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Natural medicine workshopsReader submitted
Helen Elscot
The term 'wild weed walks' can raise a few eyebrows on Waiheke Island, a leisurely 35-minute ferry journey from Auckland. But that’s exactly what medical herbalist and naturopath Helen Elscot is up to when you see her wandering around the island’s parks, beaches and reserves.
Helen holds herbal workshops around New Zealand, teaching participants how to identify weeds, plants and flowers which have medicinal properties and how to use them to make digestive tonics, herbal creams and syrups, lip balms, facial serums and natural cosmetics.
“When you start thinking about plants as having health-giving properties, even the most mundane inner-city suburb, the dullest supermarket car park or wind-blown beach is transformed into a natural pharmacy waiting to be used.”
The surge in interest in complementary medicine means that Helen is busy educating people on how they can use plants and herbs at home for conditions such as poor digestion, colds and 'flu, seasonal allergies and cosmetics which won’t break the bank.
Herbal Medicine Course and Weed Walk
Saturday 27th July 1pm to 5pm or
Saturday 31st August 1pm to 5pm
Learn how to make digestive herbal tonics, herbal syrups, herbal creams and facial serums.
Natural Cosmetics Workshop
Palm Beach, Waiheke Island
Sunday 28th July 1pm to 5pm or
Sunday 1st September 1pm to 5pm
Learn how to make natural lip balms, clay face masks, fizzy bath bombs and facial creams.
Helen Elscot is a member of the New Zealand Association of Medical Herbalists. For more information contact www.herbalhealthwaiheke.co.nz or Herbal Health Waiheke on Facebook.