Bach Flower Remedies

This therapy is fantastic for emotional issues and works extremely for everyone of all ages. From childhood through to adulthood.

In the 1930s Dr. Edward Bach, an English doctor, began to produce the remedies that we know as the Bach Flower remedies today. Dr. Bach found from studies he had completed of his patients that negative emotions could lead to physical illness. He was also convinced that flowers possessed healing properties which could then be used to treat emotional problems and therefore help restore health and harmony to the mind and body.

Dr. Bach was a homeopath as well and used his knowledge of the homeopathic law of potentization to develop his flower remedies. He identified the remedies by holding his hand over each flower and believed he could intuitively discern its healing properties. By 1936, Bach’s remedies were being made commercially and are now available from many natural health places worldwide.

These remedies were originally made for self help use. Many of the remedies can be taken together and the selection is normally based on the patient’s assessment of his or her emotional state. Some people may select the individual remedies by holding a pendulum over each one in turn. These remedies are not intended  to directly relieve the physical symptoms of an ailment. Dr Bach believed that harmful emotions may be the cause of disease and he sought to treat moods such as fear, anger, depression and guilt in order to restore the harmony of mind and body which will encourage good health.

Moods were classified into 7 different categories which were then divided into 38 negative feelings. Each one is associated with a different plant and connected to the 38 Bach Flower Remedies. A main one was then developed which is known as Rescue Remedy today and can be taken for shock, hysteria and panic.

These remedies are prepared by infusion where flower heads are placed on the surface of spring water and left to infuse in direct sunlight for about 3 hours or by boiling short lengths of twigs with flowers or catkins in pure spring water for 30 minutes. After either process the water is retained and then preserved in brandy. The remedies are sold in concentrated form that should be diluted in fruit juice or water, or they can be rubbed on the lips or behind the ears or dropped directly onto the tongue. The general dose is 4 drops of the solution repeated 4 times a day. If immediate problems are being looked at the dose may be repeated every 3-5 minutes until symptoms subside.

The seven emotional groups are:

• Fearfulness
• Uncertainty
• Lack of interest in present circumstances
• Loneliness
• Over-sensitivity
• Despondency and despair
• Over-concern for the welfare of others

A Bach Flower Practitioner will take a history as necessary and prescribe the remedy or remedies that they feel are needed. Bach flowers work very well with other therapies.