BACH FLOWER ESSENCES

By ALICIA SIRKIN, Alternative Medicine, September, 1999

Bach Flower Essence (BFE) is a type of non-invasive therapy that uses natural homeopathically-prepared liquids to gently shift negative emotions, attitudes, and personality traits into positive ones. They come in the form of liquids, dispensed from small 10 ml “stock concentrate” dropper bottles. They are taken internally by mouth, or externally on pulse points. They are non-toxic, non-addictive, have no side effects, and can be used without professional guidance.
There are 38 different single flower essences that can help not only people who not only feel overwhelmed, but also those who are depressed, angry, resentful, fearful, tired, lonely, or insecure. By combining up to seven essences at once, you can positively affect 211,000,000 states of mind! I have seen people feeling fearful utilize specific flower essences to enhance courage to face difficulties without fear; people who feel hopeless turn around and look optimistically into the future; and insecure people lose self-doubt and bolster their self- confidence. I worked with BFE for thirteen years, and their consistently effective results inspired me to become a practitioner.

The Origin of BFE

Dr. Edward Bach was a British physician, immunologist, bacteriologist, and searcher. A pioneer in the field of body/ mind medicine, he became dedicated to the discovery of a natural, safe, and gentle system of self-healing that dealt with the underlying causes of disease. His quest continued into the early 1930s, when he discovered the healing power of flowers.
Leaving his lucrative conventional medical practice on Harley Street in London, Dr. Bach spent years searching the countryside instill the plant’s healing attributes within the dewdrops. He would sit for hours studying a single plant learning all he could about its habits, form, and personality
Intuitively, he sensed that dewdrops from certain plants might contain specific healing properties of that plant. He hypothesized that the sun’s heat could activate and instill the plant’s healing attributes within the dewdrops.
He started by experimenting on himself. His senses were so highly developed that by simply holding the petal of a flower in his hand or placing it on his tongue, his body would feel the effects of the flower’s qualities. This formed the basis for his testing on others.

How does it work?

Although licensed health professionals have proven Bach
Flower Essences effective for nearly 70 years, no one knows how they actually work. Dr J. Herbert Fill, M.D., a psychiatrist and former New York City Commissioner of
Mental Health, has used flower essences almost exclusively over tranquilizers and psychotropic drugs. He suggests the essences may act upon neurotransmitters in the brain. Elisabeth Wiley, a psychotherapist and nationally- known BEE practitioner and educator, thinks that flower essence bio-energetic frequencies repair imbalances in the human energy field, No matter how the essences work, the results are undeniable.
Are the essences merely a “placebo”? Probably no more than other healing treatments, because animals and infants benefit as much as children and adults. In fact, animals and children are often particularly sensitive to the benefits of flower essences and commonly experience faster results.
Bach Flower Essences complement all other healing therapies. They even seem to make other modalities work better. The reason for this is that they work on the mental and emotional side of the problem while other modalities are working with the physical. Today, Bach Flower Essences are sold in 66 countries and have been accepted for sale by the FDA in the U.S.

Taking Bach Flower Essences Yourself

Life is continual change, but some periods are more abrupt and traumatic. If you are going through a difficult transition, you can easily use flower essences yourself to ease the process. Simply follow the standard “stock” bottle dosage and preparation instructions below. The international authority on the essences is the Bach Centre in England, where they originate. They recommend that the essences be used consistently a minimum of four times a day to achieve the desired results.
Since each of us is unique and may heal at different rates of speed, there is no definitive answer to the question “how long does it take to work.” Generally a person feels results within a number of days to several months. Older or longstanding emotional or mental issues may take even longer to resolve. As you are feeling better, you may increasingly forget to take them. This is your cue that they have done their work and you no longer need them.

Choose Each Flower Essences for states of mind, not to relieve physical symptoms or problems. Physical symptoms can often be eased when the emotional distress encircling physical problems is relieved—the body/mind connection at work!

Combining Essences

When there is a combination of feelings or states of mind, you can simply combine the appropriate flowers and take the resulting combination formula. It is possible to combine drops from as many as seven different essences into a new one-ounce dropper bottle, called a personal formula.
Since many of us lead complex lives, individualized combination personal formulas can be of great benefit. For example, if you were feeling sad, confused, guilty, resentful, overwhelmed, impatient, and hypercritical at the same time, you would combine the essences indicated for these emotional states within one bottle in order to get relief on many levels at once.
My clients often report that flower essences have become their “best friends” whenever distress occurs—a helping hand to restore tranquility I would have to agree.


Suggested reading:
The Back Flower Remedies: Step by Step
Judy Howard
Pocket Guide to Back Flower Essences
Rachelle Hasnas
The Bach Flower Remedies for Women
Judy Howard
Bach Flower Remedies for Men
Stefan Ball
Mastering Bach Flower Remedies
Dr. Edward Bach and Dr. F.J. Wheeler
The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies
Dr. Edward Bach
The Bach Flower Remedies: Illustrations and Preparations. Nora Weeks and Victor Bullen
Medical Discoveries of Edward Bach, Physician
Nora Weeks
Growing Up with the Bach Flower Remedies
Judy Howard
Heal Thyself
Dr. Edward Bach
Questions and Answers Explaining the Basic Principles and Standards of The Bach Flower Remedies
John Ramsell
Bach Flower Remedies to the Rescue
Gregory Vlamis
Introduction to the Benefits of the Bach Flower Remedies
Jane Evans
Illustrated Handbook of the Bach Flower Remedies
Philip Chancellor
Dictionary of The Bach Flower Remedies
T.W. Hyne Jones
Original Writings of Edward Bach
Judy Howard and John Ramsell