Bach’s Flowers, natural remedies

Thanks to his research in homoeopathy, immunology or old therapies, Bach discovered that some plants had energetic principles, that were able to turn a negative feeling into a positive one.During his long walks across fields, or in the country lanes in the center and the South of England, and thanks to his innate ability to feel healer strength, Bach selected 38 different flowers, whose use would restore psychological stability.

Then, Bach finalized a simple process to permit men to use the energetic strength of the plant. That very day he picked the flowers, he put them in spring water, right in the sun.

Thus he got 38 floral elixirs, which corresponded to the 38 negative and fundamental feelings of human nature he had identified, among which we have fear, ambition, resignation, etc

Doctor Edward Bach listed his elixirs in seven groups. According to how you feel, you’ll find next, in the corresponding group, the elixir which will help you to overcome this negative state and to turn it into its contrary. For example, resignation could be turned into hope.

¤ States of fear

¤ States of uncertain

¤ States of insufficient interest for the present

¤ States of loneliness

¤ States of hypersensitivity to influences or ideas

¤ States of dejection and despair

¤ States of excessive worry towards others
This method doesn’t claim to be the solution of all the physical or moral troubles we can encounter; but it could play a supporting role in case of external and/or internal unbalances to keep up a harmonious state of mind.

States of fear:

• Rock rose, helianthenum nummularium. The flower of panic: Rock rose helps to regain bravery and mental strength.People keep quieter at a time of crisis, and control their nerves better.
• Mimulus, mimulus guttatus. The flower of bravery:Mimulus helps to carry on regardless our distress, and to cope with our sensitivity better. It leads actively to a victory on oneself.
• Cherry plum, prunus cerasifera. The flower of coolness: Cherry plum contribute to regain a certain quietness of mind, developing strength and mental energy. It furthers interior relaxation.
• Aspen, populus tremula. The flower of premonitions: Aspen furthers the inner confidence and it also leads to an intense feeling of security. It allows to manage our sensitivity more realistically.
• Red chestnut, aesculus carnea. The flower of symbiosis : Red chestnut develops the ability to control oneself and to guide our relatives in a positive way. It enables one to assert oneself, gives the ability to lay down limits.

States of uncertainty:

• Cerato, ceratostigma willmottiana. The flower of intuition:Cerato aims at regaining self-confidence by managing better our knowledge. Thus we can follow our intuition, our inner voice.
• Gentian, gentiana amarella. The flower of sceptics: Gentian develops the ability to face obstacles, to live with conflicts; and develops self-confidence.
• Gorse, ulex europaeus. The flower of hope:Gorse aims to develop an inner strength which helps to regain hope and to consider the dead-end situations less negatively.
• Hornbeam, carpinus betulus. The flower of weariness: Thanks to a regained energy, hornbeam convinces us that we can face routine and everyday life. Thus we regain our natural rythm (tension-relaxation).
• Scleranthus, scleranthus annuus. The flower of balance: Scleranthus furthers the return of strong determination and inner balance increasing decision taking abilities.
• Wild oat, bromus ramosus. The flower of complexity: By taking wild oat, people stimulate the discovery of a precise objective in oneself. Thanks to this flower we gain a clear idea of our aims, and exploit all of our abilities.

States of insufficient interest for the present:

• Chestnut bud, aesculus hippocastanum gemmae. The flower of the lessons to learn from experience: Chestnut bud develops a good life learning, so as not to make the same mistakes again, but to learn from them.
• Clématis, clematis vitalba. The flower of dreamy temperament: Thanks to clematis, individuals see the reality as meaningful. They don’t avoid it more to take refuge systematically in an imaginary world, and put their gifts into practice.
• Honeysuckle, lonicera caprifolium. The flower of the past: With honeysuckle we manage our past differently, as a constructive springboard for our future.
• Mustard, sinapsis arvensis. The flower of life-sickness: This flower enables people to regain inner joy, and to live cheerfully. Thus we cross the days, even the darkest ones, quietly and serenely.
• Olive, olea europea. The flower of exhaustion: Olive aims at revival by dipping into new resources. It strengthens and helps to rest.
• White chestnut, aesculus hippocastanum. The flower of thoughts: White chestnut furthers the return to a mental serenity. Our thoughts are clear and our mind peaceful.
• Wild rose, rosa canina. The flower of resignation: Wild rose aims at renewing the individual’s interest for his life and for everything around him.

States of loneliness:

• Heather, calluna vulgaris. The flower of egocentricity: Heather acts to help the individual to minimize his problems, to become more understanding and to be interested in others.
• Impatiens, impatiens glandulifera.The flower of patience: Impatiens furthers the return of great delicacy, and of a greater understanding towards our family circle. It increases our helpfulness.
• Water violet, hottonia palustris. The flower of isolation: Water violet helps to become humbler and to appear more tolerant and open-minded.

States of hypersensitivity to influences or ideas:

• Agrimony, agrimonia eupatoria. The flower of aptitude to face the situations: Agrimony aims at developing the individual’s real optimism ; it helps him to cope with problems and accept life’s troubles.
• Centaury, centaurium umbellatum. The flower of will: With centaury, we learn to say “no”, to develop our personality and to follow our will and our needs.
• Walnut, juglans regia. The flower of new starts:Walnut develops our ability to follow our inner voice.It helps to follow our decisions through, not taking exterior influences into account.
• Holly, ilex aquifolium. The flower of love:Holly helps to show magnanimity. It increases the feeling of love and understanding towards the others.

States of dejection and despair:

• Larch, larix decidua. The flower of self-confidence: Larch gives confidence in our own worth and also furthers the return of self-confidence. Thus the individual sees new perspectives arising.
• Pine, pinus sylvestris. The flower of forgiveness: Pine encourages self-forgiveness. Thus we can admit our faults or errors as long as they don’t become obsessional, and also become aware of our responsibilities, and others’.
• Elm, ulmus procera. The flower of responsibility: Elm helps us to look at the responsibilities we have in a realistic light. By helping us to regain self-confidence, and by seeing our responsibilities as they are, we can then cope with them properly.
• Sweet chestnut, castanea sativa. The flower of relief: This flower helps to regain optimism. It furthers the return of hope, and the faith in better days. People regain the ability to transform themselves inwardly.
• Star of Bethlehem, ornithogalum umbellatum. The flower of traumas: This flower helps to regain inner strength, in particular after a trauma, and also accept what has just been endured.
• Willow, salix vittelina. The flower of destiny: The flower of willow helps the individual to take his life in hand, d’en devenir l’artisan. Thus we participate actively in our destiny, by inspiring us with a new strength.
• Oak, quercus robur. The flower of endurance: With oak, we are aware of the limits in the sense of duty and availability. It develops endurance and self-knowledge so that we know where to stop.
• Crab apple, malus pumila. The flower of purification: Crab apple enables us to minimize the importance of negative little details. Thanks to a more positive attitude, the individual gains a better perception of superior realities.

States of excessive worry towards others:

• Chicory, cichorium intybus. The flower of tactics: Chicory helps to have a more spontaneous attitude towards others. We then can show sincere and disinterested feelings; giving without expecting nothing in return.
• Vervain, verbena officinalis. The flower of intense excitement: Vervain enables us to channel our energy, to avoid wasting our strength. It encourages self-control and temperance.
• Vine, vitis vinifera. The flower of authority: With vine, people learn to delegate their powers, to discern healthy ambition or bad one. People become more understanding towards others.
• Beech, fagus sylvatica. The flower of tolerance: With beech, we can take the time to listen to the others, to think about our apriorisms. We become more understanding, and accept differences, thanks to a new ability of constructive judgement.
• Rock water, aqua e saxo. The flower of discipline: We recover our awareness of our vital needs. It helps to reduce our inner rigidity, to recover a certain intellectual adaptability.