BACH FLOWERS
The power and significance of Bach flowers
Bach flower therapy has been an integral part of the therapy of many alternative practitioners for many years. But what is it about the Bach flowers?
The English doctor Dr. Edward Bach published his healing system with 38 plant extracts in 1930 after a long period of work in hospital, in research and in his own practice.
For Dr. Bach (who unfortunately died in 1936), the causes of many physical illnesses lay in "mental disharmony" and "negative states of mind".
What is applied is tested out individually.
In order to really help people (and not just to stop symptoms), Dr Bach developed and relied on the effect of flower essences. For this purpose, he selected 38 plants native to England, which he assigned to the human states of mind.
Bach flower therapy is a healing method that is intended to alleviate momentary negative feelings and moods as well as to exert a positive influence on one's own character over a longer period of time.
The Bach flowers cannot heal physical illnesses, especially if organ damage is already present. However, the harmonising influence of the Bach flowers is supposed to prevent illnesses and thus support the healing process of already existing complaints.
Dr Bach wrote in 1933 about illness: "Let all who are ill know: Disease could never have gained the power it has today if man had not turned away from the natural protection against disease, namely the healing plants in the field. Further, in those people who really have the desire to get well, there is no disease that can defy the power of the antidote found in the right plant. The disease has no more power to persist in the presence of the right herb than the darkness has to remain in a room whose windows are thrown wide open to the sunlight. Though we atone for our departure from Nature's way of healing with a great measure of disease common today, yet Nature waits patiently, and we have only to turn to her to find relief from our suffering."
Thinking approach
In order to better understand Dr Bach's approach and the idea of Bach flowers, one must understand the "image" that he had of man...
The human image of Dr. Bach
For Dr. Edward Bach, health and happiness in life were an expression of the "oneness of the human being with the divine will".
If man distances himself from his divine origin, he develops negative states of mind and negative character traits.
If feelings such as fear and hopelessness or characteristics such as irritability, stubbornness and egoism prevail over a longer period of time, they almost inevitably lead to mental and physical illnesses.
Perhaps you will read the last two sentences again in peace. It could be that this is indeed the key to diseases...
(Note in between: Before you dismiss all this as "nonsense", you should think again more carefully. I am coming to the conclusion, after more and more years of practice, that Dr. Bach was right...).
Dr. Bach saw it as an essential task in life for every human being to develop his or her own character traits in a positive way, so that they are in harmony with the divine goals and those of fellow human beings. He was firmly convinced that it is important to support positive qualities such as courage to face life, generosity and serenity, and thus ultimately to prevent illness.
How did the Bach flowers come about?
Initially, the idea was that nature had already produced the remedies to treat illness.
So Dr Bach sought out wild plants that could positively influence certain mental states. He defined 38 different plants with which, in his opinion, it is possible to treat all occurring states of mind.
However, these plants are prepared according to a certain method so that they become the Bach flowers.
The sun method for the production of Bach flowers
The flower essences are still produced today according to the method developed by Dr Bach:
On a sunny, cloudless day, the blossoms are picked, placed in a glass bowl with spring water and placed in the sun for 3-4 hours directly at the location of the plant. The wilted flowers are removed and the essence is preserved on the spot with alcohol. This mixture is diluted once more with spring water and finally filled into so-called stock bottles, from which the remedies for the treatment are finally taken.
Bach flowers for animals is a very good support to classical medicine.
How do I find the right Bach flower?
Basically, the Bach flower application can be used to achieve different goals and effects:
- for acute mental problems
- for long-lasting emotional stresses
- for the further development of one's own personality.
The most important aspect of the treatment is to find the right Bach flower or Bach flower mixture that best suits one's own character or current situation. To do this, it is necessary to get as accurate a picture as possible of one's own situation.
When reading the descriptions of all 38 Bach flowers, you will certainly have the feeling several times that you recognise something of your own characteristics and problems in them. This is very similar in homeopathy. You read remedy description after remedy description and afterwards you don't know your way around anymore.
With the Bach flowers, however, it is much easier (similar to the Schüßler salts). In principle, you can orientate yourself on the following two criteria.
If a flower description reflects the personal situation, this is the appropriate remedy. If several flower characteristics apply at the same time, a mixture of several Bach flower essences is probably indicated.
However, one thing must be known: The Bach flower essences (including the emergency drops), are not medicines for acute illnesses.
Conclusion and alternative practitioner's opinion:
Bach flowers can have a balancing and harmonising effect on the soul. However, they are not a suitable therapy for physical complaints and serious mental illnesses.
According to the experience of many therapists, Bach flowers work best with people who have their own good "body regulation".
What does body regulation mean?
The body's own regulation can be restricted by:
Taking medication - the more medication, the worse. Especially psychotropic drugs, cortisone and other drugs that regulate the metabolism and suppress the immune system make a therapy with Bach flowers pointless in my experience. Vaccinations are also part of it.
Strong overacidification of the body
Numerous burdens with environmental toxins
Bach flowers therefore work best with children and people who do not take medication and are "actually" relatively healthy. Here, Bach flowers have an excellent and balancing effect when indicated.
For a long time, Bach flower therapy was only known in England, and until recently, only the essences produced in England by the Edward Bach Centre were available for purchase. This explains why the English flower names are still used today.