Bach Flower Remedies

May 06, 2012

There are mimulus flowers everywhere . . . well at least on my most recent walk through the desert. My walk took me through a canyon with a small spring fed stream. Mimulus love clear, fresh, flowing water and as far as my eye could see Mimulus lined the banks of this tender stream. It was a winding sea of yellow through the slate grey and brown landscape of the desert wash.

Dr. Bach and Mimulus

Mimulus was the 3rd flower remedy Dr. Bach made, early on he noticed the significant healing potential of this flower. It truly is a lovely flower to behold and healing potential just radiates from the yellow flowers.

Mimulus in the Wild

I have come across this plant many times in the wild and I was surprised to find it here in this desert climate. But, it did have the one requirement that this plant craves and needs to thrive; a constant supply of pure, clear, clean, fresh running water. There was an abundance of that available and from this the plant has colonized the entire stream bed.

Mimulus For Addressing Fears

Mimulus is a type remedy, meaning it is good for the personality type that re-coils in shyness and acts with hesitation to the small challenges of life. It is for the known fears as opposed to Aspen for fears of an unknown origin. Fear has the power to impact, influences and subjugates human emotion and behavior. Yet its place in life is greatly exaggerated and over played.

Fear is a Low Vibration

Fear vibrates at a low frequency and when it is present in our minds and hearts it just drags us down in a spiral of contraction and negativity. Most of all FEAR inhibits us and often stops us from moving forward and taking constructive action. This forces us to contract and has no place in the advancement of life. It may serve as a protective force in certain circumstances but FEAR has become all to prevalent in our day to day life and what ever protectiveness it offered at a certain point becomes counterproductive.

The Trick of FEAR
F- False
E- Evidence
A- Appearing
R- Real

The trick of fear is that it actually does not exist outside of us, it is an internal experience created in concert with the mind, imagination and emotions. Unfortunately fear cancels the love of life that is present and available if we choose to allow it. The way that mimulus exhibits its vulnerability, is that it is willing to take risks. The river where it grows is subject to FLASH FLOODS! This lovely scene before me could turn for the worse at any moment. But it must take the risk to thrive that is the profound beauty of it. It is risking being washed away for its place in the sun.

Bach’s Discovery

Bach discovered that Mimulus is the perfect remedy to address the fearful concerns of daily life, the fear of worldly things such as illness, poverty, of the dark, of being alone, of accidents and so on. These are fears of a known origin which in one sense is good because they then become easier to treat and heal from. By letting go of fear we can gain more trust in the goodness of life and life can flow elegantly and nourish us, they it does for Mimulus. Always straddling the edge between safe ground and constant flow this flower can teach us about trusting the river of life. With risk taking, straddling the edge, we grow and can overcome our fears.

Apr 14, 2012

Bach Remedies for Sleep

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Sleep is like a dream come true for those that find it and a nightmare for those whom it eludes. Insomnia can lead to deep frustration and dissatisfaction. Sometimes we have a hard sleeping due to immediate circumstances and sometimes it is chronic. There are many reasons why a good nights sleep is important and there are a number of Bach Remedies that can aid in helping you get a good nights sleep.

White Chestnut
Key among the 38 Remedies is White Chestnut, this remedy aids the mind to slow down its mental chatter and incessant thought cycling to bring about a restful mind. The great thing about this remedy is that you can use it for acute situations. My suggestion is to keep a bottle near your bed and take 2 drops directly from the stock bottle before laying down to sleep.

Rescue Remedy
Next on list would be Rescue Remedy, the essences in this combination are helpful to curb acute anxiety and stress. It would be wise to consider Rescue Remedy when you are going through stressful or troubling times and this is the cause of your insomnia.

Vervain
In general Vervain is for the high strung type, the constant doer who is always on the go and planning what is next. Vervain flower essences will assist this type to take a more relaxed less edgy approach to life and tasks. Those needing this essence would be wise to consider using it throughout the day to assist with a more relaxed approach to life that will then translate to better sleep.

Impatiens
Similar to Vervain, Impatiens is more of a type remedy and from the name we can glean that this essence helps with impatience. Those needing this remedy may be generally impatient types or just going through a cycle where their patience is being tested. This is a great remedy that helps us to slow down and take a more eased approach to life. This remedy can also be used safely throughout the day.

Bach Remedies are safe to use long term or on a temporary basis. They are non habit forming and non addictive. They simply help adjust underlying reasons that lead to sleep disturbances in the first place. It is also suggested to look at your lifestyle to see what might need adjustment. Maybe you need to stop drinking caffeine after 3 pm or not eat so late. But whatever the reason Bach Remedies can be of great assistance on a path of balance.

Please note Flower Remedies promote balance, which is a wholly personal experience also note that any of these remedies can be taken throughout the day to promote balance. They will not cause drowsiness or sleepiness throughout the day, they will promote balance and this will no doubt leaving you feeling happier and healthier.

Mar 27, 2012

Flower Essence for Shy Students

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This post will cover Single Flower Essences and Essence combination formulas for students. The flower essences discussed will address topics such as studying, learning, focus and concentration. These suggestions should be considered adjuncts to a regime of diligence, interest and effort in regards to school and studying. And, if there are distinct underlying emotional reasons inhibiting diligence, interest and effort flower essence will help you child re-calibrate and get on the path to better grades.

Shy Students/Low Self Esteem
Shy students that exhibit low self esteem and low self confidence in the school setting are usually capable but have yet to find their groove in the structured school environment. Sadly though the pressure of learning only re-enforces a false belief that they are not capable of the succeeding in school.

Flower Essences to Consider
Clematis- this is the remedy of choice for the dreamer, for the student who has trouble staying connected to what is going on. It helps one to remain present, connected and alleviate mental fog.

Elm- is the stress of what is requested of you testing you ability to maintain your poise. Do you feel unable to handle the pressure of tests and the testing environment? Consider elm to help you in times like these.

Gentian- has a low score on a test got you down? Is there a subject you struggle with and just can’t seem to get right. Gentian, encourages faith, hope and perseverance in the face of such challenges.

Larch- the power of larch is that it supports us in overcoming the fear of failure. Often those needing this remedy are perfectly capable yet lack the needed confidence to achieve their desired results.

Hornbeam- when weariness has set in this is the go to remedy, great for those who get tired from studying.

Rosemary- this is for bringing greater vitality to the whole thinking and cognitive process. This is helpful when feelings of dullness take over, restores interest and vitality.

Mimulus- this is useful when shyness is encountered in the face of challenges. This essence helps students face the pressure of exams and presentations with greater fortitude.

Sunflower- this remedy fosters sun-like radiant forces within us. This remedy is great for building confidence and for overcoming fear of failure.

Missouri Primrose- this is for connecting with feelings of worthiness.

Mountain Pride- this essence fosters great forces of resilience helping one to confront challenges.

Pink Yarrow- for not taking on the emotions of others, this is for the sensitive soul who is too easily influenced by the thoughts and feelings of others.

Wild Rose- has the system your in produced apathy? When we feel we are on the fringe and neglected we can become apathetic and this cycle will feed itself. Wild rose helps us confront apathy and move forward with renewed interest and vitality.

School/Learning Combination

Rescue Remedy

Rescue Remedy would also be good to use for times when a student is anxious regarding an exam, test or presentation and you can consider taking Rescue Remedy along with any or the essences mentioned. You can also use Rescue Remedy in conjunction with the formula listed below. Even though Rescue Remedy is a formula it is considered a single essence and can be combined like a single essence when making up a combination remedy.

Here is one possible combination to address the spectrum of challenges for today’s student:

Walnut, Chestnut bud, Rosemary, Clematis, Wild Rose, Yarrow

Everyone is unique and these remedies are presented as possible options for the shy student who is plagued by low self esteem and low self confidence.

Disclaimer:
This is NOT medical advice, the information presented here is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease or medical condition.

Mar 16, 2012

Addressing Porn Addiction with Flower Essences

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The internet has brought many changes to world and like any other advance in human technology there is a shadow and light because we carry the shadow and the light within us. Technology seems to have magnified each aspect as it has no allegiance. With sexuality a most potent part of the human experience there is the potential for either exaltation or debasement. The only other energy we deal with that has similar consequences is money and there is a strong relationship between the two. But, we will focus solely on sexuality and the exaggerated shadow potential exploited by the internet.

The internet, on par with the wheel as one of the greatest of human inventions, possibly. The internet has led to pornography being much easier to access and both the medium and content play off each other. I recently read a piece in a local newspaper, it was in the advice column, a young woman of 14 was asking for dating advice. The boy she was interested in confessed to her that he had an internet porn addiction. A 14 year old, young impressionable developing boy, saturating his consciousness with unreal images of hyper sexuality, folks, I am concerned by this.

The delicate nature of human sexuality requires us to be as impeccable as possible with our behavior, so we avoid spreading undue pain, suffering and trauma. Our sexuality has such a deep influence on our lives and once we take responsibility for it and recognize its power and influence we can begin to handle this energy with greater love and awareness. But if we continue to repress it be scared of it and generally shove into the shadows of our life, it will come out in deformed and disfigured ways that are only half of its potential. This is what I see with pornography; it is a half expression, it is the gross physical devoid of the sensitive emotional side. It expresses power and aggression along with a sexualization of this type of behavior.

Flower Essences

There are many aspects to this picture that flower essences touch on and in the rest of this post you will learn about which essences apply to issues related to ‘clandestine’ sexual behavior and compulsion.

Basil: This is a core remedy for addressing the split of sexuality from any modicum of soul warmth. It is a specifically indicated for porn addiction.

Baby Blue Eyes: For the sense of loss of innocence related to exposure to graphic images which distort the understanding of how human relate.

Chapparal:This remedy is a psychic cleanser, it is useful to clean debris and residue that accumulates in the psyche when it has been exposed to violent and degrading images.

Mariposa Lily: This remedy fosters a deep connection with the maternal, it is helpful for those who have wounding related to poor mothering. It helps us connect with the divine feminine and those qualities of nurture that come from a strong mother/child bond. Useful when that repair damage from this lack of core bonding.

The Monkeyflower Family: This group of essences deals with fears, a variety of fears related to emotions and our emotional life.

Pink: This essence treats fear of being exposed, due to feelings of shame, guilt or unworthiness. Those needing this remedy are often afraid to be seen both literally and metaphorically. Pink Monkeyflower helps one feel at ease emotionally and encourages emotional openness and honesty. It also helps one have the courage to take emotional risks with others.

Scarlet: This essence is for those who are afraid of deep emotions and intense feelings. Often these intense feelings or emotions get repressed out of fear. Scarlet Monkey Flower helps one to get in touch with strong emotions, it promotes emotional honesty and integration of deep emotions, especially of the emotional ‘shadow’. It also gives people the courage to express intense feeling and emotions. Useful for sexual repression.

Sticky: This essence balances the integration of human warmth and sexual intimacy; it helps one to express deep feelings of love and connectedness, especially in sexual relationships. Helpful when there is a fear of intimacy, repressed sexual feelings and an inability to experience warmth in sexual experiences.

Hibiscus: Warmth and responsiveness in sexuality; integration of soul warmth and bodily passion. Helps when there is an inability to enjoy sexual experiences; lack of warmth due to abuse or exploitation.

Holly: Holly is an excellent remedy to treat anger, jealousy and envy. It is helpful if something in your personality prevents you from experiencing happiness. This can be very corrosive when left unchecked. Holly is also helpful for treating bitterness and suspicion, which corrupts the ability to love. This essence engenders compassion in the heart and soul, enhancing the ability to love inclusively. This is a tremendously powerful remedy that helps you feel and channel love through your heart and extend it to others. Dr. Bach felt Holly was one of the most important and widely applicable remedies.

Pine: Useful when guilt is the driving force behind sexual behavior. As a society we are not taught how to handle our sexual energy in a healthy way, it often comes with a large amount of guilt and creates a cycle. Where we indulge then feel guilty, Pine will help stop this viscous cycle of self incrimination and help you to accept yourself and your behaviors.

Snapdragon: This essence is for mis-placed libido energy, when the libido is strong and is repressed energy builds up. This pent up energy has a tendency to be expressed as anger, aggression and frustration. It is often misdirected and leads to harm.

Mar 07, 2012

Flower Essences for Addiction and Compulsive Behavior

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Flower essences are excellent support tools for helping you put an end to addictions and compulsive behavior. They work best when you have a deep desire to stop a bad habit or end an addiction but you find it hard to actually do it. In these instances flower essences can give you the energetic nudge you need to break free of bad habits. They give us the support we need to break the emotional attachment and compulsion connected to addictive behavior and they provide soothing support to the psyche.

Agrimony: Bach
For those who mask emotional pain with substances particularly alcohol. Agrimony flower essence helps one to achieve emotional honesty with oneself. This remedy is key for achieving inner peace by working through emotional pain. It assists in revealing our true internal feeling state, one not masked by cheerfulness and superficial gestures. This essence helps us to move from a state of pretend harmony to lasting inner peace. It is helpful for those who turn to drugs and alcohol to mask inner pain.

Billy Goat Plum: Australian Bush
Heals the sense of shame associated with addictive behavior and substance abuse.

Crab Apple: Bach Remedies
This essence treats the feeling of being unclean which leads to OCD behavior.

Milkweed: FES
Fosters healthy ego strength to overcome addictive patterns which dull the consciousness. Healthy ego strength, independent and self reliant. Growing in strength and independence as the soul learns to function through a healthy ego. Treats neediness, emotional regression, dulling of consciousness through drugs, alcohol, over eating, creating a dependency or sickness to receive attention.

Morning Glory: FES
This essence is great for treating nicotine addiction, useful to regulate energy levels and to help reduce caffeine addiction. This essence helps us wake up feeling refreshed and alive, excellent to use if you wake up in a fog and still feel tired. This essence is ideal when one is feeling dull, toxic or hung over especially in the mornings. Helpful to curtail addictive, erratic behavior such as drug use. This essence helps one get in touch with their sparkling vital force, in touch with natural rhythms of life. This essence is great for night owls who want to get on a more regular sleeping schedule.

Nicotina: FES
Useful for ending addiction to tobacco, strengthens the heart and adds support to the quitting process. This is a very important essence for the heart, it helps one to stay centered and find deep peace within the heart. It helps you to feel deep feelings and shake off emotional numbness that is accompanied by the mechanization of the body. This remedy helps us cope with deep feelings and finer sensitivities. This essence is useful for overcoming tobacco addiction, use in combination with morning glory.

Pink Monkeyflower: FES
This essences allows for greater emotional honesty, allowing us to be honest with ourselves and others. For those who hide because of their addictions.

Self Heal: FES
This essence rouses our innate self healing potential and desire for health. This essence is a great motivator to help us get to the point where we are ready to end our addiction.

Walnut: Bach Remedy
This is a remedy of choice whenever we are making a change, it is good to use before, during and after the process. Walnut helps us to break free from the past and to move forward confidently. Walnut frees the psyche from past limiting influences helping us to make a healthy transition to a new phase in life. Walnut gives us the courage to follow our own path in life free from the influences of the past.

Waratah: Australian Bush
This essence is useful for the withdraw period when ending an addiction, soothes the feelings of loss associated with quitting an addictive substance.

Disclaimer:
*This website does not offer medical advice, flower remedies are not medical devices or approved for medical treatment. Only medical doctors can give medical advice. If you require medical assistance seek a qualified medical professional. The information on this site has not been approved by the FDA and is not medical advice. I am not a medical doctor and the information on this site is not intended to diagnose, treat or cure any medical condition.

Mar 06, 2012

Dr. Oz Recomends Rescue Remedy

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Dr. Oz’s recommendation for Rescue Remedy is welcome news, because Rescue Remedy is such an effective and useful supplement, that will help you cope with the stresses of daily life. Therapists around the world have been recommending Rescue Remedy for acute anxiety, niggling fear and emotional upset for over 80 years.

What is it?
Rescue Remedy is simple formula made from five wildflowers, it originated in England and is now available in most continents around the world. The trusted formula of Clematis, Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Rock Rose and Cherry Plum has remained the same ever since Dr. Bach made it up in the mid 1930′s.

Lets examine the individual flowers in the Rescue Remedy Combination Dr. Oz has been recommending.

Cherry Plum is helpful when you feel you are at a breaking point, experiencing great suffering and are about to lose control. You may also find you’re trying desperately to control feelings. Cherry plum is a light-filled essence that promotes growth and calmness while dealing with inner turmoil.

Clematis supports you in staying awake and present. It ushers in clarity of consciousness and brings awareness clearly to the present moment. Clematis helps bring greater clarity and awareness to life and help you take more practical action.

Impatiens treats impatience and it supports your emotional growth: if you tend to talk, eat and drive fast; anger quickly and have a fiery temper. Impatiens can be of great benefit if you rush through your days with little joy. This remedy enhances the ability to slow down and enjoy the flow of life. It treats general irritation and intolerance helping you embrace life and circumstances with greater ease and flexibility.

Rock Rose flower essence fosters, great courage and grounded presence when facing catastrophic situations. This essence helps one to stay centered and remain grounded to effectively deal with challenging circumstances.

Star of Bethlehem is a powerful remedy for addressing recent or past traumas. Its deeply soothing and comforting energy fosters wholeness, unity and relief from the most troubling of situations.

If you are looking to purchase Rescue Remedy for yourself or a family member, visit our Rescue Remedy page and learn more about how to use Rescue Remedy to address specific fears, anxities and situational stress.

Mar 01, 2012

Dr Oz Rescue Remedy and Sanity

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Am I Normal?
Recently there was a segment on Dr. Oz titled “Are You Normal or Nuts”, if you have to ask chances are you are normal. You may have behavior that differs from the rest but that doesn’t make you “nuts” and in all fairness there is no such thing as “normal”. There seems to be an idea that a normalcy exists when in reality we are all unique individuals. We may have behaviors that are uniquely ours and the a question to ask in light of this is: Does the behavior serve you or is it taking away from the quality of your life?

The questions on the Oz show were in regards to OCD behavior, Obsessive, Compulsive Disorder, fears and unresolved emotions showing up in dreams.

I personally like the Dr. Oz show and think he has brought a new perspective to the limelight, that only an MD could do. I say this because he often talks about alternatives to main stream orthodox medicine but because he is a heart surgeon what he says has credibility. So when I heard him mention on of my most favorite topics flower essences I felt compelled to chime in and expand upon the topic.

Dr. Oz and Rescue Remedy
Dr. Bach’s Rescue Remedy is easily the most widely used and recognized flower essence formula. Dr. Oz’s Rescue Remedy recommendation came in response to a question of how to deal with paralyzing fear. From a general perspective Rescue Remedy could benefit the person in a situation like this. But a paralyzing fear that persists for days leading up to an event would really benefit from a more nuanced approach.

Mimulus
I would need to speak with the person to get a sense of what is going on but right off the bat I would give this client mimulus; which is for fear of known things. A one month treatment cycle with mimulus would help to shift this behavior so it no longer bothers the individual. There is a difference between addressing a symptom and treating the person. One provides temporary relief the other is a long term solution. I am personally more interested in providing my clients with long term solutions.

Rescue Remedy
This formula was developed in the 1930′s a much different time than the one we live in. It was developed to address acute stress and anxiety that is the result of trauma or shocking news, such as a death in the family etc. There is a simplicity to this formula which makes it easy to use but as an essence practitioner I think it is being misused. As with many “alternatives” it is falling prey to the allopathic mindset, meaning it is being used to suppress a symptom and not fully address the underlying causes.

Flower Essences and The New Paradigm
Using flower essences therapeutically presents a new paradigm, it is a dramatic shift from how we currently think about health treatment. To sum up the new paradigm as best I can; I would say the New Paradigm that essences work in is to address the person not the aliment. Our current system is diseased focused, this narrow approach is normal, to want to cure a disease is totally legit. And, what if we could take a broader perspective? What if we could see the person behind the disease and treat the person?

Bach’s Vision
As a doctor Bach had this vision; it revealed itself in his case load and led to the development of flower remedies. What Dr. Bach noticed were these two points:

The same personality types had the same aliments and complaints
People coming for single disease treatment have similar personalities

With that he concluded the following:

There must be a way to strengthen and balance the personality to protect from disease.
There must be a way to treat the personality directly and alleviate the disease.

Do you get what he was doing? He was pioneering Mind/Body medicine, his keen observation and dedication to wellness is and was revolutionary. Treat the personality so the patient regains health. I felt the need to give a concise explanation of what Bach was up to before moving on because I feel it is important to understand the intent and vision of the work if we want to get sound results when using essences.

Dr. Oz and Flower Essences
The proper use of flower essences requires a nuanced understanding if we are to truly address the causes of certain conditions. While I do support his promotion of Rescue Remedy, I want people to understand the depth of healing essences can bring to person.

Honestly folks if you really want the best results from using flower essences, you need to work with a skilled practitioner. There is an old saying that applies here: “A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” I do welcome the attention essences receive when respected folks like Dr. Oz mention them and as someone who specializes in flower essences I seek to clarify his good intent.

Feb 09, 2012