and
    whipped out my own camera to take one of him photographing me!

    On my last day I was presented with an album of photos showing 'me' in at least a hundred
    expressions and stances. Rivetting. And what an interesting way to make a visiting lecturer feel
    appreciated.




























    This building, around the corner from the school, houses the school's pharmacy and overspill classrooms.


    The Kyoto Office, Clinic, Pharmacy and Classrooms!



























































































    Mount Fuji


















    Kyoto Temples - ancient buildings and gardens full of peaceful spirits





















    Five hundred year old trees




























    Balance everywhere










































































           







































          




































    Finally - some quirky or beautiful sights in no particular order!

    A tree trunk wrapped around a lamp-post. Yes how? but more importantly why?




























    This is the most beautiful bath plug I have ever seen.
    It is a triumph of practical, beautiful design.

























     

     

    Changing trains we have to make our way from one platform to another - via
    an archway that is 4 foot 6 inches high!!!




























    Hilarious plant    . Solanum mammosum (solanaceae) originated in Brazil.
    Due to the shape of its yellow fruit, this plant is known as Fox Face.
    With Midori - my wonderful guide/companion in Kyoto


























     

    Hilarious traffic signals












              






     

    Hilarious socks
















     

     

     

     






























    I am so sorry these photos are out of focus. The dog has a matching helmet.





     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     






















     

    Mushrooms at $600 for a box (4 in a box).  Wow.



















     

     

    The special stones at this shrine are wearing aprons.



















     

     

    Beautiful beautiful drain. So simple.






















     

     

    A bamboo fence merges effortlessly with nature.



















     

     

    One of the 'joys' of jetlag is being able to catch the sunrise!

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     













     

     

     

     













  • Man Singing in Park on His Way to Work

    I took this mini video early one morning during a walk in the park next to the hotel.

    This video may take a while to upload depending on the speed of your connection.


  • Women's Temple

    This even minier video is of one of the temples I visited in Kyoto.
    Covering the ground is a velvet carpet of iridescent moss. All around are dark, dense bamboo forests.

    This video may take a while to upload depending on the speed of your connection.


  • Atami Sunrise

    Here is the first 'video' I took in Japan with my new camera!
    It is of the sunrise at Atami. You can hear the dawn chorus & a train.

    This video may take a while to upload depending on the speed of your connection.


Sunday, August 07, 2005

  • Julian Winston

    I’ve been back from the UK for a little over 2 months and my trip now feels very far away. I am fully ensconced in a South Florida summer – keeping as cool as I can – noticing that I’m setting the A/C a little bit lower each year. Three years ago I was perfectly happy with the A/C at 78 or even 80. This year I’m happier when it’s at 76 or 77!

    The saddest thing that happened shortly after my return was the death of Julian Winston on the 12th of June. Julian was one of homeopathy’s fiercest proponents – a vociferous defender of classical homeopathy. He owned one of the world’s largest homeopathic collections (2000 volumes, 4000 vials of historical remedies and a huge collection of homeopathic ephemera). He became a unique repository of knowledge and wisdom – especially of the philosophy and history of homeopathy.

    He was gloriously eccentric – a renaissance man, having an almost impossible range of lifelong passions including: racing cars, homeopathy and healing, shooting and guns, making and playing pedal steel guitars. He was at different times in his life an artist, industrial designer, musician, historian, author, professor, collector. He edited Homeopathy Today – the National Center for Homeopathy’s magazine for over 20 years.

    He was a prolific communicator writing 100s of articles and many books including three on homeopathy and two on playing the pedal steel guitar.


    I visited him in New Zealand in 2001 – here he is with 3 of his true loves: Gwyneth (he moved to NZ in 1994 from the US after his marriage), part of his homeopathy library and the pedal guitar he made himself.


    The latest edition of Homeopathy Today (available any day now) is dedicated to Julian. His website is full of his spirit which shall live for always.


  • 2004 was an incredible year ... my second living in Florida with lots of travel and 4 hurricanes!

    In March - I traveled to New York to teach at The School of Homeopathy, New York. I just love New York - having grown up in the middle of London the city is engrained in my soul. It is familiar to me. Home. I love the energetic vibrations - and of all the cities I have ever visited, New York is definitely the most energetic! I love being able to walk and walk and walk. I love the valiant efforts of city trees to break up the concrete.I love coming across islands of peace - parks and cafes in and amongst the dusty din.

    In May I traveled to Portland, Oregon where I gave a writing workshop for homeopaths for the National Center for Homeopathy! Such fun!

    In June I went to Wales and England - teaching at the Welsh School of Homeopathy Summer School and then Birmingham School of Homeopathy. Wales was beautiful - it was my first experience of teaching in a tent - a geodesic dome no less! Here's the view from the classroom!


    The weather was heavenly, the food the best vegetarian I've ever had and the students full of vim and vigor. This Summer School must be the most unusual in the world - woven as it was with West Wales enchantment. There were magical rituals including candle-lit walks though the woods and sweat lodges, early morning swims and meditations. Here are the happy graduates.


    I have to tell you about public footpaths. They criss cross the UK and may be found in cities and towns as well as the countryside. They have provided a legal right of way for people travel by foot or horseback for hundreds of years. There 140,000 miles of public footpaths in England and Wales and landowners are required to keep them clear of obstructions! They take you through some of the most beautiful countryside. I miss them tremendously. Here's a typical sign and a stile -  making it possible for people to traverse fences but not animals.



    The Ramblers Association is full of information about walking around England - and about walking ...

    According to the Ramblers' Association there's no need to waste money on unused gym membership...simply measuring your daily tally of steps is a great way to assess and then maintain a healthy lifestyle.

    Put on a pedometer when you get up in the morning and wear it until bedtime. It was a sobering experience for me. I am happily - or rather stupidly - sedentary and have to make special efforts to get up and about. The most steps I take in the course of a day are 6 to the printer and back to my desk and 36 to the bathroom and back. I know I'm not alone!  When I had a dog morning and evening walks were easy. Now I have to build them into my daily routine - making sure I walk a good mile (at least 3500 steps) each time otherwise I'm in danger of literally falling apart at the seams!!!

    Researchers tell us that healthy adults should aim to be in the Active or Highly Active category (i.e. 3-4 miles per day!) which means I have some ways to go since I think I'm doing really well if I've walked 2 miles!!!

    Under 5,000 steps     Inactive / Sedentary
    5,000 - 7,499 steps    Low Active
    7,500 - 9,999 steps    Somewhat Active
    Over 10,000             Active
    Over 12,500             Highly Active 

    In October I flew to Los Angeles to teach at the American University of Complementary Medicine. It was fun to stay in Santa Monica, to walk along the beach and people watch. There were people of all ages - and I mean all ages - there were roller bladers in their 70s and probably older, artists galore, wrestling matches and fortune tellers.

    In November I taught in Deland at the Florida Academy of Classical Homeopathy. Deland is one of the sweetest towns in Florida - it has tons of character - a real 'high street' with stores and cafes and lots of beautiful tree-lined streets. The Deland school is small and friendly, and its students hard-working and fun.

    After all this travel and all these schools I am struck by how dedicated homeopathic students are the world over - how bright and lively they are. How much they love homeopathy - even when it's driving them to distraction!

    Homeopathic Visitors

    It's so surprising to me how many people are visiting now that I live in Florida! And pleasing! I had some great homeopathic friends including

    Rob Barker who founded The Homeopathic Supply Company. He publishes my book on homeopathy for pregnancy, birth and babies in the UK.

    John Morgan who founded Helios Homeopathic Pharmacy visited with his wife Maya and daughter Michaela. We went to Butterfly World- my very favorite local outing. A myriad butterflies in a beautiful tropical setting fluttering to classical music and trickling waters. The most spectacular must be the Moon Moth - at least 10" long ... the notice reads "I am alive but sleeping. I fly at night. Please do not wake me up. Thank you."

     

    The hurricanes were really interesting. While it's great to be prepared for an impending disaster - living in fear and anxiety for whole weeks at a time were incredibly stressful. I lost a few trees but otherwise the neighborhood where I live did really well.

    So ... now I am all caught up from last year ... watch out for my 2005 entries!!!

Monday, December 20, 2004

  • Are you worried about the Dreaded Flu this year? Don't be. There's lots of help to be had from the homeopathic treasure chests - to help prevent the flu, to treat it if you get sick and to help you recover. 

    I suggest you start with Th