The Remedies as Part of Life What Bach Flower Remedies mean to me is that there is an alternative option available to mainstream medicine. For years I have been suspicious of the pharmaceuticals that prescribed to patients for whatever ailment or complaint they take with them to their doctor. I have seen firsthand how often people are overprescribed. In my family alone I have seen this with loved ones: they take one drug to treat a particular symptom, then take another drug to address the side effects of the first drug. The second drug also produces side affects that must be alleviated by a third drug. Then a fourth drug has to be introduced because the first one is not acting as well as it was in the beginning. So the individual is taking half a dozen drugs by the end of it and feeling worse than he was when he first went to the doctor. Not only is this a drain on the bank account of the patient but it is also a drain on the person’s mental and physical health. A blind person could see the toll all these drugs are taking on lives.

I find homeopathy appealing because it recognizes the fact that our bodies are able to heal themselves simply by getting in touch with the natural harmonies that lie all around us. Bach Remedies recognizes that nature has the solution for a lot of what causes us pain, whether it is mental, emotional, physical or even spiritual. Allowing nature to work its course is really all it is about. For me, that is why I understand what Dr. Bach says when he states that we should “accept the remedies as part of life.” What he is saying is that human beings turned to nature for solutions to their problems for thousands of years—and it is only recently within the last century or so that we have been turning more and more to Big Pharma. Getting back to nature is like getting back to real life and to real health. Accepting the Remedies is like accepting life and nature on their own terms—even if the Remedies do not have the seal of approval of the pharmaceutical industry. Who would want that seal anyway? Just look at what their products do to people all over the country!

My use of Bach Flower Remedies developed after my first encounter because I wanted to try a variety of the flower remedies and have others try them as well. I was interested not just in experiencing them myself but in obtaining an understanding of how others experienced them as well. What I found was that people who were open to homeopathy were more favorable of their experience than those who were interested in more conventional medicine—aka drugs from the pharmacy.

My own use of Bach Flower Remedies was positive. I experience a range of moods sometimes—for example, I will sometimes feel depressed for no discernible reason whatsoever. I tried Mustard, Elm, and Larch and felt that all three helped to lighten my mood and put me in a more positive frame of mind. I was impressed with how easily one’s mood can affect one’s physical well-being. Before taking the remedies I felt sluggish and unable to focus and would just want to spend the day in bed. After taking the remedies I felt more upbeat about getting started on my work and going about my day with a better frame of mind.

Some would say that the use of Bach Flower Remedies and any attendant positive outcome is simply that of the placebo effect because there is no scientifically proven real remedy to be found in the formula. However, as Bach says, the remedies have to be accepted on their own terms—as part of life. Life doesn’t have to explain all its answers and mysteries to us: it is simply up to us to accept what it offers at face value. I for one am all for doing so.

My Experience in the Healing Arts and How Bach Remedies Fits in with My Life

I would say that my experience in the other healing arts goes back a few years. I have been into homeopathy for a while and prefer to find the natural remedy for ailments before going to a conventional doctor. I like the idea that foods and herbs and vitamins can do a lot of good for us, and I really believe in preventive medicine in the...

I believe that vitamin C, for example, can keep the body very healthy, but I also like the idea of Korean medicinal food therapy and Samgyetang. In traditional Chinese medicine there is the concept that foods can be prepared that will help people overcome symptoms that they are experiencing and the idea is very similar to Bach Flower Remedies, except that instead of the potion in the bottle, these are actual food dishes that are prepared for meals. The dishes are good to eat and a joy to prepare and I feel that simply by partaking in the making of one’s own remedy and being part of the solution, the body, mind and spirit are positively impacted in a way that reinforces the will’s desire to get better. From this perspective, Bach’s Flower Remedies fit in with my own lifestyle in both a personal and professional way.
Just using the example of traditional Chinese medicine as an example, I have prepared dishes in the Samgyetang method for friends who were feeling down and not like themselves. I would prepare the dishes using the ingredients recommended to address the symptoms and feelings as they were described by my friends. They would enjoy being part of this “new” alternative approach to healing that I would introduce them to, and afterwards they would marvel at how well they felt. They would truly be astounded at how simple dishes like the ones I made for them were enough to lift them out of their depression and get them their energy back. They would go into it thinking that I was crazy but they would not totally reject the idea either and after a few days they would see that there was something to what I was telling them after all. I convinced many people in this way that healing does not have to be achieved by going to the doctor for every ache and pain. I would show them that the history of the human race is filled with knowledge and information about how we can improve our health, our minds, our lives and our bodies simply by using what nature has given us.

Bach Remedies fits in with that concept as it recognizes that nature is not indifferent to us: on the contrary, it is there for us. It is there to help and support us and the Bach Flower Remedies do just that by allowing us to really focus on what our bodies and minds are telling us, identifying our feelings and seeking a remedy that is natural and not harmful to our bodies. I would recommend Bach remedies to friends as well as patients.

I am not of the opinion, however, that these are all that should be used or that this is all that is needed for every individual. Some people require stronger medicine so to speak and that is fine because there are a variety of ways that nature can help us to overcome our ailments. Bach remedies is not the only solution and I would never offer to people as the end-all, be-all natural homeopathic solution. I see it as one alternative to pharmaceuticals and if it works for some, great—if not, there are many other possible options that can be used. I myself use it whenever I recognize a feeling that I want to overcome—but I do not limit myself to the remedies either.

How the Course Has Influenced Me

The course has influenced my understanding of the Bach remedies and the Bach Flower Therapy as a whole by helping me to realize that I really prefer to find the answer to our health issues by reconnecting with nature. I feel that our modern world is so disconnected from nature and from natural remedies that it often feels unreal. I am astonished that so many people turn to chemicals produced in a laboratory that is so clearly and obviously part of a big business scheme to make manufacturers rich. I do not understand why so many people are so trusting of an industry that does so much damage to the health and well-being of so many people.

At the same time, I respect the fact that in some cases, pharmacists are able to help and that they can provide real support for patients who are struggling to overcome issues of mental and physical…