Hawthorn Thoughts

'Beware of an oak it draws the stroke
around an ash it courts the flash
creep under the Hawthorn it will save you from harm'

Our Hawthorn tree at number 100 Holly Rd is right at the entrance and welcomes travellers to our path.  It is October at the time of writing and it was this time of year in 1997 when I first met this blossoming beauty, this marvellous 'Mayflower' and just knew, in that instant, that this would be the place where I would set up my next practice.

Our friendship deepens each year as I watch her flowers unfurl through a magnifying glass and my trust in its value deepens each time I see the truth of this, now well-proven, fact: ‘Hawthorn strengthens the heart muscle and improves blood flow through the heart’.

In practice, I will commonly give a daily tonic that includes Hawthorn to people who need help with the health of their hearts. When I see such people after a month or two and look at a comparison of their blood from then to now (via microscopy of a peripheral smear) and listen to a comparison of their hearts from then to now (via an electronic recording stethoscope) I can see how the blood cells are better nourished and I can hear how the heart beats considerably stronger, more rhythmically, less strained.

Hawthorn has been amply tested and held its traditional ground exceptionally well. Given the significance of heart disease in the modern world there have been many such tests but just two, for example, include a four-year study commissioned by the German Ministry of Health which found that Hawthorn improves contractions in the veins and heart while dilating the heart. (Hoffmann 1995) and a clinical trial with 78 patients with congestive heart failure where hawthorn increased heart working capacity, lowered blood pressure and improved fatigue and endurance while relieving difficult breathing (Schmidt, et. al. 1994).

Two of every three people have hearts that will wear out before they do.  The lightning still strikes today and Hawthorn still willingly shares her protection with whoever has the wisdom to know when to use it.

You can read more about the medicinal use of Hawthorn here

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