Bach flower remedies provide safe and gentle healing support for physical, mental and spiritual conditions. Bach remedies encompass essences of flowers, trees, and minerals said to promote emotional healing which results in physical healing. Bach essences are one of the most affordable herbs available, and are usually very safe.
Dr. Edward Bach
Dr. Edward Bach, inventor of the flower remedies, was a successful British physician. As a general physician, bacteriologist and pathologist, he worked tirelessly to find new cures for his patients, and his research led him to consider many healing methods, including herbal and homeopathic remedies. Although pleased with his homeopathic work, Dr. Bach fretted that he wasn't doing enough to cure his patients. In 1930, he gave up his successful London medical practice and embarked on what would be an amazing six-year journey to discover the Bach flower remedies.
Bach's gifts as a healer included strong intuitive healing ability, and he used these abilities to find the flowers that would become the Bach flower remedies. Bach experienced the emotional state he desired to cure. Then, intuition led him to the appropriate remedy to counter the emotional state.
Flower essence therapy remains popular among naturopaths and herbalists. You can also consult a Bach flower essence healer directly, or study on your own to choose the right remedy for your condition.
Bach Flower Remedies
Flower remedies work by correcting the emotional unbalances underlying physical illness.
How They Work
Bach believed that all physical illness stemmed from an underlying disharmony among the person's Personality, Soul and Higher Self. In Bach's metaphysical terminology, the Higher Self directs and aims the individual to actualization of their greater purpose. Individuals who ignore the call of the Higher Self set up conflict within the Soul and Personality, which leads to disease in the physical body. Physical illness is a red flag that something is deeply unbalanced with the person's life.
Unlike Western allopathic medicine, which 'fights' bacteria, virus and diseases with the weapons of chemistry and medicine, Bach remedies flood the negative vibrations with counterbalancing positive ones. The idea is to wash away negative vibrations with the corresponding positive ones found in flower essences.
Each flower in the remedy repertoire embodies a certain soul quality or a positive energy wavelength. These soul qualities tune into the same frequencies as the energy fields within the human soul. According to Bach, the Soul contains all 38 qualities of the Bach flowers as energy potentials, virtues, or divine sparks. When disharmony develops, the distorted vibrations set up a negative effect upon the whole person. Flower remedies correct the distortion and restore the spirit to health, which the body reflects by healing itself of illness.
Self Diagnosis
All of this may sound frightfully complicated, but the remedies are safe, gentle and effective, and most people can begin using them very soon after studying them. Self-diagnosis is the first step to using the remedies,
Find a good book or peruse the Bach Society to understand Bach's theories, methodology, and the flowers and their qualities. Next, sit in quiet meditation and reflection, focusing on your current emotional state. What are you feeling?
Next, jot down the emotions that come to mind and refer to a book or site on the flower remedies to find the flower corresponding to the emotion. Most cross-reference the flower names with the major emotional states, making it easier to find the remedy to try.
You may need to try several remedies before finding the right one. The most important aspect of self-treatment with Bach flower remedies is to feel within oneself if the remedy has worked. Once the emotion state rights itself, physical healing follows.
How to Take Bach Flower Remedies
Purchase Bach flower remedies at health food stores, natural supermarkets, or from reputable online dealers. Flower remedies are sold small bottles of tincture, usually with an eye-dropped style tip. Follow label directions and add the appropriate amounts of essence to one cup of water. Sip the water throughout the day. More than one essence can be taken at the same time.
Since flower essences are extremely gentle and do not incorporate actual plant parts into the mixture, they do not interact with prescription and over-the-counter medications or herbal medicines you may already be taking. If you cannot take even a small amount of alcohol, look for flower essences bottled in pure spring water.
Pros and Cons
Animal studies assessing Bach flower remedies demonstrate remarkable results. One study, conducted by Dr. Jeffrey Cram at the Sierra Health Institute, published by the American Flower Essence Society, demonstrated a positive correlation between reducing mental stress and the five-flower formula, or Rescue Remedy. Other studies funded by the various Bach flower essence societies support this conclusion and add to the debate about the effectiveness of Bach flower remedies.
The cons against Bach remedies are numerous. The Skeptic's Dictionary, published by Robert Todd Carroll, incorrectly lists flower therapy as 'aromatherapy' and lampoons Bach essences as quackery. One must believe in Bach's metaphysical theories behind the soul qualities of flower essences. This is a big leap for the majority of people favoring traditional medicine.
For Further Study
Remember that if you have any serious medical condition you should consult your physician, even though Bach remedies are thought safe. Harness the soul qualities of flowers and embrace their healing powers through Bach flower remedies.
- Bach himself wrote two books on flower essences: Heal Thyself and The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies. These may be purchased through Amazon.
- For research on the essences, consult the American-based Flower Society.
- Based in the United Kingdom, the Bach Centre focuses on disseminating Dr. Bach's original work.
