Flower Remedies

Flowers have been used for healing since ancient times and their use much pre-dates homoeopathy. Many cultures, including Egyptian, Malay, African and aboriginal Australian, used flowers to treat emotional states and imbalances. In Europe folklore on the healing power of flowers goes back to medieval times at least, but the earliest recorded use of flower essences occurred in the sixteenth century, when Paracelsus, the great physician and healer, collected the dew from flowers to treat his patients' emotional states.

Flower essences do not work from biochemical interaction with the body, but they contain the life force of the plant as a specific energetic pattern which works on the human energy fields which in turn influence mental, emotional and physical well-being.

Dr Edward Bach (1886 – 1936) is well known for bringing the use of flower essences into our modern times. He was an English surgeon, bacteriologist and later pathologist. In spite of his success in orthodox medicine, he felt that doctors concentrated too much on disease and not enough on the patient. He was drawn to homoeopathy but felt that there was another way. In 1930 he left his Harley Street practice and decided to research natural remedies from flowers which addressed particular mental and emotional states. He was sure that by treating patients in this way, their own natural healing energy could be unblocked and used to address their physical symptoms.

Since Bach's time there has been increasing interest in flower essences from all over the world. They can be remarkably physical in their effects as well as treating emotional states. Their action can be compared to the effects we experience on hearing a particularly moving piece of music or seeing something which stirs us such as a work of art or a beautiful landscape. The light or sound waves reaching us may evoke profound feelings in our soul which indirectly affect our breathing, pulse rate and other physical activity.

The essences can be combined to produce remedies for specific problems, for example in my own practice I use a combination of Australian Bush Flower essences to make up Insomnia remedy, which is very successful for many people (email or phone for details). Common problems such as anxiety or lack of confidence can be treated effectively. Furthermore flower essences can be combined for a particular person and their own individual problems. They are completely safe and have no side-effects.