How do Bach Flower Remedies Work? Create Healthy Balance

We’ve felt the aftermath of stress wrecking havoc on our immune system, leaving the body defenseless against things such as the common cold or flu, and sometimes even more chronic illness.

But there is another level to this cataclysmic event. A chain reaction of sorts. When the body presents us with symptoms it’s alerting us that something is off, on a deeper level something is out of balance.

And although the sudden onset of symptoms may make us think that the imbalance has just occurred, many times this is not the case.

Many times this imbalance finally shows face in an extreme effort to let us know something has been brewing in our body for quite awhile. And many times the underlying issue is emotionally related.

The Power of Emotions

Emotions are capable of making us feel many different things on a powerful level. They govern our lives in pretty much every way. They determine how we think and feel about virtually everything. They are behind most of our decisions.

Emotions and thoughts manifest in our body and directly relate to our physical well being. Which is why when we’re sick we literally don’t feel good.

Stress is a direct result of emotions. Sure it’s triggered by events outside our body, usually beyond our control, but we then use our emotion to attach some sort of thought to the stress which ultimately plays out in our reaction to it.

Our Cells Store Emotions and Memories

Even deeper than that, emotional memories are stored within our bodies cells.

What does this mean?

It means that when we’ve experienced some type of traumatic event or stress the memory of how that event or period felt at the time gets embedded into our cellular makeup. Much like a program is saved onto the hard drive of a computer.

It becomes a permanent part of our being so the next time we experience a similar type of trauma or stress, it automatically evokes the same emotion.

Even if in the moment we aren’t cognitively aware, it’s still present on a subconscious level, becoming the chain of events mentioned earlier which will eventually manifest on a physical level, at some point.

That is, until we learn and apply ways to heal and nourish ourselves as whole beings. It’s totally achievable. But we sure could use a little help sometimes.

Read on to find how Bach Flower Remedies can help to create healthy balance and heal your emotional state.

How do Bach Flower Remedies Work

Instead of focusing on treating the symptoms of disease, flower essence therapy treats the individual. The purpose is to support the individual’s fight against illness on an emotional level addressing factors that can hinder the physical healing process including things like trauma, depression and anxiety.

38 individual flower essences from plants, trees, and bushes were discovered in the 1930’s by Dr. Edward Bach to address specific mental and emotional states plus he formulated Rescue Remedy for emergency situations.

These remedies work on individual personalities and attitudes to elicit a positive effect on your state of health.

Take for example, two people with the same ailment or complaint like back pain. One may accept it thinking they can’t do anything about it, while the other may be impatient with it.

The condition has taken on different forms for each individual resulting in different remedies needed in each case to stimulate self healing and free the body to fully fight the imbalance at the root of the ailment.

In times of difficulty and stress it’s easy to get worn down and to experience negative emotions, and it’s during these times that the remedies can be most helpful.

It’s important to restore balance before physical symptoms appear, like the cold or flu mentioned earlier, or something worse.

Seven Groups of Remedies Based on Fundamental Conflicts

These seven groups represent emotional conflicts which prevent us from being true to ourselves:

• Fear
• Uncertainty
• Loneliness
• Over-sensitivity to ideas and influence
• Over-care for the welfare of others
• Despondency or Despair
• Lack of interest in present circumstances

These are the seven stages in the healing of disease:

• Peace
• Hope
• Joy
• Faith
• Certainty
• Wisdom
• Love

Each Remedy Covers a Specific Form of the Conflict

Each remedy covers a specific nature of difficulty within each group. For example, let’s look at three different types of despondency (a state of low spirits) and the corresponding remedy.

1. It may take the form of feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, taking on too much without taking care of yourself, becoming depressed and exhausted manifesting in feelings of weakness or being run down.

Elm is the remedy to help you put problems into perspective, take on only what you’re able to cope with, while taking care of your own needs, restoring you to your normal capable self.

2. It may take the form of being easily discouraged and depressed when things go wrong or you’re faced with difficulties, such as small setbacks.

Gentian is the remedy to help you realize that as long as you’re doing your best there is no such thing as failure. Obstacles and tasks aren’t too great, there is more conviction to overcome them.

3. It may take the form of sudden or severe depression for no apparent reason, destroying your normal cheerfulness, to the point of not being able to shake it off.

Mustard is the remedy to help restore your normal joy with an unshakable inner peace and stability in good or bad circumstances.

How to Choose Remedies That are Right for You

Start off by taking your free Bach Flower Questionnaire here.

These questions will narrow down which remedies will restore harmony based on your individual situation.

Sometimes more than one remedy will be indicated for your case, and it’s perfectly fine to combine up to 7 remedies if necessary.

Let’s not forget our furry four legged friends either. Pets and animals benefit greatly from Flower Essences too. Rescue Remedy for Pets is an absolute favorite for many pet parents.

Get your free Bach Flower Guide Essences Guide to a Happy Pet here.

Keep in mind when you are first getting familiar with the remedies you may feel like many of the remedies apply to you. The more you can really focus on what it is you are feeling in the very moment the more you will be able to really narrow down your choice. This will allow the best results by pinpointing the most applicable remedies.

The best results stem from choosing remedies that apply to the type of individual you are as well as your current state of mind, ultimately getting to the root of the imbalance.

How to Clarify Your Choice

This next part is optional, but if you want to clarify your choice there are books like The Encyclopedia of Bach Flower Therapy that you can reference with detailed descriptions of each remedy and their applicable uses.

Sit tight while reading the descriptions of the states for which the remedies are recommended, the descriptions of extreme negative states may be “hard to swallow” and require us to take a good hard look at ourselves. But, focusing on the ‘positive potential’ of the remedies is the motivator of things to come from applying the therapy.

For example, here is the description of impatiens:

IMPATIENS (Impatiens Glandulifera) – Keyword: IMPATIENCE

“Impatiens is suitable for people who are easily irritated. They are impatient and want everything done instantly. They act, think and speak quickly. These people are capable and efficient but irritated and frustrated by slow co-workers and therefore prefer to work alone. They are independent, hate wasting time and often finish other people’s sentences.

They may have temper flair-ups but these are soon over. When ill, they make restless and irritable patients. They are often fidgety, and their hastiness may lead to accident-proneness.

The positive potential of Impatiens is someone who is decisive and spontaneous but less hasty in thought and action. They are relaxed and good-humored with others and sympathetic to those who are slow. They cope calmly and diplomatically with irritating problems.”

If you find it difficult to see yourself, a helpful tip is to ask a friend for an honest, objective opinion. Avoid asking a family member or partner since they are emotionally involved with your problems and may give a biased opinion.

NOTE: To put your mind at ease if you happen to choose the wrong remedy, not to worry. It will not harm you at all, it will not produce an effect, it will simply be benign.

Now for the fun part! It’s time to begin your Flower Essence Therapy.

How to Use Your Bach Flower Essences

The directions in your Bach Flower Manuel suggest the following:

Single remedy: Take two 2 drops in a cup of water and sip at intervals. Hold the dose in your mouth for a few seconds before swallowing. It is safe to repeat as often as needed.

Multiple remedies: In a 30ml mixing bottle filled with spring water, add 2 drops of each chosen remedy. From this take 4 drops four times a day, holding dose in your mouth a few seconds before swallowing, until relief is obtained.

Drops can also be added to a baby’s bottle or a child’s beverage.

For daily on the spot stress and emergency situations a few drops of your remedy can be put in beverages and sipped frequently until you feel relief.

Learn how Bach Rescue Remedy relieves stress, especially in emergencies.

NOTE: Remedies can be taken in conjunction with other homeopathic remedies, or medications without interference. Although, I would suggest to take them at different times of the day.

How Long to Take Your Remedies

Keep in mind you are treating the whole you not just physical symptoms, that said, the time in which you will notice a difference after starting Flower Therapy will vary based on each individual. There are usually two scenarios:

Sudden onset symptoms like stress, anxiety, depression, or trauma. Results from remedies can be felt very quickly, if not immediately in these situations.

Deep-rooted emotional states in which case it can take days or weeks to experience a difference, although during this time people around you may be seeing change. The remedies are made to bring about change gently and subtly.

A good rule of thumb is to do an assessment after a solid two weeks on your selected remedies. Now is a good time to decide whether your remedies are improving your situation or state. If so, then great! You have chosen your remedies wisely.

If not, then it’s time to reconsider your remedies and dig deeper to see if there is an aspect or aspects that you may have originally missed. Try again with new remedies, or if there was even a slight change you can continue to take the same remedies but maybe add something else to the mix.

Many times after taking a set of remedies for about 3 weeks (which is how long the 30ml mixing bottle usually lasts) other aspects of your personality which need healing come to the surface, calling for a different remedy.

Final Thoughts

Bach Flower Remedies continue to strengthen countless individual’s constitutions ultimately giving us the tools to create a healthy holistic state of balance.

I couldn’t say it any better than the humble man who devoted his life to the purest methods of healing so that other’s may live a life full of health, harmony, and peace.

Health is our heritage, our right. It is the complete and full union between soul, mind and body; and this is not a difficult far-away ideal to attain, but one so easy and natural that many of us have overlooked it.

Dr Edward Bach