Emma Watson is known to keep Bach flower essences in her bag all the time, and Jennifer Aniston uses them to help with her anxiety. While Salma Hayek uses them to stay calm during busy days, Bach flower remedies have helped Hugh Grant deal with stage fright.
So, what are these flower essences? What is Bach flower therapy and how is it different from essential oils and aroma therapy?
Plants are well known for their healing properties and health benefits across all cultures and civilizations. One such discovery about their influence on our wellbeing was made by Dr. Bach, a physician at The London Hospital.
Dr. Bach, disappointed with the inability of modern medicine to heal a person at all levels – physical, emotional, and spiritual – left his practice to study flowers that could heal. As a pioneer in invention of anti viruses, his background in research as a bacteriologist led him to flowers that resonated with human emotions and had the ability to heal them at the soul level.
Over the years, he proved with his remedies that certain wild flowers have the ability to heal difficult emotions, thereby reducing the probability of physical disease and hastening the recovery from one. This system of flower remedies came to be known as Bach Flower Remedies.
The Bach center UK imparts education and certification to practitioners and therapists the world over. Many homeopathy schools also have Bach flower therapy as a part of their curriculum and their Materia medica. So, let’s uncover what they exactly are and how they can help you heal at a physical, emotional and soul level.
What are Bach flower remedies made of?
Bach remedies are made of flowers using two methods: Sun method and Boiling method.
Both methods ensure that the vibrational healing energy of the flower is transferred into the spring water that is used in the process, with brandy added in small quantities as a preservative. Bach flower remedies are prepared in homeopathy pharmacies maintaining all standards of hygiene and quality, thus making them absolutely safe for oral consumption.
How do they heal?
Bach flower remedies are vibrational flower essences that heal at a subtle level. They help an individual learn from their difficult emotions and transcend them so as to live a life of ease. For example, it frees one of feelings of guilt, fears, anxieties, worries, excessive thoughts, intolerance, irritability, etc. to name a few. Difficult emotions such as anger, fear, and lack of confidence not only impact our mental and physical health but also our relationships and work. Appropriate Bach remedies help address and dissolve those difficult emotions and ease one into a life of joy and balance.
Do they have any side effects? Are they addictive?
No, Bach flower essences don’t have any side effects and are not habit forming or addictive. Also, there are no dosage restrictions or withdrawal symptoms on discontinuation. They are very gentle and do not interfere with any other treatment that a person may be taking. In fact, they speed up the healing process.
How do you know which remedy to take? Why consult a Bach flower therapist?
While a search on Google can match all your symptoms to some remedies and tell you which one you need, finding the right remedy is not so easy. You may go through the information on the internet or in books, but still end up confused on which remedy you need. This is not because of misinformation, but simply because the remedies are subtle in nature and specific to individuals. One size doesn’t fit all, and that’s why consulting a Bach flower therapist has several benefits:
1. Bach flower therapists have thoroughly studied the nuances of each remedy and have an understanding of how they work. The Bach Center (UK) approved courses train individuals and practitioners the world over on the original philosophy of Dr. Bach and the significance of the flowers that can be given individually or in a mix.
2. No one can be objective towards themselves. A certified therapist acts as a sounding board for our emotions and helps to filter out and focus on the emotions that need healing. Their ability to view problems on a wider spectrum enables them to identify the corresponding remedies that are best suited to heal us at a deeper level
3. While there is no harm in taking an incorrect remedy, the lack of any result may cause a loss of faith in the power of these flower remedies, thereby making us miss out on the opportunity of healing with the right one.
Are Bach flower essences similar to essential oils?
No, they are very different. Unlike essential oils, Bach flower essences do not have any fragrance and are meant to be consumed orally. Their method of preparation follows the homeopathy laws of dilution. Even the flowers used in Bach flower therapy are different from those used for essential oils and have different healing properties.
Do Bach flower essences heal physical ailments?
As stated by a famous German naturopath, “Everything we do not want to live out in our psyche, we shall meet again in our body as a symptom”. So it’s important to address our emotions in order to avoid or heal from physical symptoms or concerns.
Bach flower therapy focuses on emotional healing and the physical healing may result as a consequence. It does not recommend not seeing a doctor for physical ailments or not following the prescription. All users are advised to continue their medical treatment until advised otherwise by their physicians.
Are Bach flower remedies for serious mental health problems or for day to day stressors?
If day to day stressors are not addressed appropriately, they become chronic and may lead to more serious mental and physical problems. Bach flower remedies help deal with such stressors and other deep rooted issues.
How much time do the remedies take to show effect?
It varies from person to person and how long the emotions have been withheld. Sometimes remedies show effect almost immediately or in about four days. Sometimes it takes weeks. However, 21 days is a recommended time for taking the flower therapy to show a shift from a negative state to a positive state of being.
We often come in our own way when healing is needed. Bach flower therapy is a gentle therapy and any resistance to healing can also be overcome with its use.
Abhilasha Herr
Abhilasha Herr is a Post Graduate in Marital and Family Therapy, Relationships Counsellor, and Master Mindfulness Trainer. Her work as a behavioural Skills trainer for more than a decade was instrumental in her quest to delve deeper into the science of facilitating real behavioural change. A level 2 Certified Bach Flower Therapist from Bach Center, U.K., when she’s not helping her clients, she can be found strumming her guitar or with a book in her favourite nook. She is currently living in Delhi with her golfer husband and teen son.
Very interesting and informative..So proud of you dear.
Extremely lucid explanation of this interesting concept..would be of great help to many.. wishing you the best Abhilasha.
Very informative article. Can vouch for the benefit of Back therapy. You are doing a splendid job at it . Thankful to you always!