How it works?
Understanding the function and effectiveness of homeopathy
So how does Homeopathy Work?
The Law of cure
Homeopaths treat according to the ‘Law of Similars’. Your symptoms are the clues and messages that indicate something in your system is out of balance. Therefore any physical, mental and emotional experience of your symptoms, is part of your overall, bigger picture. These ‘experiences’ and presentations, direct your homeopath to certain types of remedy groups and eventually towards a single remedy, that most closely matches your presenting sensations and symptoms.
A very well-known and popular example can be explained like this: When you chop an onion, your eyes are likely to burn and water. The homeopathic preparation of Allium Cepa (red onion) is one of our well known remedies for those hay-fever like symptoms that may be accompanied by burning, watery eyes etc. Similar to what may present when chopping an onion. This simple and commonly used explanation of the ‘Law of Similars’ demonstrates that when the body is given a dose of a carefully selected homeopathic remedy which shares similar effects you experience, it will recognise this similar stimulus and when rising to address this, the body will be encouraged by its own abilities to heal itself, as it is triggered by the remedy.
Homœo, Greek for similar
Since the time of the great Greek physician Hippocrates who was regarded as the ‘father of medicine’, this law has been acknowledged and is often referred to in the homeopathic world as “like cures like”.
Hippocrates believed that: “It is more important to know what sort of person has a disease than to know what sort of disease a person has.” By looking at the person in a deeper and more meaningful light, more can be understood and discovered about the true character, temperament and needs of the individual. Such as the theory of human qualities and the influences they have on the mind, body and emotions. Homeopathy and other forms of energetic healing have a great appreciation and understanding, of getting to know the individual on a more profound level and unearthing the unique rarities which make us the individual we are. Often, your homeopath may know you better than you know yourself! However the ultimate goal, and that of all homeopaths, is for you to get to know yourself again, too.
Energy & the healing process
Many of us don’t talk about our emotional or spiritual health. Or perhaps our health in general. We are also often very hard on ourselves or tell ourselves to get over it! We must remember we are part of the world, we are living, breathing, sentient beings. We ARE energy and an abundant flow of life force energy runs through us. That is what is keeping us going, keeping us alive. We need to treat ourselves gently and therefore choose our healing practices with this in mind too. We may need to restart from scratch and we many take many attempts to get to where we need to be, in fact, it may be a huge learning curve – there is no fixed time frame on a journey to wellness.
Any imbalances or blockages to our energy will cause us issues. They may be big, or small, they may be physical, mental or emotional but challenges will show up for all of us at some point in our lives. Our energy needs to be nurtured and we can help to stimulate our flow of energy through the use of energy healing. Homeopathy is just one of the great tools that supports our energy. However in a simpler context, all of our thoughts, our actions, our words and even the company we keep, impact our energy. Homeopathic treatment supports the body’s natural ability to heal itself from all of the things life throws at us, whilst allowing us to support our own health and wellbeing as and when we need it.
Healing can and most likely will take time. Homeopathy offers us support through the healing process for a multitude of conditions and scenarios. It can guide us to detach from our many coping mechanisms and survival techniques, which we may have clung on to for a long time. Whilst encouraging and providing us, with an opportunity to perhaps learn for the first time, the power of our minds and bodies. Trusting our abilities and getting reconnected to ourselves. Our energy is what gives us the strength and vitality to do that.
Homeopathy & allopathic medicine: Let’s work together
An example to explain the differing concepts of treatment and one that appears frequently at the homeopathic clinic, can be found in common allergy therapies. The fundamentals of immunisation and the goal of conventional (allopathic) medicine is to suppress specific symptoms and sensations associated with allergies, such as itchy watery eyes presenting in some hay fever sufferers eg. Or when we have a headache, the conventional treatment is to take some form of medication that blocks our pain receptors to take the pain away. Whilst your head begins to feel better, that underlying imbalance that was causing the headache has not been addressed and was instead, masked and inhibited.
Allopathic medicine aims to treat only the symptoms of that imbalance. Therefore, prevention not cure, as we have all heard before. This is of course at times, a great short term solution allowing us to treat symptoms and get back on our feet. However there is often little awareness or reflection on what was the root cause. Why did it happen? Modern allopathic medicine as helpful as it can be in traumatic life or death situations, often doesn’t call for us to contemplate and reflect on the bigger picture of our health and wellbeing. We simply do not need to rely on such extreme interventions for many conditions, yet we are now highly reliant on many treatments and medicines that may be detrimental to our health, in the long-term.
One way we can improve our healthcare, must begin with challenging the conventional associations regarding both our physical and mental health. We need to ask more questions and be aware of our rights and options. Realising and respecting the numerous possibilities and variety of healthcare solutions for all, that use interconnected methods and approaches. There is no “one size fits all” for anything in life, so why our health?
Alongside this we should also look to simpler, more gentle options when supporting our everyday wellness. These methods were once used as standard protocol, when doctors and physicians were only for the privileged few and when we were more in-tune with the natural world. We must always remember the old tried and tested, often natural and very economical methods of supporting our health! This can be managed without loosing sight of the amazing achievements made through the findings of modern medicine and science. By respecting and appreciating all forms of care, support and healing we can in turn, be happier and healthier than ever before, if we utilise treatments to complement each other, not in isolation. By acknowledging all forms of practice, this will enable us to better study and understand the needs and abilities of the human body to full capacity. There are truly no limits to what we continue to discover at present day, however we are somewhat out of touch with our minds and bodies more than ever before. We need to get to know ourselves once again and learn to listen to and be guided by our body. Health is a 360º initiative that really only yourself, has the capability to navigate and direct.
For every symptom there is a solution, when using homeopathy. There are many common homeopathic remedies which you may know or have used in other forms than just a pill. Have you seen or heard about products such as tinctures, teas, creams and supplements that are connected to homeopathic treatment? All of these can be discovered and found at reputable pharmacies around the world. Often they are not advertised heavily (the best things never are!), but they are there. Many pharmacies now of course, may have the tendency to recommend you these more gentle, natural solutions and remedies before considering anything else! I definitely urge you to give them a try.
