Have you ever felt like your life is falling apart and you would do anything for a bit of relief? Something happens and you are just thrown off kilter? I certainly have. For days like that, I carry a secret weapon with me everywhere - The Bach Flower Rescue Remedy. No matter how small my bag is, these little helpers are coming with me.
The original Bach Flower Remedies are a safe and natural method of healing discovered by Dr. Bach from 1920 – 1930's in England. The flower remedies gently restore the balance between mind and body by casting out negative emotions such as fear, worry, hatred and indecision. There are 38 individual flowers, and 1 combination flower, the Rescue Remedy.
This combination of 5 flowers was created by Dr Bach himself to deal with emergencies and crises. It can be used to help us get through any stressful moments, from last-minute exam nerves to the aftermath of an accident. It acts as a very swift emotional stabiliser in situations of great fear, panic, trauma, or severe stress.
You can buy them anywhere like in Boots, Holland & Barrett and most chemists. There are quite a few ways to take them - in your water, as a mouth spray, chewing gum, sweets. You can even give them to babies and pets, as there are versions suitable for them too!
Now what is it good for? Obviously for emergencies, but that's not all! Here is a collection of common uses:
Physical traumas
- accidents, shock after accidents
- helps regeneration after an operation
- sudden pain like headache, earache, toothache
- menstruation pain
- allergic reaction
- burns, bites, cuts
Emotional traumas
- emotional shock(break-up, bad
news, bereavement)
- sudden fear
- during stressful situations
- after family arguments
Prevention
- before exams, interviews
- before driving test
- fear of flying
- fear of dentist
Caution
As wonderful and wide range of use the remedy has, it is not a remedy to cure all and should be only taken in acute situations for a short period of time. Frequency of use depends on individual's crisis. In time of great emergencies it can be taken as often as every 15 minutes. As prevention, for example before an exam, take 4x in the 12 hours before the exam.
Usage
Spray 4 times directly in mouth, repeat until stabilised and calm. In cases of fainting, rub the drops on lips, temple, inner wrists and other pulse spots, repeating until consciousness is regained. Remedy in no way replaces medical attention, which should always be summoned in emergency; rather it releases and dissolves the effects of shock, fear or trauma, thus enabling the body’s own self healing process to take effect quicker.
The remedy can also be used externally, for compresses, in the bath, as it helps to relieve stress and help to relax the muscles, harmonizes the emotions and thoughts, thus speeding up the body's natural self healing process. It can be used for both adults, children, pregnant women or elderly.
The individual flowers in the Rescue Remedy are:
Rock Rose - Fearlessness! Don’t get overwhelmed by scary situations, embrace them with courage. The positive potential of Rock Rose is courage and presence of mind.
Impatiens - Patience. Cope diplomatically with irritating problems in a patient manner. Don’t be impatient with the slow pace of people or things. The positive potential of Impatiens is less hastiness in thought and action.
Star of Bethlehem - Comfort. Don’t let the shock of a bad experience hold you back. Balance your emotions and deal with the situation. The positive potential of the Star of Bethlehem is being strong.
Cherry Plum - Composure. Stay cool and don’t lose control; a calm mind can fuel rational thinking. The positive potential of Cherry Plum is a person who has a serene mind and is able to think and act rationally.
Clematis - Focus. Get your head out of the clouds and ignite an interest in the world around you, especially when you feel out of touch with things. The positive potential of Clematis is a lively interest in the world around you.
Top row: Rock Rose, Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem
Bottom row: Cherry Plum, Clematis
Below is the downloadable version of the explanation of Rescue Remedy:
Are you intrigued? As mentioned above, there are 38 individual flowers, which means we can make up our own little cocktail anytime, for any situation. Watch this space as more to follow on the subject of Bach Flower Remedies in the blog.