Image via WikipediaMost people have never heard of Bach flowers, but I use this homeopathic remedy quite often in my counseling practice. It is a very powerful remedy to use in dealing with the background noise of our emotions as we move through life. Homeopathic remedies have been around for many, many years but because we are so much more used to pharmaceuticals, when someone gives us a more natural kind of remedy we either don't understand it or we take it and expect it to work like an aspirin or an anti-depressant and when it doesn't we assume it didn't work. Bach flower remedies are similar to homeopathic remedies in many ways, however they are produced differently than homeopathics and are not depending on the theory of successive dilutions. Therefore, although they are considered homeopathic, they are not true homeopathic remedies. Dr. Edward Bach is the man attributed to the development of this homeopathic treatment. Dr Bach received his formalized medical education at Birmingham University and at University College Hospital in London. However the more he practiced, the more he observed that there was a relationship between chronic disease and intestinal poisons. He also believed that a patient deserved individual treatment rather than a mass remedy for a certain disease. In 1924 he wrote a paper entitled "Intestinal toxemia and its Relations to Cancer" which is what eventually led to his interest in botanicals and finding natural substances to treat disease.
Image via Wikipedia"In 1928, Bach found the first of these remedies, noting that the vibrations of seaweed had almost the same vibrations of the dysentery-type of virus. He noted that using his remedies in a homeopathic potentizing method left the remedy with a positive polarity while a reverse polarity was required to be associated with the disease. After observing the dew on the plants he was using, Bach collected the dew and found that the sun had naturally potentized the dew and that it had the reverse polarity he needed. Thus, he had discovered the process to be used in most of his remedies-simple water, heat (sun) and a botanical flower. He noted that the strongest power of the plant was in the flower............Most amazing was his understanding of the mind and that the mind controlled the physical. By simply normalizing the mind, a sick body would correct its own infections. Bach was a student of people and an observer of the sick. His observations lead him to classify individuals into personality groups. Bach found that when the personality is treated, the body is able to correct physical problems in a natural way, without the aid of chemical medicines." (excerpt taken from Dr. Edward Bach: A History)
I find the most effective use of Bach Flower therapy is when someone is dealing with so many emotions that have built up over time and have not been resolved. It is much easier to deal with present day problems when you are only dealing with the emotions from present day. However, often we find ourselves dealing with emotions from past hurts, grief and loss that has been with us for awhile and it feels something like background noise. We get used to it, but it is hard to hear specifics through. Sometimes those emotions come to us from past trauma that we don't remember, but yet the emotional echo is still reverberating in our physical bodies. Finding the correct flower remedy that will treat those background emotions brings a lot of relief to an individual.
Image via WikipediaBach Flower therapies are also used with animals, especially shelter animals. Shelter animals have been subjected to a lot of trauma. They are suffering loss that can become depression if they have been lost, their owners have not been able to keep them or the trauma of being a stray - wandering, being hungry and dealing with human beings who don't want them on their property. Although in these cases, the therapies often need to be re-applied consistently, animals are among the best patients and respond quite well to these natural remedies. When I give them to my animals, I often put them in their water, or apply them topically on their paws or on the back of their necks. Some of the best reasons to choose homeopathic remedies include:
- Homeopathy has no side effects
- These remedies have no drug or food interaction, are safe and gentle
- Homeopathic remedies never interfere with presently taken medications
- Homeopathic remedies are approved by the FDA and have never had any application taken off the market
- Remedies have long shelf lives and can be used well beyond the expiration dates required by the FDA
- Remedies have no allergic properties so can be taken by anyone
- Remedies properly matched to the particular emotional responses are very effective. If not properly matched, they simply do nothing.
Bach Flower remedies can be taken in water, as mints, in cream form that is applied to the skin and work equally well in each format. Most remedies such as "Rescue Remedy" or "Calming Essence" are used to alleviate emotions dealing with fear or anxiety, but depending on what is causing the fear or anxiety, there can be more effective remedy compilations custom made which target the specific underlying emotional motivators.
In my experience dealing with the different emotions and where you find them in the physical body, then alleviating some of the underlying feelings can bring a certain amount of healing to the individual organs that are affected by the emotion. For example, in sexually abused females, we often find a higher occurrence of bladder infections. A correlation could be made between the emotion of feeling stuck, having a paralyzed will because of the control that comes from sexual abuse and the bladder because the bladder is where that emotion is often localized. It has been my observation that when this trauma is dealt with effectively, the number of bladder infections will tend to decrease or go away altogether. Effective therapy can come from a combination of spiritual comfort, counseling, trauma therapy and/or homeopathic remedies; however when I have combined counseling therapies with the Bach flower therapy I have often found it to be very effective.
There are 38 original Bach remedies plus the five flower remedy used for anxiety. Each of these remedies is prescribed for certain mental and emotional problems, forming a complete therapeutic system. If you have never tried these remedies, I would encourage you to speak with a knowledgeable person and find out more about how they could help you in your healing journey.
