What is Homeopathy and how does it work?

This gentle method of healing was invented by the German physician Samuel Hahnemann in the late 18th century. He found out that by diluting and energizing (“succussing”) raw substances, these remedies can for example cure a fever, which the crude substance would have caused when ingested. Today, we don’t only use the plant, mineral, and animal kingdom to make remedies, but also drugs or other substances. No wonder, therefore, that we have more than 3500 remedies available by now with more remedies being added every week.

The potency of the remedy tells us how often it has been diluted and succussed (30C = 30 times) and in which proportion (C-potency = 1 drop of the original substance in 99 drops of alcohol, X-potency = 1 drop in 9 drops of alcohol). One could roughly say: The higher the potency, the more we leave the physical realm and venture into the emotional/spiritual.

As opposed to drugs, homeopathic remedies do not have a predictable chemical influence on the body. I cannot force the body into a reaction it is not ready to have but merely give it a gentle nudge that is supposed to bring the body back on track. If the problem is merely acute, i.e. one got stung by a bee, lay people can easily chose a remedy themselves. However, any chronic complaints (everything that has been present for more than six weeks) should be dealt with by a homeopath. He or she then also takes heredity, side effects of drugs, the connection between organs and diseases, deficiencies of minerals and vitamins and many other factors into account.

Start listening to your body!

Unfortunately, a lot of people wait way too long before they look for help from a qualified homoeopathy. When they finally do so, they expect quick changes. This not only makes life a lot harder for the homoeopath, but can also set themselves up for disappointment. Yet others are so delighted when, for example, their pain is 50 per cent better and therefore don’t continue treatment. They deem the improvement “good enough” instead of waiting for the symptoms to clear completely.

In this day and age we have to constantly function. We only have one body! And yet, we often act as if we can just hop into the next supermarket to buy a spare part when our body has crumbled due to wear and tear. The more pressure we put on our body, the more we should pamper our “machine” so that it can work smoothly at full steam. Just think of your car, which needs an MOT every year. Consider how much money you spend on your car per month (or your montly travel card) and then think about how much your body is worth to you!