Karl Bedson
The Derbyshire Community Herbalist (change in name coming - as I now have patients all over Britain)

A sample of the talks I have recently given;

• Personalised Herbal Teas for Christmas Gifts (The Brambles Natural Health Practice, Bakewell): Wonderful evening looking at various herbal tea blends, followed by some tastings and making of personal blends.  It will include 2 personalised blends, tea tasting, handouts and the opportunity to make more.

• Pain and Joint Stiffness (Fibro&ME, Ilkeston): Third part of a targeted and funded series looking at how herbs and simple changes at home can aid different aspects of a sufferers health and life.  It will include herbal teas, herbal tinctures and a multi-page handout.

• Low Mood, Depression and Anxiety (Fibro&ME, Ilkeston): Second part of a targeted and funded series looking at how herbs and simple changes at home can aid different aspects of a sufferers health and life.  It will include herbal teas, herbal tinctures and a two-page handout.

• Three great herbs found in your garden (U3A gardening group, Sheffield): A lovely engaging morning looking at the health benefits of dandelion, hawthorn and lemon balm, as well as three basic ways to enjoy them, infusion, decoction and percolation.  It included a four sided handout, a beautiful lemon balm tea and sampling of both fresh organic hawthorn berry and flower tinctures.

• Bitter Benefits (Chesterfield CFS/ Fibromyalgia Support Group): A wonderful event detailing what are bitters, how they benefit the whole body and how to enjoy them, supported by Renuka Russell.  It included a fresh tea, a very bitter tincture sample and a 7 page handout.

• Stagnation, Metabolism and Immunity (Fibro&ME, Ilkeston): First part of a targeted and funded series (other dates provided by medical herbalist, Frances Burton) looking at how herbs and simple changes at home can aid different aspects of a sufferers health and life.  It included two different herbal teas, four herbal tinctures and a two-page handout.

• Introduction to herbal medicine (Evergreen Club, Darley Dale): A short yet lovely gentle introduction to herbal basics and what happens at a consultation, very enthusiastic group who had lots of stories on gran's herbal knowledge.  It included a simple herbal tea.

• Introduction to herbal medicine and how it can help with CFS/ Fibromyalgia sufferers (Chesterfield CFS/ Fibromyalgia Support Group): A fun and hot afternoon explaining the benefits of herbal medicine through the lens of CFS and fibromyalgia, with a very enthusiastic wide ranging Q&A which lasted over 30 mins.  Multiple tincture were sampled.

• Introduction to herbal medicine and how it can help with CFS/ Fibromyalgia sufferers (Fibro&ME, Ilkeston): A great morning explaining the benefits of herbal medicine and simple advice on how to incorporate basic herbal treatments within their own home.  Two teas and three herbal tinctures were sampled.

• Basic concepts of tissue states and how herbal treatments can help (Private event, Eyam): A great outdoor event, detailing the concepts of tissue state imbalances and herbal treatments. Six teas were enjoyed and multiple handouts were provided.

• Herbal Medicine today and during the time of the plague (Around Eyam): A Saturday (twice each day) hour+ long walk from the Plague museum to the village churchyard, detailing many growing herbs found as we walked, which were used then, and how our knowledge/ evidence of their use and the life sciences had changed some of the herbal practices we now use.