Motto:
“Disease is in essence the result of conflict between soul and mind—so long as our souls and personalities are in harmony all is joy and peace, happiness and health. It is when our personalities are led astray from the path laid down by the soul, either by our own worldly desires or by the persuasion of others, that a conflict arises.”

Dr. Edward Bach(1)

Bach Flowers Remedies are therapeutic preparations made from wild flowers and plants, used in a therapy based on homeopathic principles, and designed for home use.

History
How does it work?
What conditions are Bach Flower Remedies used for?
Which essences are right for you?
How to take the Bach Flower Remedy?

History

Trained in allopathic medicine, Dr. Bach was a bacteriologist at the University College Hospital in London in 1915 when he first came across the practice of homeopathy. After working at the London Homeopathic Hospital he ran a private practice combining allopathic medicine and homeopathy, then in 1930 retired to Wales to study flowers, herbs and trees.

Bach began selecting plants that he intuitively judged had a curative effect on the seven main mental attitudes that he observed to be synchronous with illness. On the model set by homeopathic doctors, he treated the person not the disease. From his observations of people, Bach concluded that mental attitudes, such as fear, anxiety, mistrust or possessiveness, provide excellent environments for the invasion of illness. When the patient’s outlook became more positive—through the use of the flower remedies—the illness would leave, because it could no longer survive.
Even Bach recognized that damage already done by an illness might not be reversible, but he was sure that much sickness could be avoided by changing mental attitudes. Thus his remedies were also used to prevent disease and reduce the effects of unavoidable conditions.

Dr. Bach published details of the first flower remedies in 1933, calling them the Twelve Healers. Before he died in 1936 he had made a collection of 38 remedies.

How does it work?

Some users argue that Bach Flower Essences leave a unique pattern in the water which then affects the body. However, nobody knows how they work because, when analyzed, the preparations are shown to contain only spring water and alcohol. It has been suggested that current scientific methods are not yet sophisticated enough to measure the healing properties of these essences.

More than that, the placebo effect seems not to apply to Bach Flower Essences since they are also successfully used for animals.

What conditions is it used for?

Believed to be safe for babies, children, and animals, users say the flower remedies can be taken by anyone. Treatments are used to help counter the effects of a particular mental attitude.
According to Dr. Bach, the seven main mental attitudes are:

1 Fear
2 Uncertainty and indecision
3 Loneliness
4 Insufficient interests in present circumstances
5 Over-sensitivity to ideas and influences
6 Despondency or despair
7 Over-care for the welfare of others

Which essences are right for you?

Typical examples are:

· Cherry Plum for fear, tension, irrationality
· Holly for envy, jealousy and hatred
· Pine for guilt and constantly apologizing
· Sweet Chestnut for despair
· Wild Rose for apathy

The essences can be taken individually, or can be mixed into your own personal formula.The best known Bach Flower Remedy is the “Rescue Remedy”, a combination of different formulas, which is reserved for sudden trauma (brought by bad news, for example), as well as episodes of panic, anxiety or dread.

How to take the Bach Flower Remedy?

Flower essences are sold in small bottles with eye droppers from which a drop or two is usually placed under the tongue; or rubbing onto the lips, behind the ears, on the temples, or wrists, at specific times.
Remedies will depend on the cause and the nature of the stress; they are appropriate depending on the personality and mood of the sufferer.

1) Source: The Little Giant Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, Compiled by Jane Johnson and Maya Pilkington, ISBN 0-8069-3948-6