Bach Flower Remedies

Back in 1930’s England, Dr. Edward Bach, an extremely well-respected physician, bacteriologist and homeopath, realized that there was more to healthcare than orthodox medicine had to offer. He came to develop, through experimentation and intuition, a system of healthcare based on the healing properties of 38 different remedies – 37 of which are prepared from flowers of wild plants, trees or bushes and 1 from the spring water of a nearby stream on his property. Together, these 38 Remedies address all of the aspects of human nature and all of the “negative” states of mind, which Dr. Bach believed, were the underlying root cause of all illness and disease.

Simply, the Bach Flower Remedies address all of the potential mental or emotional imbalances that can occur within the human psyche, which may also eventually lead to physical symptoms and then disease. When we become out of balance, the Flowers gently help put us back to a more balanced, healthy, positive state, which promotes overall health of mind, body and spirit.

For example, if you are stressed out, fatigued and feeling overwhelmed by your workload and responsibilities, then Elm or Oak would be good Remedies to think about for renewing your energy or if a lack of confidence is something that you are continually challenged by, then Larch would help you to feel more secure in yourself or maybe you are experiencing a period of despair and hopelessness, then Gorse would be a Remedy to consider. Perhaps your partner has had some difficulty in making a decision about whether or not to take a job offer and has been struggling quite a bit, then Scleranthus would help to restore their certainty and decisiveness or maybe your child is afraid of going to their dentist appointment, then Mimulus would be called for to relieve their fear.

The Remedies, which are still grown today at Dr. Bach’s home in Mt. Vernon, England, are made like a sun-tea, of sort. The flower blossoms are placed in a glass bowl to soak in spring water in the direct sunlight and then a small amount of brandy is added as a preservative. The Remedies are taken orally in tincture form from a small dropper bottle and though dosages do vary, typically it’s 4 drops, 4 times a day.

Bach Flower Remedies are a proven and reliable System. They have been in use for over 90 years and in over 66 countries worldwide.

During a consultation, the practitioner and client talk extensively, with the practitioner asking specific questions in order to get more information about the client’s situation. At the end of the session, the practitioner reviews with the client which Flower Remedies they recommend and then makes up a Personal Formula for the client to take.

The benefits of Bach Flower Remedies are enormous.

•Relieves chronic issues and releases chronic “negative” emotional states (such as fear, anxiety, despair, uncertainty, worry, fatigue)
•Helps you to cope with acute emotional upsets (such as stress, panic, shock, grief, worry)
•Recharges positive states of mind to promote an overall feeling of emotional health, balance and well-being
•Gentle and safe
•Perfect not only for adults, but children as well
•All natural, they have no side effects
•Can be taken by themselves or in conjunction with other healing modalities
•They do not adversely interact with any type of medications

A Little More…

Dr. Bach’s Philosophy on Unity and Harmony Within Ourselves

“For those who are sick, peace of mind and harmony with the Soul are the greatest aid to recovery.” This quotation is based on Dr. Bach’s key philosophy of unity between each individual’s Soul or Higher Self and their Personality and the absolutely essential harmony required between them for an individual to maintain their own health and happiness.

Dr. Bach felt strongly that to understand disease, one needed to acknowledge certain fundamental truths. He believed that each man has a Soul, which is the real Self—who we really are, as well as a Personality. And the Personality’s purpose is to gain knowledge and experience, develop its virtues and wipe out what is lacking and to advance towards the very perfection of ourselves and our natures. The Soul, knowing what will best enable us to do that, places us in the area of life that will best fulfill that objective. And by following our particular path, according to the dictates of the Soul, and learning the lessons and engaging in the experiences that are presented to us, we will be able to develop and evolve as we were meant to. And as long as our Soul and Personality are in harmony of purpose and on the same path, all is well—we have joy, peace, health and happiness. When there is disharmony of purpose or dissociation between the Soul and Personality, then conflict arises and this conflict is the root cause of sickness, disease and unhappiness.

However, what is done can be undone. He believed that understanding and correcting our “errors”, as well as knowledge of our Soul’s purpose and its path to attainment and then moving ourselves back onto it, will help to shorten our illness and bring us back to health. As Dr. Bach said, “For those who are sick, peace of mind and harmony with the Soul are the greatest aid to recovery.”

Role of the Bach Flower Practitioner

The practitioner’s main role is to assist the client and help them to heal themselves. The practitioner is not there to fix or heal the client. They are there as a support—to aid the client in their own process of healing. And depending upon the state that the client is in and what might be required at that particular time, the practitioner may need to put on a few different hats to do that.

The first hat is the teacher or educator hat. It’s very important that the client learns about the philosophy of Dr. Bach, the Flowers and their characteristics and how the Flower System works. This will keep the relationship between the practitioner and client on an equal plane and helps to empower the client to play the main role in their move toward health and well-being.

The second hat is that of a guide. It is extremely difficult when one is enmeshed in their own morass, so to speak, to see things and themselves with absolute clarity and objectivity—thus making it quite challenging to read and assess one’s own situation. The practitioner is there to hold up a mirror of sorts, so that the client can see themselves clearly and recognize and understand what “negative” states they are stuck in and ways to move through and out of them. And together, they work on choosing the Remedy or Remedies that will assist in promoting the positive effect of that state.

The third hat is the coach’s hat. In this day and age, speed is the thing and when we are stuck, we are impatient “to be done with it already” and often times we can become discouraged as we move through our own evolutionary process. The practitioner is there for encouragement and support—reminding the client of the progress and improvements they are making and cheering them on to fullfill their own personal joy.