FLOWER REMEDIES

What are 'Flower remedies' where do they come from and are they homeopathic?

Doctor Edward Bach, a renowned 19th century homeopath, decided that homeopathy shouldn't be so complicated that only experts could find the homeopathic remedy. So he set out to make natural medicine available to all. His quest led him to discover the Flower Remedies, for which he is best known. He emphasised that the very ethos behind the flower remedies was that they could be chosen without having to rely on a doctor or other practitioner due to their simplicity, and that they were completely safe.

However his contribution to homeopathy is further reaching, not just due to his research into unusual homeopathic remedies prior to discovering the flower remedies, but also due to his desire to put medicine back into the hands of the lay person. He believed that the only way the suffering of the masses could be alleviated was to empower them to heal themselves.

The Bach flower remedies are probably still the best known flower remedies (over 50 years after Dr.Bach discovered them). Flower remedies have been made in many different parts of the world, and probably the best known of the new flower remedies are the Australian Bush Flower remedies, produced by Ian White. However there are also Californian, Desert and Alaskan Flower remedies to name but a few, and of course there's nothing to stop you making your own! In fact to stay true to the ethos proclaimed by Dr Bach for flower remedies you should make your own.

Although all homeopaths are familiar with the flower remedies and many are expert in using them as part of their practice, Flower remedies are not actually homeopathic. They are not made the same way as homeopathic remedies, the flowers are simply put into a bowl of spring water and left in the sun which gently absorbs their healing qualities. They are not prescribed according to the homeopathic principle of curing the same symptoms they can cause. Rather they are prescribed specifically for the mental/emotional states that they have been ascribed to, by those that discover them. This is done by intuition or dowsing, unlike homeopathic remedies which undergo a 'proving'

Thus they are very gentle and are perfectly suited to the very purpose for which they were originally designed; self prescribing, One of the most important qualities of the flower remedies is that they engage the patient in their own healing, giving insight into the process. To choose a Flower remedy yourself you should rely on your own intuition, whether looking at a live growing flower or a picture in a book.

Nearly all flower remedies are designated to treat emotional states, however there is one set, the 'Bailey' Essences, made by Arthur Bailey in the UK, which are designated primarily for mental attitudes, they are unique in this respect.

See the Flower Remedy Matera Medica - in the REMEDIES section

Note: some homeopaths don't appreciate the value of Flower remedies and don't use them, thereby excluding a valuable therapeutic tool which has been proven time and time again to be of real clinical value if the practitioner understands when it's indicated.