Bach Flower Therapy - Know More About It!

What is Bach Flower Therapy?

Bach flower therapy is a complementary or alternative treatment, used to heal pain and emotional problems in people. The remedies used in the therapy are prepared from extracts of wildflowers and plants diluted in water, and brandy. Bach therapy is termed after an English doctor and homoeopath, Edward Bach.

Homoeopathy believes that the body has the ability to heal itself. This branch of medicine uses natural substances extracted in small amounts from minerals and plants to treat the mind and body. The idea behind Bach flower therapy is similar to homoeopathy. The only difference is that the substances used in the therapy do not work directly on physical symptoms, but on the emotions instead.

Bach believed that healing negative emotions helps the body heal itself. He discovered the benefits that plants and flowering trees can have one healing people’s emotions. He unearthed 38 such flowering plants, each contributing to the emotional well-being of a person in some way or the other. The essence of 38 plants – including oak, mustard, pine, rockrose, and others – address a particular negative emotion.

For Whom is the Therapy Suggested

Bach flower therapy is grouped into remedies based on mood and personality type. The remedies are suggested for people who are struggling to deal with the following emotions –

• For those who experience fear
• For those who experience uncertainty
• For those who are lonely
• For those who are oversensitive to ideas and influence
• For those who have little or no interest in their current circumstances
• For those who are in despair or sadness
• For those who care for others at the cost of their own wellness

Remedy is choosen according to the emotional turmoil at the root of your problem. Bach also developed a combination remedy that could be used to help a person stay calm in a stressful situation.

Remedies for the 7 Basic Emotions

Bach suggested that ‘Disease of the body results from the disharmony between mind and soul. By removing the disharmony, we can regain harmony between the two, and the body can again be perfect and healthy in all its parts.’ Therefore, he set out to prepare remedies from plant extracts, water and brandy to cure negative thoughts and emotions in the human mind.

The 38 remedies and their uses are stated below –

• For Fear – Rockrose, milumlus cherry plum, aspen, and red chestnut help when you encounter fear. You may be frightened due to several reasons – fear of an illness, the fear of losing a job or of loneliness. Sometimes you may even be haunted by the fear that is unexplainable and vague.

• For Uncertainty – Cerato, gorse, and wild oat help you make correct decisions, and feel encouraged when you are uncertain about certain things in life.

• For Lack of Interest – Mustard, wild rose, olive, and white chestnuts help you regain vitality, energy and interest in life. They also help clear your mind when it is cluttered with arguments and thoughts.

• For Loneliness – Water violet and heather help when you are too unhappy being on your own for a long time.

• For Oversensitivity – Agrimony, centaury, and walnut helps you communicate with your actual worries and feelings. These provide you with protection and consistency from outside influences.

• For Despair – Pine, oak, and elm helps you regain confidence and self-esteem when you are sad or in despair. They help when you feel let down due to a failure or a trauma.

• For Caring Too Much for Others – Chicory, beech, and rock water help you be less critical of others. Vervain can put your mind to rest when you spend too much time putting all your efforts on someone else, ultimately compromising with your own health and sleep.

These remedies come in drop bottles in the form of liquids for you to consume. Over the years, Bach flower therapy has cured many people with conditions like anxiety, stress, depression, and emotional trauma. These are safe, although some may contain small traces of alcohol. Consult a homoeopath before consuming them. An experienced healthcare provider in this field can prescribe the right remedy and dosage for you, depending on your emotional problem.