I’ve got to tell you about my experience with Bach Flower Essences! It’s just too good to keep to myself.
I wanted to acquaint myself with the energy of more trees, but some of them aren’t local to me. Sometimes the weather doesn’t cooperate so it’s not easy to be outside. I had the idea to use Bach flower essences to see if I could capture them that way. I thought I’d use one at a time for a week or so and see what I could notice.
I’m pretty chill and don’t really have the problems that most of these address, so I wasn’t sure I would notice anything at all. I picked Olive, White Chestnut, and Vine to start with. I took Vine while at a moon circle. Bach flower essences are homeopathy so I thought the effect would be subtle. It’s very diluted essence of a substance.
Nope! Not subtle! Within a few minutes I felt “different.” I couldn’t really tell how, just different. I dismissed it saying that it was probably placebo.
Vine is the “motivate, not dominate” essence. Like I said, I am pretty chill. I have strong opinions on what’s right for me, but I don’t really care what other people do. They are entitled to live their lives as they choose as far as I am concerned. I am not the one to tell people what to do, correct them, or take a stand on something that doesn’t affect me. So how would I even know that this Vine is having an effect?
Well, I noticed that at least three times during the first week after taking Vine that I witnessed someone else with strong feelings (it’s a full moon) trying to impose their point of view on others. Normally I would not engage. It’s not my business. Instead I spoke up for the other side of the issue and very gently neutralized the emotion.
I’m also laughing a lot. I laugh a lot anyway, but it’s insane how much more joyful I am now. Could flower essences do that? It appears so – even if you think you don’t have problems!
What Are Flower Essences and What Do They Do?
“Bach” is the name of the Englishman who invented them in the 1930s. Dr. Edward Bach was a consultant pathologist, bacteriologist, and homepath. He was not a robust guy. When he was only 31, he was told he had three months to live. He wanted to make a contribution to medicine before he died and spent the next 19 years creating his flower essences. He died a year after he completed his work.
While they are called “flower essences” most of the remedies are made from trees. They contain purified water, brandy, and the tiniest bit of a plant essence. Each one is aimed at an emotion or state of mind. It is said that they restore harmony to the mind and allow the body to heal itself.
How Do You Use Them?
Using them is simple. Just put two drops on your tongue or in a glass of water and sip it throughout the day. You can use up to seven remedies at the same time, but using more than two drops of each won’t help more. You may see results fairly instantaneously, especially with things like Rescue Remedy, or it may take up to three weeks to notice a difference. Every person is different. You can stop at any time. It’s not habit forming.
The Rescue Remedy blends have many different essences pre-mixed for you. The original one is for crisis situations. There is also one for sleep. I didn’t realize I had been using this for years with my animals. They work very well for nervous animals (like vet visits). It never dawned on me to try it with people!
Which One Do I Use?
Don’t make it complicated. Just get whichever flower essence calls to you. You’re not going to take something that hurts you. Trust your gut. It’s not rocket science. If it doesn’t feel like it’s for you, keep on walking. If you are not sure what to get, Rescue Remedy, Larch, and Vine are good places to start.
Here is a list of the remedies and the emotional situations they address.
Agrimony – happy on the outside while crying on the inside
Aspen – fear of unknown things
Beech – intolerance
Centaury – the inability to say ‘no’
Cerato – lack of trust in one’s own decisions
Cherry Plum – fear of losing self control or doing harm to yourself or someone else
Chestnut Bud – failure to learn from mistakes
Chicory – selfish, possessive love
Clematis – dreaming of the future without working in the present
Crab Apple – the cleansing remedy, also for self-hatred
Elm – overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian – discouragement after a setback
Gorse – hopelessness and despair
Heather – self-centredness and self-concern
Holly – hatred, envy and jealousy towards others
Honeysuckle – living in the past
Hornbeam – tiredness at the thought of doing something
Impatiens – impatience
Larch – lack of confidence
Mimulus – fear of known things like spiders, retirement, or dating
Mustard – deep gloom for no reason
Oak – the plodder who keeps going past the point of exhaustion
Olive – exhaustion following mental or physical effort
Pine – guilt
Red Chestnut – over-concern for the welfare of loved ones
Rescue Remedy– a blend of 5 remedies that help with crises and emergencies, helps with emotional overwhelm
Rescue Remedy for Pets- for nervous or aggressive pets, also helps with easing transitions
Rescue Remedy for Sleep– to promote deep, natural sleep
Rock Rose – terror and fright
Rock Water – self-denial, rigidity and self-repression
Scleranthus – inability to choose between alternatives, indecisiveness
Star of Bethlehem – shock, grief
Sweet Chestnut – extreme mental anguish, when everything has been tried and there is no light left
Vervain – over-enthusiasm
Vine – dominance and inflexibility
Walnut – protection from change and unwanted influences
Water Violet – for private, self reliant people who appear aloof, proud, or distant
White Chestnut – ruminating, intrusive thoughts
Wild Oat – uncertainty over one’s direction in life
Wild Rose – drifting, resignation, apathy
Willow – self-pity and resentment
Are you in? Comment below about your experiences. I’d love to hear.
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