You Are Complex: Meet Professional Homeopath Cheryl Wood
Here at Vibrant Health, we believe health is an inside job, unique to you. After all, you’re one-of-a-kind and your needs are complex – that’s why your supplements should be too.
To celebrate all of the beautiful complexities of our lives, each month we’ve been highlighting individuals in our community – taking a peek into the behind-the-scenes of their work life, wellness routines and all the wonderful things that make them who they are.
In honor of World Homeopathy Awareness Week April 10-16, this week on the Vibrant Health blog we got to chat with Professional Homeopath Cheryl Wood. As a proud member of Council for Homeopathic Certification, National Center of Homeopathy and North American Society for Homeopaths, she has been using natural homeopathic remedies for years — both personally and professionally. What is homeopathy, you ask? Simply put, it’s natural remedies made from things found in nature.
In this insightful interview, we got to chat with Cheryl about common misconceptions of homeopathy (hint: it’s not the same as herbal medicine), natural homeopathic remedies for the spring season and her go-to salad and sweet treat. We hope you enjoy our series…and remember, keep being you!
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Nurturing, Patient, Personable
Can you tell us a bit more about your work as a Homeopath? What does a typical day "in the life" look like for you?
As the only employee right now and a single mom of four children (current ages 14-21), I wear several hats and every day is delightfully different. I practice in three locations and virtually too.
This year I have an online acute class running as well; we meet nine times, and recordings are available but live attendance is preferred. I wholeheartedly, absolutely love what I do. Helping humanity through healing my clients, helping to teach natural medicine that heals from the root, the core in our cells, to be a witness of others' growth and strength in overall health through homeopathy is simply amazing.
April 10th marks the start of World Homeopathy Awareness Week — promoting, educating, and spreading awareness around homeopathy. What do you want more people to know about when it comes to homeopathy and natural medicine? Any common misconceptions?
For starters...homeopathy is not herbal medicine nor supplements and vitamins. However, you may find some suggestions and helpful tips while visiting a homeopath as several of us have learned some things along the way and some have furthered their educational toolbox in other areas of natural healthcare.
Also, you may find after your initial consultation you feel 100% heard, listened to, and cared for on the utmost deepest levels of natural healthcare. Nine out of ten times I'm told by my clients that they feel they just had a session with their therapist and can't believe how much weight has been lifted off their shoulders. Not that homeopathy is a replacement for therapies, and for mental health it is best to be working with a therapist while adding homeopathy care.
Finally, know that homeopathy is not an overnight solution, and there can be many months of unwinding work we need to do from the years of conventional treatments…and every case is different too. I had one gentleman with 34 years of daily headaches that often turned into migraines. After one initial consultation visit and a few weeks of his remedy, they were 100% completely gone. Other clients need multiple follow ups to break through layers and layers; it all depends on the situation.
As we welcome spring, are there any particular homeopathic remedies you recommend in particular for this season i.e. when it comes to seasonal allergies, etc.?
For seasonal allergies, consider Hyland's Allergy Relief. Yes, it's a combination homeopathic product and some of my colleagues may not be favorable of that answer however I'd rather have people trying homeopathic combo products vs. the alternative cold and allergy over-the-counter medications.
With that said, some will have complete relief, others none; again it depends on the situation so consider remedies such as Natrum muriaticum, Apis, Kali Sulphuricum, Allium Cepa and Arsenicum. Also have on hand Arnica for bumps and bruises; Ledum for bug bites and Rhus Tox for poison ivy. Yes there are many others but this is a short list for here!
What are some examples of different types of ailments homeopathy can be used for?
Anything and everything! From simple acutes like colds, flus, and bruises to chronic ear infections, the entire menstruation cycle, thyroid health, anxiety, depression, mental health, clearing prior history of medications etc.
We think that having taken a medication whether at birth or over 15-30 years ago hasn't impacted our health but it left an imprint on our cells — by the time we're in our 40s and 50s, to me, our cells look like golf balls, all these divots of imprints from anything we ingested (medications etc.), vaccines, antibiotics, steroids, traumas, accidents etc. Homeopathy goes in and removes that divot, at the core, the cells can now sing being freed!
What’s your favorite healthy snack or meal to fuel your body during the workday?
I love a salad with fresh vegetables, adding in pumpkin seeds, Bragg's nutritional yeast, and croutons. When I have a super busy day, I fall on Amy's veggie lentil soup. And I love a Justin's peanut butter cup!
What are some of your go-to self-care rituals?
I'm finally back to weekly yoga! Also, walking 30 minutes per day. I like to add in a little bit of weight-training and floor exercises a couple times a week. Two things that have stuck with me, in rewiring our brains for positiveness, I learned from Jay Shetty and Mel Robbins. As soon as my feet hit the floor, I say “It's going to be a great day,” and I've written on my bathroom mirrors "I Love you because…" and fill that in daily. These might not stick for some, and there's many other ideas people can use to rewire their brains!
What does wellness look like for you?
Well, in our own lives, it's choosing all organic, clean foods we put into our bodies because we vote with our dollars. Exercising, however, one likes to do. And using homeopathy and whatever natural tools we have to help continually heal our bodies. On larger scales, it's stopping all the chemicals placed into our food, water, and environments.
DISCLAIMER: This information is not intended as a substitute for advice provided by a competent health care professional. You should not use this information in diagnosing or treating a health problem. No claim or opinion in this blog is intended to be, nor should be construed to be, medical advice. If you are now taking any drugs, prescribed or not, or have a medical condition, please consult a competent physician who is aware of herb/drug interactions before taking any herbal supplements. The information presented herein has not been evaluated by the FDA or the Department of Health and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, cure, mitigate or treat any disease or illness.
