Why your health is the best investment!

When I met Angela nearly over a year ago, it was because of my son. I took him to see the homeopath and, in preparation, I met Angela. What struck me about her was her kind nature and beauty; and that was just the beginning.

This week, I took my mother-in-law, who had been living in constant pain, to see Angela. The results have been life changing for our whole family. We have learnt that through good living, we don’t have to live in pain as we age! So I thought I would share my conversation with Angela, about the benefits of looking within, and not always going for the quick fix when it comes to your health.Angela is a mother of three children, 27, 24 and 18 years old. It was her role as a mother that introduced her to the world of homeopathy 22 years ago. Fast forward to 2012: Angela has gained a wealth of knowledge in homeopathic remedies and is now a trained Craniosacral Therapist.

WMS: Angela, what bought you to Dubai 33 years ago?

I had a close friend in London who had to return to Egypt as her husband was involved in a lot of film projects there. She saw a job advertised for work in Dubai and said that I could do that and come and visit her in Egypt.  I said: ‘Where’s Dubai?’ So we got the atlas out and found the tiny dot on the Arabian Gulf and I thought: ‘OK. Yes, I can do that.’

So you did?

Yes, I decided to take a year off from my study in Trichology, which is the branch of medicine dealing with diseases of the scalp and hair. I did not expect that I would end up getting married and permanently living over here.WMS: Have you always been interested in alternative health?

I’ve always been interested in health-related issues and finding alternative ways of dealing with problems.  When we were children, our family doctor was never one to prescribe medicine unless it was absolutely necessary.  He would always say: ‘Just give your body time and you will get over it’.  So the haste with which children seem to be given antibiotics and other medication so freely nowadays, is quite unusual for me.

And who introduced you to homeopathy?

A lovely Norwegian homeopath called Sofie.  My son had developed vitiligo after reacting badly to the BCG vaccination and the therapy proposed seemed quite drastic to me.  He was informed that he wouldn’t be able to go out in the sun without wearing sunglasses all the time as it may damage his eyes. The thought occurred to me that it could well be having undesirable effects elsewhere in the body too and so I looked for an alternative in the form of homeopathy.

So what happened next?

The vitiligo took time to correct but eventually, he regained all the pigment and never had problems after that.  I started to read everything that I could lay my hands on about homeopathy and decided that the only way to find out if it was really effective, was to use remedies whenever anyone in the family was ill.  The result is that my eldest child has only ever had one course of antibiotics. My other two children have never had any antibiotics, nor any other forms of allopathic medication.  They have had homeopathy their whole lives.

What about your own personal experience? 

Well, I developed hypothyroidism after my last son was born. I thought that would be a real test for homeopathy.  Again, it took time for my system to settle down. But where other people would be exhausted and sleep the most of the day,  I hardly had any symptoms after I started homeopathic treatments.WMS: You are actually a trained Craniosacral Therapist. Can you tell us what this is exactly?

Yes, Craniosacral therapy was developed by an osteopath, William Garner Sutherland, at the end of the 19th Century.  He noticed that, contrary to the accepted view that the bones of an adult’s head are fused together, they actually have more movement potential through the sutures and membranes. He deduced that a person’s health could be assessed as well as assisted through very gentle palpation (gentle feeling with the fingers) of the cranisacral rhythm.

Years later, John Upledger took Sutherland’s work to another level by using his own experiences with the therapy and teaching his methods to people who were not osteopaths. He called it Craniosacral therapy.   

WMS: How does a Craniosacral therapist work?

Firstly, there are very clear guidelines to giving a treatment.  The patient’s health and wellbeing are the primary concern. Consultation with the patient’s medical doctor is recommended first in order to diagnose any serious conditions.

Patients are treated in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect with the knowledge that, given the right circumstances, the body is able to heal itself. After all, it is the body which created the condition.

When we experience stresses on the system, (whether they be mental, emotional, environmental or due to trauma through an accident) and we don’t have the resources to overcome that stress, the system becomes overwhelmed. It then tries to isolate the problem area and carry on as best as it can. This results in other parts of the body gradually overcompensating, which increases the stress on the body and causes further break-down.

A craniosacral therapist ‘listens’ to the body through their gentle touch in order to assess the areas of restriction within the body. Given the recognition, the intelligence of the body is able to make its own adjustments – in the order and manner which is most beneficial to the health of the body.

WMS: How is CranioSacral therapy performed?

The patient lies on the treatment table or seated in a chair, if that is more comfortable. They are fully clothed and the practitioner will access a light contact on various parts of the body according to the issues present.

WMS: Who are your typical patients?

I have seen people of all ages from new borns – who by the way, the Royal College of Obstetricians in the UK recommend should have CST treatment soon after birth in order to offset birth trauma, up to those in their 80s. I have seen people who have suffered injury through sports, stress, childbirth, surgery and war trauma.WMS: What symptoms do your patients have?

They can have all kinds of symptoms but usually, they are suffering with pain of some form, whether physically or emotionally.

WMS: Why do you think patients head for ‘traditional medication’ rather than explore ‘alternative methods’ of healing?

Today we are living in a fast paced world and people do not like to experience discomfort. Often they cannot afford to experience discomfort due to work or family pressures.

So they go for a quick fix?

Allopathic medication can appear to be the answer to the present day dilemma. There is no doubt that we may have a need for it in heroic circumstances.  But, by the constant suppression of symptoms (used by allopathic medication), rather than treating the initial causes and stimulating the bodies healing abilities (which are the methods of homeopathy, craniosacral therapy and other energetic therapies), people’s health will continue to deteriorate.  People may be living longer, according to statistics, but in what state of health?

People have often said to me that homeopathy takes a long time to work?

Yes, but that hasn’t been my experience and there are many factors to take into consideration. For instance, how long have they been ill for?

Surely it is better to know that you are curing the condition rather than keeping it in check until the medication has stopped and all symptoms return?

As a craniosacral therapist, I have seen people who have been unable to be helped by allopathic medication and have had unexpected results with craniosacral therapy.WMS: What are three ways you look after yourself?

I follow a healthy diet first and foremost, I have happy relations with the people I deal with and I am constantly curious about everything around me so I am never bored. Life feels abundant.

WMS: What advice would you give to other mothers about wellbeing?

Well, of course, I would recommend homeopathic or craniosacral treatment for the family, along with a healthy diet.  The word “diet” conjures up some kind of strict, self-denying way of eating, but it needn’t be.  Fresh healthy food, including lots of well-prepared vegetables and fruits, nuts, beans, fish and animal proteins are so delicious, so there’s never a feeling of not being able to enjoy food.  On the weekends, I have to admit that I can’t resist going down to French Bakery where they have the most delicious chocolate orange ice cream cakes.  Moderation is key. When the diet is healthy, you don’t have such a taste for extremes of salty or sweet foods.

What about children?

In the clinic, I see a lot of children with behavioural and developmental issues. My heart goes out to the parents of these children as well as the children themselves.  Getting help as early as possible can mitigate a lot of the problems that parents will encounter as their children start school.

Advice to mothers?

Mothers should try to be aware of how they are feeling. They should make appointments for themselves, so they have time to do something at least once a week that they enjoy doing, without their children if need be. If they are feeling overwhelmed with the responsibility of caring for children and family, they should not berate themselves.  I think one of the most important things in life is not to compare yourself to the next person. That can create feelings of inadequacy or superiority, envy or competitiveness – none of which are conducive to a happy, healthy life.

Below I am pictured with my mother-in-law. Marie has recently been a patient of Angela’s and has experienced life changing results. It has been an education in both way of life and also the research and responsibility that the patient takes with their own health.