Graduation Certificates for the intensive anthroposophic Home Care Training.
We are delighted to announce that our intensive anthroposophic Home Care Training has graduated eight local people who have shown great enthusiasm and ability to treat the sick at home.
The six-month training, located in Bellingen NSW, was led by Irmhild Kleinhenz, anthroposophic naturopath and Charlotte Rogers, anthroposophic nurse. In situ plant studies were included in the course and each participant was trained in the use of compresses for the lungs, liver, abdomen and kidneys. The assessment process had a practical and a written component.
We would like to commend the trainees’ dedication to the completion of the course. It was indeed a wonderful experience to see the quality of care and love that they showed towards the community, especially during these difficult times when many sick people need high-quality care and compassion. It is heartening to see that the greatest support we can give each other in a crisis is the overcoming our fears and doubts to adopt the gesture of the Good Samaritan.
Experiencing the nature of each herb component of the compresses
The research-based assessment tasks included documenting personal experiences with particular herbs in compresses. Here are a few of the noted experiences of the trainees:
- Yarrow acts as a harmonic, working between nerves and metabolism. Humble yet powerful, gentle yet strong, yarrow balances the warmth, light, chemical and life ethers. It embodies resilience, self-sufficiency and generosity.
- Chamomile has strong warmth and light ethers. It embodies readiness to serve, humility, purity and joy. Humble and heavenly, it is also soothing, calming and relaxing.
- Thyme has hidden strength, uprightness and a cleansing quality.
- Wormwood is bittersweet: steadfast, sobering, protective but also assimilative, determined and enduring. This green fairy bestows gifts but also has a sting. A no-nonsense herb.
Focus on equisetum
There was a particular focus on Equisetum – every trainee studied this herb for the kidney compress:
Equisetum is commonly called Horsetail: a diuretic that also removes a cough, providing anti-inflammatory and steroidal support. Its strong silica content reminds one of segmented bones, such as in the spine. Research of its ancient origins from carboniferous times places it in the Ancient Sun to Moon epochs. Back then, equisetum was tree-like. The last genesis of this plant and its relationship was to the watery/vaporous element.
Equisetum provides enhancement of clarity in the purification of thinking and is incarnating through the will. It spreads its spores and is very fertile, filtering and spraying out like a big sneeze! Wholesome for dealing with toxins, the strong influence of the light ether can be seen in the segmented parts. Similar to bamboo, vigorous growth, uprightness.
Future training
As part of this initiative, we will be offering further training for both general home care and more specialised home care as a commitment to this growing need for humanity. We are also developing a Home Care Manual as part of the training.
For more information about this training, download the flyer or contact Irmhild Kleinhenz.
Photo credit: Karl Blossfeldt, courtesy of MiA