Who is Dr Bach?
Bach flower remedies were developed by Dr Edward Bach, a medical doctor who became a bacteriologist and homoeopath based in London.
Through watching his patients, Dr Bach believed that illness was largely a result of mental or emotional imbalance and that if you could restore balance or prevent the imbalance in the first place, then a person would be well.
Using the homoeopathic law of potentisation, he reasoned that the healing effects of plants might also be contained in the morning dew found on their flowers and that this unique energetic property of a plant could be used to rectify an imbalance and restore a person to a place of wellbeing.
Dr Bach believed that harmful emotions were a major contributing factor of disease and he classified emotions into seven main categories. These main categories were then divided further into 38 different negative feelings with each one finding balance through one particular plant. He also combined the healing energies of five different flowers, which became Rescue Remedy
to be used in emergency situations or for trauma.
Can I choose my own remedies?
Dr Bach wanted his remedies to be so simple to use that anyone could select and take them without professional advice or the need for any special techniques. That is why the simple method set out here is still the only one used by the Bach Centre and by the practitioners on its register.
Imagine for example that you are suffering from asthma. There is no Bach Flower Remedy for asthma, since this is a physical complaint. Instead you need to ignore the asthma and look at the kind of person you are. Perhaps you are someone who is shy and timid, and who gets nervous about things like speaking in public and meeting new people. This would indicate that you are a Mimulus type, so this would be the first remedy to select.
Then you might think about the way you are feeling at the moment. Perhaps your son is about to start school and quite without cause you are frightened that he 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.
You can select up to six or seven different remedies in this way. Don't worry too much if you make a wrong selection, because if a remedy is not needed it will not do anything. Experience has shown, however, that too many remedies taken at one time are not as effective as a few well-chosen ones. This means that there is no point mixing all 38 together to zap everything at once!
The Remedies are intended for self-help use but sometimes it can be difficult to be honest with ourselves and this can be when someone else can help you decide which remedies you need.
What is the role of a Bach Practitioner?
As a Bach Practitioner I will help you to think about your emotions and how they are affecting your enjoyment of everyday life. I will be able to suggest different remedies which will help and be able to combine several different remedies into a treatment bottle for you.
My ultimate aim as a practitioner is to teach my clients about the remedies and to empower them to use the Bach Flower Remedies for themselves, by themselves.
As well as giving information about the remedies during the course of a consultation, I teach the Level 1 Introduction to Bach Flower Remedies
course, which allows the learner to acquire a basic knowledge of the 38 flower remedies and their uses. This course is also the first step towards becoming a practitioner, for those who may choose to expand and pass on their knowledge.
How many flower remedies are there?
The Seven Emotional Categories containing the 38 Negative Feelings have been given a modern Take
by The Bach Centre and Nelsons and are listed below.
Each of these feelings can be treated with one specific flower remedy to help change the negative into positive.
Fearfulness is now Face your Fears
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Terror and nightmares is now |
You feel extreme terror about something |
| Known fears and shyness is now |
You are shy or you feel anxious about something specific |
| Uncontrollable rage and impulses is now |
You fear you might lose control |
| Vague fears and apprehension is now |
You are anxious but can't say why |
| Excessive fear on behalf of family and friends is now |
You feel anxious about someone else's safety |
Uncertainty is now Know your own mind
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Lack of confidence in decision making |
You know what you want to do but doubt your own judgement |
| Indecision and mood swings |
You can't make your mind up |
| Hesitation and past disappointments |
You feel a bit let down after a setback |
| Despair and hopelessness |
You give up when things go wrong |
| Tiredness and procrastination |
You put things off, feeling tired at the thought of starting work |
| Dissatisfaction and lack of motivation |
You want to do something worthwhile but can't find your vocation |
Lack of interest in present circumstances is now Live the day
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Lack of concentration and escapism |
You are in a dream |
| Nostalgia and homesickness |
Your mind is on the past instead of the present |
| Apathy and resignation |
You can't really be bothered |
| Lack of vitality and exhaustion |
You feel tired after making an effort |
| Worry |
Your mind is running over the same thing |
| Melancholy |
You feel down in the dumps and don't know why |
| Failure to learn from mistakes |
You find yourself making the same mistakes |
Loneliness is now Reach out to others
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Aloofness and reserve |
You like your own company but sometimes feel lonely |
| Impatience |
You feel impatient with the slow pace of people or things |
| Self-obsession, self-absorption and excessive desire for companionship |
Your talkativeness leads to loneliness |
Over-sensitivity is now Stand your ground
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Concealed problems |
You hide your troubles behind a smile |
| Anxiety to please |
You can't easily say no to other people |
| Periods of transition |
Other peoples ideas knock you off course;you are unsettled at times of change |
| Negative feelings such as hatred or envy |
You feel wounded, jealous spiteful or want revenge |
Despondency and despair is now Know your own mind
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Lack of self-confidence |
You expect to fail and lack confidence in your skills |
| Guilt and self-reproach |
You feel guilty or blame yourself |
| Sense of overwhelming responsibility |
You feel overwhelmed by your many responsibilities |
| Unbearable anguish |
You feel despair when there is no hope left |
| Shock and grief |
You are suffering from the effects of shock or grief |
| Resentment and bitterness |
You feel resentful and sorry for yourself |
| Losing the strength to fight |
You are a strong person who struggles on past the limits of strength |
| Feeling ashamed or unclean |
You feel unclean or dislike something about yourself |
Over-concern for welfare of others is now Live and let live
| Original wording |
Modern take |
| Possessiveness, selfishness, self-pity and over-protectiveness towards others |
Your love for your family makes it difficult to let them go |
| Argumentative and overbearing |
Your enthusiasm leads you to burn yourself out |
| Ruthless and dictatorial |
Sometimes you are a tyrant when you want to lead |
| Critical and intolerant |
You feel critical of or intolerant towards others |
| Self-denial and narrow-mindedness |
You drive yourself hard trying to set an example |
How are the remedies made?
Flower Remedies are liquid preparations created by boiling parts of plants in spring water or by placing the flowers onto the surface of spring water and leaving them to infuse by natural sunlight for a period of time. After these processes, the water is preserved in brandy. Bach Flower Remedies are made of flowers found mostly in Britain.
How are the remedies taken?
You take the remedies 4 times daily either dropped directly onto your tongue or diluted in any drink.
Do other therapists recommend the remedies?
Many practitioners from other disciplines also prescribe the use of the Bach flower remedies, to complement other therapies such as Reiki and Aromatherapy. You can also buy the Bach flower remedies, in concentrated form, from many good pharmacies and healthy-living stores including Allans Chemist in Portobello.