We Enjoyed the Neal’s Yard Remedies ‘Intro to Herbal Remedies’ Course
At some point during our time in London we decided to do the Neal’s Yard Intro to Herbal Remedies Stage 1 course. It was on a Sunday and Lynn and I are rolling with this, hungry for information and ready to expand regarding our attempt to lead natural health & wellbeing lifestyles.
Neal’s Yard has a great reputation and I am totally in love with the brand, the shops and the products.
Our course on the second floor. Image from Pixabay, I didn’t have time to take pictures on the day.
Here’s what the course covered:
– An intro to plants as medicine / remedies / therapeutic value- Type of hermal remedies (juicies, teas, decoctions, macerated oils, syrups, etc)- Global healing tradicionts (Western, Ayurvdic, TCM, Unani)- Ancient Greek medicine- The Humoral Theory- What ‘to be whole’ means (very appropriate for the mission of this website)- Plant identification- Wild harvesting – Seasonal herbs- Cultivation- Prepping your plants- Herbal teas and infusions- Favourite herbal teas (uplifting, after dinner, reviving)- Herbal infusions- Herbal remedies recipes (sore throat, Elderberry syrup, decoctions, macerated oils, salves/ointments/balms and tinctures)
Our tutor was Julie Wood, check out her website here: Lady Comfrey (lovely name!).
July was superb. I particularly liked he love of plants (“If you are to take something from this course then let it be the gratitude we should feel for what the plants are offering us”) [not ad verbatim but the idea is there].
I MOST DEFINITELY took that with me from the course. A newfound love for plants and the magic they offer us on a daily basis.
Like a reviewer for one of Christopher Hedley’s books said (and, yes, I did buy the book, July recommended this man very highly, he used to work at Neal’s Yard as a herbalist):
“It feels like an invitation to Hogwarts – the school of wizards and witches.. And I am in:-) ~ M. Amelchenko
We took home 4 wonderful balms (2 Lynn/2 Patri).
As you can see, this is a great little intro for anyone interested in getting started with herbal remedies. Having done the course in the UK and having bought most books from Neal’s Yard Remedies: > Beauty Book, > Essential Oils, > Cook, Brew and Blend Your Own Herbs,> Homeopathyand other herbal remedies books (see below) I feel Lynn and I will have a solid natural health & wellbeing background.
In fact, the other books we’ve bought are somehow very related to Neal’s Yard Remedies and I personally both love this and feel it is extremely important. Almost like sticking to ‘a school of thought’ if you like. And I like the way Neal’s Yard Remedies ‘thinks’ (outstanding ethos, incredible values behind their company).
Here are the other books in case you’re interested:
> The Handmade Apothecary [Amazon link] (Vicky Chown worked at Neal’s Yard Remedies for 7 years – more info here)> Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine by Andrew Chevalier [Amazon link]. [published by dk.com who also publish Neal’s Yard remedies books)> Christopher Hedley’s books (herbalist who, according to Julie, worked at Neal’s Yard for some time. She highly recommended his books. I have 3 of his books which I got from Amazon.)
Confident We’ll Take it to the Next Level
The idea when we go back to Tenerife is to learn as much as we can from the courses and the books, but taking it slowly.
We have the rest of our lives to take care of ourselves and I’m sure we will 🙂
Our Plans for the Future
Eventually, when we get our own house (at the moment we live in a flat), we will dedicate part of the premises to our herbs, DIY cosmetics ‘tools’, books, etc. Basically, our playground.
1. A Resourceful Base of Herbs
By planting them in El Rincón, a green area in North Tenerife where my family has some land.
By walking around the foresty areas and foraging according to what we learned at the course (respecting the law, sustainability and respecting each plant, or course)
By growing some plants at home in our own garden, window sills, etc (once we get tired of travelling and are ready to commit 100% to making sure they’re always taken care of!)
2. Our Own Remedies ‘Kit’
Of course it would be ideal to have our own first aid herbal remedies ‘kit’ in our kitchen larder.
Not too far off in the future, hopefully!
