The Bach flowers are handcrafted preparations with floral essences. They help with weight loss, sleep, assist in the treatment of depression and anxiety, can be given to dogs and pets, and there are even some specific ones to improve self-esteem.
What are Bach flowers
They are not a medication or a homeopathic preparation. Although they are closer to remedies and homeopathic substances than to medicine. Bach flowers are 38 medicinal preparations containing active ingredients from plants.
To prepare a Bach flower bottle, the plant material must go through different processes. This can be maceration, decoction, or the most suitable method to separate the beneficial molecules from the plant tissue: branches, stems, roots, flowers, and seeds of a particular plant.
Contents
Preparation
Once the initial preparation is obtained, it is necessary to proceed with dilution to reduce the concentration and make them harmless to the body. This way, the side effects of the plants, their contraindications, and, yes, also their properties are eliminated.
The process is to dilute the flower tincture, where the active ingredients concentrated and extracted from the flowers are in a solvent liquid. At this point, the controversy arises. Many doctors and scientists say that it is precisely in the dilution where all the properties of Bach flowers are lost and, therefore, they become a placebo.
On the other hand, the foundation of this type of alternative therapy is precisely this. To decrease the potency and generate the memory of the plants in the liquid that will act as a transmitter.
What are Bach flowers used for
During the separation of oils and essences from wildflowers, water is added so that the tiny molecules and elements with properties and benefits for human health are impregnated in the liquid.
They are known as “Bach flower remedies” and also as “Bach flower essences.” So, you can buy the same product under different names. All are grouped as “Bach flowers,” and together they serve to:
- Assist in the treatment of psychological or emotional diseases.
- As an adjunct to psychosomatic disorders.
- To strengthen the self-esteem of children and adults.
- As a natural remedy against mental fatigue.
Properties of Bach flowers
As we mentioned, there are 38 Bach flowers. Each one has an effect on the person who takes it. Some of them can be mixed to create a more global effect, thus targeting several areas.
Since it’s an extensive list, we will detail each flower with its meaning, that is, for Bach flowers, their properties:
- Agrimony: for people who feel sad inside but hide it behind a mask of happiness. That is, if you have sadness but don’t show it often.
- Aspen: to overcome uncontrollable and unexplained fears.
- Beech: feelings of irritability and intolerance towards others.
- Centaury: to learn to say no and set limits.
- Cerato: to make decisions without needing others’ approval.
- Cherry Plum: to overcome the fear of losing control or going crazy.
- Chestnut Bud: prepares to accept life’s mistakes and learn from them.
- Chicory: for those who live for others, sometimes overprotecting.
- Clematis: helps to keep your feet on the ground and stop fantasizing about unrealistic things.
- Crab Apple: helps release the feeling of impurity, having a dirty soul, or being a bad person.
- Elm: to handle responsibility or the overload of work, family, etc.
- Gentian: when strength wanes but there is still a desire to face things soon.
- Gorse: after losing hope. It would be the next step to gentian in despair.
- Heather: for extroverts who need others’ presence constantly to talk about themselves.
- Holly: to control jealousy and states of envy, hatred, or suspicion.
- Honeysuckle: helps overcome the past, move on, and start living in the present.
- Hornbeam: physical and mental fatigue. In moments of weakness or low energy due to life’s burdens.
- Impatiens: against the decline, frustration, and anxiety of very energetic people.
- Larch: when thoughts are of inferiority and thinking that it’s not possible to do things the same way as others.
- Mimulus: helps reduce anxiety and fear of known things. Aspen is for the unknown fear.
- Mustard: complements depression and permanent melancholy.
- Oak: for those who seek the solution to problems no matter how difficult they are.
- Olive: helps in the recovery from fatigue after physical or mental effort. Works well with Hornbeam, the flower for fatigue.
- Pine: feeling guilty even with success. Always looking for faults in oneself.
- Red Chestnut: constant worry about the well-being of others.
- Rock Rose: panic and/or anxiety attacks. It is an emergency remedy when Red Chestnut or Mimulus are not enough.
- Rock Water: ideal for those who don’t allow themselves to make mistakes, which prevents them from enjoying life. Excessive perfectionists.
- Scleranthus: to overcome doubts in making everyday decisions. It is helpful for indecisive people in daily life.
- Star of Bethlehem: psychological shock from bad news or abrupt, unexpected situations.
- Sweet Chestnut: when there is no light at the end of the tunnel and despair seems to take over everything. It is a remedy for the state where the mind cannot find a way out.
- Vervain: euphoria and obsession with things without paying attention to reason. Inability to disconnect, causing stress.
- Vine: remedy for overly self-confident people who try to convince others with their ideas and viewpoints.
- Walnut: protects from external changes that cause doubt about the chosen path, even if it’s the right one. It helps maintain one’s own ideas.
- Water Violet: to break the loneliness of distant individuals who have few human relationships due to their intellectual capacity.
- White Chestnut: effective for eliminating intrusive thoughts.
- Wild Oat: when the direction of life seems blurred, and it’s hard to find the right path to move forward. It helps find a new objective.
- Wild Rose: resignation and apathy. Everything that comes is like this, without a solution. Wild rose is one of the Bach remedies to avoid agony without complaining.
- Willow: unlike Wild Rose, Willow is for those who complain when they suffer and then are resentful. They can’t find an explanation or logic for life’s hardships.
For anxiety
It is a mix created by Edward Bach to overcome anxiety and distress crises, the problems that cause unease. Bach Rescue flowers are designed for temporary use.
The composition of Rescue includes Clematis, Cherry Plum, Impatiens, Rock Rose, and Star of Bethlehem. Five remedies for an emergency rescue when there are unexpected situations in daily life that can cause a halt or difficulty in daily tasks.
For weight loss
There are different Bach flower remedies that work for weight loss and improving the diet. Some help eliminate food anxiety or the processes that trigger it, and others can provide an extra boost in willpower to continue controlling food intake. The best Bach flowers for weight loss are:
- Agrimony.
- Heather.
- Chicory.
- Cherry Plum.
Especially Agrimony, which is the best anxiolytic. But remember, taking them is a boost but never a substitute for eating well, having all daily meals with fresh and varied products. If you are overweight or feel heavier than usual, you may need to talk to a nutritionist who can complement weight loss with Bach flowers with a diet tailored to you.
The most appropriate method is exercise and a good diet, although you may also think it’s necessary to use homeopathy for weight loss as it’s very similar. You don’t need pills or expensive treatments to lose weight.
For children
Some people think there is a specific Bach flower for children, but in reality, most of them can work for them when used in smaller amounts.
To know which one to use, it’s important to understand their mood as well as their personality, just as it happens with adults.
For example, Bach flowers for apathetic children could be Wild Rose, or for those with bad temper, bad vibes could benefit from Impatiens. The same goes for babies who cry a lot for attention. On the other hand, for the child who demands constant attention, Chicory is the right flower.
Are there Bach flowers for sleep?
To avoid insomnia and the agitated states where it’s difficult to fall asleep, you need to apply floral remedies to restore serenity and bring calm to the mind. For this, different Bach preparations and floral essences can be used.
- Cherry Plum.
- White Chestnut.
- Impatiens.
Cherry Plum
It works by easing the transition between wakefulness and sleep. It deepens the process of letting go. Very useful for people who tend to wake up the moment they fall asleep.
In addition to the properties of Cherry Plum described at the beginning of the article, this feature is important for sleep and can be used along with Impatiens and White Chestnut.
Impatiens
It works when the desperation begins because you want to sleep but can’t. When you see the hours go by and think: “darn, what am I doing awake at this hour?”
Bach flowers Impatiens lead the body to its natural circadian cycle so that at night, you feel the urge to sleep.
White Chestnut
It’s indicated if your insomnia problems are because you bring your problems to bed. With a few drops of Bach essence, you’ll sleep better as White Chestnut flowers have properties to eliminate intrusive and repetitive thoughts, those that appear against your will.
Bach flowers and pregnancy
Just like in other stages of a woman’s life, during pregnancy, it’s possible to add certain supplements to improve mood and prepare for childbirth.
In this sense, Bach flowers during pregnancy are useful to adapt to change (Walnut), improve patience until the baby is born (Impatiens), or manage mood swings toward others, in this case, Beech.
In fact, depending on your mood, you can use different preparations such as Mimulus for fear when childbirth is near or for after if there were any complications, Star of Bethlehem is recommended.
Where to buy them?
Fortunately, they are widespread, and their price is much lower than before, so everyone can access them according to their personal situation at any given time.
To buy Bach flowers, go to a trusted herbal store, an online herb shop, or a pharmacy. Most of these establishments can guide you on how to take them if it’s not clear, as well as, of course, allow you to order Bach flowers online.
