Recently, I posted To repeat, or not to repeat? Acute version. I gave many examples of “classical”* homeopaths recommending the rather frequent repetition of the remedies for acute cases.

If classical homeopaths are in agreement it’s OK to repeat remedies acutely, why do a lot of classical homeopaths think it’s not OK to repeat remedies when addressing chronic issues?

Let’s recap from last week:

• Repeating homeopathic remedies during acute treatment is fine and dandy.
• Sometimes there may be a homeopathic aggravation, which is considered a good thing.
  • if there is an aggravation, space the timing out further. (Note: it may be telling you the remedy is not quite right and may warrant further investigation.)
• Remedies can be repeated in dry dose or diluted in mineral water.
• If symptoms return, repeat the remedy.

When we get to chronic treatment, these guidelines are often set to the side… pushed away… locked up… verboten.

Small Doses, Big Results by Karl Robinson, M.D. (2014, p xv) begins his introduction thusly: "There is only one medicine, holistic or otherwise, that treats mind and body at the same time with only one medicine and does so with one dose repeated infrequently."

Lisa Strbac (2024, p 22) explains the classical thinking quite succinctly in The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy:

"‘I felt so good on my remedy; why can’t I keep taking it?’
Homeopathy follows the principle of the minimum dose — using the smallest amount of remedy needed to stimulate the body’s healing response. Repeated doses of a well-matched remedy, especially when not needed, can disrupt the healing process with a risk that the individual may prove the remedy. Once improvement is noted, it’s best to stop taking the remedy and only repeat if symptoms return."

​Dr. Lockie (1993) adds: "In chronic conditions, 6c remedies are usually taken 3 times a day for up to 14 days, and 30c remedies every 12 hours for a few days.”
“for a few days”… hmmm

I have noticed classical homeopaths actually often repeat doses, especially at the beginning of treatment, even when they otherwise do not recommend repeating doses. I frequently hear or read of classical homeopaths opening a case with a “split dose” (another name for a single repeated dose, e.g., take a dose at night and repeat it the following morning); or, they may repeat a dose for 3 to 5 days in a row, right off the bat (as above), and then stop and see what happens. Aren’t they risking disrupting the healing process?

I could spend hours listing all of Hahnemann’s aphorisms and Dr. James Tyler Kent’s lecture points and digging through all my books, but I’m not going to do that. I am going to ignore them when it comes to whether or not it is OK to repeat dry remedies.

​What?! You’re going to ignore the masters?!
Yes. Instead, I am going to turn to Dr. Francisco Xavier Eizayaga** (1991, p 211) who decided to test these theories:

"This subject has always worried us. After about eighteen years of collecting a rich experience with many thousands of patients, we decided to put some order to the matter. We have usually followed certain traditional rules according to the powerful influence Kent exercised with instructions stated in his Homoeopathic Philosophy [first published in 1900]. In the chronic cases we employed only one dose followed by placebo… We had always started with a 200c or MC potency and we waited for the results. The great majority of our patients suffered the initial homeopathic aggravation followed by the different contingencies described by Kent in his Lecture XXXV.…"

"-Some patients only feel well while they are having the remedy, not while they are having the placebo.…

-There is no difference between the homoeopathic aggravation due to a unique dose or due to repeated doses, even when taking a remedy during the reaction.

-The late aggravation of which Hahnemann speaks takes place in 4% of cases, some of them susceptible to being interpreted in another way, and, in any case, it never is anything more than a temporary bother with no other pathological significance.…
​
When an individual has daily and repeated doses, we are referring to a chronic case, only one of those doses will modify that susceptibility, by either aggravating first and then causing recovery, or causing recovery directly…. The proof of this is that the patient’s response to the therapeutic action is the same one with a unique dose as with repeated ones…."

As a reminder, I was “raised” on the Banerji Protocols which repeat doses often, so, to me, this was normal and “right.” Then, I attended classical homeopathic training which told me repeating doses was very bad. I was left a little perplexed for a few years. Repeating doses was working for myself and it was working for my clients. What was I missing?

Then I read Dr. Eizayaga and it turns out I wasn’t missing anything! The research conducted by Dr. Eizayaga was enough for me to put any hesitation I had been harboring about repeating dry doses away for good. Phew!

So, what are we talking about in terms of repeating doses for chronic situations?
#1 — the individual is the most important piece of this decision making process. I can’t stress this enough.

• Banerji Protocols? They repeat often — twice daily is a standard repetition.
• Narayani Remedies? They repeat even more often — three times daily is common and some of the combos suggest six times a day.

Like Dr. Eizayaga, the Banerjis and the Narayanis have decades-long track records of success with many thousands of patients repeating dry doses daily.

Now, let’s do a little comparison between “classical” and “practical” dosing. Most of the books written for home users list primarily acute conditions, so I turned to Hemorrhoids which is often a chronic condition for many people.

Drs. Jonas & Jacobs (1998, p 222):
"For acute†† hemorrhoidal problems, take the remedy twice daily in the 30c potency or 4 times a day in the 12x. Stop the remedy as soon as improvement occurs, or after two days if it is not giving relief." [They recommend one of 5 remedies: Aesculus, Sulphur, Nux vomica, Nitric acid or Hamamelis.]

​​Dr. Andrew Lockie (1993, p 258) recommends the same selection of remedies, plus, Aloe, Collinsonia, Pulsatilla, Ammonium carb or Causticum “to be taken 4 times daily for up to 5 days.”

The Banerjis (2013), on the other hand, recommend for hemorrhoids in their first line of treatment:

• Sulphur 200c, every other day
• Nux vomica 30c, once daily

And, in acute conditions:

• Sulphur 200c + Ratanhia 200c, twice daily, with instructions to repeat every 3 hours until complete remission of the pain or burning. This is quite an amazing combination!

Narayani remedies would most likely call for Mix 32: Veins & Piles which contains 8 different remedies and recommends using it 3 times a day and up to 6 times a day “if very bad.

Interestingly, in this instance, we see a similar repetition of remedies between classical and practical methods††.

So, to repeat or not repeat? Is it even still a question?

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

​*For this article, “classical” refers to homeopaths using one remedy at a time; “Practical” refers to homeopaths who use multiple remedies at one time.
**If you can find this book, buy this book… You won’t be disappointed.
***Plus Method, according to Eizayaga (1991, p 213):
"…if the succeeding dose is changed slightly every time, namely potentized somewhat higher then the vital principle may be altered without difficulty by the same medicine (the sensation of natural disease diminishing) and thus the cure brought nearer.”
†Eizayaga does not clarify what he means by “high potency.”
††To be accurate, the “classical” recommendations are not necessarily referring to chronic hemorrhoids, but let’s be real — hemorrhoid pain is hemorrhoid pain!

​Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Eizayaga, F. X., 1991. Treatise on Homoeopathic Medicine. Estilos Graficos S.A.

Jonas, W. B. and Jacobs, J., 1998. Healing with homeopathy : the doctor’s guide. New York, Ny: Warner Books.

Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : the safe form of medicine for the future. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Robinson, K., 2014. Small doses big results : how homeopathic medicine offers hope in chronic disease.

Strbac, L., 2024. The Trailblazer’s Insight into Homeopathy.

​I touched on the idea of remedy repetition in my recent “broad and shallow sweep through homeopathic potency.” In that article, remedy repetition was more related to various homeopathic ideas that certain potencies (generally low) are more suited to repetition than others.

I understand there are plenty of “classical” homeopaths who work with multiple remedies at a time (for example: a weekly “constitutional” remedy and a daily cell salt and perhaps an occasional “lesional” remedy — all used in the same time frame), but for this article, I will use the term “classical” in regard to homeopaths who practice with one remedy at a time.

“Practical” homeopaths, in this article, are referring to those who use multiple remedies simultaneously or even combination remedies. (I am aware that there are plenty of “classical” homeopaths who apply homeopathy in a “practical” manner, but do not use polypharmacy, for instance.)
--
As we learned in the above mentioned Homeopathic Potency article, it’s important to remember, as always in homeopathy, the individual is the driving and deciding force.
--
Digging through my bookshelves, it’s clear that repetition of remedies during acute conditions is pretty universal and considered to be sometimes necessary even. Let’s take a look at a few different authors and see what they recommend. (All emphases are from original authors.)

Dr. Ratera (2020, p 19), writing about First Aid with Homeopathy (so ostensibly dealing only with acute situations) says:

"Use low potencies (from 6 to 30D and C or K) for milder cases, repeat several times in dry dose or diluted in mineral water…. In severe cases, the frequency of administration initially must be high (every 1-5 minutes in severe poisoning), progressively decreasing the frequency with improvement. In medium and mild cases, every 2-8 hours the first day, and reduce the frequency to 1-2 times daily for 1 or 2 days.… Stop or reduce remedy administration when the patient starts improving. Prolonged, unnecessary repetition of homeopathic remedies can produce proving symptoms in the patient."

Dr. Colin B. Lessell’s The World Travellers’ Manual of Homoeopathy (1999, p 5) in discussing remedies for a sun headache:

"… in an average case, one dose of Belladonna 30c should be given initially every two hours. The strength of the treatment may be varied, however, according to the severity of the case. A mild case may require dosage repetition every four hours, and a severe case every hour, or half hour. For the beginner, it is best to start with the directive of the text. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the frequency of repetition should be reduced as the patient improves, and in most instances the remedy should be discontinued once significant improvement has occurred.

Occasionally, after the administration of a remedy, the patient experiences what is termed homoeopathic aggravation (see below for further explanation). This is a transient worsening of the patient’s symptoms, and may be caused by the use of too high a potency, or by too rapid dose repetition. In fact, it signifies overstimulation of the bodily healing response. Should this occur, the remedy should be discontinued, whereupon the phase of aggravation will be followed by one of remission, often proceeding to cure. However, it sometimes happens that this phase of remission is short-lived, and is followed by a resumption of the previous symptoms, although they are often less severe. In this case, the remedy should be reapplied, but less aggressively. Reduce the frequency of dosage, or select a lesser potency."

Dr. Andrew Lockie’s The Family Guide to Homeopathy (1993, p 30):

"In acute conditions, doses should be taken every 1/2 or 1 hour to begin with, up to a maximum of 10 doses. But as soon as there is some improvement, the interval between doses should be increased to 8 or 12 hours for 2 or 3 days at most. THERE IS ABSOLUTELY NO POINT IN CONTINUING TO TAKE A REMEDY ONCE THE SYMPTOMS HAVE STARTED TO DISAPPEAR."

Drs. Jonas & Jacobs in their Healing with Homeopathy state:

"The cardinal rule of homeopathic treatment is that once a remedy begins to work, it should be tapered off and/or stopped. This is because the remedies stimulate the natural healing mechanisms of the body, and once that process begins it continues on its own.… Marked improvement can sometimes occur after only one dose, especially in a particularly intense situation… at other times several doses are necessary before the effects of the remedy are noticed. At the point where an effect is noticed, stop the medicine and wait."

Miranda Castro in The Complete Homeopathy Handbook (Castro 1991, p 26):

"Having selected the remedy for your patient, you will need to decide on the dose. This will depend upon the urgency of the case: frequent doses for an acute illness that has come on suddenly and strongly, and less frequent doses for a slowly developing illness. Some earaches with very severely distressed patients need their remedies repeating every five minutes; a head injury may need the remedy repeating every half hour; and a slowly developing flu may need a remedy every four hours or three times a day.

Once you see that a homeopathic remedy has started to work — once you notice a definite reaction or change resulting from the remedy — then continue with the same remedy but give it less often (that is, increase the gaps between the doses) as the patient continues to improve.

Once there is a marked improvement — once a strong positive reaction has occurred — it is essential to stop taking the remedy altogether. This is the absolute opposite of the instructions you receive when taking orthodox medicines (for example, antibiotics), where it is often necessary to finish the whole course of pills. A homeopathic remedy acts as a trigger, a catalyst — it stimulates the body to begin to heal itself, and once that has happened the body’s own healing process will take over. In some cases, taking another tablet after this reaction has occurred can actually stop the remedy working and even exaggerate the symptoms and consequently you can be persuaded into thinking it was a poor prescription."

With these, we see the theme of remedy repetition for acute situations from what I would term the more classical homeopaths and they are all pretty much in agreement, with just a little fine tuning here or there.

Let’s talk about the homeopathic aggravation a little bit.
Dr. Hahnemann in §158 says:
"A small homeopathic aggravation is a good indication in an acute disease.

This small homeopathic aggravation in the first hours is a very good portent that the acute disease will be mostly finished by the first dose. Such an aggravation is not infrequent, since the medicinal disease must naturally be somewhat stronger than the malady in order to over-tune and extinguish it…"

Translation:
Unlike conventional (allopathic) medicines, which treat disease with “anti” remedies — meaning “against” or “opposite,” as in antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, antipyretics (fever reducers), etc, homeopathy is based on similarities (Homoeo means “similar” or “same”). (See also, Hom, not home). A homeopathic remedy for a fever would match the totality of the patient’s symptoms, including the unique symptoms of the person’s fever (sudden onset, throbbing, causing restlessness, etc). This remedy would then gently stimulate (“over-tune”) the vital force* — the body’s self-regulating life principle — creating a similar but slightly stronger “medicinal disease” (the dynamic, artificial disturbance produced by the potentized homeopathic remedy). This “medicinal disease” gently nudges the vital force in a similar direction to the existing illness, enabling the body to kick in and extinguish the fever on its own. It’s important to mention here that it’s not literally about inducing a full-blown fever in an already sick person — it’s about matching the energetic signature of an illness to a potentized homeopathic remedy which would support the body’s own self-healing process.

“Similia similibus curentur” — Like cures like. If a remedy or substance can create or provoke a symptom in a healthy person, that same remedy or substance in homeopathic form can help relieve that symptom in an unwell person. (See also, The original drug testing… Homeopathic Provings.)

What about the Banerjis? What do they say to do for acutes?
Interestingly, their written instructions show that remedies are actually given a little less frequently than the traditional homeopaths. To be fair, their book isn’t really aimed at treating acutes.

For example, their first line remedies for influenza suggest:

• Rhus tox 30c and Bryonia 30c, one dose every 2 hours alternately.

Being the Banerjis, they also suggest other remedies to be taken in conjunction with the main remedy/ies.

• in case of temperature — Belladonna**, one dose every one hour (SOS***)
• for nausea and vomiting — Arsenicum album**, one dose every 30 minutes (SOS)

The Narayanis, on the other hand, address the full range of issues in their selection of remedies (see also, Quickie: Narayani Books). It’s important to note that potency selection has already been done for us with Narayanis — there’s nothing to do except purchase the ready-made combo and decide how often to take it.
​
Contrary to classical homeopathy, the Narayanis repeat remedies quite frequently, regardless of potency. Here are some examples:

• Throat, mix 30, (200c) repetition is suggested every 15 minutes for acute sore throat. Reduce on improvement.
• Cold, mix 11 is in a 6x and they suggest it every 15 minutes until eased, then reduce to three times a day (which is technically equivalent to every 8 hours but is more often used upon waking, in the afternoon and before bed).
• Flu Pack, mix 79 is a 10M combination and they say: “as soon as one feels flu is coming on, take this remedy every 15 minutes. Take 2 pills once a day as a preventative. Every 15 minutes in an attack.”
• Injury, mix 20, (200c): 6 times a day (which is equivalent to every 4 hours). Reduce as condition eases.

Let’s recap the general rules of thumb for acutes:

• Remedies are repeated, depending on the intensity and severity of the symptoms.
  • Very intense symptoms may warrant repetition every few minutes and once there is some level of improvement, then the remedies are spaced out further (e.g., severe injury).
  • Less intense symptoms would warrant repetition every hour or two (e.g., sore throat).
  • Milder symptoms would be repeated every 2-4 hours (e.g., feeling like you are beginning to come down with a bug).
• Use dry doses or pellets diluted in mineral water
• If there is an aggravation/worsening of symptoms, space the timing out further. (Note: sometimes this may be a result of an incorrect remedy. If there is no improvement, move to a different remedy.)
• If the symptoms return, repeat the remedy.
• The Banerjis standard repetition is twice daily, though they often mix in other remedies to address accompanying concerns making the actual dosing more frequent.
• Narayani remedies often begin with every 15 minutes and taper off with improvement.
  • A standard repetition for many of their acute remedies is 6 times a day, reducing on improvement.

We see, a good deal of common ground between classical and practical homeopaths in terms of remedy repetition when it comes to treating acute conditions.

When we get to chronic treatment next week, however, that’s where the waters start to part…


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits


*Vital Force is Hahnemann’s term for the dynamic, spirit-like power that maintains health and produces symptoms when it is “untuned.”
**Their book does include potencies but they are not readily available potencies so I left them off — 30c is a good alternative.
***SOS stands for, as needed. Translation: no fever = don’t repeat the remedy.

Reference list
Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji protocols : a new method of treatment with homeopathic medicines. India: Pratip Banerji.

Castro, M., 1991. The complete homeopathy handbook : a guide to everyday health care. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Hahnemann, S. and Brewster O’Reilly, W., 2001. Organon of the medical art. Kindle. Palo Alto, Ca: Birdcage Books.

Jonas, W. B. and Jacobs, J., 1998. Healing with homeopathy : the doctor’s guide. New York, Ny: Warner Books.

Lessell, C. B., 1999. The World Travellers’ Manual of Homoeopathy. Random House UK.

Lockie, A., 1993. The family guide to homeopathy : the safe form of medicine for the future. New York: Simon & Schuster.

Ratera, M. M., 2020. First aid with homeopathy. Kandern, Germany Narayana Verlag.

Here they are again, just like clockwork!

​My phone is abuzz with colds and headaches and snot. I guess it’s that time of year again and following close on the heels of the colds, you know what’s next… 

​The bugs tried to hit my house in the last week or so, too and, so far we have beaten them back. Historically, the go-to in our house is either Cold Calm (my husband’s favorite) or, the Banerji Protocol of Aconite + Bryonia. (See also, Ho Ho Ho; When you Have to Get Up; Digging Deeper into the Flu remedies #1 & #2 and Ahh-Choo!)

​I have recently added another remedy to my line-up of homeopathic considerations when things are going south… Narayani Flu Pack, mix 79.
Narayani Flu Pack pretty much leaves no stone unturned being a combination of 4 other Narayani combinations, plus a single remedy, too.

“That’s a lot of remedies,” you say?
“Yes, it is,” I answer.

“What are you thinking taking so many remedies?”
I think I am putting these nasty viruses back where they belong — outside my body!

You see, homeopathy is pretty intelligent stuff. If your body doesn’t need it — if your body doesn’t resonate with a remedy, it will just put it aside and not bother with it. To clarify, if one repeatedly keeps taking a remedy that one does not require, it can cause the symptoms it is otherwise supposed to quell, also known as a “proving”. (See also, The Original Drug Testing… Homeopathic Provings.)

“How would one know which remedy to try? You have listed an awful lot of choices!”
You are correct. There is hardly ever just one right answer when it comes to which homeopathic remedy to take. Many homeopathic remedies share overlapping symptoms with many other remedies. In an, ideal, classical homeopathic world, a professional homeopath could take your case and decide which single remedy would best serve. I don’t know about you, but when I’m feeling crummy, I want answers ASAP. In short, in this case, the remedy that is nearest is most appropriate because time is of the essence — We want to nip this in the bud so it can’t take hold.

Here is how I would consider these remedies.

• If I felt pretty certain that my symptoms were just of the run of the mill cold variety, (other family members or close friends have cold symptoms and it didn’t progress from there) I would definitely begin with Cold Calm. It has rarely failed me.
• If I’m out and about and feel a little something coming on, I would reach in my purse and take a dose of Aconite & Bryonia because that is what would be handy.
• If I feel like maybe I didn’t get to addressing things fast enough, that is when I would consider Narayani Flu Pack.

“Alright then, I’ll bite — tell me more about this Flu Pack.”
Narayani remedies were created to address practical healthcare challenges in resource-limited settings, particularly in India and South Africa. As the story goes, they didn’t expect to be able to see their otherwise rural patients again too soon, so they loaded them up with remedies, particularly combination formulas for specific ailments. They’ve been in use for over 50 years, so there must be something worth looking into here. I know I have yet to be disappointed with any I have tried. (See also, The Narayani Kit.)

So, let’s break down the Flu Pack and see what is included…
Helios’ The Narayani Combination Remedies guide tells us the Flu Pack is “for fever, chest, lungs and muscles.”

Breakdown:
Chest, Cough & Asthma (mix 71) to “deal with the chest and lungs; whole body aching in bones and flesh.”

Eupatorium perfolatum: “chest sore, patient must support it; nausea; vomiting bile.” Eupatorium perfolatum is a personal favorite of mine. I love this stuff for when the aches and the fatigue are both really heavy.

Fever & Infection Balance (BR10) & General Fever (mix 18): “these deal with the fever by holding it (not lowering it), so that it may burn out the virus; it must be remembered that no virus can be killed by any drug; it can only be burnt out by the fever produced by the body.”

War (mix 35): “to hold the infection, preventing it from spreading through the body, and to deal with it.”

Take a dose as soon as one feels flu is coming on and see what you think.
I think you might just be pleasantly surprised.

Here’s to keeping the yucks at bay this year!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits

A Ruminating on Remedies reader (who had read The Narayani Kit) emailed the other day asking about the books mentioned in that article. That email prompted this brief breakdown of the available Narayani books.

Bear in mind, all of these books all have the same basic information. The Narayani Remedies are what they are and I don’t think they are going to change any time soon.

The first book I purchased was edited by Robert Davidson. It has ~100 pages and is the most basic option. Thinking back, there was something missing in this book for me to go off and find other options. I can’t elaborate, but it didn’t feel complete. Amazon shows this selling for $59.99.

• A-Z listing of all the remedies.

Nimisha Parekh’s book followed Davidson in my collection. At ~130 pages, this has much more information. Amazon shows this selling for $48, but the price listed on the book is $60. Narayaniremedies.com sells it for $39.95. Taproots sells it for $49.99. Nimisha Parekh also runs webinars on the Narayani Remedies and I believe she works directly with narayaniremedies.com.

• This one gives more basic information at the beginning, specifically, describing the 8 remedy groups. ex. “The 117 mixtures are mainly combinations of homeopathic remedies and Gem or Bach remedies. Their potency range is 3x to 50M.” She breaks down what each of the remedy groups are.
  • Includes:
    • A-Z listing of all the same information found in Davidson’s book.
    • Chakra Healing information
    • Gem Colour Healing
    • Meridien Remedies
    • The New 44 Crystal Remedies
    • Omkar Remedies
    • Five Elements
    • Cranial Nerves
    • Single Organ Remedies
    • Therapeutic Index
    • Plus, a mini book tucked into the back cover with Addendum (useful combinations) + Thymus Gland Combination Remedies

Helios (~123 pages) was my third addition and I was sold when reading the description saying it was “updated and revised.” (“Cleaned up” might be a better description, though; it’s a neat, tidy and smaller edition.) Available at Helios for £9.95.

• The preface says it is “a reworking of the original ‘Soham Series of Natural Healing Volume 3,’ by Swami Narayani… It also acknowledges Robert Davidson’s ‘Materia Medica’ [first book listed above]… a much needed opportunity to correct some errors in both numbering and potency that have crept in over time in the printed documentation.… modernized the more archaic language from the original… some of the remedy names have been updated so they are clearer to identify and differentiate. The indexes have also been re-worked in order to make it easier to search for remedies and each entry has now been cross-referenced so navigation through the text is simpler.”

Swami Narayani’s Soham Series of Natural Healing, Volume 3. I felt the need to see what I was missing in other people’s interpretation. Turns out it’s not much**; the others did a good job compiling the information. Plus, I find this version doesn’t flow as nicely visually and it is laid out numerically, not alphabetically. (The other 3 list “Acidity Mix 37” first and this one lists Mix 1 Amoebic Dysentery first.) It does, however, offer rates, so if that’s your thing, here they are.

​What do all three books share? Almost everything:

• A-Z directory of remedies with pretty much identical information. (Any differences I found are not relevant, except Parekh’s extended information which I find helpful.)
• Using the first entry in all three books, The Acidity mix 37, the information is identical between 1 & 2 (with the exception of what has been singled out as bold type — Davidson bolds the conditions in the body and Parekh bolds which remedies can be used in conjunction with it). The Helios copy has removed the bold type and italicized the mix names and added their specific combo (e.g. Liver Mix 22 or Liver Balance BR12) with which the Acidity Mix can be combined.
  • This inclusion of the specific remedies is actually helpful. There are 3 different “Liver” combos and there are 3 different “Digestion” combos. Not a huge deal, but it does make it easier and faster.
• They are each spiral bound. (Narayani’s Soham Series of Natural Healing, volume 3 is not.)
• “Therapeutic Guide” pages at the back of each. There are a couple of differences here, primarily in how they are laid out.
  • Davidson has “A Small Therapeutic Guide” listing 11 “conditions” and then lists: “Parts/Organs; Sensory; Allergy; Psycho-Spiritual Combinations; General Diseases and Other Diseases.”
  • Helios has “A Concise Therapeutic Guide” listing the same 11 “conditions” and then: “Parts/Organs; Sensory; Allergy; Psycho-Spiritual Combinations.” However, Helios has a few different combinations mentioned under some of these headings.
    • “Immunity,” Davidson lists 4, Helios lists 5.
    • “Trauma/Fear,” Davidson lists 4, Helios lists 6.
  • Parekh’s “Therapeutic Index” is laid out differently.
    • For instance, “Immunity” is not listed and all the “Trauma/fear” remedies are under “Mind” but it also includes “Exam Nerves” separately. This is one very minor area where Parekh’s book falls short.
• A few of the remedies have different names. e.g., Mix 117, according to Narayani, (and Davidson and Parekh), is “Anti-Smoking Remedy.” Helios calls it “Smoking (Cessation)”.
  
  

​Which one to buy?
For the money, Helios wins that one hands down. Yes, it has to ship from the UK, but you know you need to purchase a few remedies from them anyway — making the whole thing worth it!

From the information standpoint, Nimisha Parekh provides the most and this is info that is not readily available elsewhere.

The Helios book is the most clearly written (and smallest). But, I like the Nimisha Parekh copy, too — more information.

I hope that helps. I’ll be back soon with some more Narayani info.

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellness awaits

​*All prices are valid at the time of this writing.
*I have no affiliation with any authors or shops or websites listed.
**Full disclosure, I have only skimmed through Swami Narayani’s books and I have yet to comb through to see if there are any nuggets that speak to me which the other gatherers of this information didn’t choose to highlight. If I come up with any, I’ll let you know!

Last April, I wrote about my exciting purchase of a kit of the Narayani remedies. Well, I took that kit with me on my summer vacation and I have to say, I am very impressed.

At that time I was excited about the possibilities that were in the Narayani kit from Taproots*. I bought the kit. I looked at the kit. Literally, at the last second this summer as I was closing up my carry on bag with my computer and the things I can not travel across the world without, I threw in the new Taproots Narayani kit (and, the Helios Narayani book, too. Phew!).

Boy, am I glad I did that!

We landed in England and all was well on a beautifully warm and sunny day. The next morning, I woke up with something… a cold? Mold allergies? After breakfast, I was pretty certain it was not allergies. I tried a couple of single remedies from my usual travel homeopathy kit. Have I mentioned how tricky it can be to find the right remedy when you’re not feeling great? I have to say, that goes double when you're jetlagged! Those single remedies helped a bit but they were missing the mark. Then, I remembered my last minute addition and pulled out the Narayani kit.

As I have mentioned before, Narayani remedies are sometimes straightforwardly named and other times… not so much.

• "Flu Pack" makes sense (turns out it's a combination of many combination remedies)
  • but there is also "General Flu mix", so…
• "Skin Itch" makes sense
  • but there is also "Skin H"… (which is mainly used for dry skin)
• "Colds mix" makes sense
  • but there is also "Post Nasal Drip," "Sinus mix," and, "Sinus special"…
• "Combination Mix" -- not so clear at first but it turns out it is a combination of all 12 cell salts.
• "War mix" leaves some things to the imagination.
• "Drawing"? "Elimination"? "Calcium"? "Cleansing"?

I rootled through the little box while flipping pages in the book to read what might be in order. I don't remember where I started. (If you are a frequent reader of Ruminating on Remedies, you will know that I returned from this trip with Lyme disease (See: Ticked Off) and a lot of little details between then and now took a backseat and have since disappeared from my brain.)

I am happy to say that for the next week of our trip, I was, as my homeopath friend calls it, “homeopathically sick.” What does that mean? "Homeopathically sick" means that life can go on, pretty much as planned, even though there are symptoms. The symptoms never progressed -- the remedies stopped them in their tracks allowing me to enjoy my trip.

With the quick successes I had for my symptoms with these new (to me) remedies, the little Narayani kit moved from my carry on bag to my little shoulder bag, (along with a box of tissues, an empty bag to hold my used tissues and some hand sanitizer to keep up with all that nose blowing) and our vacation carried on pretty much without missing a beat.

Over the next about 10 days, our group ranged from 6 to 20+ people at a time and this little kit helped more than just me.

Which remedies were used? 

• "Cramps" came in very handy for menstrual pains.
• "Diarrhea" was worth its weight in gold to stop whatever was happening before a long car ride.
• "Post nasal" became my new favorite for a minute there.
• "Allergy B" helped a cat allergy sufferer who found themselves staying in a room where the cat usually lives.

There were more, but this is all I can specifically recall at the minute.

Looking over all the remedies in the kit again now, I see I probably missed a trick or two in the early days of trying this out. When I first purchased this Taproots Narayani kit*, I knew what I knew about Narayanis (not much). Now, I know better how to use these little gems and I think it’s fair to say I won’t be traveling again without them. In fact, I have traveled many times since this first encounter with this kit seven months ago and it comes with me every single time, without fail. Sometimes I use it, sometimes it just comes along for the ride, but I am always happy to have it with me.

One thing is for sure -- if you purchase this kit, make sure you also purchase a Narayani guide. There are a couple of versions of these books, but it's all the same information -- the Narayani remedies are the Narayani remedies, there are no variations (that I am aware anyway). Taproots sells a version for $49.99 but my favorite version is from Helios for £9.95: The Narayani Combination Remedies, updated and revised 2023.

Even if you don't purchase the kit, I highly recommend the book as a good way to learn remedies. As you read through the combination remedies for various conditions, it's an easy way to get a nice overview of a variety of remedies.

Taproots offers free shipping in the US on orders over $100, so, that helps!

On this Valentine's Day -- show yourself a little love and splurge on this incredibly useful collection of 50 remedies*!

Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath

#wellnessawaits


* I have no affiliation with this company (or any other company, actually!)

​Though my first few experiences with homeopathy were through using single remedies suggested by classical homeopaths, the big wowee moment about homeopathy for me came when I was first treated with the Banerji Protocols. That is when very big changes happened very quickly for me. Those changes were so impressive and occurred in such a short amount of time that I stopped everything I was doing and started studying homeopathy. Those first classes that followed were all about the Banerji Protocols and I was absolutely hooked on the wonders of homeopathy. Banerji Protocols remain near and dear to my heart and I use them every single day. (If you are interested in classes on Banerji Protocols, Joette Calabrese* is the way to go.)

I then went to Homeopathy School International* because at that time, I just wanted to learn more about homeopathy. I had no idea that I actually wanted to become an actual homeopath. Because the only way I could get more knowledge was to take the tests, I did just that and then without any real intention to become one, I was a CHom, a certified homeopath.

When that finished, I was still hungry for more knowledge and I lucked in to a Bachelor of Science (BSc) program that was going to be offered one last time through Centre for Homeopathic Education*, (a.k.a. CHE) in conjunction with Middlesex University in the UK. At this time, I still didn’t think I wanted to be a practicing homeopath, but if I thought I was hooked before — now I was really hooked and just a couple months into this one, I finally knew what I wanted to be when I grew up! This program focused on the science of homeopathy, learning advanced materia medica, anatomy and physiology as it relates to homeopathy and diving into the research of homeopathy. Don’t let anyone tell you that good research does not exist for the efficacy of homeopathy, because it does! 

I still can’t get enough homeopathic knowledge. I am constantly enrolled in deep dives into many different topics; some because they interest me and some because I have clients with specific issues and I do whatever I can to learn how to further help them.

Last year I embarked on some classes looking into the Narayani Remedies. (If you are interested, Caroline Gaskin* does a good class.) On one hand, the Narayani remedies seem simple and straightforward, yet on the other hand, it’s like learning a whole new dialect of a previously familiar language.

Like the Banerji Protocols (BPs), Narayani Remedies are combination homeopathic remedies but unlike the BPs, the Narayani combinations frequently intermingle. Often, many different Narayani combinations are used at one time resulting in a mind-boggling amount of many different remedies being given/taken all at once. Fully classical homeopaths must balk at these combos (all combos, really), but… I’m going to say that they shouldn’t knock ‘em before they try them!

“The Narayani Remedies were created by Swami Narayani and Swami Ananda in 1968 to simplify their practice treating large numbers of patients in India and South Africa. These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success. The combination remedies are used to manage people with a variety of conditions… a truly wonderful set of combinations” (Narayani Remedies*).

Let me tell you about a particular favorite of mine: a delightful little combination called Narayani Calming Pills Mix 6. I have many clients who have referred to this combination as “a life saver” and I have found it to be very helpful for both clients and caregivers of clients with difficult conditions.

From Davidson’s book, “The name speaks for itself. The pills do just that — they calm the entire system, mentally and physically. There are times when, after taking the first few doses, people want to sleep and sleep. This proves that the nervous system needs to rest — needs to stop for a while. For busy parents with naughty children. Tense business people. After a visit to the dentist. Any grieving family. Any condition of stress or apprehension.”

What’s in it? Again, from Davidson (2005):

Avena sativa for nervous exhaustion and tremors
Coffea for nervous agitation and restlessness
Humulus (Lupulus) for unstrung nervous conditions with nausea
Ignatia for sobbing, sighing, depressed conditions
Kali phos — a great nerve tonic
Passiflora has a quietening effect on the nervous system
Sumbul for hysterical and nervous symptoms
Valeriana for hysterical, over-sensitive nervous affections

When I first looked into these combination remedies, I thought — “but, my client isn’t ‘hysterical’ and isn’t nauseous — this is just too much stuff in here and is not applicable.”

I was wrong. Not every remedy listed in a Narayani combination remedy needs to be “a good fit.” You see, the body is just amazingly intelligent and knows what it needs. And, when it comes to homeopathy, the body is somehow able to sort through what it needs and discards what it doesn’t; this seems particularly true when it comes to using homeopathic combination remedies.

What prompted this article today was an ad in my inbox that got me a little excited…

TapRoots* has announced their new Top 50 Narayani Remedies Kit 1. (That #1 gets me excited that there will be more to follow!) 

From the email:
PRE-ORDER NOW & SAVE $30!
This kit will begin shipping May 20, 2024.
The Narayani Remedies are an incredibly powerful set of combination remedies that were put together by "classical homeopath", Swami Narayani, in 1968.

These homeopathic remedies have been used around the world for over 50 years with great success and are now being used in 80 countries!

SAVE $30 when you pre-order by April 30, 2024! No coupon needed!

Should you decide to go ahead and make this purchase, I highly recommend purchasing a book to help you navigate your way through these simple but sometimes confusingly named remedies. Robert Davidson’s book (mentioned above) or, Nimisha Parekh’s Narayani Remedies, A Condensed Guide, or, (even better!) Helios Pharmacy has done an updated and revised handbook (2023) which is even a little clearer.

As an example, “Calming Pills” is pretty straightforwardly named; CB 8 Mix 69, not so much. CB 8 Mix 69 is “akin to” a combination of “Calming” and “Shock” (another Narayani combo) but it is different — It is, however, for the nervous and emotional system. (I did mention this was a little like learning a different language!)

“A single remedy is like a solo artist, unique and individual. The combination remedy is like a choir. Each has to be in harmony with all the others, working for a single outcome. Truly harmonious, effective combinations are quite rare and Narayani remedies — they just sweetly sing” (Davidson 2005).

If you would like to learn more about how single or combination homeopathic remedies could help you, click here to book a free 30-minute consultation.


Julia Coyte, CHom
Classically Practical homeopath


#wellnessawaits

* I have no affiliation with this company (or any other, actually) — I just like their products!

​Reference list

Davidson, R., ed. 2005. Narayani’s Materia Medica: Homeopathic Combination Remedies For the 21st Century. 2nd ed. Milton Keynes, U.K.: Robert Davidson.

Narayani Remedies, n.d. NARAYANI REMEDIES [online]. narayaniremedies.com.