The Bach Flower Remedies are gentle natural remedies, safe to use at home and safe even for children. Rescue Remedy is the most familiar of the Bach range, but there are also 38 individual remedies.
Flower remedies are made by infusing wild flowers in spring water. Brandy is used as a preservative. The remedies are said to contain the energy vibrations of the flower and they work in a similar way to homoeopathy. Flower remedies are very diluted, and they do not cause any side effects.
Dr. Bach and his Flower Remedies
Instead of treating a physical complaint, such as headache or back pain, the remedies are used to heal emotional issues that can be the underlying cause of the physical illness. The Bach flower remedy range was developed by Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician who spent years of his life researching and developing a natural healing system. He created the Bach range over several years, collecting plants and flowers and producing remedies.
Dr. Bach believed that illness can be treated by unblocking the body’s own healing potential. He also believed that his 38 remedies address all emotional states in a human being. Dr. Edward Bach passed away in 1936 but the Bach Centre in Oxfordshire, England, still continues his work. Although many different types of flower remedies and essences have appeared on the market, the Bach remedies are the original remedy range.
How to Take Bach Flower Remedies
When choosing a remedy, a person is asked to think about what kind of person s/he is and how s/he is feeling. The Bach Centre has lots of tips and advice for choosing the right remedy or remedies. More than one remedy can be taken at the same time, but the only combination remedy is the Rescue Remedy (or Recovery Remedy): the “crisis remedy” that is used in emergencies or in stressful situations. Flower remedies can be taken for as long as the problem or condition exists. Some long-term issues can take weeks or months to heal but sometimes the remedy can work much faster.
You can add two drops of a remedy into a glass of water, juice, tea or any drink, and sip from it throughout the day. This is the recommended method for acute problems. For chronic problems the Bach Centre recommends that you get an empty 30 ml bottle (with a dropper in the lid), add two drops of each remedy (or four of Rescue Remedy) and top the bottle with still mineral water. Take four drops from the bottle at least four times every day. When using Rescue Remedy in emergency situations, put four drops directly on the tongue.
People who don’t like the idea of taking brandy (even if it is just a couple of drops) can mix the remedies in hot drinks, so the alcohol evaporates. Rescue Remedy is also available in creams, in sprays and even pastilles. Recently a range of products based on the Bach remedies, but developed especially for kids, have appeared on the market. The Bach remedies are available from many natural health stores and they are also sold online.
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
