Spring/Summer

Newsletter

Spring is the perfect time to take charge of your health, start new projects and get outside in Nature! What better way to do all three than by enrolling on the Herbcraft Course? As far as your health and well-being are concerned, it may be one of the most empowering things you do this year?

Launched last December, there has already been a great response from many wanting to learn the ancient Herb Lore to keep them and their fami-lies well and enrich their mod-ern lives. It’s never been eas-ier—we offer two different certifications and five sepa-rate online payment options!

The Course has achieved ac-creditation through the Open College Network and there-fore is available to study with the Forest School to Level 3 accreditation. The other op-tion is to gain a diploma cer-tificate of competency and merit after studying through Nature’s Pharmacy.

Herbcraft ‘Working with Nature through the Seasons’

Come join us at midsummer

for ’hands-on’ practical

Herbcraft in the wilds of

Shropshire.

We will create a kitchen phar-

macy, make herbal ’lotions

and potions’ that you can take

home, and discover many

edible and medicinal plants!

Experience a traditional

roundhouse, hot sauna, deli-

cious organic vegan meals to

tickle your taste buds and

even eco-friendly compost

toilets … in acres of beautiful

woodland.

‘Experiential Herbcraft’ Weekend

Natures Pharmacy—Balancing Mind, Body & Spirit

April 2010

Featured Herb: Hawthorn

2

Look after your heart 2

Featured Herb: Nettle

2

Spring: A perfect time to detox

3

Emotional Freedom Technique

3

Other news ... 3

Dates for your Diary 4

Inside this issue:

Seasonal Focus:

• Herbcraft Course

• ‘Experiential

Herbcraft’ weekend

• Circulatory help

• The ‘mighty’ Nettle!

• Spring Cleansing &

Detoxification

• Release your fears

with Emotional Free-

dom Technique

ENROL TODAY

From only

£35 a month

www.herbcraft.info

The Course covers:

•Over 85 medicinal herbs

through the year

• Many herbal preparations

• Kitchen pharmacy

• Herbal first aid

• Basic anatomy & physiology

• Herbs for common ailments

• Nutrition &natural healing

• Honouring the seasons

• and much more ...

Contents include:

•Diagnostic chart

•Herbal contra-indications

•Wild flower & wild food

identification books

•12 monthly full colour easy

reference cards

•Herbal detox formulae

•Practical DVD

‘Take charge of

your health …

the natural way!

25—27 June 2010

Wildways

Highley, Shropshire

(www.wildwaysontheborle.co.uk)

£175.00

Includes comfortable dormitory-

style accommodation, six delicious

vegan meals and tuition

www.herbcraft.info

Spaces limited … book now

£35 deposit secures your place

Whether or not you are en-

rolled on and studying

Herbcraft … why not experi-

ence the fun of a weekend

playing with herbs anyway?

Featured Herb: Hawthorn

Featured Herb: Nettle

Look after your heart

Nettle

(Urtica dioica)

The Hawthorn is one of our oldest and most sacred native trees. Often used as hedge-row , it is also referred to in folk-lore as the ‘home of the fairies’ or ‘Fairy Tree’. It can be found growing all over Europe, Northern Africa and Western Asia. It is particularly significant at this time of year, as the blossom appears on the tree at the beginning of May, at the time of the Beltane or May Day celebra-tions, when people and houses were decked with may blossoms.

The intrinsic energy of the hawthorn is focused on the heart centre and through its

ability on a subtle level to open the heart to spiritual growth and love. In fact, it is Nature’s perfect ‘heart tonic’. Medici-nally, the leaves, blossoms and the berries can all be used to support and strengthen the entire circulatory system. The berries especially are the most effective because they contain natural beta blockers and have the ability to normalise heart function. They may be used safely as a long-term treatment for heart weakness, palpita-tions, high blood pressure and angina.

The blossom can be safely drunk as a daily tonic tea. Collect the flowers and dry

them quickly in brown paper bags hung in an airy place. Keep them in an airtight con-tainer, as their potency tends to deteriorate quickly. Gather them fresh every year. Young leaves and tips, known as ‘Bread and Cheese’ are picked and eaten raw in the spring. They have a sweet nutty fla-vour and can be added to sal-ads along with the flower buds. The berries are high in fruit pectin, so make great jam, jelly and a delicious pink wine. They can also be col-lected in the autumn and dried for use as a tea.

Hawthorn is a main ingredient in all our Circulatory Formulae.

and even varicose veins due

to poor circulation.

A change in diet is very im-

portant in maintaining heart

health. Positive heart foods

include beetroot* (rich in

iron), onions and garlic, oats,

whole-wheat grain and wheat-

grass*, and buckwheat (which

helps maintain elasticity in

the veins and arteries). Salt

and saturated fats should be

avoided and only olive oil, raw

or heated, should be con-

sumed for good liver health

and ward off cholesterol build

-up. Cayenne or chilies can

be eaten daily to equalize

blood pressure and encour-

age good circulation, even to

the extremities!

Skin brushing stimulates

blood flow, increasing circu-

lation, especially in the

hands and feet. Follow this

with hot & cold showers for

full benefit. Reducing stress

in your life is also important.

Visit the Ailments section

on the website for more

specific info.

( * vital ingredients in The Green Stuff)

The heart is and incredible

organ pumping out about six

litres of blood every minute,

doubling this quantity during

exercise or exertion, circulating

it around the body and to the

major organs.

Heart diseases and circulatory

system problems affect people

of all ages. Ischemic heart

disease due to coronary artery

blockage or high blood pres-

sure is now the most common

cause of death in adult Britons.

Low blood pressure is equally

problematic, as is anaemia,

angina, high cholesterol levels

great blood cleanser and tonic, supplying much needed iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and even Vitamin C! Did you know that two strong cups of nettle leaf tea in 24 hours can double your red blood cell (iron) count and help eliminate anaemia? It’s a must for all menstruating women too, replenishing iron and calcium lost during the monthly cycle.

Pregnant and lactating women also benefit as nettles help increase breast milk produc-

The ‘mighty’ nettle always demands respect. Originally brought to Britain by the Ro-mans, this common ‘weed’ is part of a huge tribe of over 500 species world-wide. Pri-marily a medicinal plant, it has also been widely used as a fibre (similar to hemp) and for making cloth of the finest to the coarsest texture.

Young shoots are literally ’springing’ up at this time of year and it is a perfect time to pick them for optimum bene-fit! Medicinally, nettles are a

tion and they are recom-mended for children, espe-cially when they are ill, as a daily tonic. Nettles are also excellent for skin complaints.

Nettles are an important in-gredient in The Green Stuff nutritional concentrate. We also add nettle to most of our herbal tea blends. Pick the small shoots gently and add them to salads (coat them in olive oil to stop the ‘sting’) or chop them and add to mashed potato or soup for a delicious healthy change?

“ … cayenne or chilies

should be eaten daily

to equalize blood

pressure and

encourage good

circulation.”

Page 2 Spr ing/Summer Newsletter

Hawthorn

(Crateagus oxycanthus)

Circulatory Support

HBP Formula

Cholesterol Formula

55ml / £7.50

110ml / £15

270 ml / £30

Spring: A perfect time to Detox!

Other news ...

Emotional Freedom Technique

Traditionally, Springtime is an

opportunity to open the win-

dows and let the fresh air

circulate, blowing away the

cobwebs and dust from win-

ter, cleansing our homes

physically and energetically.

We clear out cupboards and

lighten our winter hoarding to

make way for new ideas, and

new beginnings in our lives.

It is also a perfect time to

cleanse your body too. Physi-

cally, you will benefit from a

gentle cleansing program to

shrug off the excesses of

winter, giving you an energy

boost and a spring in your

step! Cleansing is a good

initial step to better health,

because efficient waste

disposal is essential in

preventing accumulation of

toxins and disease. With to-

day’s modern diets and hectic

lives, many digestive prob-

lems like candida, indiges-

tion, obesity, skin complaints,

hormonal imbalances, and

even depression can be elimi-

nated by regular and gentle

detoxification.

So, to help give you that extra

kick start to a slimmer and

more energetic you for the

warmer months, we recom-

mend our ’Spring Detox Kit’

comprising: 55ml Detoxifica-

tion Formula, 100g Detox

Herb Tea, 150g Bentonite

Clay Formula, 60 Aloe & Cas-

cara capsules & 50g The

Green Stuff for only £36.

Full instructions and on-line

support is also included.

The Green Stuff is a perfect

compliment to your cleanse,

boosting the detox process

and giving your body the best

‘easily assimilated’ organic

nutrition daily. Made from the

richest whole-food sources on

the planet, this powerful con-

centrated vitamin & mineral

‘superfood’ supports the

body in a multitude of ways.

For further information on

cleansing programmes visit

our website or email us with

any questions.

body’s energy channels

(meridians) very much like

acupuncture, without needles,

l i t e r a l l y ‘ d i s s o l v i n g ’

emotional blockages and

negative emotions caused by

life’s traumas, allowing the

energy to flow once again,

bringing the body back into

balance and well being.

It is a very useful technique to

reduce stress, anxiety, pain,

trauma, panic attacks, pho-

bias, depression, addictions,

post-traumatic stress, and for

o v e r c om i n g p e r s o na l

limitations. It offers relief

almost immediately.

The technique was developed

by an American psychologist

named Dr R Callahan, after

being introduced to muscle

testing (Kinesiology) in the

1980’s. Fascinated by the

idea that by recalling a

ne ga t i v e t ho ugh t o r

experience it would make the

muscle weaker, this indicated

a proven scientific connection

between the mind and body.

He explored possibilities

within this and developed the

original form of EFT.

EFT is available at both clinics and it is also covered in the Herbcraft Course.

Energy ‘meridian’ healing

originated in the east almost

5000 years ago and is found in

ancient Ayurvedic Indian texts,

however it is a relatively new

technique in the west where it

is known as Emotional Free-

dom Technique (EFT).

Melanie was introduced to this

phenomenal healing method of

‘tapping away’ your emotional

baggage to aid the healing

process 8 years ago and has

used it in her clinic since with

fantastic results—helping cure

many of her patients with

chronic problems. It is so

simple and works with the

We are working to update our

extensive list of A—Z Ail-

ments on our website, so you

can continue to find herbal,

nutritional and natural healing

advice for most common com-

plaints, and a suitable remedy.

We are also planning to offer

the Herbcraft Course as an

online downloadable ’e-book’

option later in the year, with

self-assessment after every

month is completed, for those

Melanie has recently returned

from celebrating the equinox

and sharing Herbcraft at a

’Casa Ecologica’ (Ecological

Retreat) called Tierra Roja

(Red Earth) with stunning

views in the Andalucian

mountains of Southern Spain.

She has been asked to return

next year to host a Herbcraft

Workshop and to talk at the

local ‘Gardening Club’! Fancy

a trip to Spain next Spring?

wishing to work at their own

pace. Keep checking the web-

site at www.herbcraft.info

for updates.

Finally, don’t forget that we

have some fabulous ‘Gift

Packs’ of our most popular

natural beauty products for all

kinds of special occasions in

our online shop. They are all

eco-friendly, bio-degradable,

and hand-made with organic

essential oils and LOVE.

“Melanie will be

offering ‘Herbcraft

Workshops’ in the

mountains of southern

Spain in 2011 … Watch

this space!”

Page 3 Spr ing/Summer Newsletter

Spring Detox Pack

£36

The Green Stuff

5 day (50g) Trial—£5

1 month (300g)—£29.50

“the cause of all negative

emotion is a disruption in

the body’s energy system”

– Gary Craig

Release your fears … and regain your health

- with EFT!

BOOK YOUR

APPOINTMENT TODAY

3 Saville Close

Clavering

Saffron Walden

Essex

CB11 4PY

Visit our online Shop:

www.naturespharmacy.org.uk

9 May: Healing Fair, Village

Hall, Clavering, Essex.

10am—5pm Supporting our

local community.

4-6 June: OBOD Dryade

Camp, Holland Melanie is a

guest speaker for the week-

end offering a herb walk and

workshops at this Druid

Camp in the Netherlands.

www.obod.nl/dryade

25-27 June: ‘Experiential

Herbcraft’, Wildways, High-

ley, Shropshire Come and

join us at Midsummer for

’ h a n d s - o n ’ p r a c t i c a l

Herbcraft in the wilds of

Shropshire. We will explore

creating a kitchen pharmacy,

making herbal ’lotions &

potions’ which you can take

away with you, discover

many edible and medicinal

plants and lots more.

Nature’s Pharmacy are out and

about this spring and summer.

We will have our range of me-

dicinal formulae, natural beauty

products and of course, the

new Herbcraft Course, at many

of these events. If you are in

the area, please come along

and introduce yourself … we

would be very pleased to meet

you.

10-11 April: Festival of Gar-

dening, Capel Manor Gardens,

Enfield. 10am-4pm A week-

end dedicated to the delights of

gardening: hand-made crafts,

plants and a spring flower

show set in the beautiful gar-

dens of the Manor House.

www.capelmanorgardens.co.uk

8 May: Rainbow Mind, Body &

Spirit Fair, Millenium Commu-

nity Centre, Buckden, Cambs,

PE19 5UY. 11am-4pm Stalls,

demonstrations & talks.

Whether you are studying the

Herbcraft diploma course or

simply interested in natural

remedies and Nature … this

weekend is guaranteed to be a

creat ive adventure into

Herbcraft. Spaces are limited,

so early booking is advisable.

For more information:

www.herbcraft.info

14-16 August: Harlequin

Fayre, Norfolk. East Anglia’s

own ’Green Gathering’ near

Norwich. Three days of music,

magic and fun for all the family.

The Fayre is run on renewable

energy, focusing on a ’green

ethos’ and a sustainable future,

whilst supporting local charities.

We’ll be in the Healing Glade

with our stall of herbal goodies,

offering Iridology, talks & herb

walks.

www.medleyproductions.co.uk/

HarlequinFayre

Dates for your diary

P: 07947 381520

W: www.naturespharmacy.org.uk

E: sales@naturespharmacy.org.uk

Clinics: The Cave Shop Wellness Centre, Royston, Herts

Serenity Healing Clinic, Clavering, Essex

Natures Pharmacy—Balancing Mind, Body & Spirit

Therapies available:

Herbal Medicine

Iridology

Reiki Healing & Attunements

Chakra Balancing

Therapeutic Massage

Emotional Freedom Technique

Thermo-Auricular Therapy (Hopi Ear Candles)

* * * * * * * * *

‘SPRING DETOX KIT’

• 55ml Detoxification Formula

• 100g Detoxification Tea

• 60 Aloe & Cascara Colon Capsules

• 150g Bentonite Colon Clay Formula

• 50g (5 day) TRIAL ’The Green Stuff’

SPECIAL OFFER: Only £36 (10% OFF till end June 2010)

Capel Manor Gardens

Look out for us at

these events

Wildways ‘Roundhouse’

And Spring arose on the garden fair, Like the Spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on Earth's dark breast rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.

~Percy Bysshe Shelley, "The Sensitive Plant"

* * * * * * * * *

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~ Chinese Proverb