Last But One

The healing space
We have just completed our penultimate study weekend for this year; I can hardly believe that I am nearly through a whole year of study at College. It was a terrific weekend and we enjoyed sessions with Lynne Russell, Val Lawrence and Kyriacos Hajikakou. Lynne started us off with “The Nature of the Healing Space”. An interesting concept, difficult to define and to create, but Lynne gave me confidence that, with time and practice, it will begin to be a natural process. From seeing clients for my case studies, I also am aware that something quite magical happens when you sit with your client and listen to their story; it seems as though (ideally) remedies begin to unfold in front of you. We started the class with a poem by Rudyard Kipling, something I had never heard before, and it led us on to discussion, definitions and questions. Questions to ask ourselves so that we are more self- aware, questions to ask our clients, and how to frame those questions differently depending on the client. Fantastic pointers to creating a comfortable, compassionate and professional space for our clients, where we can support our clients energetically and gather the information we need to prescribe appropriately, the nature of the healing space.

Phosphorus is a Greek word
Phosphorus is a word of Greek origin via Latin and it means the Bringer of Light (phōs light and pherein to bring) or Morning Star. This was our first remedy for the weekend and I was particularly looking forward to learning about it. We heard Lynne describe how it is always combined in nature and this made complete sense as the remedy unfolded. We heard how Phosphorus loves company, is sociable and loves to be loved, a butterfly in social situations; it is a spontaneous remedy but lacks boundaries, and the physical issues include sugar imbalance, nosebleeds and haemorrhages, allergies, ME and MS. Phosphorus was used to make matches until the early 19002 and, unsurprisingly, Phosphorus has high energy but then burns out – if you think of a match striking that’s exactly what happens. The pains are burning and those in a Phosphorus state can feel spacey. Match makers used to get a disease in their jaw-bone from the Phosphorus known as “phossy jaw” and the remedy has an affinity for bones and blood. I took Phosphorus when I was younger and I can see exactly why it was prescribed for me at that time, I was exhausted (burn-out) and hypoglycaemic (sugar imbalance), picked up on the emotions of those around me (boundaries/reactive/sensitive) and couldn’t determine which emotions were mine, and my favourite thing was meeting new people but I was miserable because I didn’t have the energy to socialise.

Kidneys not just little filters
I am still surprised at how interesting I find our Anatomy & Physiology, and Pathology classes. Kyriacos delivers his subjects with panache and whereas it could be dry he turns it into something fascinating and astonishing! Many years ago, I studied Human Biology at O Level, but I am beginning to understand so much more now than I did that I can hardly believe I learnt anything then. I am also enjoying the process of learning as it all falls into place. Kidneys, well yes, they filter and process stuff and waste water goes from the kidneys to the bladder, but they are constantly performing checks and balances, conserving water, removing excess salt and generally filtering all the waste products of metabolism, generally key to maintaining homeostasis. Did you know that the left kidney is slightly higher than the right kidney? It is those little anatomical details that always catch my attention. In Pathology we have started to look at respiration, in the human embryo the lungs develop from gut tissue and then move upwards! It’s not all dry facts and figures, Kyriacos has a gift for weaving a story with information about form, function, disease, language, origins of words and mythology, which really holds your attention.

Uneasy relationships
I confess to sometimes having had an uneasy relationship with homework and the rather archaic language of some reference books, the Repertory and Materia Medica. Briefly, I really struggled, to the point of resentment, with the old fashioned language that many of the reference books are written in. It suddenly began to feel pointless having to wrestle with archaic language. I longed for the ease of familiar words and modern writing and found it difficult to phrase symptoms in ways that matched the Repertory. However, thankfully those feelings passed quite quickly and I realised I had got rather intense about everything! And homework, I can be disciplined, but there are days when it really is best to do something other than study or homework, the inspiration isn’t there and the work doesn’t flow or feel good. I have also learnt what I use to divert myself, for example I begin tidying or dusting, I am tidy but dust rarely, so it’s always a clue when I get a duster out! I also know that, no surprises, I should never log on to Facebook or emails before I start my studies, both complete diversions. I had a chat with Val Lawrence, my course tutor, about homework and grades this past weekend and the requirement to move into the next year of study is 85% pass rate on homework, which I can achieve despite occasional lapses. Val was also able to reassure me that there really are times when it is best not to attempt homework!

Passion
When I look back over the past nine months, the thing that lights up my first year at CVH is passion; the tutors are all passionate about homeopathy, they love the discipline, or art, of homeopathy, sharing their knowledge of the remedies and how they have used them in practice. They all respect the homeopathic traditions and teachings of Hahnemann and the others who developed his teachings; they also continue to grow and develop in their own practise and are excited about new remedies and developments. There is also the passion that I have discovered in students who are more experienced than me, one of whom has recently graduated. They are excited about homeopathy and it has clearly become an important part of their everyday lives. Looking around me at the people involved with the College, I can see that homeopathy is clearly something that gets under your skin and it continues to expand and motivate those who are involved with it. I love our weekends at College, I am interested in all the different subjects we cover, and every new remedy that is presented. It is inspirational being around people who are doing what they love and passing on their knowledge to students like me, who are new to homeopathy.

Jackie Collins LCVH a graduate of CVH wrote this as a  first year student at CVH, she's also a Reiki master/Teacher, Zimbate Healer