Flower Essences To The Rescue - Dave Hawkins Health Report

Holistichealth encompasses the concept of us being of physical, mental, emotional andspiritual bodies.  When it comes to dealing with health imbalances, all areas must be assessed.  Many times our emotional nature is an indicator of deeper underlying issues that either reflect or are the cause of our discomfort.  Over the course of many years, I have witnessed how emotions can be a definitive factor in a person getting well again.  This article will be about remedies called flower essences, particularly the Bach Flower Essences. 

The person behind the flower essences is Dr. Edward Bach, an English medical doctor, bacteriologist and immunologist.  In the early 1930’s, he gave up his medical practice to study the causes of human illness; and he developed his system of remedies based on his observations of his patients whose physical illnesses seemed to be predisposed by negative psychological or emotional states, such as fear, anxiety, insecurity, jealousy, shyness, poor self image, anger and resentment.  Dr. Bach stated, “Behind all disease lies fears, our anxieties, our greed, our likes and dislikes.”  He further stated that, “True healing involves treating the very base of the cause of the suffering.  Therefore, no effort directed to the body alone can do more than to repair damage.  Treat people for their emotional unhappiness, allow them to be happy, and they will become well.” 

When Dr. Bach began to understand how flowers could alter the emotional nature in a person, it took many years and sensitivity on his part to experience each emotional state before he found the proper flower that would treat the emotion.  This became his life’s work.  Over the course of his life, he developed 38 remedies based on seven areas of negative emotional states.  They are:

§ Fear

§ Uncertainty

§ Insufficient interest in present circumstances

§ Loneliness

§ Over-sensitivity to the influences and ideas of others

§ Despondency and despair

§ Overly concerned with the welfare of others

The 38 remedies fall under these seven emotional states.

The remedies are prepared homeopathically, which makes them non-toxic, without side effects, and they can be taken by young and old, with or without medications.  Even taking the wrong remedy will do no harm.  Another motto of Dr. Bach’s was, “Think of the patient, not the disease.  The main reason for the failure of modern medicine is that it is dealing with results, not causes.”  A new field of research that has emerged over the last few years is called psychoneuroimmunology.  This is based on the mechanisms that represent the link between mind/body therapies.  Clinical studies have confirmed that mental and emotional states of a person affect many of the body processes, such as stimulating or suppressing immune cell activity, adrenal hormones, and neurotransmitters.  Bach remedies work to transform the negative attitudes associated with disease into positive ones thus allowing the body to respond in a healing manner.

The flower essences do not need to be taken only when one feels sick.  They are intended for use in times of stress and fatigue or when life seems to be getting you down.  They have a preventative effect.  Dr. Bach’s only formula that he developed (which is the best selling remedy today) is called Rescue Remedy.  It is an emergency stress formula containing the essences of five flowers.  They are cherry plum, clematis, impatiens, rock rose and Star of Bethlehem.  Rescue Remedy has been shown to be effective to calm and reassure in times of serious upset, trauma, startling experiences, bemused states of mind, hysteria, panic attacks, and much more.  I will not travel without Rescue Remedy.  I have had numerous occasions to offer this remedy to others in times of need and have seen immediate results.  One such situation was with our 10-month old son.  During teething and when he was overly tired and fussy, a few drops of Rescue Remedy yielded the desired results.  Anyone familiar with Rescue Remedy will have stories to tell.

Because the remedies are safe, a person does not have to consult with a practitioner before using the essences.  There are trained professionals that refer to them, but the manufacturer of Bach flower essences provides a complete questionnaire that will help you determine your remedy.  The remedies are still manufactured in England the same way Dr. Bach instructed.  There are training courses available for those interested in further study.

Dr. Bach wrote two books called Heal Thyself and The Twelve Healers.  They contain the scope of belief of Dr. Bach and fall right in line with what we call wholistic health today.  I find it encouraging that even in the early part of the last century, wholistic thinking was a major player for many medical professionals.

Anyone interested can call toll free the Bach educational hotline at 1-800-314-BACH.  I encourage you to experiment with the remedies and let your own intuition guide you on your path to good health. 

Health Report by herbalist Dave Hawkins, MH, CNC