Lucy Blunden

Lockdown. Loneliness

Posted on January 21, 2021 by Lucy Blunden - EFT, Emotional health, Self care, Tapping, The body

21 Jan 2021 Written By Lucy Blunden. Image by Anthony Tran.

I hate it. I really hate it.

I am extrovert and so I gain energy from interactions with others. I restore my soul in conversation and connection. This is not natural for me.

At the same time, I am accepting, feel that it is necessary, understand that others believe that it isn’t but that we’re all gripped by something we can do nothing about. NOTHING. ABOUT!!!!!

Feel the pain in acknowledging that. We can do nothing about it. We are beholden to the political whims whether or not we agree with them. We can do nothing about it.

Or can we?

This is not an invitation to insurrection or even an incitement to use your right to demonstrate.

This is an invitation to Tap with me.

WHAT? How will hitting myself be of benefit in this situation? Surely that borders on personally damaging not fortifying?

Yes, I am inviting you to use EFT-Tapping to address the things you can change and find the strength to accept those that you cannot.

What am I talking about? Well, your feelings, of course.

I am a Tapping Evangelist and make no apologies for it. After years of talk therapy (which I value highly, BTW) I have found that my ‘truth, way and light’ is in tapping. It is truly transformational on a deep personal level for both me and my clients. (I do love a therapy which benefits both sides at the same time.)

The beauty of tapping is that you can release the ‘grrrr, arrrrrgh and uuuumph’ without even saying what they are. Without accessing their potent depths and without even re-awakening them from their slumber. And, because we are using the meridian lines within our bodies, we are also using that which we already possess to bring relief and resolution to ourselves.

I would love you to join me as we address our feelings in lockdown. My fortnightly ‘Catching the Tapping bug’ is a fantastic way to release feelings, connect with others (yes, online) and share the relief of release.

Each session is 45 mins and happens every other Thursday at 2030 GMT. I address all things which are requested for inclusion and we all tap together.

The community feel is wonderful. The togetherness is nourishing. The support of sharing is uplifting.

AND, your first session is free. I look forward to welcoming you.

Click the link to join us. ZOOM DETAILS: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/73875049349?pwd=U2RUQmpSNlVVUjE1Z3AwQ0xhM1hUUT09 or use the following access information:- Meeting ID: 738 7504 9349 Password: Welcome

Chilli tincture

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - The herbalist, The herbs, The medicine

On the left is the 10-days of infusing and the right shows just as I’d put them together. That good change in colour shows that the constituents from the chillies are moving into the alcohol solution and, I’m pretty sure that were I to taste it, I would know that at least some of the properties of the chilli are in the alcohol!!! Ho-o-o-o-ot!

More fun in the kitchen with raw chillies!

Lots of chopping and really keen awareness of not rubbing eyes, noses or anything else! Last time I did this, even after washing my hands, I blew my nose and ended up with chilli burn up my nose!!!! Not to be recommended…

Many of the prescriptions I make are in the form of tinctures. These alcohol extractions are easy to blend, simple to take and quick and easy for the patient. Compliance is often better than with teas.

When I use chilli tincture in a prescription

If you think about what chilli does, it gets the blood moving, it warms you up and it clears the head. But, it’s likely that the main reason would be to create some stimulating action in the patient. There are a dozen reasons why someone might benefit from a proverbial kick up the bottom and chilli can do just that. Because of its heat, it’s moving. When things begin to move more in the body, other things can start to change.

There are physiological benefits but I’m often thinking about the energies in the body as well. If you have become really stuck in a rut of symptoms, then, especially if you really feel the cold, a dose of chilli can be just what you need to get things moving.

It’s not for everyone. Some people simply can’t tolerate the heat of it. And it would be disastrous in someone with peri-menopausal hot flushes for fairly obvious reasons – you don’t give a hot person more heat!

But, when it is right for you, it can feel like heaven and earth are moving, slowly, in the right direction. Finally!

Chilli oil

Posted on November 26, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - The body, The herbs

Watching the colours change

The jar on the left was immediately after putting the oil and chillies together. The jar on the right is after they have been infusing for just 10 days! What an incredible change in colour.

Chilli oil. Sounds yummy, right? But, I’m not making it for oral consumption! What do I use it for in my practice? Well, it goes particuarly nicely in creams for conditions such as arthritis and psoriasis.

Chilli is what’s called a rubefacient and we deliberately use those properties to stimulate a healing response from the body.

rubefacient [ roo-buh–fey-shuhnt ]

adjective causing redness of the skin, as a medicinal application.

noun: Medicine/Medical. a rubefacient application, as a mustard plaster.

Nettle stings are a rubefacient. Now, I can imagine that you are wincing at the thought of a deliberate application of nettles… yes, it’s not fun, but what does it do and why do some people choose to do it?

The essential purpose behind it from a herbalist’s point of view, is to stimulate circulation. When you stimulate circulation, you bring nutrients in the form of oxygen and all the other goodies in your blood and you take away all the waste such as by- products of inflammation.

So, you see, there is method in the apparent madness…

Nettle stings are a traditional rubefacient for arthritic joints – and many swear by it. The Romans were reputed to use them to warm themselves when in cold, damp Britain. Anecdotally, I know the wife of a man who fell into a patch of nettles, was horrendously stung all over but has never had his severe and stubborn hayfever again. (That’s definitely not worth trying at home – it’s hardly a clinical trial – but is still a great story)

Contact me if you would like to make an appointment for your arthritic joints or psoriatic skin.

Rosehip syrup – it’s a disaster

Posted on November 19, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

It fermented. What went wrong?

Natural products have a tendency to turn out different to how you expected. There are a dozen reasons for this. Maybe the bottles weren’t as scrupulously clean as I thought. Maybe the sugar balance wasn’t right. Maybe the naturally ocurring yeasts just got busy again (although I would have expected them to be killed by the heat of the original cooking and the sugar melting).

I think I just plain got it wrong. Yikes! Well, it happens, right?

I didn’t write down my process as well which is, well, frankly stupid! I really ought to know better by now!

My suspicion is that although the bottles were dishwashed, that any residue of rinse aid wouldn’t have been helpful – it can leave them feeling slightly tacky.

My next issue was likely to be that I didn’t heat the bottles before putting the syrup in them – and usually, I would hot soapy water rinse clean bottles rinse the soap off in clean hot water and then dry in the oven at 100oC. Then adding the hot syrup to the hot bottles.

I think I got my calculations wrong too. I think I added 50% weight of sugar to liquid volume eg 50g sugar to 100ml decoction where I would usually do 100g:100ml. And, after some research, it turns out that some syrups need even more sugar than that!

If I had written it down, I would know! I was also trying to film the process for Social Media… another lesson to self. Don’t get distracted when making beautiful medicines!

So, all in all, one big note to self. Nothing like a timely reminder. It’s usually when you think you’ve got it cracked that it goes wrong.

What’s that (pretty unhelpful) expression? Oh yes, pride before a fall…

Hmmmmm!

Rowan berry & sage vinegar

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

Sharp, tart and powerful

Vinegar cuts through grease and mucous giving things a good clean out. Sage does the same at the back of your throat by clearing the mucous which the nasties causing your sore throat live and thrive in.

Using pastilles and other sore throat lozenges are usually full of sugar and whilst that feels soothing and lovely, it provides lots of juicy food for those bugs to thrive in.

So, using a vinegar to cut through the mucous, with the reputed anti microbial properties of sage is a double winner. Add into that the traditional use of rowan berries for sore throats and tonsillitis and we have a trio of triumph in your throat!

To make this joyful medicinal vinegar, alive with complex flavours, I cooked the berries and sage in vinegar before steeping it for a few weeks. Cooking the berries renders the toxic components harmless. After straining, I bottled ready for use.

Use in conjunction with the soothing sage and rowan syrup I have also made and keep your tonsils singing with joy.

As far as I know, this medicine is entirely unique to me. The joy of creativity and experiments. Join my journey of discovery.

Rowan berry and sage syrup

Posted on November 18, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

Sore throats, tonsillitis, syrup and gargling

Foraging for making has become a prfound new joy of mine. I had had some lurking doubts about the pillaging of nature and whether I had the right to do this. But, they are now gone and I am loving that connection, the creativity of making things and the new recipes to trial.

What’s on the go right now?

I’ve made rowan berry and sage syrups and vinegars.

Research showed me that raw berries are really not a good plan due to potentially toxic components. So, I stewed a few berries with some sage in water. Then I let it sit for a few weeks (the hot liquid sealed the jar keeping it good) before straining and re-heating, dissolving sugar into it, turning it into a syrup.

And, what does it taste like?

The flavour is frankly AWESOME! I haven’t ever tasted anything else like it. It’s sharp, it’s sweet and fruity but there’s something else which I am yet to put a word to.

The finished product is up for grabs in partnership with Rowanberry and sage vinegar.

Why the pairing of sage and rowanberry?

Well, the traditional medicine from rowan berries is for sore throats and tonsillitis. Sage also has a great reputation for healing throats because it has the power to cut through the mucousy substrate keeping all the gremlins alive causing your symptoms. So, it seemed like a match made in heaven.

Fancy a go?

Do you get recurrent sore throats and/or tonsillitis? If you do, you might like to give these beauties a go.

Contact me for more info

Cold sore lip balm

Posted on October 16, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

The pleasure of making remedies is immeasurable!

I have been getting cold sores since I was 7. My dad does and so did my grandma. They have ranged from very small and gone in a few days to widespread across my chin and taking weeks to heal. But, they’re always around my mouth. The virus lives in your spinal column and you get your sores in the area which the nerves it affects serve.

I, like most who have them, hate them. They make you feel dirty because they’re so contagious and once they’re scabby, just ugly!

Dietary modifications can reduce the prevalence but the foods to be avoided are good ones (most nuts, oats and more).

I have used various natural, chemical and herbal products. Nothing has been brilliant but some have reduced the severity and duration length.

This summer, with aspects of COVID-19 lockdown measures still in place, I took a look around the garden. I had so many lovely flowers with activity for healing, anti-viral properties and the humble self-heal with its alleged affinity for herpetic wounds according to traditional herbal books, I thought it was time to give it a go.

I gathered some lemon balm, calendula flowers, lavender flowers, st john’s wort and self heal. I let them wilt in the heat but out of the light and then infused them all in oil in a porringer for a couple of hours. Once that was done, I thickened it, but not too much, with beeswax and shea butter. I usually love a super thick nourishing lip balm but to get the best medicine, this needs frequent re-application so, a lighter texture was my priority here.

I was almost keen to get another sore! The balm is wonderful. I’m surprised myself by its efficacy. It was so much more effective than anything else I have ever used. It didn’t disappear instantly – I wish I had that level of magic! – but it was so much quicker than other sores I have had and also other treatments I have used.

Get in touch if you experience frequent cold sores as, whilst good topical treatments when you get them are great, it’s better if you can keep your immune system in tip-top order and prevent them occuring. Herbs and EFT are powerful tools for managing daily stressors and keeping well.

Nettle root-the medicine

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

Wild herbs as medicines

Nettle root has a reputation amongst herbalists for use as part of treatment for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia. For most men, their prostate is very likely to enlarge as they age and, beyond the symptoms it causes, is not something to be worried about. As the saying goes, ‘most men die with prostate enlargement, but very few die of a (benign) prostate enlargement’.

However, the symptoms can be life changing, causing increased frequency, urgency and incomplete emptying, dribbling, not to mention the increased nocturia.

Reference to the use of plants for BPH symptoms dates back to Egyptian papyrus in the 15th Century.

A study reported by Mohammad Reza Safarinejad, MD, showed that nettle root extractions performed in a statistically significant way better than placebo in all areas which were monitored. Their IPSS (International Prostate Symptom Score) improved such that the mean scores dropped from 19.8 to 11.8 with nettle root and 19.2 to 17.7 with placebo! Flow rate improved by 77% in those taking nettle and by 31% in the placebo group. Residual bladder contents volume in the nettle group improved whereas the placebo group has no significant change. The prostate size decreased in the treatment group and remained the same in the placebo group. Importantly, testosterone levels remained unchanged.

The trial participants were monitored and placebo group was switched to nettle root after the trial period ended and continued to be monitored. The positive effects of nettle root seen during the trial period were maintained for the rest of the 18 months of monitoring and the placebo group also demonstrated similar improvements after switching to nettle root treatment.

I absolutely LOVE that something as ubiquitous as nettle root could be a significant and life altering treatment for so many people. It makes my heart sing to think that a medicine without negative side effects could safely and effectively help in this way. What a joy!

I have written about collecting and preparing nettle root here

If you are experiencing symptoms of prostate enlargement or have a diagnosis of BPH and would like help. Get in touch

Nettle root

Posted on October 14, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

At work in the Herbalist’s kitchen

This weekend I was determined to get a heap of stuff done in the garden. Did it pan out that way? Did it heck!

However, what I did manage to do was pull up the pesky nettle which insists on joining my culinary herb garden. Whilst not entirely misplaced, it makes a fine risotto ingredient, I know it’ll just take over and that’s exactly what I don’t want it to do!

The benefit of allowing it to grow during the summer season before pulling it up (knowing that it’ll come back next year for sure) is that I get a good chunk of root.

Working with nettle root

After pulling it up, it needs a good scrub in water to get rid of the soil. Once it is scrubbed, allow the water to dry and then chop it up. This is harder than it sounds and needs secateurs to get through it as it has a rubberiness to its woody fibres which prevent knives getting through.

Once chopped, leave it to dry somewhere warm-ish and with good air flow. Once completely dried, store it in a clean, labelled jar with a well fitting lid and keep out of the light.

Nettle root as a medicine. I talk about using the root as medicine here

Rowan, a portent of healing?

Posted on September 24, 2020 by Lucy Blunden - Uncategorized

Portent
2. LITERARY: an exceptional or wonderful person or thing

Thinking about the rowan’s auspicious and protective properties, I decided to make a decoration for my consultation room. As I stuck the needle through them, finding that the seeds are soft, and that the juice is both sharp and sweet, it got me thinking.

Sharp and sweet. Hmmmm, sharp and sweet? Is that a contradiction? Not really, in fact, it’s much like the journey of healing.

The pain of the issue, emotional or physical, which keeps us stuck usually has a sharpness to it else we wouldn’t seek out help.

And the sweetness? Well, to me that reflects how we feel as we emerge out the other side, newly emerged and fully fledged.

Rowan berry decoration fun

What do you think of my little creation? They’re all plump and juicy here but they’ll wither as they dry out.

Metamorphosis of healing

But what struck me the most – even more than the wonderful colour combinations – is the idea of combining protection with metamorphosis. These two simple things represent what happens in this space, my consultation room. My sacred space of healing and transformation.

You come to me with problems to solve, entrusting yourself to me and between us, we find our way to your metamorphosis, your emerging from the coccoon of safe stuckness into the spreading of your newly painted, fablous wings which enable you to move forward in your best image.

Buy the little wooden butterfly buttons here on eBay

Posts By: Lucy Blunden