Hey beautiful followers and friends alike! I'm using this post to do two things - extol the virtues of naturopathy in my life, and to introduce you to a new initiative I'm starting with @mountainjewel and @holisticmom called NaturalMedicine! We're launching this in the next few days, but I really wanted to tell YOU guys first and to give you a chance to join our Discord and follow the blog so that you don't miss the action over the next week or so! I know MANY of you are huge fans and advocates of natural remedies, herbs and alternative healing, and can't wait for you to join us!

Here's our banner - what do you think? The beautiful green lotus with the heart at it's centre was designed by @hungryhustle - love him! It really suits the project - it recalls the sprituality of the lotus, the healing of plants, and the love and enthusiasm at @naturalmedicine's core.

I'm super excited about this initiative because alternative remedies are the BOMB. They've been part of my entire life, because I was raised in a family that respected them, and I really identified with the natural healing approach far more than I did anything else, and I saw time and time again that it worked. We also had a family doctor that studied Chinese medicine and ayurveda, as well as frequent the local yoga classes, so he used to practice a lot on us to good effect!

Herbs have always been my favourite allies, though, more so than anything.

I think they have been my saviour, my entire life. Raised with a resourceful mother who loved to garden, we learnt a lot about the healing power of plants as Mum perused books and planted a huge cottage garden in the 80's, teaching us about lavender and chamomile, plantain and echinacea, sage and comfrey. I'm grateful for that love she instilled in me for plants. It's those natural medicines that have helped me out, time and time again.

It's thus herbs I turn too when I need healing, rather than conventional medicine. I trust them more. And it's those whose trade is herbal and alternative medicines that I'll turn to when I'm suffering. At times in my life when my system is depleted, strained or struggling big time, it's not the doctor that's my first thought. He's good for broken bones and medical certificates and the occasional anti-biotic when things just refuse to shift with alternative approaches, but it's my naturopath that I'll go too to really get me up and running again - a herbal and alternative medicine expert that works with me to get me back on track.

Most people I talk to will say they've 'always been meaning to go to a naturopath' as they understand their value here in Australia, but don't often think to go. It's a shame, because it works.

The principles of naturopathy are simple. The underpinning principles of the system are to do no harm, the healing power of nature, find the cause and treat the cause whenever possible (not just the symptoms, as a conventional doctor will do), treat the whole person, and educate/prevent. It's both an art and a science - they are all about prevention, rather than band-aid cures. Quackery it is not - I love that my naturopath will talk to me about the science of what's going on with my body, as well as treating me with more traditional evidence and remedies too.

The more I visit my naturopath, the more I realise that she has far more power to help me than the doctor. She can treat me for acute and chronic conditions just as well as a GP can, and will work with doctor advice as well. I'm prescribed symbicort for my lungs, and she knows that I need this to keep me going - however, she'll support my system to cope with this steroid as well as suggest a future alternative pathway that might help me kick it. They aren't anti mainstream medicine, knowing it has a big place in helping the sick, but have a much more holistic approach. A doctor will see my lungs, whereas she will see my entire organs, what I eat, my lifestyle choices. This has always made a lot more sense to me than just looking at one tiny part of me.

Being a big fan of herbal medicine, and was so pleased to get a big bottle of the good stuff to support my anxiety (for those of you that have been following my mental health story this past week, I'm on the mend I think, due to the care of my naturopath, and I'll write about this more in another post - who knows, maybe even under the @naturalmedicine banner!

Are you a fan of herbal remedies? Are alternative medicines your jam - anything from yoga to TCM, reiki to meditation, food as medicine or my favourite, herbs? Then I'd so love to see you over on our Discord channels - please do feel every so welcome! Here's the link! https://discord.gg/rNgU9CE

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