It's festival time!

It's June, it is pouring with rain, gale force winds are forecast so it can only mean one thing ..  the summer festival season has started!

Summer for me, and many fellow homeopaths, means helping out at festivals with the Travelling Homeopaths Collective (@THChomeopaths on twitter) who have been providing low cost clinics at festivals and events since 1990. I usually work at Glastonbury and a couple of local ones but with no Glasto this year I'm staying closer to home and will be off to the wonderfully quirky Beat-Herder Festival at the end of the month.

 

The Travelling Homeopaths Collective is a charity set up by Marcus Christo and we see thousands of people every year at festivals throughout the country. We offer treatment for acute conditions such as hay fever, sunburn, hangovers, cystitis, digestive upsets, coughs and colds, anxiety and panic attacks.

One of the best things about festivals is that many people come back to tell us they are feeling better. Most people we treat have no idea what homeopathy is or they are a bit sceptical and so they are often very surprised about how effective the treatment has been.

It is not appropriate to treat long term problems at festivals but if it is something that we feel might be helped by homeopathy we can put people in touch with a registered practitioner in their area.

Many people just pop in for a chat and want to know what homeopathy is - that is fine too. We have plenty of books and leaflets for people to read and we all like a chat over a cuppa!

This year we will be at over twenty festivals throughout the summer from Wychwood this weekend at Cheltenham Racecourse to Bestival in September on the Isle of Wight so have a look here and see where we'll be.

Glastonbury in 2005

Since 2008 the Travelling Homeopaths have held an annual camp which is like their own mini-festival. This year it will be held between 9th and 12th August on an organic farm close to the Uffington White Horse in the Oxfordshire countryside. There will be an array of well-known homeopaths doing talks and workshops but there is plenty for partners and kids too and there will be a children's area, circus skills, story-telling, Indian Music workshop, Night time entertainment, showers, sauna, camp fire and a fabulous Vegetarian Cafe.

For more info and to book your place at the camp

Follow @THChomeopaths on twitter

Homeopathy Around The World

 

'Making A Difference: Homeopathy Around The World' is a film project from Carol Boyce who has been travelling the world talking to patients and people working on projects in Cuba, Mexico, Haiti, Nepal, UK, and various African countries: Ghana, Benin, Kenya, Swaziland and Tanzania. Here is a short film of some of the people she has met so far.

For more info about what Carol is up to and some more short videos and interviews with homeopaths and other health related stories have a look at the Something to Say Productions website.

On a similar vein - check out this great video from Tanzanian rapper Rayms B, extolling the virtues of Jeremy Sherr and the Homeopathy for Health in Africa Project and guaranteed to get you dancing around!  

 

How To Build Community

How many of these things do you do? We do a lot more since we got rid of our TV!

I came across this when a friend posted it on Facebook and thought it was worth sharing. It comes from the Falcon Heights Neighborhood Liaison Handbook from Falcon Heights, Minnesota. 

Mud, mud, glorious mud.. and sunburn

I went to Glastonbury and then the following weekend to Beat Herder. At both festivals I was working for the Travelling Homeopaths Collective who provide low cost homeopathy clinics at various events over the summer. Glastonbury seems a long time ago now but thought I'd leave you a few words and pictures. the weather really wasn't great for most of the time - loads of rain and then scorching sun so a weekend of extremes but we still had a good time.

I really do need to mention the mud. It always amazes me that we only have one word for mud in English, when faced with a wet Glastonbury 'mud' just isn't enough to describe the array of conditions underfoot. Squelchy, rutted, slippery, spongy, welly-sucking are just a few of the words that spring to mind.

In the clinic at Glastonbury we saw the usual dodgy tummies, insect bites, hangovers and a lot of hayfever. On the Sunday when the sun came out we treated a fair bit of sunburn, cystitis and headaches. The clinics are always a great way of introducing homeopathy to people who haven't tried it or who want to find out more about what we do. It's great to get the instant positive feedback as many people we have treated pop back in to say they are feeling much better.

There are always loads of bands to see and highlights for me were Elbow and Mumford and Sons but there is so much more to festivals than the music. There are always some unusual outfits on display amongst the acts and the punters. See here for Cee Lo Green and his extraordinary shoulder pads! I can honestly say that one of the best dressed gentlemen on site this year was my husband, Lyndon. He was sporting a suit made from previous years Glastonbury cotton bags which was made by his very talented mum, Joyce. Whilst walking around we came across Colin the Oxfam steward. He had made himself a hoody out of bags whilst working in a quiet night shift.

Colin and Lyndon - snappy dressers

There are many great cabaret and circus acts too. We usually end up in the cabaret tent for a few hours - we saw Mitch Benn on Sunday who is best known for his musical contributions to radio programmes like The Now Show

Here is Mitch with his homage to Bruce Springsteen - 'Glastonbury - Born in Mud'

Beat Herder in the Ribble valley was a very different experience - much, much smaller and the sun was shining! It is a great venue with some quirky features like shops and a stage in the woods. They also have the unique Beat Herder and District Working Men's Social Club with real ales, barmaids in drag, Beat Herder's Got Talent, bands, cheesy disco and 70's pics on the walls. I could have spent all weekend in there!

A number of local organisations got involved which was nice to see. Project 6 from Keighley were there with info about what support they offer for people struggling to cope with drink and drug issues, Hudson's Ice Cream from Chatburn, Bowland Brewery had brewed a special Beat Herder ale just for the festival, Clitheroe Transition Town stall were giving away veg plants and fruit bush cuttings. The highlight for me was the Clitheroe Ladies Circle tea and cake stall. They were so dedicated to their task of providing cake to festival folk that some of them went home on Saturday night to do some more baking.

We were very busy with the homeopathy clinic at Beat Herder and the festival organisers had offered us a free tipi. Our tipi was opposite the Ladybird Project who were offering free workshops all day to show kids (and big kids) how to juggle, unicycle, hula hoop and much more. Ladybird are at several festivals over the summer and well worth a look - I can recommend their cabaret, great entertainment for all ages.

A pic of the THC Beat Herder team on Sunday night after we'd finished work.

Jane Clifford, me, Angie Zajac and Jenny Howarth

Here is the list of festivals the Travelling Homeopaths Collective will be at over the summer includes Larmer Tree, Cambridge Folk Festival, Stainsby Folk Festival, Kendal Calling, Solfest and many more - I'll be at Beacons Festival near Skipton in mid August so pop by for a chat.

Firewalking fun..

When I told people I was going to walk on hot coals to raise money for charity the response generally was something like this.

'Why?? You must be mad!'

Strangely enough, I have done fire eating and fire breathing (which I was pretty good at!) A group of us learned how to do it at a friends 40th birthday party...don't try this at home!


Myself and friends Sophie Wild, Penny Lowe and about 20 others were all firewalking to raise money for the lovely folk at Lineham Farm Children's Centre. The event took place on the farm on Thursday evening with a crowd of cold but enthusiastic friends and relatives cheering us on. We got there late afternoon and the weather was fantastic. We had a walk through the woods and met some of the animals, then had some food before we got ready for our team talk. Everyone seemed very calm and relaxed about it all, until we got the disclaimer forms to sign, then that got some people worried!

Sophie and I doing a practise run without the fire!

The 'Learn or Burn' seminar we did before the walk was at times really hilarious. Thanks to Tony Ferrol for making it so enjoyable, entertaining and not at all scary. What actually went on is top secret but I can say it involved lots of laughter, shouting and some very peculiar Peter Pan impressions. I've no idea what the people outside thought we were up to!

Getting warm now...

The walk itself was over so quickly. I remember standing at the beginning waiting to go and stepping on to the coals but then really can't remember anything until I got off the other end. My feet were a bit sooty but completely unharmed. Amusingly, the gravel path was much more painful on the feet than the coals were. Lots of people took photos but they actually didn't come out too well.. so this is the only one of me in action. My pink fleece flapping in the breeze makes it look like I have wings!

Me in action!

Yorkshire TV were there filming and apparently there were clips of us on Calendar, the regional news programme on Friday. Unfortunately, even though we live in Yorkshire, we can't get Yorkshire TV and end up with Granada and all the lovely news from Liverpool and Manchester!

Huge thanks to Tony and all the guys and girls from Blaze Firewalking for making it such a great evening. I can heartily recommend them if you want to do some fundraising with a difference. Whatever you do.. don't try this at home!!

You can still donate direct to Lineham Farm via their Just Giving page

Fire Walking for Lineham Farm

One of the reasons Peter, the web designer, suggested I did a blog was because I do loads of different things and not just homeopathy. So, this is one of those very different things.

I will be walking on hot coals for charity on Thursday 7th April!

A friend Penny works at Lineham Farm Children's Centre which is a fabulous place just north of Leeds where kids and adults can come and stay and have fun. It is run as a charity which provides free week-long activity holidays for local children in need of a break. It can also be hired out by community groups at weekends. Visitors can try all sorts of activities including rock climbing, mountain biking, growing veg, looking after the animals, art, climbing, walks in the woods and much, much more.




However, all this farmyard fun, frolics and adventures come at a cost. And this year they need to raise over a whopping £100,000. Their laundry bills alone are £2000! (The kids do love their mud.) The heating bills are £8,000 (the kids need to wash that mud off). And – deep breath – £80,000 to refurbish the toilets.

A group of us will be doing a sponsored Fire Walk on the evening of Thursday 7th April to raise money for the centre and people are welcome to come along and watch us.

The event is organised by Blaze Firewalking and please DO NOT try doing this yourself! If you want to join us there are still some places available so contact Clare Beard at Lineham Farm on 0113 2817880 or clare@linehamfarm.co.uk

I have set up a page on the Just Giving website if you would like to sponsor me click on the link below.

Homeopathic Camp and festival fun

I have mentioned several times on this blog the great work that Marcus and the Travelling Homeopaths Collective do at festivals. If you are going to a festival this summer there is still time to catch up with them for a chat or some treatment at the Moors festival, Solfest, Lime Tree music festival and The End Of The Road.


THC have a homeopathic camp in the summer and this time it is 11th to 15th August. It has a friendly festival feel for homeopaths, students, their friends and families with lots to keep everyone entertained. Speakers this year include Misha Norland, Kaaren Whitney, David Mundy, Robert Davidson, Jerome Whitney and Michael Thompson. There will also be Indian music, childrens area, storytelling, a sauna and some great veggie food.

For more info see the flyer here

I had a brilliant time at Glastonbury working in the clinic and its always a wonderful opportunity to talk to people about homeopathy and get them to experience it first hand. As it was very hot and dusty we treated a lot more people than usual for hayfever and sunburn and many came back to say they were feeling better after their remedies which is always good to hear.

We seemed to have a lot more people coming in for a chat who were disillusioned with their current treatment and wanting to know if homeopathy might be able to help with longer term problems like depression, menstrual or menopausal symptoms, recurrent infections, ME and chronic fatigue, stress, IBS and many more. We do not treat those sort of chronic problems at festivals so always refer people to a homeopath near where they live.

There have been a lot of negative stories in the press about homeopathy lately so it was lovely to talk to so many people face to face who genuinely wanted to find out more about what we do. Something our critics often forget is that the vast majority of people try complementary therapies because they are not happy with their current treatment and a friend or relative has benefitted from something different. That sort of personal recommendation will far outweigh any number of negative articles in a newspaper or on a blog.

Homeopathic Adventures in India

Adventures in India

Monday 31st May

6.30 for 7pm start

Gateway to Health

Behind LloydsTSB, Castle Hill, Settle

I spent time on a postgraduate homeopathy course in Kolkata in 2008 and 2009. This was a combination of lectures and outreach clinics in the slums and rural areas. I also managed to do a bit of travelling in Darjeeling, Tamil Nadu and Kerala and attended a huge Bengali wedding.

So come along and see a colourful slide show of my Indian adventures.

No charge but please leave donations for refreshments. If you would like to come let me know so I can bake enough cakes!

jo@jorhodeshomeopathy.co.uk

0800 298 0701 or 07932 159099
A sign on the road to Darjeeling

Festival fun

It is that festival time again. I am off to Glastonbury on Monday and will be working with the Travelling Homoeopaths Collective. Our enormous tent is just on the right hand side as you enter the Healing Field. So pop in for a chat if you're passing or are in need of some treatment.

http://www.thc.org.uk

While I'm away if you need some advice or remedies in the Settle area please call my colleague Samantha Glossop 07877 138210

Or you can call the Homeopathy Helpline for advice on 0906 534 3404. A qualified homeopath is available between 9am and midnight every day. Calls cost approx £1.50 a minute but if you are clear on what symptoms you want help with the calls will not last long.

http://www.homeopathyhelpline.com/

Northern Green Gathering 2008

Earlier this month I went to the Northern Green Gathering which was held at Lime Tree farm near Ripon. I was working with the Travelling Homoeopaths Collective to provide a clinic at the festival.

Northern Green Gathering is an annual camping event focused around sustainable living and green campaigns which has been running since 1998. The camp was powered entirely by sustainable means - wind turbines and solar panels - and the aim was to ensure minimal impact. The site also has composting toilets, recycling was encouraged, and all on-site food was organic and vegetarian.

The weather was not kind to us with a fair bit of rain and very strong winds but a good time was had by all. There was loads of stuff for kids to do, a big craft area as well as a permaculture and gardening area and a large campaigns tent where there was information and literature on environmental and other issues.

Our clinic was based in the healing field where there were lots of free classes and workshops including yoga, tai chi, meditation, Tibetan chanting and even how to make softpots (plant pots made out of old tights!)

Lime Tree Farm is a beautiful location and a fine example of conservation in action. The farm has wonderful roundhouse, tepee, lake and a stone circle, a bird hide and woods.

http://www.nggonline.org.uk

http://www.limetreefarm.co.uk/

Glastonbury 2008

I had a great time at Glastonbury and it was wonderful to have some good weather for a change!

I worked as a volunteer with the Travelling Homoeopaths Collective who provide drop-in clinics at various festivals over the summer. Working in the clinic was often a very busy, but rewarding, experience. Many people popped back in to see us to let us know they were feeling better after their remedies so it was nice to have some instant feedback.

We helped with a variety of conditions including dodgy tummies, cystitis, hangovers, coughs and colds, sunburn and skin rashs. By far the most common problem we treated was hayfever. Most people who came to us were taking medication which usually kept their symptoms under control. Spending a few days in a dusty, festival site with lots of unfamiliar pollen and their symptoms came on with a vengeance.

There are several published research papers which show that homeopathic treatment is effective for hayfever. Hayfever is an excellent example of the individual nature of homeopathy. A remedy is chosen based on the symptoms so we need to know what is causing the person the most trouble, is it constant sneezing, itchy and runny eyes, burning nasal discharge, hoarseness or anything else.

Three of the most commonly used remedies for hayfever are

Allium Cepa Burning nasal discharge causing sore nostrils and upper lip, itchy and watery eyes, sneezing

Euphrasia Eyes severely affected with profuse burning and watering, burning and swelling of eyelids, sneezing, nasal discharge which does not burn

Wyethia Particularly good for symptoms confined to the back of nose and throat; dry and intensely itchy; dry wheezy cough

Some of these homeopathic remedies are available over the counter and can be helpful when symptoms appear. However, hayfever is a deep-seated condition, and constitutional treatment from a qualified homeopath over two or three seasons may be able to cure the condition completely. I recommend starting treatment before the hayfever season in order to strengthen general health and reduce sensitivity to pollens.

I thoroughly enjoyed my festival experience, and am looking forward to doing another clinic with the Travelling Homoeopaths at the Northern Green Gathering near Ripon in August.

Travelling Homoeopaths Collective http://www.thc.org.uk/
Northern Green Gathering http://www.nggonline.org.uk

Homeopathy Volunteering

I have always wanted to be able to bring homeopathy to people who would never normally have access to such therapies.

I am currently working as a volunteer with the Hub at Connexions based in Settle which helps support young people in the area. I am providing homeopathy, Bach Flower Remedies, advice on diet and relaxation techniques to young people and liaising with support workers, GPs and drug workers where necessary.

http://www.connexionsyorkandnorthyorkshire.org.uk

When I lived in Bristol I ran a drop-in clinic for homeless magazine vendors and staff at the Big Issue. I used homeopathy and Bach Flower Remedies to help reduce anxiety, sleep problems and other emotional disturbances and also provided homeopathic first aid for such things as injuries, colds, headaches, hayfever and infected wounds.

www.bigissue.co.uk

I have also worked as a volunteer for SANE the mental health charity on their helpline. This involved taking calls from a variety of people affected by mental health issues in some way. The training was intensive and included a great deal of information about the mental health system and conventional treatment as well as excellent counselling training.

http://www.sane.org.uk