When I opened my shop I knew a little about herbs, homeopathy and supplements but I had to learn more in order to help my customers. I followed the I.A.H.S. training, (Irish Association of Health Stores), and completed all the training that the supplement and herbal companies provided. I studied and researched and then I trained to become a Kinesiologist and once I received my Diploma in 2008 I began to work healing people.
I tried all the health foods that I stocked and our diet, which had always been based around fresh vegetarian produce became organic and expanded.
I had made my own bread from time to time and now we only eat home made bread. I had grown a few spuds before but now we grow as much of our own fruit and veg and herbs as we can and we got ourselves a poly tunnel so that we could grow even more.
I searched for teachers who could help me get the most from our herbs and I began making herbal medicine from our own herbs and from wild plants growing near by.
I discovered blogs that inspired me to become more self-sufficient and more frugal minded and more creative. I began to knit again and to make soap, body care and household cleaners. (I will be running a workshop on these topics later this year.) Yesterday we made our own sea salt. It is SO easy. We collected a pan of water from the sea side – from the wild Atlantic and sat it on the range and let it boil away.
A couple of hours later we have enough salt for a week or two and it cost us nothing because the range is on anyway, providing heat and for cooking.
The more self sufficient we become the more satisfying life is. It also leads to a closer relationship with Nature. The childhood urge to know Nature, to be connected to Nature came to the fore and that awakened a need for a spiritual connection. My spirituality was not to be confined within a church – no thank you – but outdoors. My temple is to be found outside near trees, on a hill, by the sea.
I suppose what I am trying to say is, that by following a dream to own and run a health shop, that dream took us further than I ever imagined. We are on an adventure now and we don’t know where we’ll end up.