Malika Meddings

13/04/2026

Some days invite you a little closer to the plants themselves.

On Sunday 10 May, is holding a full-day seminar in the Bristol Chinese Herb Garden, timed with the peonies in full flower.

You’ll spend the day in the Garden, working directly with the plants, moving between classical understanding and clinical practice, and exploring how these herbs are used in treatment.

Teaching is led by Mazin Al-Khafaji, with a focus on the use of peony and related herbs in dermatology, alongside Conny Cooper and Tony Harrison, who will guide the day from the plants themselves through to their clinical use.

Throughout the day, we will be working with xuè in practice, as it runs through both the classical material and its clinical application.

The day is small by design, allowing for discussion, reflection and a more direct connection with both the teaching and the plants.

Bookings close on 20 April as we confirm arrangements.
If this speaks to you, you would be very welcome to join us - visit RCHM.co.uk/pages/events

30/01/2026

13/12/2025

Water in Samothraki 💗🥰

20/07/2025

300+ people came by our door today, they asked about gardens and plants and we asked about what they love. So many stories, sorrows, celebrations, meetings, neighbours handing tea over fences, tears, connection. Money was raised for charity, from tickets sold, scones enjoyed, coffees and cakes and plants sold. This story has endless ripples of gifts, Nature blessed us all today 🤍

22/06/2025

Thankful 🥰 four years ago marked the end and the beginning - a threshold in practice bringing plants into the picture, grateful for it all ❤️

24/04/2025

Just bought a Polemonium ‘Golden Feathers’—already in bloom. The tender prettiness of it is quietly captivating: soft golden-green fronds, lilac-blue flowers, so light they seem to carry their own hush. Something about it opened a well of emotion almost instantly. Not sadness, not quite. More like a stirring in the chest. A feeling without a name.

It’s called Jacob’s Ladder, after the dream of a ladder between Earth and Heaven, with angels ascending and descending—messengers of the invisible. That image has long been a symbol of spiritual connection, and standing near the plant, it’s easy to feel why. There’s a quiet sense of presence, like something luminous is leaning in.

In Chinese medicine, it feels like a plant that touches the Shen—the spirit of the Heart. The part that registers beauty, awe, grief, and joy all at once. The part that gets moved to tears by something unexpected and lovely. When the Shen is nourished, the tears come not from sorrow, but from recognition. A kind of remembering.

Alongside it, I picked up a Salvia—rich purple flowers, upright and bold. Where the Polemonium is soft and whispering, the Salvia is clarifying, arresting, almost triumphant. Together, they speak in contrast: gentleness and strength, wonder and clarity. Both uplifting, but in different tones.

Stillness and expansion. One softens the guard around the Heart. The other brings energy up and through like a bright song.

Something in this pairing feels like medicine.

25/02/2025

A retreat isn’t just about the time away—it’s about how you arrive.
In TCM, herbs are not just remedies; they are companions that help the body adjust. Some support softening into rest, while others gently restore energy after a long journey.
This week, I’m putting together bespoke herbal preparations for those who book in. If you’d like one, let me know soon so I can craft it with care.
https://www.yararetreats.com/morocco-retreat

14/10/2024

In the heart of nature, balance unfolds effortlessly. In a field of bamboo swaying in the breeze, the strength of Xiao Yao San (逍遥散), the “Free and Easy Wanderer,” echoes through the body, restoring the flow of energy and vitality.

This ancient Chinese formula harmonises the Liver and Spleen, soothing the emotional turbulence that can disrupt the smooth circulation of Qi. Each herb within it reflects a powerful force of nature, working together to restore equilibrium.

柴胡 (Chai Hu, Bupleurum) moves stagnant Liver Qi with the grace of wind, releasing tension and clearing pathways for energy to flow freely.

当归 (Dang Gui, Angelica Sinensis) and 白芍 (Bai Shao, White Peony) nourish the Blood like water coursing through the landscape, bringing softness and calm, easing the spirit, and supporting the body’s deepest needs.

The stabilising force of the Earth grounds this movement. 白术 (Bai Zhu, Atractylodes) and 茯苓 (Fu Ling, Poria) strengthen the Spleen, ensuring digestion remains smooth, absorbing excess dampness, and fostering the body’s ability to transform and nourish itself.

Finally, 炙甘草 (Zhi Gan Cao, Honey-fried Licorice) weaves these elements together with a gentle sweetness, harmonising the formula, ensuring each element works in perfect unity.

With the rising sun casting its first light over the landscape, Xiao Yao San frees the body from constraint, allowing the heart to wander lightly through life. It brings the ease of balance—moving energy, nourishing the Blood, and grounding the spirit—allowing one to move through the world with vitality and calm, grounded in the rhythms of nature.

11/10/2024

Surrendering in to what is, watching, allowing, giving the internal rhythms and motions the word that seems to match, without judgement, without holding back, being in flow, allowing it all, as day turns to night, and wakeful dance to rest 🤍 remember that soft glow inside that came when we asked to be gentle, remember the intimacy as Nature heard and whispered ‘I am here’, remember how we poured out the storm inside into hands filled tears, and the scents of Nature cleared our aching bow, remember the heart’s ease as we noticed and named the blessings, as we asked for our sorrow to be transformed into offering sanctuary, our shame to become a haven that allows stories to be told, our loneliness to become a welcoming hearth. Thank you Nature 🤍

18/09/2024

Large Intestine 4 (LI4), also known as Hegu, is a versatile acupuncture point with a range of benefits. It’s famous for helping with pain relief, especially in the head and face, making it a go-to point for headaches, toothaches, and sinus issues. It’s also used to support the immune system, so it’s often used to alleviate cold symptoms like a sore throat or nasal congestion.

Another interesting use for LI4 is its ability to help regulate the bowels—whether you’re dealing with constipation or diarrhea. It’s also a key point for managing stress and anxiety, promoting relaxation, and balancing emotions.

Because of its strong connection to energy flow in the upper body, it can even help with skin conditions, and is used to induce labour, so it’s often avoided during pregnancy unless specifically indicated for that purpose.

It’s really a dynamic point that acupuncturists love for both general wellness and addressing specific issues.