I love doing workshops! I always learn something from the people who come to my workshops and even if I have done sessions on the same susbject before, the participants are always different, so it’s never boring! The Q&A sessions are particularly interesting: here in the picture is one of the participants staying behind to get some extra tips!

Today I was at Yoga Balance, in Glasgow, where you can find me every Friday for individual consultations.

The topic was colds and flu and what to do if you don’t want to use antibiotics and paracetamol. Let’s face it: the NHS won’t give you antibiotics for a common cold or flu anyway, with the new guidelines and cough syrups and pastilles never work. How about learning how to treat your symptoms and those of your close family, instead?

The first thing I always say is: getting a cold of the flu once in a while is not the end of the world and often it is the way our body has of saying:”please stop, you need a rest!”. Having said that, of course it is annoying and unpleasant and we all want to get back to normal as quickly as possible, we have got busy lives and things to do…

So here is a list of useful remedies you can look at:

Bryonia: the whole body aches, especially the head; worse for slightest movement; better for lying still in bed; great thirst during fever. Onset of symptoms is gradual.

Gelsenium: classic flu remedy: you feel chilly, dizzy, drowsy, tired. No thirst, slow pulse and tendency to tremble.

Rhus Tox: great stiffness of joints but better for movement; better for warmth and worse for cold and dampness.  It works really well alternated with Bryonia.

Allium cepa: Clear, burning nasal discharge; Eye tearing; Red, burning eyes; Worse in warm rooms in evening, better in open air; Tickling throat that leads to dry cough that is painful; Very thirsty; Even temperament

 Drosera: Dry, croupy coughs;Barking, ringing sound in cough; Sore throat; Cough may be in chest; Coughing may lead to heaving or vomiting; Needs to support chest during coughing to relieve pain; Worse while lying down; Eating and drinking aggravate; Sometimes may be some mucous

Euphrasia: Non-irritating discharge from nose worse in open air or when lying down; Tears that burn on skin; Loose cough but not too deep; Lots of mucous; Cough is worse in day, better at night

Ferrum phos: Those with predisposition to colds; First stage of inflammatory illness; Croup; Short, painful, tickling cough; Hard, dry cough with sore chest; Hoarseness; Cough better at night

Kali bichromium: Consider in later stages of cold; Thick, yellow discharge that is stringy; So thick that it is hard to blow form nose; Crusty discharges in nose; Thick, post-nasal drip; Sinus headaches and infections in general

Natrum mur: Few unique symptoms; Use when symptom is lots of clear, white mucous; Thick and sticky discharge that can collect in throat; Sneezing spells; Loss of taste and smell; Accompanied by small blisters around the mouth and nose; Dry, cracked lips; Weepy, sad temperament that rejects attention

Phosphorus: Good for a variety of coughs; Dry, croupy cough … or loose and deep; Accompanied by all kinds and colors of phlegm; May have chest pain that is worse with motion; Chest pain worse when lying on left side; May have tightness in chest;Cold air and lying down worsen the cough; Triggered during time of falling asleep; Liquids aggravate the cough; Good for laryngitis and hoarseness; Chilly and crave ice-cold drinks; Nervous when alone or in the dark; likes company and reassurance

Pulsatilla: Accompanied by thick yellow or green mucous; Runny nose may alternate with congestion; Nose is running in open air and stuffy in warm room; Good for dry and loose coughs; Cough is dry at night but loose in day; Lots of coughing may end in gagging; Look for “Pulsatilla” temperament when choosing

 Spongia: Best for croupy, harsh cough; Cough sounds like a saw; Cough awakens from sleep; Has constriction in throat; Drinking warm fluids and eating may relieve