 Last week I wrote about the Narayani remedies, primarily because I had just used TapRoots* fabulous kit again and I wanted to sing its praises. (See below for information on their Banerji Protocol kits.) My first homeopathic combination love, though, needs a little attention: the Banerji Protocols. I have told this story before, but the amazingly wonderful and powerful Banerji Protocols are what convinced me to become a homeopath. Two weeks after beginning a bunch of combination remedies, in addition to a couple of individual homeopathic remedies all taken according to the schedule provided by my homeopath at the time, Joette Calabrese, — (I didn’t do this on my own!), I felt better than I had in many years. Just two weeks and the relief I felt was nothing short of miraculous. It was truly, truly life-changing stuff. So life changing that I immediately began taking classes in the Banerji Protocols offered by Joette Calabrese** and after a few months when I had finished all there was on offer that way, I enrolled in homeopathy school. (It’s funny. When I first spoke with Joette she mentioned her classes and asked if I would be interested. I responded that I didn’t have any time, as interesting as they sounded. Little did I know how much time I would want for studying all this new-to-me stuff called homeopathy! There simply aren’t enough hours in the day, even all these years later! I literally abandoned all my other interests at that point and dove straight in -- never even coming up for air!) I think it’s fair to say that not all classically trained homeopaths are overly fond of practical, or, what is also referred to as clinical homeopathy. Some can be rather snooty about it, actually. (I have clients who have been "fired" by their classical homeopath because the individual took additional homeopathic remedies on their own accord.) In particular, classical homeopaths seem to take umbrage with the Banerji Protocols. Why they do this, I can’t be certain, but I have my suspicions. The Banerji Protocols were developed by the Drs Banerji (father and son) in Calcutta, India. This is a 4th generation family of homeopaths and for all that time, their clinic has been keeping records of which remedies helped which conditions. They have 10 doctors/homeopaths in their clinic who each see 100 patients a day. That’s 1,000 patients a day (!) upon which to base their information. They have some marvelous success rates and those results are replicated over and over again. It is truly impressive. How do the Banerji Protocols differ from the Narayani remedies? The Banerji Protocols are elegant combinations of homeopathic remedies. The Narayani remedies are still wondrous creations, but they are much larger combinations of homeopathic remedies — often mixing not just individual homeopathic remedies but also adding homeopathic nosodes, sarcodes and even Bach flower essences into the mix, too. The Banerji Protocols use some combination remedies (generally combinations of only 2 remedies at a time) but mostly using individual remedies, but taking them as part of the same protocol (see below for an example). Remember, at it's core, classical homeopathy involves using one single remedy and then waiting and seeing what comes from that. The Banerji Protocols repeat remedies … sometimes weekly; sometimes daily; sometimes multiple times a day. Because it has been in the news lately, let’s look at the Banerji’s first line (more on this later) protocol for the Measles***:
If it works so well, why do classical homeopaths balk at that and not embrace it? Even though these protocols have been used for decades in India, they’re fairly new to us in other corners of the world. More importantly, as a classically trained homeopath, I can tell you that we are taught that every remedy we suggest to a client needs to be based on meticulous case-taking and that (single) remedy needs to be tailored to the specific symptoms that person is expressing — the Similimum. This is the really impressive aspect of homeopathy that differentiates it from every other form of medicine out there. Classical homeopathy doesn’t treat a disease, it treats the individual. And, what a beautiful thing it is! I agree… in principle. However, in today’s day and age where we have excellent diagnoses available to us through imaging and testing, finding the similimum is not always necessary. This is where the Banerji Protocols can step right up and take their very valuable spot. (See also: The Importance of a Proper Diagnosis.) The Banerjis, with all their many thousands of case histories to rely upon, have learned what works for commonly diagnosed conditions. To name but a few:
The Banerji Protocols: A New Method of Treatment with Homeopathic Medicines is, in my never-to-be-humble opinion, an indispensable book. My copy is well loved and beginning to fall apart as I have read through and studied the approximately 200 conditions over the years. For each condition addressed, they (generally speaking) list 3 “lines”:
We’re also taught in classical homeopathy schools that remedies should never be combined with other remedies. The logic here is sound: homeopathic remedies are tested or “proved” (using the homeopathic terminology) one at a time. To my knowledge, there has not been any official testing or provings of combined homeopathic remedies (just long, positive track records, like the records the Banerjis keep). Having said that, to my understanding, there have not been any problems with using said combined remedies. There are certainly plenty of them out there*: Boiron, Hylands, Heel, UNDA, Narayani, Dr. Reckeweg — (there are more but this list should suffice to get anyone who has an interest in such things started). How else do the Banerji Protocols differ from classical homeopathy?
Now, let’s turn to Dr. Samuel Hahnemann, the father of homeopathy. The other most important aspect of homeopathy is found in aphorism #1 in Hahnemann’s Organon of Medicine: “The physician’s highest and only calling is to make the sick healthy, to cure, as it is called.” This beautiful ideal is from 1842, written in the 6th edition of Dr. Hahnemann's magnum opus, 32 years after his first edition. During these years, his methods changed and grew and who knows where his experimentation would have ended up if he had been able to get to the 10th or 20th editions of The Organon? I happen to believe that Dr. Hahnemann would have eventually come around to the idea of combination remedies, but that’s just my opinion. What does it matter if one remedy at a time is used or if multiple remedies are combined… as long as the person experiences relief? I know of successful classical homeopaths who say they use a particular remedy in their practice weekly. I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that is not necessarily truly classical homeopathy. This, to me, does not really sound like they are getting the single best remedy that is “homeopathic to the case.” It can’t possibly be. If these homeopaths were going about their homeopathy in a completely classical fashion, the chances of them using the same remedy as the similimum for multiple clients in the same same week or month (outside of an epidemic/pandemic) are quite low. Or, they say, “I use this remedy for this condition.” Again, this is essentially using a protocol — they are just their own protocols. After all, protocols are procedures based on previous experience to deliver an expected outcome. I am certainly not knocking these homeopaths for doing this. On the contrary! This is exactly the point of practical or clinical homeopathy. Lots of people need similar or even the same remedies to help treat the conditions from which they suffer. For this reason, I incorporate many ways of finding remedies for my clients. I suggest remedies based on how my clients want to work: if they want a single remedy, great! I’m on it. If they want a schedule of combination remedies, I can do that, too. If they want a mix of everything - done! I am happy to work with people in whichever way makes them comfortable. My goal as a homeopath is to help people feel better. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits * I have no affiliation with these companies or people — just a big fan! ** Joette Calabrese is THE person from whom to learn the Banerji Protocols. Her many great webinars (and Facebook Live videos) are personable, interesting, entertaining and absolutely chock-a-block full of information. The hows and whys, the stories, her time spent with the Drs Banerji… definitely well worth the investment of time and money if you have any interest in learning about the Banerji Protocols. *** I have intentionally left out the potencies. The Banerji Protocol book is a marvelous resource to have on your shelf and it will fill in the rest of the protocol information for you. Note: Some of their protocols call for remedies prepared in a liquid. Additionally, occasionally, they list potencies which we do not use in the west (in fact, sometimes these potencies are not even available in the west). Please be sure to take this into consideration if you purchase this terrific book and use caution when you encounter potencies which seem “unusual” to you. TapRoots* also offers not one, but two (!) Banerji Protocol kits. The first one, The Banerji Protocols Combination set is $199 ($269.99 with a booklet). This is a little 50-remedy kit full of their handy-dandy combinations, like:
Reference list
Banerji, Dr. P., n.d. The Diaries of a Stubborn Homeopath. Banerji, P. and Banerji, P., 2013. The Banerji Protocols : a New Method of Treatment with Homeopathic Medicines. India: Pratip Banerji. Boiron, 2020. Boiron USA - World Leader in Homeopathic Medicines [online]. BoironUSA. Calabrese, J., 2024. JoetteCalabrese.com - Homeopathy works with us...not on us. [online]. JoetteCalabrese.com. Dr. Reckeweg, 2022. Home [online]. Dr. Reckeweg. Hahnemann, S. and Wenda Brewster O'reilly, 1996. Organon of the Medical Art. Palo Alto, Ca: Birdcage Books. Homeopathy School international, 2025. Home - HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL [online]. HOMEOPATHY SCHOOL INTERNATIONAL. Hylands, 2025. Hyland’s [online]. Hyland’s. MediNatura, 2021. MediNatura [online]. MediNatura. Narayani Remedies, n.d. NARAYANI REMEDIES [online]. narayaniremedies.com. SHASTRI, D. and LEE, M., 2025. What to know about measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico [online]. AP News. TapRoots, 2025. Homeopathic Kits [online]. TapRoots.
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 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.
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?
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!)  Back in August I sent out a post saying, “Please Stand By.” I mentioned that I was returning from vacation and I had been ready to hit the ground running but that life had other plans for me. We are now to February and I think, hope, I have moved (most of) life’s other plans to the wayside and I can resume as previously planned. What happened? An awful lot, and I suspect that plays a part in what ultimately put the roadblock in my way. However, I will share with you the shortened version of what happened after my summer vacation. We were all checked in for our flight the next morning and late that afternoon things changed. Eventually, we learned our flight had been cancelled and the airline gave us various flight choices for return flights many days later. That wasn’t an option, though, because there were plans set in stone for some of our group and we had to get back. Many hours later (and many dollars, too!) all 5 of us were booked on a flight home the following morning. Phew! What a to-do! But it was done. Fast forward a few hours and literally the minute I stepped on the plane, I had a bad headache. It was really bad. I slept. I looked in my bag for my Aconite/Bryonia combination (see here and here and here and here for more on this fabulous Banerji protocol) but then I remembered I gave it away on the trip. I knew I had remedies in my carry on but I really couldn’t think about what I had, where I had them or what to do with them if I were even able to muster the energy to get them out of the overhead bin. I kept sleeping instead. Back on terra firma, waiting for our final flight home I was unbelievably grumpy. Grumpy actually doesn’t begin to touch my mood — I was foul and angry and I hated the world. My headache was still raging. I felt feverish on and off. I was miserable. Now home, I confirmed my low-grade fever and then I slept. The next morning my headache was a little better, the fever was barely there, but still there it was. The next day things got worse. Now my headache was really terrible. Fever remained low. I slept and I slept and then I slept some more. Now on day 3, I could barely walk my hip hurt so badly. My neck was killing me. My head was so awful I even took ibuprofen — something I have not done in almost 10 years. That lessened the pain for a few hours and I was able to sleep without pain. The headache returned the next day and I again had to take the painkiller so I could sleep without pain. It was a truly debilitating pain. The other thing this ibuprofen did for me was allow my brain to function enough to contact some homeopath friends for some help. Help they did and two days later, I was feeling better, but the low fever stuck around. One week to the day from stepping on that plane, my fever broke. Hallelujah! That night, as I was getting ready for bed, I found an awful looking thing on the outside of my left knee. It was a big, ugly, dare I say garish looking thing and I can’t for a moment think that I could have missed seeing this if it was there before. I booked an on-line appointment for the next morning to confirm my suspicion of and immediately began homeopathic remedies for Lyme disease. It all made sense now as to why I felt so horrible and why none of the homeopathy I was trying was working. This was not a little bug I picked up… well, it was, actually a really little bug, but you know what I mean. My otherwise well chosen remedies were not doing anything to touch those little spirochetes that were busy burrowing themselves deep into my system. The nurse I spoke with during my on-line consultation advised that it looked like Lyme but that she recommended I turn up at the ER for “eyes on” to make sure I wasn’t suffering from cellulitis or some other nasty thing. So, the next day, I did just that and 7-1/2 hours later I was discharged (after never actually getting to speak with a medical doctor but there were plenty of physician’s assistants who stopped by to see my colorful leg. You see, Lyme technically exists in the desert in which I live, but conditions are apparently too dry for them. The most senior of these PAs told me he had seen Lyme in New Mexico only 2 other times in his many years of working here and, like me, both those cases had recently traveled, but I digress…) with a prescription of what turned out to be a nasty antibiotic which I learned a week into the 2-week protocol that it doesn’t have a great track record for “curing” Lyme. However, if you get a tick bite and you immediately take a single dose of Doxycycline, that provides a statistically significant level of protection. Not surprisingly, though, side effects were more common in the Doxycycline group than in the placebo group (Zepf 2002). (Click here to read a literature review.) How did I handle my Lyme disease? Right off the bat, I was remarkably calm (after a little Holy Shamoly moment when I found the rash). I started looking everything up online and confirmed in my mind what was going on. I was both excited (I had a plan in mind) and terrified (it’s Lyme!) to have this answer to what had been ailing me. I made my tele-health appointment and then immediately began taking homeopathic remedies and I slept a good, fever-free sleep. What remedies did I take? I turned to the Banerjis (Parekh 2022) for my first round of homeopathic remedies because the Banerjis are always a very good place to start, especially when you have a diagnosis. The Banerji protocol for Lyme begins with homeopathic Ledum and uses other remedies to address pain as well as specific remedies and nosodes to address the infection itself. Why are these remedies recommended for Lyme disease? Ledum is the remedy for puncture wounds and a tick bite is indeed a puncture wound! Some say Ledum can be used prophylactically and if taken at the first noticing of a tick bite, it may be able to nip a potential infection in the bud. I put this in the can’t hurt, might help category. If you frequent tick-y areas, keep a tube of Ledum with you, just in case. Plus, Ledum is really good for insect bites in general and can be helpful if you are Poked by a Branch, (and, I addressed Lyme and Ledum in Summer Fun #3: Flying Things (mainly.)) The Lyme nosode is exactly what it says — a homeopathic remedy made from the Lyme microbe. (See Sodes and Codes.) These are not the only remedies which are indicated for Lyme disease. Dr. Robin Murphy lists Arsenicum album, Mercurius sol, Tarentula and Thuja in his Lyme disease rubric. Beyond that, there are many, many homeopathic remedies which may be useful in a chronic Lyme case. Work with a professional homeopath and see what relief can be found. After taking those first doses of homeopathic remedies, the next morning I felt better than I had for a week. Granted, it was my first fever-free night’s sleep, but something felt different. And, that afternoon, for better or for worse, after spending hours in the ER, I began the Doxycycline because that is what every medical source I read said to do. A couple of weeks into this rotten scenario, I was still having pretty bad hip pain. I went to my Doctor of Oriental Medicine who addressed my right hip through my left hand (acupuncture is mind blowing). While those needles were doing their thing, I did some breathing exercises I read about in a book prior to having a surgery many years ago. I breathed in deeply, envisioning white, healing light going into my hip and as I exhaled, I pictured whatever color came to mind (usually grey or black) while at the same time conjuring up an image of the spirochetes being unscrewed from my hip. (This, too, goes into my “can’t hurt, might help” bucket of tricks.) I find the breathing in white and exhaling whatever ickiness comes to mind to be very helpful for all sorts of things that come along. What else did I do? I read a few books on Lyme (some helpful, others just slightly informative). I scoured the internet. I watched professional webinars on how to treat Lyme naturally. I purchased a whole bunch of naturopathic remedies after watching these webinars… but, I never needed them. Homeopathy fixed me all up. I didn’t stop with the Banerji Lyme protocol remedies. I needed to pivot a few times to tackle my symptoms. I also encountered some pretty big yuckiness as a result of the conventional meds. I worked with my homeopath to help clean that up, too. It was quite the learning experience on many levels. I feel pretty confident that Lyme disease is in my rearview mirror and I can’t begin to tell you what a relief that is. I had my Lyme diagnosis the middle of August and due to one thing or another (not just Lyme, remember I had a lot going on at the time) it really wasn’t until the beginning of December that I was feeling completely back to myself. It was quite a trek. The other thing I did was to purchase a tick remover and I have put it in my little travel bag to make sure I always have it with me whenever I visit tick-land.
This post is a shortened version of the first of my “Digging Deeper” paid articles. “Digging Deeper” is exactly that — posts that dive deeper into whatever subject is taking my fancy at the moment. To become a paid subscriber and to read the full article, click here. Julia Coyte, CHom Classically Practical homeopath #wellnessawaits Sutton, D. and Spry, C., 2019. One Dose of Doxycycline for the Prevention of Lyme Disease: A Review of Clinical Effectiveness and Guidelines [online]. PubMed. Zepf, B., 2002. Single-Dose Doxycycline to Prevent Lyme Disease. American Family Physician [online], 65 (4), 714–717. This post is a shortened version of the first of my “Digging Deeper” paid articles. |
Julia Coyte, CHomI am passionate about homeopathy and I love sharing this passion. Having a working knowledge of homeopathy shouldn't be kept a secret. If people have the ability to help themselves, their children and their friends when they have minor ailments, life just gets better for everyone. That is the purpose behind Ruminating on Remedies. Archives
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