Abby Beale says she believes homeopathy is the coolest medicine on the planet! She became interested in homeopathy more than 25 years ago when her 16-month-old son got permanent relief from repeated ear infections with one homeopathic remedy after multiple rounds of antibiotics. She has become a homeopath herself and an advocate for homeopathy since. Beale recently released a beginner book called Homeopathy Primer: Getting Started With Homeopathy that helps people learn how to use homeopathy at home for acute ailments.
Q: What inspired you to write Homeopathy Primer?
A: Homeopathy Primer was created to help people learn about how to use homeopathy at home for acute ailments. Though there are many wonderful basic books on homeopathy, we felt that there was a need for an educational textbook that would serve as a learning resource, a study guide and a reference tool all in one. There were over 35 experienced homeopaths, student homeopaths and home prescribers who contributed to this project which made for an amazing collaboration and wonderful end result.
Q: What is homeopathy?
A: Homeopathy is a safe, gentle and natural system of healing that works with your body to relieve symptoms, restore function and improve one’s overall health. It is a science of healing, which stimulates and strengthens the vital force using the energy of highly diluted substances found in nature. People of all ages, including the elderly and infants, pregnant women, pets and plants benefit from these highly diluted substances called remedies. Remedies can be taken safely alongside any medication or supplement. Homeopathy is a wonderful complement to all other healing modalities.
Q: In the book, “observe and evaluate” are recurring themes. Please describe how this is important to homeopathy.
A: In order to know what remedy is best for a person’s ailments, the person themselves or the one providing the remedies, needs to be very observant about the symptoms specific details—including when did they begin, where are they located, what makes it better or worse, what the symptoms feel like and what else is going on in the body at the same time. Choosing a good remedy is highly individualized and different than blindly saying you have X, therefore take Y. Then when a remedy is chosen and given to the person, it’s important to evaluate its efficacy. We don’t want someone to keep taking something that doesn’t seem to be having a positive effect. Homeopathy is typically not prescriptive so observing and evaluating is the most important for effective outcomes.
Q: What are cell salts and why are they used in homeopathy?
A: Cell salts are like homeopathic vitamins as they help restore mineral balance at the cellular level, promoting the body’s natural ability to heal. There are 12 basic cell salts and each one is associated with specific functions or symptoms and is recommended on an individual’s health complaint. They can be taken once to several times a day to help restore the minerals in the body. They are made differently than homeopathic remedies and have a small amount of the material substance in them (hence the vitamin concept) whereas homeopathic remedies do not have any material substance in them.
Q: Talk about the suggested dosing methods.
A: In the book, we have come up with a colored dosing protocol to help users know how to best dose the remedy they choose. Red is for emergencies, to be given frequently on the way to the hospital. Orange is for symptoms that come on quickly and intensely such as a high fever. Blue is for when a symptom comes slowly such as a cold or a flu. Brown is for unpleasant but not urgent conditions such as an ingrown toenail or dandruff. And Green is for supporting one’s healing such as for a broken bone.
Q: What advice would you give to a practitioner wanting to incorporate homeopathy into their practice?
A: Homeopathic remedies are a wonderful adjunct to any medical or natural medicine practice. Learning simple acute prescribing is a god send especially when ailments present themselves and we want a natural tool to quickly and safely help alleviate the discomfort. Homeopathic remedies are inexpensive making homeopathy accessible to the masses. It can be learned easily by anyone who has interest and the Homeopathy Primer book!
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?
A: More than ever, people are increasingly unwell and are looking for alternatives to the standard methods of care. Knowledge and use of homeopathy is a powerful ally for anyone to have in their personal healing toolbox, for themselves and their families.
