What are Bach Flower Remedies/Essences?

Flower essences are liquid extracts used to address profound issues of emotional well-being, soul development, and mind-body health. They are part of an emerging field of subtle energy medicine. Flower essences are liquid, potentized plant preparations which convey a distinct imprint or etheric pattern of a specific flower. These remarkable remedies expand our understanding of health care, recognizing a relationship between body and soul, and the interweaving of spiritual, mental, emotional and physical aspects of wellness.

They are not part of standard biochemical medicine for they contain only minute traces of physical substance. Rather they belong to a new field of potentized remedies which derive their beneficial powers from the inherent life forces within substances. Bach flower remedies (essences) form a part of alternative medicine. They comprise of a therapeutic system that uses dilutions of flower essences developed by Dr. Edward Bach to balance physical and emotional disturbances. In the world of flowers, Dr. Bach found resonances of the conditions he found in his patients. He believed the right essence can help to bring back the patient to a positive, happy condition. Dr. Bach distilled the essence of certain flowers, and chose the right ones for the state of being of a patient. The remedies are designed to help transform emotions, attitudes or patterns of behaviour which hinder our full development or potential. Flower essence therapy is based on the insight that the human being is a microcosm profoundly related to the macrocosm of Nature. The archetypes which are found in the human psyche have their healing correlation to plant archetypes which are living in Nature.

They could be classified as herbal remedies because of their origins. The remedies (except Rock Water) are prepared from the flowers of wild plants, bushes or trees. None of them is harmful or habit forming. They can be taken with any other kind of medicine with absolute safety. Being extracted from flowers, plants, trees and bushes, and natural spring water, they are natural and harmless. They are completely safe, have no unwanted side effects and are non-addictive. The remedies are gentle in action and can be safely taken by all ages from new-born babies to elderly people. They can be used safely even during pregnancy to ease the process of child birth and also used for post-natal depression. The remedies are also beneficial for animals and plants.

The thirty-eight Flower Remedies discovered by Dr. Edward Bach in England in the 1930’s represent a complete system of healing directed entirely at the personality, mood and emotional outlook. They are prescribed after a counselling session to understand the root cause of personality, temperament, or state of mind. Dr. Bach believed consideration of these aspects of a person’s nature to be of utmost importance in curing a person because he found, through his careful study and research, that disharmony within oneself was the root cause of disease.