Naturopath Barbara Reale explains how Bach flower essences can support us through times of stress, transition and emotional turmoil.
Bach flower therapy is a medicine system that uses dilutions of flower material to change subtle emotional and psychological states, such as mood swings, terror, depression, anxiety, irritability, intolerance, lack of confidence, hatred or selfishness. A few drops a day of the right remedy can uproot deep-seated personality traits and, in the process, rebalance body, mind and spirit.
Bach flowers are popular worldwide for their efficacy in overcoming children’s fears. Parents who have the first hand, exhausting experience of sleepless children, become enthusiastic promoters of Bach flowers when at long last, the whole family enjoys the benefits of a peaceful long night’s rest.
However, Bach flowers are not a natural sleeping pill. They work on another level entirely and provide a natural way of coping with most common emotional imbalances once you become aware of the hidden cause of the problem.
Bach flower essences do not replace qualified medical assistance if you have a physical illness or disease. However, they will complement that treatment on subtle levels. For instance, a combination of Bach flower essences can cure premature ejaculation when the emotional cause is related to performance anxiety.
Overcoming unpleasant feelings
Rescue Remedy (also known as Five Flower Remedy) is the most popular Bach flower combination used for situations of paralysing fear. It can be used in many other circumstances too and is the one remedy I suggest you keep in your medicine cabinet, in case of acute symptoms.
The key ingredients in Rescue or Five Flower Remedy
Bach flower essences may be used singly or in combination. There are 38 remedies in total and each can provide a deeper cure than just relieving temporary symptoms. The essences bring the sufferer back to emotional balance by working on their unique sensitivities: they heal and cure by helping the individual surpass, transform or eliminate those emotions, attitudes or patterns of behaviour which interfere in the development of their full potential.
If you have an old trauma still subconsciously affecting your present life, these essences might help you to get rid of it forever. In this case the process will take longer than for acute symptoms, because the process by which emotions appear must be respected in order to find a helpful remedy combination.
Each of us can have a different reaction to the same negative experience. Thus, while everyone can benefit from this therapy, no two people will be prescribed the same combination of essences for the same symptom. It is essential to work with a trained therapist: trained to recognise typical healing patterns and the order in which symptoms typically appear and disappear. Try to resist the temptation to choose the remedies yourself, led by the descriptions on the labels.
Where do Bach flowers come from and how do they work?
Bach flower essences were developed 80 years ago by the British physician and homeopath Edward Bach, who believed that transformation was more effective at fighting emotional imbalances than other techniques. Unlike essential oils or tinctures which are pressed or extracted, Bach flower essences contain very little plant matter and do not taste or smell strongly of the plant. Essences are a vibrational medicine— based on the premise that human bodies are made up of interconnected fields of energy and that re-balancing these energies will help to re-establish a person’s good health—to be sprayed on the skin, ingested or placed in water.
When you are taking these remedies you may find you wake up in the morning with a vivid memory of an odd dream. I always suggest that my clients keep a diary of their oddest dreams during Bach flower therapy, in order to not lose the dream’s message. If you write it down right away, you’ll be able to analyse it more easily later.
Does this therapy can cause any side effects or addiction?
Because of their natural and gentle action, no side effects or addiction usually occur.
However, some very sensitive people could experience symptoms worsening in the first 36 hous but this can be easily solved by consulting your therapist, who will probably recommend that you increase or decrease the frequency with which you take the remedy, according to your specific emotional situation.
How long should I follow a Bach flower therapy?
This is a very difficult question. It depends of your personal situation and approach. Generally I can say that for acute problems three to five consultations are enough to solve the emotional imbalance, while for chronic or contrasting emotions it could require from 15 to 18. Bach flowers should be chosen by an experienced therapist, who will provide you with detailed information about their effects and prepare a personalised remedy combination in a bottle of 30 ml with dropper. The recommended prescription is normally four drops four times a day; thus, it normally takes three weeks to finish a treatment and subsequent appointments are scheduled at three week intervals, in order not to interrupt the healing process.
Is any one Bach flowers brand better than another?
Essences may be made differently, with varying ingredients, even within the same brand. My suggestion is to read product labels and discuss doses with a qualified healthcare provider before starting therapy.
Might pets benefit from Bach flower remedies?
Every family member—pets included—can benefit from these natural remedies. Therapists often recommend a family therapy to speed the healing process and ease emotional communication. For the same reason, pets may be treated with Bach flowers to overcome their unwanted compulsive behaviours.
A pet left alone for hours in a clean, tidy—but empty—house might easily suffer of abandonment , frustration or other negative feelings which can develop into needy or aggressive behaviour, or emotional eczema. Pet toys may be enough to prevent furniture disasters or other unpleasant consequences: a real cow bone, for instance, can pleasantly distract a dog, while cleaning its teeth, as well as providing the stock for a wonderful broth for the family. But when toys are not enough, it’s time to consider Bach flower remedies!
Don’t take it personally
The archetypes found in the human psyche have their healing correlation with plant archetypes living in nature. We shouldn’t identify bad emotions and unpleasant feelings as behavioural problems. All we need to do is to understand the reason for their presence and learn to release them gently.
If you are coping with old emotional troubles not easy to release, you might benefit of the following free workshop on Bach flower therapy:
Exploring Bach flowers: free workshop by Barbara Reale
This workshop is an opportunity for anyone interested in Bach flowers, who wants to better understand the flower’s healing properties and experience its potential. Through short exercises participants will learn how Bach flowers facilitate people to balance their deepest emotions and let them flow smoothly again.
Wednesday 6 October, Delft, 7 – 9 pm
19 January,Delft, 7 – 9 pm
For reservations, go towww.bodyminddynamicbalance.com.
For more information about Bach flowers, visit: www.drbach.co.uk/index.php.
