Learn About the Medicinal Uses of Herbs

 Herbal Medicine Chest Course

Medicinal Herbalist Catherine Novak (and owner of Beads N Botanicals) teaches this course. She says, “Over the years, I’ve discovered that each individual herb has so much to teach us about healing and our relationship to nature. Just when I make the mistake of thinking I know almost everything about an herb’s properties, I learn of another through direct life experience or knowledge shared with me by herbalists whom I respect.”

This course will cover somewhere between 25 and 50 herbs altogether. However, you should be very pleased with yourself if you develop a working knowledge of considerably less. The Herbal Medicine Chest covers holistic approaches to “medicine,” a traditional Chinese medicine view of “medicine,” and a Native American perspective on “medicine.”

You will learn how to use herbs safely and responsibly; methods of preparing herbs; suggested herbs to keep on hand for everyday use; how to make herbal oil infusions and salves; and how to use wild edibles as food and medicine.

At the end of this class you will take home an herbal healing salve created during this class.
Five Weeks on Thursday nights, from 6:15pm to 7:45pm. starting May 16, 23, 30, June 6 and June 13.
Cost: $150 per person, due by April 20th Or $125 prepaid by April 6th. Pre-payment and pre-registration required. Minimum of three students required for this class to run with no more than 10 students. (we will have a waiting list for more than 10 students)

For more information:

http://www.facebook.com/events/328017663983684/

Herbal Medicine Chest Registration in Champaign Urbana

Wise Weeds Botanical Studies

Herbal Medicine Chest Course

Over the years, I’ve discovered that each individual herb has so much to teach us about healing and our relationship to nature. Just when I make the mistake of thinking I know almost everything about an herb’s properties, I learn of another through direct life experience or knowledge shared with me by herbalists whom I respect.

This course will cover somewhere between 25 and 50 herbs altogether. However, you should be very pleased with yourself if you develop a working knowledge of considerably less.

The Herbal Medicine Chest covers holistic approaches to “medicine,” a traditional Chinese medicine view of “medicine,” and a Native American perspective on “medicine.”

You will learn how to us herbs safely and responsibly; methods of preparing herbs; suggested herbs to keep on hand for everyday use; how to make herbal oil infusions and salves; and how to use wild edibles as food and medicine.

Herbal Classes will be held at

Beads N Botanicals

117 N Broadway Ave, Urbana, IL 61801

217-365-9355

E-mail: beadsnbotanicals@gmail.com

On Thursday nights, from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Starting May 7^th through June 4^th.

Cost: $150 per person, due by May 6^th

Or $125 prepaid by April 23^rd

MRSA is not the only bacterium resistant to antibiotics

Just yesterday I attended a teleconference by David Winston on the subject
of MRSA and Bacterial MDR and how certain herbs and essential oils may be the
solution to the growing problem of infections resistant to antibiotics.
According to the CDC, hospital-associated infections affect nearly 2 million patients
and contribute to nearly 100,000 deaths each year.

I’ll talk more about information that David shared in future blogs as well as some of my experiences in working with clients and customers.

In the meantime, I thought the following article was particularly timely.

A bad germ gets worse
C. diff’ rivals MRSA as the next deadly bacteria
threat, experts say

By JoNel Aleccia, Health
writer, MSNBC

Amy Warren had never heard of the germ that made her so miserable.

In January 2005, weeks after giving birth to her daughter, the Ohio
mother of two knew only that she was in pain, suffering cramping so
severe she felt like she was still in labor. Then came the diarrhea,
uncontrollable bouts up to 50 times a day, which left Warren
weak and raw and stranded in her Maineville home.

"I was so sick; I thought I had colon cancer and was dying," Warren recalled.

Three tests failed to detect the source of her intestinal trouble. A fourth, however, confirmed Warren as part of a toxic trend: She was among growing numbers of people sickened by an
especially virulent form of the bacterial infection Clostridium difficile, known as C.
diff.

Doctors told Warren she’d contracted the NAP1 type of the bacteria, a mutated version that
produces roughly 20 times the toxins responsible for illnesses ranging from
simple diarrhea to blood poisoning — and death.

For the complete
article check here.

Bad Germ Getting Worse

Aromatherapy: help or hype?

The monthly magazine, Central Illinois Health Magazine, just published an article on aromatherapy in its February 2008 issue. The article: “Aromatherapy: help or hype?” by Kelsey C. Blackwell, takes a close look at whether or not aromatherapy can help people become healthier.

Although the article is credited to Blackwell, Greta Hale, the magazine’s editor, is the person who interviewed me in December 2007. Considering the skeptical tone of the article (which, overall, was very balanced in its presentation), I am very pleased with how I was identified and quoted (although I’ve actually been studying and teaching for more than 15 years, rather than the 12 years noted in the article.)

Normally I would just include a link to the article, but unfortunately the magazine is not web-friendly right now. The following quoted material is from p. 33

Catherine Novak also knows the value of essential oils. She owns Beads and Botanicals in Hoopeston and the online business Wise Weeds.net [Please note: this should be wiseweeds.net C.N.] …She believes aromatherapy is a useful and non-threatening tool to complement traditional medical treatments.

“What I see a lot coming into the shop are people who have already seen a doctor and they’re looking for more relief, she said.

Novak sells custom blends and essential oils. One blend, named banish pain oil, contains essential oils mixed in with another oil infused with St. John’s wort. Her customers have found that it works to relieve arthritis and chronic muscle pain and even helps with pain from carpel tunnel, Novak said.

The article also included information on some of the types of aromatherapy blends I offer clients and customers, including my Banish Pain and Clear Air formulas.

I found it sad that one of the scientists quoted in another section of the text said that peppermint oil was not effective for headaches or migraines. I say sad because I’ve seen where a little bit of peppermint oil mixed into a carrier oil has given relief to headache/migraine sufferers.

Still, all in all, this is a great article with a lot of information.

Central Illinois Health Magazine is published by the News-Gazette in Champaign, IL

Staying Young, Develop a Memorable Memory

Staying Young, Develop a Memorable Memory

By Michael Roizen & Mehmet Oz.

Seven ways to prevent memory loss and keep your brain operating at maximum efficiency.

Those seven techniques include teaching, learning something new, living in the moment, eating “brain” food, such as salmon, tomatoes and blueberries, and eliminating unnecessary chemicals from your diet and environment.

Staying Young, Develop a Memorable Memory

Study Finds Echinacea may prevent colds

Study finds echinacea may prevent colds

By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor

Reuters

Echinacea may not only help reduce the symptoms of a cold but may help prevent infection with some cold viruses, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

People who took echinacea had a 58 percent lower risk of catching a cold, according to the researchers, who did not study the herb's effects directly but looked at the results of 14 studies in an approach called a meta-analysis.

Study finds echinacea may prevent colds

Where to buy Echinacea Tincture

Bring Back the Natives

Bring Back the Natives 

Bring Back the Natives Annual Garden Tour is  scheduled for July 14,
2007, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Rain Date is July 15th.

Location: York, PA

Visit 9 diverse gardens ~ Observe native plants at their best, enjoy
wildlife habitats created by MAEscapes, view gardens without  chemicals.

Tickets cost: Adult(in advance $8.00, Adult(day of event)  $10.00,
Children under 12 years are Free

This event is sponsored by  York County Master Gardeners and the
MAEscapes partners. Contact  717-840-7408.

Healing Comes Through Many Avenues

Been getting ready for this Saturday's Day of Tarot Readings. Spiffing up the shop a little, running business cards, you know, the usual kind of stuff.

Have also checked up on whether or not flyers were still up around town, continued to post info on the web and followed up with other folks who are helping promote this event.

In the process, it's been interesting to learn that a lot of folks are surprised I do readings. I explained that I tend to focus on assisting people with herbal consultations, hypnotherapy for behavior modification as well as past life regression and Reiki energy healing, but that tarot and intuitive guidance is also another avenue for healing.

Just like hypnotherapy can help someone overcome fears, blocks and obstacles in their life's path, tarot and intuitive guidance can aid someone in more clearly viewing where they are and where they are headed.

While a reading can indicate where one's path may lead, I truly believe that each of us can make changes to that path. Therefore, a reading is usually not a prediction of exactitude, but more an indication of where we may be headed.

One example of this in action happened last Winter. A young woman was considering a job change, but wasn't sure about a new position that she was offered.

The reading helped her to step forward with confidence and leave a job that had deadended for her. She had the confidence to ask for more money (and got it!) even though the recruiter discouraged her from doing so. She's now more confident, self-possessed and feeling more competent than she had felt in the last several years.

This woman could have ignored the reading and stayed in a dead-end situation. Instead, she used the reading to guide her and overcome her fears about dealing with a new situation.

That's what I mean about tarot and intuitive guidance being another avenue for healing.

Anything that helps us in a positive way can be a healing and transformative force in our lives.

Tarot Readings

Beads N Botanicals presents

A day to share the knowledge and insights of

an experienced and certified

Medicinal herbalist,

Hypnotherapist

and

Reiki practitioner

Catherine Novak

Bring your curiosity and questions and enjoy light refreshments

While being entertained with Tarot Readings

On Saturday, June 2, 2007

10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Readings will be available for walk-ins

Or

For an appointment, call

Beads N Botanicals

217-283-6380

located at:

227 S. Market St. (next to the Harris Agency)

Hoopeston, Il 60942

E-mail: BeadsNBotanicals@gmail.com

http://www.wiseweeds.net