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Bach Flower Therapy |
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Bach Flower Remedies |
Photo: Proper hydration is essential if herbs and flowers are to grow to maturity. The majority of patients I would see on any given day were "stressed to the max". No one would argue against the statement that we live in a world with too much anxiety, fear, self-doubt, and a host of other negative emotional tensions and conflicts. Prescriptions for anti-depressants and anti-anxiety drugs flood commercial television as people try to cope with these factors of our Modern Lifestyle. Most people with an awareness of holistic healing are familiar with the Mind-Body-Spirit connection. So was Edward Bach, M.D., an ahead-of-his-time physician practicing in London, England in the early 1930's. Through his research in chronic diseases, Dr . Bach determined there was a connection between overall health and dominant personality traits. Familiar with the principles of homeopathy, he began working with flowers, and determined that the essence of a particular flower could help to harmonize the emotional imbalances he felt were the cause of physical illness. Dr Bach intended his flower essences to be simple, basic "tools" which would permit anyone to select and take them without having to go to a doctor. His guidelines for selection have been successfully employed for over 70 years, and the Flower Essences are still made today following his original guidelines. Virtually all good health stores, as well as Whole Foods markets stock the 38 remedies (plus Rescue Remedy). Usually, they have a small card posted at the display shelf giving a brief description of the mental state each essence is designed to harmonize. I advise my patients to read through the descriptions, then pick only two that seem to best describe you and what you are feeling. Here, I will list them with just the barest outlline of the corresponding emotional state: |
Flower Remedies |
|
|---|---|
| Agrimony | mental torture behind a cheerful face |
| Aspen | fear of unknown things |
| Beech | intolerance |
| Centaury | the inability to say 'no' |
| Cerato | lack of trust in one's own decisions |
| Cherry Plum | fear of the mind giving way |
| Chestnut Bud | failure to learn from mistakes |
| Chicory | selfish, possessive love |
| Clematis | dreaming of the future without working in the present |
| Crab Apple | the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred |
| Elm | overwhelmed by responsibility |
| Gentian | discouragement after a setback |
| Gorse | hopelessness and despair |
| Heather | self-centredness and self-concern |
| Holly | hatred, envy and jealousy |
| Honeysuckle | living in the past |
| Hornbeam | procrastination, tiredness at the thought of doing something |
| Impatiens | impatience |
| Larch | lack of confidence |
| Mimulus | fear of known things |
| Mustard | deep gloom for no reason |
| Oak | the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion |
| Olive | exhaustion following mental or physical effort |
| Pine | guilt |
| Red Chestnut | over-concern for the welfare of loved ones |
| Rock Rose | terror and fright |
| Rock Water | self-denial, rigidity and self-repression |
| Scleranthus | inability to choose between alternatives |
| Star of Bethlehem | shock |
| Sweet Chestnut | Extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left |
| Vervain | over-enthusiasm |
| Vine | dominance and inflexibility |
| Walnut | protection from change and unwanted influences |
| Water Violet | pride and aloofness |
| White Chestnut | unwanted thoughts and mental arguments |
| Wild Oat | uncertainty over one's direction in life |
| Wild Rose | drifting, resignation, apathy |
| Willow | self-pity and resentment |
More complete descriptions of the the emotions effectively eased by the flower essences are available, but in the spirit of Dr. Bach, let's keep it simple. Think about the way you are feeling at the moment. Perhaps your child is about to start school and you are frightened that he or she will be bullied. Red Chestnut is the remedy for the fear that something bad will happen to loved ones. Perhaps you have been working too hard and are exhausted: this would indicate the need for Olive. When you take the Flower Essences, don't expect the same response from your body as if you were taking a Valium pill. The Essences are gentle and very subtle. At first, you may be unaware of any effect at all. Then, over the span of the next couple of weeks, you will get up one morning and say to yourself, "Heh, I I think these must be working. I don't feel (insert your earlier concern here). This is really great!" When the time comes you are no longer bothered by the negative emotion, stop using the remedy. If other negative feelins begin to bother you, go back to the perfsonality chart and find whatever sounds suitable and begin taking that essence. The remedies are non-addicting and carry no warnings about side effects. They will not impair any of your normal abilities. There is one more item you should know about, a 39th formula known as Rescue Remedy. You will find this described on this web site under the Secrets section. |
