Gone was the idea that herbal medicines belonged in simple folklore, here was a medically trained physician pronouncing flower power. Dr Bach's system adopts a holistic approach - treating the personalities and feelings of patients to alleviate unhappiness and physical distress, over simply targeting the ailment - which allows the body's innate wisdom and healing potential to become unblocked and kick start the recovery process.
38 remedies
Dr Bach created 38 different flower essences designed to heal and address various emotional, and the resulting physical concerns. Where a doctor might treat a headache with a painkiller, Dr Bach's remedies look to the underlying emotional trigger rather than the physical condition in isolation
Dr Bach's philosophy was that any person, trained or untrained should be able to diagnose their own condition. To understand how to self diagnose, click here . And for a full guide to the 38 Bach remedies, click here. But as many of us need an outsider to spot what's really going on, I had a consultation with a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner.
What to expect from a consultation
The practitioner began by asking me to tell her about myself, as that could have taken all day I asked her to be more specific. She reformed the question and focused on what was occurring in my life at that time.
She made notes as I rattled off my stuff:
- a new working environment and some financial challenges
- in the process of moving house
- not sleeping too well
- generally feeling optimistic that things will settle soon and I'll be back on track
After a brief and relaxed Q&A session Janet, the practitioner, felt ready to blend a remedy for me using 6 different essences.
The remedy
Behind my very real and physical concerns lay some long held emotional patterns and current anxieties, all of which are common to the human condition and part of Dr Bach's remedies. So Janet prescribed:
- Walnut - protection from change and unwanted influences to help me leave the past behind
- Larch - lack of confidence - this should help me crack on with my desires
- Mimulus - fear of known things - to combat my anxiety over financial uncertainty
- Hornbeam - tiredness at the thought of doing something to hep me get productive & take action on my goals
- Oak - the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion -this is to help the balance between when to work and when to rest
- Water Violet - pride and aloofness - to help me in asking for and receiving help
The tincture bottle instructed that I add the essence to water or put it straight on my tongue at least 4 drops 4 times a day. So I did and am almost at the end of the remedy.
The result
Knowing I had a remedy made exclusively for me, I have enjoyed swallowing the mix of water, brandy (for distillation) and the flower essences. I do feel better, more lighthearted, and have gained a foothold over issues that were beginning to swamp me. Is that down to the flower essences or my desire to succeed or both? Who knows but something worked. The real life stuff has evolved as I've moved house and am sleeping better, but as for aloof and pride - might take more than two weeks!
Flower remedies fall under the philosophy that if you want to get well, you will. Taking natural remedies instead of pharmaceuticals, where appropriate, seems a more friendly way of working with your own body, mind and spirit and tackling the cause, not bandaging the symptom makes sound science. For more information or for a telephone consultation visit The Bach Centre