ESOTERIC REMEDIES

SELF-HEALING WORKBOOK
© 2014 Esoteric Remedies Pte Ltd

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise with the prior permission of the
copyright owner. Request for permission should be addressed to Esoteric
Remedies Pte Ltd, 14 Robinson Road, Far East Finance Building, #08-1A,
Singapore 048545. Email:info@esotericremedies.com

The publisher makes no representation or warranties to the contents of this

book. The contents within this book is purely for informational purposes only
and a qualified medical practitioner should be consulted before taking any
remedies or applying any of the techniques demonstrated in this workbook.

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Contents
Contents ......................................................................................................... 3
Welcome letter from Esoteric Remedies ........................................................ 7
How to use this workbook .......................................................................... 8
Why you should make self-healing a priority .............................................. 8
Feel balanced and in tune once again ......................................................... 9
Introduction .................................................................................................. 10
CHAPTER ONE: Introducing Bach Flower Remedies – the original flower
essence ......................................................................................................... 12
Who was Dr Edward Bach? ....................................................................... 12
What are Bach Flower Remedies?............................................................. 13
How are Bach Flower Remedies made? .................................................... 15
How do Bach Flower Remedies work? ...................................................... 15
Do Bach’s Flower Remedies really work? .................................................. 17
How are flower essences and remedies being used today? ...................... 18
CHAPTER TWO: The 38 Bach Flower Remedies ............................................. 19
The Single and Composite Remedies ........................................................ 19
Remedies for Fear ..................................................................................... 21
Aspen .................................................................................................... 22
Mimulus ................................................................................................ 23
Cherry Plum .......................................................................................... 24
Red Chestnut......................................................................................... 25
Rock Rose .............................................................................................. 26
Remedies for Uncertainty ......................................................................... 27

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 Cerato ................................................................................................... 28
Sceleranthus ......................................................................................... 29
Gentian ................................................................................................. 30
Gorse .................................................................................................... 31
Hornbeam ............................................................................................. 32
Wild Oat ................................................................................................ 33
Remedies for the Lack of Interest in Present Circumstances ..................... 34
Clematis ................................................................................................ 35
Honeysuckle .......................................................................................... 36
Wild Rose .............................................................................................. 37
Olive ...................................................................................................... 38
White Chestnut ..................................................................................... 39
Mustard ................................................................................................ 40
Chestnut Bud ........................................................................................ 41
Remedies for Loneliness ........................................................................... 42
Water Violet .......................................................................................... 43
Impatiens .............................................................................................. 44
Heather ................................................................................................. 45
Remedies for Oversensitivity .................................................................... 46
Agrimony .............................................................................................. 47
Centaury ............................................................................................... 48
Walnut .................................................................................................. 49
Holly ...................................................................................................... 50
Remedies for Despondency & Despair ...................................................... 51

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 Larch ..................................................................................................... 52
Pine ....................................................................................................... 53
Elm ........................................................................................................ 54
Sweet Chestnut ..................................................................................... 55
Star of Bethlehem ................................................................................. 56
Willow ................................................................................................... 57
Oak........................................................................................................ 58
Crab Apple ............................................................................................ 59
Remedies for Overanxiety for Others’ Welfare ......................................... 60
Chicory .................................................................................................. 61
Vervain .................................................................................................. 62
Vine ....................................................................................................... 63
Beech .................................................................................................... 64
Rockwater ............................................................................................. 65
How to Take the Remedies ........................................................................... 66
Bach Flower Remedies and Essential Oils ..................................................... 71
Health Secrets Dr Bach Would Like to Share with You .................................. 73
#1 Preconceptions and beliefs can alter the state of your health ............. 73
#2 You know yourself best ........................................................................ 73
#3 You are not just a product of your genes ............................................. 74
#4 Quality relationships are essential for good health .............................. 75
#5 Finding your true vocation could lengthen your life ............................. 76
#6 Being happy is the best way to protect your health ............................. 77

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 #7 To attain optimal health, you have to live a life aligned with your inner
voice and your values................................................................................ 78
Exercise #1 .................................................................................................... 80
Bach Flower Remedies Questionnaire: Finding the Right Remedies for Me
.................................................................................................................. 80
Exercise #2 .................................................................................................... 85
Life Assessment ........................................................................................ 85
Preconceptions and beliefs ................................................................... 85
Inner voice ............................................................................................ 86
Relationships ......................................................................................... 86
Work/Life Vocation ............................................................................... 86
Finances ................................................................................................ 87
Environment ......................................................................................... 87
State of mind ........................................................................................ 87
Physical health ...................................................................................... 88
Exercise #3 .................................................................................................... 89
My personal formula................................................................................. 89
Exercise #4 .................................................................................................... 90
Simple meditation ..................................................................................... 90
Bach Flower Remedy Affirmations ........................................................ 91
Exercise #6 .................................................................................................... 96
My Enlightenment Journal ........................................................................ 96

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 Welcome letter from Esoteric Remedies
Congratulations! You are about to embark on an illuminating journey of
self-discovery!

Flower essences are an established form of complementary medicine that is

rapidly gaining support from the scientific community.

Our workbook will teach you how you can incorporate flower essences into
your own health and wellness regime to achieve a more fulfilling, balanced
life.

Dr Bach, a notable Harley Street physician and homeopath, created this

simple method of holistic healing during the early part of the 20th century
after becoming dissatisfied with the way mainstream medicine diagnosed
and treated patients.

Over the last 80 years, Dr Bach’s remedies have proven their efficacy time
and again in helping people jumpstart their inner self-healing mechanism,
alleviating physiological symptoms, while calming the mind and lifting the
spirit.

As part of this workbook, we have included vital information in regards to

Bach Flower Remedies including how it is made and how it actually works in
addition to powerful insights that could radically improve your total health
and wellbeing.

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How to use this workbook
 Read the explanations/descriptions of Bach Flower Remedies carefully
and preferably in conjunction with The Bach Flower Remedies Step by
Step - A Complete Guide to Selecting and Using the Remedies written
by Judy Howard.
 Learn to use the health secrets in conjunction with Bach Flower
Remedies to live a healthier and fulfilled life.
 Fill out the questionnaires to determine your current emotional state
and to assess if there are areas in your life that are hurting your health.
 Write your own custom Bach formulation and manifesto for better
health.
 Fill out the enclosed journal to track your transformation journey.

Why you should make self-healing a priority

It may sound completely radical to you, but scientific research has uncovered
that simply caring for your body through conventional means such as
exercising or eating a nutritious diet – might just be one part of a complex
mind-body equation. Indeed, more and more scientific studies are showing
that the secret to great health could well start with the mind – a notion that
Dr Bach deeply believed in.

Taking care of your mind is so critical for your complete wellbeing. Indeed,
any beliefs, emotions and feelings you permit to permeate your mind - be it
consciously or unconsciously - has been scientifically proven to significantly
affect or even alter every living cell in your body.

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Feel balanced and in tune once again
This self-healing workbook aims to help you in your quest to feel good about
yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.

We want to impart the healing philosophies of Dr Bach so that you too can
activate your self-healing abilities, which only function properly when your
thoughts, beliefs, and feelings are in a positive, balanced state.

We hope that the resources in this workbook will help you improve your
health by equipping you with the critical tools to cultivate more happiness,
resilience and inner peace in your life.

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Introduction
If you are suffering from emotional turmoil, lack a sense of purpose or are
keen to learn how you can improve your physical health as well as your
mental wellbeing, you have come to the right place.

This workbook about Bach Flower Remedies and self-healing is definitely

for you if:

 You are frustrated and exhausted.

 You feel anger or resentment burning inside you.
 You no longer have any strength to go on.
 You carry anxieties or fears you keep hidden from the world.
 You find it hard to let go of the past.
 You need to stop making the same mistakes repeatedly especially
when it comes to relationships.
 You believe in the mind-body connection and will do anything it takes
to heal your mind and inner self in order to attain better health and
wellbeing.
 You are open-minded and are willing to try new ways to make you feel
whole and vital.
 You are highly aware that your body is out of sync with your emotions
and soul purpose. Your intuition is telling you that something needs to
change and you are finally taking action by listening to your inner
voice.
 You need to reenergise and reignite your passion or zest for life.

“It is not the disease that is of importance, it is the patient,

the way he or she is affected, which is our true guide to
healing.”

Dr Edward Bach

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11
CHAPTER ONE: Introducing Bach Flower Remedies –
the original flower essence
Many of you who might be reading this workbook might have never even
heard of Bach Flower Remedies before. Or perhaps, you might have even
taken one of Dr Bach’s remedies in the past, but you have never really
understood how it works or even know how it is made.

In this chapter, we will explore the origins of Bach Flower Remedies and
provide a definitive explanation of why and how flower essences work.

Who was Dr Edward Bach?

Dr Edward Bach introduced the concept of flower essences to the world in
the 1920s, continuing his work right up to his death in 1936. A respected
Harley Street consultant and bacteriologist, he turned his back on
conventional medicine to become a trailblazer in the realm of alternative
healing. Feeling disgruntled with the orthodox approach to treating patients
he learnt at medical school, he turned firstly to homeopathy, believing that
as its founding father Samuel Hahnemann did that the “patient is the most
important factor in his healing”.

He cultivated a considerable reputation in this field – the vaccines known as

Bach’s seven nosodes that he isolated still play a crucial role in homeopathy
today. However, he remained dissatisfied and finally decided to strike out on
his own to develop his own unique natural system of healing. Dr Bach began
working feverishly on developing and refining this system in the late 1920s,
declaring it finished just over a year before he passed away. His seminal work
on flower healing is described in full in his booklet The Twelve Healers and
Other Remedies.

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What are Bach Flower Remedies?
Flower essences or remedies can be described as the energy imprint or life
force of wild flowers preserved in pure water. Each flower transmits its own
unique energy pattern or essence.

During the initial stages of his mission to find an alternative method of

healing after he abandoned orthodox medicine, Dr Bach discovered that
flowers embody positive internal forces to counteract negative emotional
states.

Flower essences prepared by the Bach method can be used therapeutically

to channel that healing force to users. In fact, Bach Flower Remedies are
actually a form of energy or vibrational medicine, which includes other types
of established complementary therapies, such as homoeopathy,
acupuncture, Reiki, Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM).
Have you used any of these types of energy medicine before? How did it
make you feel?

“Energy medicine is the future of all medicine. We’re

beginning now to understand things that we know in our
hearts are true but we could never measure. As we get
better at understanding how little we know about the
body, we begin to realise that the next big frontier in
medicine is energy medicine. It’s not the mechanistic part
of the joints moving. It’s not the chemistry our our body –
its understanding for the first time how energy influences
how we feel.”

Dr Mehmet Oz, on the Oprah Winfrey Show, 2006

Does Dr Oz’s quote resonate with your beliefs? How have you
incorporated energy or vibrational medicine in your life?

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Ongoing scientific research supports Dr Bach’s idea that water takes on and
maintains the energy imprint of what is placed in it. Dr Masuru Emoto in
Japan, and Dr Lee H Lorenzen based at the University of California in
Berkeley, took water samples from various sources – pure springs, polluted
lakes and even tap water – and froze it. They then examined their resulting
snowflake patterns. Interestingly, those from pure sources were symmetrical
and beautiful, but those from polluted origins were deformed. Further
experiments highlighted that even music and words could radically alter
snowflake patterns.

Bach flower remedies are often mistaken for essential oils. However, unlike
essential oils, flower essences contain no scent or perfume and they are safe
to be ingested as they contain no plant or flower matter. They should not
also be confused with herbal tinctures. Herbal tinctures are concentrated
extracts of different plant parts and are commonly used to treat physical
symptoms. As a matter of fact, many modern medicines are synthetic
versions of these plant extracts.

Flower essences, on the other hand, while they may also stimulate the
body’s self-healing mechanism to ease any physical symptoms, are used
mainly to address emotional, mental and spiritual imbalances.

They work gently and have no recorded side effects, but are powerful
enough to cause major shifts in emotions and mood. Dr Bach was adamant
that no poisonous or exotic flowers and plants were used to create the
remedies – he wanted a gentle and subtle system of healing.

The effects of taking flower essences can be immediate - change often occurs
within a few days, and the longest it will take for you to notice a difference is
a couple of weeks.

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Sometimes, patients complain of feeling worse before they actually get
better. This is a natural part of the healing process when using Bach flower
therapy. It is actually a welcome side effect as it shows that the essences are
working to detoxify and purge the mind and body of negative emotions.

How are Bach Flower Remedies made?

Two methods are used to transmit the internal energy of flowers into spring
water – the Sun and the Boiling method.

In the Sun Method, which is unique to flower therapy, wild flowers that come
into bloom during the late spring and summer are picked in the morning and
placed in still spring water. They are then left to stand in full sunshine for
three hours until the water becomes energised. The flower heads are then
discarded, and an equal amount of brandy is added to the potenised or
energised water. This solution is then added to brandy or vegetable
glycerine (in a 1:5 ratio) to make the actual bottled remedies or essences you
see on shelves. This method is used for 20 types of Bach’s Flower Remedies.
The remaining 18 flower remedies are prepared using the Boiling Method. In
this instance, twigs and leaves are collected in the morning and are boiled in
spring water before being siphoned into bottles.

How do Bach Flower Remedies work?

As mentioned earlier, Bach Flower Remedies are a form of energy medicine,
which work subtly to imbue our physical, spiritual and emotional selves with
the positive energy of certain types of flowers and plants.

Exponents of energy or vibrational medicine believe that the metaphysical or

spiritual body of human beings is made up of seven energy centres or
chakras, which are interconnected with the physical body through various
arteries, veins and nerves. They are the openings for life giving energy to flow
into and out of our spiritual selves. Their function is to vitalise the physical
body and to bring about the development of our self-awareness, and
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ultimately, self-actualisation. If they become blocked due to emotional
turmoil, stress or conflict, it will eventually cause a physical problem in the
area where the chakra usually supplies energy to.

What this actually means is that a disrupted energy flow through a particular
chakra weakens the physical part of the body it corresponds to, making it
more susceptible to external attacks from allergens, viruses and bacteria etc.
For example, a blockage in the throat chakra simply because you are afraid of
voicing your opinions could produce chronic tonsillitis. This does not imply
that factors such as poor nutrition, genetics or environmental toxins do not
cause illness, but often the root of physical problems or ailments starts with
deficiencies in the chakra.

Together, the seven layers of energy emitted by the chakras meld to form
the luminous energy field called an aura. This is perceived by some as a halo
of light. The colours and density of a person’s aura reflects their vitality and
state of health.

Flower essences are believed to work on your aura, which is linked to your
physical body and mind. They operate by first penetrating the aura, where
they work on both the emotional (mind) and spiritual level. Then, because
your aura and solid body are one, they go on to affect you physically, helping
your body to regain its vibrant healthy blueprint.
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The theory for vibrational medicine can also be explained by quantum
physics. Many consider this to be the frontier where science and spirituality
meet, and it rationalises why this type of therapy works.

Quantum law states that all matter vibrates, each at their individual
frequency and rate, and that it is this vibrational frequency that determines
the physical form the matter takes.

" The action of these remedies is to raise our vibrations and

open up our channels for the reception of the Spiritual Self;
to flood our natures with the particular virtue we need, and
wash out from us the fault that is causing the harm.......”

Dr Edward Bach

Emotional upheaval often causes a lot of disruption to our internal

vibrational rates. Logically, the correct level of frequency can be restored by
exposing them to the right or healthy rates. Flower essences are a
storehouse of positive vibrations and hence they can be used to kickstart the
body’s internal self-healing mechanisms to combat specific emotional
problems.

Do Bach’s Flower Remedies really work?

There have been a number of scientific trials to determine the efficacy of
Bach’s flower remedies.

Research carried out by the Italian paediatrician Dr S Calzolari, published in

1999 after studying 417 children over three years, concluded that Bach
Flower Remedies were highly effective in helping them to deal with
emotional difficulties. Another trial, conducted by Drs D’Auria and Pezza, also
suggested that flower essences are supportive, especially to control the
psychological aspects of pain.

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Jeffery Cram, a former research and clinical psychologist with the Sierra
Health Institute in Nevada City, California, completed a double-blind placebo
study of Dr Bach's emergency formula in 1999. Subjects were placed in an
induced stress situation - a mental arithmetic exercise. In the test group of 24
subjects, those using the flower remedy were found to have a significantly
reduced level of reactivity, as measured by muscular activity (EMG) at spinal
locations corresponding to the heart and throat chakras.

How are flower essences and remedies being used today?

The effect of flower essences – be it Bach or other systems - on emotions
may be subtle, but they can act powerfully to deal with a whole spectrum of
physical ailments.

Hospitals and clinics worldwide are just beginning to accept the role flower
essences can play alongside conventional medicine in helping patients on
their path to recovery.

Within the US, both the Texas Cancer Care Center in Fort Worth and the
Baylor Medical Center in Dallas have developed cancer support programmes
that utilise the American Petit Fleur range to relieve the nausea, anxiety and
stress caused by chemotherapy.

Swiss medical charity Green Cross used Australian Bush Electro Essence with
spirulina extract in Belarus to treat child victims exposed to extreme
radiation levels by the tragic Chernobyl disaster. The study, conducted over
2003-04, showed a 43% reduction of radiation levels after a course of only
two weeks of Electro essence in comparison with a control group which
showed a 3.5% reduction.

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CHAPTER TWO: The 38 Bach Flower Remedies
In this segment, we will be examining Dr Bach’s 38 single remedies in detail.
Study the descriptions and illustrations carefully in order to pick the best
combination that matches your current mood, emotional state and
personality. You will soon realise that some descriptions actually depict you
or someone you know.

The Single and Composite Remedies

Dr Bach discovered a total of 38 single flower remedies which he divided into
seven groups:

 For fear
 For uncertainty
 Insufficient interest in present circumstances
 Loneliness
 Oversensitivity to influences and ideas
 Despondency or despair
 Overcare for the welfare of others

However, his most infamous creation was the composite remedy he named
Rescue Remedy™, which Esoteric Remedies has branded as Emergency Elixir.

Dr Bach’s Rescue Remedy™ is a great aid to use in an emergency, and it has

been used countless times around the world in times of crisis by thousands
who can attest to its effectiveness. Indeed, some people rely on it exclusively
all the time, although this is a common mistake. There is no underlying risk in
taking the composite remedy regularly. However, if you use it all the time,
this suggests that you need to use the single remedies to deal with the root
cause of your constant crises and outbursts.

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It is made up of five flower essences - Clematis, Rock Rose, Star of
Bethlehem, Impatiens and Cherry Plum (see detailed descriptions). Esoteric
Remedies’ Emergency Elixir is made using the exact same ingredients.

It can be applied on simple wounds and bruises to kickstart the body’s

internal self-healing abilities.

However, one must always seek medical attention if the injuries are serious.

Nonetheless, this remedy will dispel the mental anguish that often
accompanies accidents.

Alternatively, it can be taken before an important meeting or exam or

whenever you need extra comfort or reassurance.

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Remedies for Fear
CASE HISTORY

It was a beautiful, sunny day

and Bryan had just kissed his
wife goodbye, and was off to
a job he really enjoyed.
Fear can strike anyone at any time. We’ve all felt Suddenly, for no apparent
fear sometime in our lives to varying degrees. It reason, an intense feeling of
might be something as concrete as the fear of the dread swept over him;
consequences an illness brings or the fear of losing a something terrible was about
job. In the same vein, it can also be fear rooted in to happen!
the unknown, often described as a distinct feeling of
unease, for which there is no logical explanation or Aspen is the best remedy to
reason. ease his motiveless fear and
feelings of dark foreboding.
Dr Bach developed five remedies to deal with fear:

Aspen is administered for fears that are vague and

which cannot be explained. Mimulus on the other
hand, is used in order to quell everyday fears –
specifically fears that can be clearly identified and
named. Cherry Plum is for individuals who are
frightened that their mind is giving way to irrational
or destructive thoughts. It is often given to children
prone to temper tantrums. Red Chestnut is
recommended to those who worry incessantly about
the welfare of others. Rock Rose is best used when
extreme terror strikes – the type that leaves you
quaking and shivering.

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Aspen
Aspen is the remedy you take if you are suffering from WHAT THE REMEDY
what Dr Bach described as “vague, unknown fears” or SHOULD ACHIEVE
fears based on irrational thoughts. These are what
Aspen will subdue your
modern psychologists term as “free-floating
baseless feelings of fear,
anxieties”, which can vary in intensity from simple
anxiety and apprehension.
worry to outright panic.
It will also help you gain
Often, sufferers complain of a feeling of dread,
more confidence and self-
insomnia, nightmares, sweating, nervous tics and
awareness, providing you
trembling. In extreme cases, the problem becomes a
with a strong foothold in
vicious cycle, from which it seems impossible to
reality.
escape.

Dr Bach acknowledged the severity of this state. He

once wrote that physical fears “are nothing compared
to an unknown mental fear which comes over you like
a cloud........”

Once you fall into the negative Aspen state, almost

every situation becomes a potential pitfall. It seems as
though you possess an internal radar or alarm that
detects possible dangers, even though there is
nothing apparent to be frightened of.

In addition, once you’ve surrendered to this type of

fear, you will become reluctant to share your
problem, since you cannot find any logical reason for
your fears, half expecting to be told that it is all in
your mind or a figment of your overactive
imagination. Naturally, this makes you feel worse.

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Mimulus
Everyone certainly carries some sort of specific worry WHAT THE REMEDY
or fear that they would like to overcome. It could be SHOULD ACHIEVE
something as simple as a fear of snakes, or something
Mimulus will give you the
more severe, like agoraphobia - the fear of open
courage to confront and
spaces - which cruelly restricts movement and social
deal with any worries or
interaction outside the home.
anxieties, helping you to
In such instances, Mimulus is the right remedy as face the world with
opposed to Aspen, which works best to calm fears that renewed confidence.
easily identifiable.
Simultaneously, it will help
Mimulus helps you to quell your concrete fears and you to be become more
puts your life back on track, so that you can take a step empathetic and
back from what has been haunting you, and see it for understanding of others,
what is really is. particularly those with
similar problems or issues.
In other words, it helps you to put your fears into
perspective, while instilling confidence and providing
much-needed reassurance.

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Cherry Plum
Cherry Plum provides a helping hand to those on the
WHAT THE REMEDY
verge of losing self-control. It should be taken if you
SHOULD ACHIEVE
feel as if there’s a real danger that you could harm
others or yourself. It is therefore most appropriately Cherry Plum taps into your
administered to those who feel they are close to a inner reserves of peace and
mental breakdown. In his booklet The Twelve Healers tranquillity, letting them
Dr Bach explained that Cherry Plum should be taken if bubble to the surface. This
a person fears “doing fearful and dreaded things, not helps to reduce the mental
wished and known wrong, yet there comes the anguish that characterises
thought and impulse to do them”. this state.

When you are in a negative Cherry Plum state, you In turn, this will enable you
can feel destructive forces welling up inside you, to exert more control over
inciting you to injure yourself and even others. In your urges and feelings, and
some instances, this internal battle against your prevent sudden outbursts.
conscience or will can push you into a deep
depression, from where there seems no way out. You
then start to struggle spiritually and mentally, the fear
becoming so intense that you get to a point these
potent forces seem to be gaining power over your
whole being.

The remedy first works by diffusing the emotional

turmoil that occurs. Subsequently, it helps you
address all the negative emotions that your fears
represent. It will give you the opportunity to
acknowledge your feelings, and to help you move on.

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Red Chestnut
This remedy will help you overcome a very distinct
WHAT THE REMEDY
type of fear in which rather than worrying about
SHOULD ACHIEVE
yourself, you have become preoccupied about the
welfare or wellbeing of others. Red Chestnut will re-ignite
your ability to radiate
Even though these fears can be perceived as being
positive rather than
somewhat altruistic in nature, they should still be
negative thoughts and
confronted. Otherwise, if these fears are left to
feelings to the people
simmer and grow, they may become a burden not
around you.
only to you, but also on the people you are projecting
your fears and worries onto. It will also help you to keep
calm when an emergency
Red Chestnut is therefore the ideal remedy for those
involving your loved ones
who are constantly anxious about others, and who do
strikes, enabling you to
not seem in the least bit concerned about
cope with the situation
themselves.
mentally and physically.
Such feelings are clearly understandable. It is only
natural to feel apprehensive if the children leave
home for the first time, or if your partner travels
often for business and you’ve lost contact.

However, it is less natural when these fears get out of

hand so that you repeatedly focus on the dark side,
thinking that disaster will inevitably befall your
nearest and dearest.

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Rock Rose
At times, fear reaches such a pitch that it WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
incapacitates your mind, rendering you completely ACHIEVE
incapable of confronting it.
Rock Rose is primarily used for
By taking Rock Rose, you will reawaken your emergencies and it acts quickly
personal will, so that you can tackle what is to bring relief.
terrorising you.
It frees you from fears that
Rock Rose is one of the main ingredients in the occur suddenly and
emergency composite remedy. Indeed, Dr Bach unexpectedly when confronted
advised taking it “in all cases of urgency or danger”. with a terse or scary situation,
You might feel that you are being attacked, with no helping to restore your resolve
prospect of relief once you are in a negative Rock and courage.
Rose state. It will seem as if everything that is
unfolding before you is going in the opposite
direction you want it to. You may have a sick,
unnerving feeling in your heart or stomach, which
seems impossible to get rid of.

Fortunately, on most occasions, the problems that

give rise to Rock Rose fears are only temporary.
This is especially true when it comes to people
suffering from nightmares, where the advice is to
give them sips of the remedy until their fear
subsides.

Dr Bach also recommended using the remedy if the

condition becomes “so serious as to cause intense
fear to those around you”.

26
Remedies for Uncertainty
CASE HISTORY

Janet was feeling down after

having failed her driving test
for the second time. Her
instructor told her she should
Uncertainty and indecision affects everyone from try again, and that it was
time to time. Dr Bach himself experienced confusion probably nerves that was
during his quest for the right flowers for his holding her back.
remedies. Gradually, he discovered six remedies to
On the day of her next
deal with uncertainty, each with their own distinct
driving lesson, Janet
properties:
cancelled the lesson. It felt
Cerato aids in times of doubt, when someone begins like too much work.
to question the validity of their decision and
Gentian is the very first
convictions, owing to a lack of self-confidence.
remedy Janet should take to
Sceleranthus, in contrast, is the remedy for those
deal with her
who can’t even make their mind up to begin with.
disappointment.
Gentian is given to relieve the despondency that Subsequently, Hornbeam
occurs after a setback, and when one needs the should be given to revive her
confidence to try again. If this disappointment is left determination to drive.
unchecked, it will eventually turn into deep remorse.
Sufferers would then need Gorse.

Hornbeam helps if the obstacles ahead seem

insurmountable. Finally, Wild Oat is administered
when you require that extra push to finally take
those tentative baby steps to radically transform
your life.

27
Cerato
If you are a Cerato type, you suffer from the
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
inability to trust yourself, and you constantly seek
ACHIEVE
advice from others even after having made a
decision. Over time, you might get on their nerves Cerato will make you more
owing to your demands and incessant questioning. confident, so that you begin to
learn to trust your judgement
Taking Cerato not only gives you the ability to plan a
and intuition, and are able to
cause of action, but more significantly, it will enable
stand up and justify your own
you to cultivate the self-confidence you sorely lack.
decisions.
It will give you the courage to stand up for your
convictions and to put them into action.

Without the remedy, it is highly probable that you

will continue to mistrust your judgement. Instead of
heeding your intuition, you might begin to rely
heavily on external advice to make your mind up for
you.

Equally, it could mean all the information and

knowledge you derive from others might not be put
to good use, since if you are deep in the Cerato
state, you are also incapable of being guided.

28
Sceleranthus
Dr Bach described Sceleranthus as the best
remedy for “those who find it difficult to decide WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
what they want and to make their up their minds ACHIEVE
about what they would like. They try first one Scleranthus encourages
thing, and then another. They feel they want two decisiveness, enabling you to
or three things at the same time, but cannot wrestle with uncertainty, and
decide which”. to make judgments in a calm
A classic sign of the Sceleranthus personality is the and concise manner.
constant changing of minds. Other key As a result of taking it, you
characteristic of Sceleranthus people are their should see both your powers of
rapid mood swings – they might be bright and concentration and
cheerful one day, and depressed the next. They determination increase, and
also have a tendency to jump from one topic to consequently, you will become
another. Over a long period of time, this indecision mentally more agile and
could cause people to withdraw into themselves, flexible as a result, being able
as they do not want to be perceived as being to adapt to situations more
unable to handle their emotions. quickly.
In addition to helping you make a firm decision,
Sceleranthus will also relief you of the physical
symptoms associated with indecision. For instance,
a temperature that swings wildly up and down,
with no obvious pattern or rashes that come and
go for no underlying medical reason.

29
Gentian
If you are prone to feelings of doubt and WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
despondency at most obstacles in life, however WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
minor, Gentian is the right remedy for you. Those in ACHIEVE
the Gentian state often have low morale, as they Gentian will help you to
Scleranthus
remain or become encourages
optimistic,
are assailed by doubts that break their inner
decisiveness,
so that you will notenabling
be you to
reserves down. Other classic signs that denote a
wrestleinfluenced
adversely with uncertainty,
by what and
need for Gentian include a lack of drive to carry on.
has to make judgments
occurred in the past.in a calm
Unlike Mustard, the problems triggering the and concise manner.
depression stem from a known, rather than By enhancing your self-
As a result
confidence, of taking it,you
it empowers you
unknown, cause.
withshould see both
the belief your powers
that all
Gentian is normally administered after a setback or concentration
obstacles and can be
and setbacks
a failure occurs. It helps you to see these determination
conquered, and thatincrease, and
ultimately,
occurrences for what they really are – challenges you consequently, youinwill becom
will be successful
that can be overcome with a little effort. mentally
whatever youmore
chooseagile
to and
do.
flexible as a result, being able
In most cases, the feelings that arise after a setback
to adapt to situations more
or disappointment are temporary. However,
quickly.
sometimes things can be compounded by external
forces beyond your control, and self-doubt and
heavy-heartedness grows so deeply and sharply,
you fall into the despair of the Gorse state.

To prevent this from happening, prompt treatment

with Gentian is necessary.

30
Gorse
Bach practitioners often describe Gorse as a state WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
that often occurs if the Gentian emotion is allowed WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
to get out of hand. ACHIEVE
Gorse restores belief, filling you
People in the Gorse state have come to the end of Gentian will encourages
help you to
withScleranthus
the desire to regain
the road in their minds, having given up all hope remain or become
decisiveness, optimistic
enabling
emotional fulfilment as wellyou
as to
and convinced themselves that their problems can so that you will not be
innerwrestle
peace. with uncertainty, and
never be resolved. adversely influencedinbya what
to make judgments calm
By lifting
has you outmanner.
and occurred
concise of
in your
the past.
Although they can be persuaded to try a different gloom, it will give you a new
path or to undergo another treatment, they are By enhancing your self-
senseAsofa self-awareness
result of taking it, you
and
sure that nothing will help them ease or resolve the confidence,
should see it empowers
both youryour you
powers
self-respect, sharpening
situation in which they find themselves. with the belief and that all
senseconcentration
who you are, and what
obstacles and setbacks can
determination andb
According to Dr Bach the Gorse remedy is given to you can accomplishincrease,
if you focus
conquered,
consequently, andyouthat ultimate
will becom
individuals who have lost the drive to pick on your goals.
you will be
mentally successful
more in
agile and
themselves up to try again. They look, as he put it,
whatever
flexible asyou choose
a result, to do.
being able
as though “they needed more sunshine in their
to adapt to situations more
lives to drive away the clouds”.
quickly.
Dr Bach’s quote succinctly sums up what Gorse
provides. It renews hope and plants the belief that
all is not lost. It also dispels the dark cloud of
apathy that often looms over sufferers, while
unleashing the strength and courage inside.

The problems that triggered the despair will not

disappear, but you will be in a far better state to
cope and to deal with any consequences that might
arise.

31
Hornbeam
When you feel tired at the mere thought of how WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
much work you have to do to overcome a problem, ACHIEVE
this is the right moment to use Hornbeam.
Hornbeam stimulates the
Often referred to as the “Monday morning feeling mind, ensuring that you have a
remedy”, Hornbeam essentially gives you the calm, cool head on your
strength – both mentally and physically – to bear shoulders.
any burden life throws at you.
By boosting your confidence
When you suffer from this type of fatigue, even and inner strength, it will help
routine everyday tasks seems just too much too you to tackle and master any
handle. But when you get down to it, you actually task that lies ahead, even if at
achieve a lot. This remedy will also help you if you first glance, they seem
believe that some part of your mind or body needs insurmountable or difficult to
to be strengthened or reinforced before you can handle.
fulfil your tasks or obligations.

Often, the Hornbeam state is short-lived. But if

Hornbeam weariness is allowed to linger,
everything you do will become a tiresome duty.

Thus, if you are in a negative Hornbeam state, this

remedy acts as a tonic, helping you to inject some
zest back into your life. Both your personal life and
work will become enjoyable and pleasurable again
as you regain your energy and enthusiasm.

32
Wild Oat
Wild Oat is the remedy that can be used to help
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
you find your true vocation or purpose in life.
ACHIEVE
Typically, Wild Oat people are blessed with
Wild Oat will improve your
multiple talents, and life is perpetually offering
capacity to identify, plan and
them opportunities to shine, but because they lack
achieve your aspirations and
the real inner certainty that will allow them to
ambitions.
make a final, definitive choice, they are prone to
pursuing false trails. You will get to know yourself
better, enabling you to map
Ultimately, when these prove to be unsatisfactory
out a definitive purpose in life.
or unfulfilling, they may abandon or tear down
everything they have built or invested in. They
hope that by starting from a clean slate, they will
end up with something much more satisfying.
People needing this remedy might also feel that life
is passing them by.

If you take Wild Oat, you will gradually feel yourself

growing clearer and more certain in mind, body
and spirit.

Little by little, you will be able to envision what you

really want and start to act purposefully and
intuitively, instead of randomly on impulse. You
will be able to recognise your potential as well as
your ambitions and not allow yourself to be
steered off-course.

33
Remedies for the Lack of Interest in
Present Circumstances CASE HISTORY
We have all probably, at some time in our lives or
Susan hates her job. Every
other, looked back on the past with remorse or
lunch time she wanders across
regret. Or perhaps, we’ve lets our minds wander,
the street from her office to
instead of paying full attention to the present.
the park, where she sits on a
Dr Bach devised seven remedies to help people bench to daydream. Her mind
prone to living in their dreams or in the past to is filled with wild ideas of
face up to reality. fortune and fame. However,
she does not do anything to
Someone needing Clematis would often appear
make her dreams a reality.
‘spaced out’, avoiding problems and
unpleasantness by withdrawing into a world of She should take Clematis to
their own. For people who believe that their draw her back to the present,
happiness lies in their past, Dr Bach administered so that she can devise a
Honeysuckle. Wild Rose is used primarily to help concrete plan of action, instead
to bring encouragement to those who feel that of dreaming her life away.
life has passed them by, and yet they continue to
resist change. Olive on the other hand, helps to
restore strength to those who have suffered great
physical or emotional trauma. White Chestnut
will silence repetitive, distracting thoughts, ideas
and arguments. If you find yourself suddenly
feeling down for no apparent reason, Mustard
can help lift the gloom just as quickly as it
descended on you. Chestnut Bud helps you learn
life’s lessons, so that you are less inclined to
repeat them.

34
Clematis
Clematis people are often highly artistic, and
WHATWHAT THE REMEDY
THE REMEDY
SHOULD SHOULD
they thus have a deep need for an outlet for WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVEACHIEVE
their creativity. They are often perceived as ACHIEVE
dreamy and ungrounded, their minds filled with Clematis
Clematis
people people
are often
are often
highly
Wild Oat will improve your
vague thoughts of future happiness. creative.
highlyThecreative,
remedyand encourages
show a rea
capacity to identify, plan and
penchant
their innate for the
talents arts. The
to blossom.
Indeed, they spend so much time taking refuge achieve your aspirations and
remedy encourages their
in their dreams that they do not find any real joy At the same time, it enables you to
ambitions.
innate talent to blossom.
in day to day living. Clematis personalities lack take an interest of what is
You will get to know yourself
interest in the ‘here and now’, which in the happening
At thearound
same time,
you. It
it helps
enablesyou
better, enabling you to map
extreme, can manifest as sleepiness, to sit you
up andto take
pay attention
an interesttoof what
out a definitive purpose in lif
absentmindedness and inattention. Others situations,
is happening
so that you
around
can you.
learnIt
often describe Clematis people as eccentric. The and grow
helpsfrom
you them,
to sit up
instead
and payof
fictional character Walter Mitty is a prime attention
appearing aloofto situations,
and so that
self-absorbed.
example of a Clematis personality. you can learn and grow from
Ultimately, you will master your
them, instead of appearing
By taking Clematis, you will be filled with the own thoughts, instead of being
aloof and self-absorbed.
positive creative energy you are now lacking. controlled by them. You can then
Your inner drive and sense of purpose will enjoyUltimately, you will master
life to the full.
become more focussed in the present. your own thoughts, instead of
being controlled by them. You
Clematis, a key ingredient in Dr Bach’s Rescue
can then enjoy life to the full.
Remedy™, can also help in cases of fainting or
dizziness. In such circumstances, the best way to
administer the remedy is to place a few drops
on the lips of the sufferer.

35
Honeysuckle
Unlike Clematis people who often dream about
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
the future, those in the Honeysuckle state often
ACHIEVE
delve in the past, often reminiscing about
happier times. By taking Honeysuckle, you will
start living in the present
Dr Bach stated that Honeysuckle should be used
instead of the past.
to “remove the regrets and sorrows of the past,
to counteract all influences, all wishes and You will gain the ability to learn
desires of the past and to bring us back to the from your past experiences, but
present”. will no longer cling to them
obsessively.
People in the Honeysuckle state refuse to see or
accept anything new. Another classic giveaway is
their tendency to pepper conversations with
phrases like “I used to...” and “When I was
still....”.

Honeysuckle therefore helps you if you have

become obsessively nostalgic. By taking it, you
will preserve your links to the past and keep your
memories alive, but you will no longer cling to
them as a shield against the realities of the
present, or the possibilities of the future. In
short, your past will no longer hold you prisoner.

36
Wild Rose
If you have resigned yourself to illness, find the
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
work you do unfulfilling, and perceive life as
ACHIEVE
monotonous and flat, Wild Rose can help you.
Taking Wild Rose will help you
When these feelings are allowed to persist, you
regain your joie de vivre or zest
will start believing that you will just have to put up
for life.
with everything life throws at you, rather than
taking positive steps to alter it. You find that you It will erase your feelings of
have become indifferent and apathetic, taking indifference and resignation, and
things as they are instead of making a life for your willingness to let things
yourself. remain as they are.

No one can change your life except you, and by

taking Wild Rose, you will start to unravel yourself
from your self-imposed apathy.

Without it, you will continue to bounce along as

you are, taking life as it comes, lacking the drive
and ambition to change anything.

With the remedy’s help, your situation can be

dramatically transformed. Taking it will suppress
your lack of interest and your willingness to
accept your lot in life.

Your enthusiasm for life will return, and you will

enjoy a profound sense of emotional and spiritual
freedom as you open up to opportunities and
possibilities.

37
Olive
When your emotional and spiritual energy is low WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
and fatigue begins to set in, Olive will help revive ACHIEVE
them.
Taking Olive will enable you to
This remedy is one of the most frequently used restore your vitality and strength.
of the 38. It is often taken when there is a need
This makes it easier to cope even
to restore balance and tranquillity to a tired,
with extreme pressures and
troubled mind and to strengthen an exhausted
demands.
body.

Bach practitioners often advise taking Olive to

help you recover after a debilitating illness. This
remedy can also help when you find yourself so
busy that you have little time left for rest and
relaxation. If this is your situation, you will
become increasingly run down, until you reach a
point where you no longer have any inner
reserves to draw upon.

Olive will help you to regain your strength and

energy. You will feel transformed, and more than
capable of dealing with the stresses and strains
of life.

38
White Chestnut
White Chestnut, another popular remedy, is used WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
to silence agonising and worrying repetitive ACHIEVE
thoughts.
White Chestnut will calm you
In the negative White Chestnut state, you will feel down, by allowing your mind to
trapped by your own negative emotions, and you take an objective view of
will no longer be able to think rationally or situations.
logically. Arguments and dialogue may play in
your head constantly, with no chance of any clear- It will stop you from being
cut resolution. Sufferers often fail to hear what is distracted by your thoughts,
being said to them, even if they are being restore your ability to focus, and
addressed directly, as their senses are blocked by enable you to enjoy a renewed
mental chatter. peace of mind.

Besides these psychological signs, you may

experience physical symptoms too. You may find
it difficult to fall and stay asleep at night, or you
may wake up early in the morning, plagued by
repetitive thoughts. This mental overactivity can
lead to depression and fatigue, as well as a dip in
concentration.

By taking White Chestnut, you will be taking your

first steps to restabilising rational patterns of
thought. You can then begin to clear your
overcluttered mind, creating boundaries and
priorities in the process. Eventually, you will reach
a point when you will be at peace with yourself
and with the world around you.

39
Mustard
If dark moods descend upon you without any WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
prior warning or for no apparent cause – you are ACHIEVE
in a negative Mustard state.
Mustard will help you to find
This phenomenon is not only deeply distressing tranquillity, by stabilising your
for you, but it can affect your friends and family moods and feelings. It will also
as well, who might well start to feel down as well foster an inner calm that cannot
due to the depth of your affliction. be broken easily.
Sufferers from Mustard depression can be driven
to the brink of utmost despair, unable to think or
do anything to diminish their anguish. Everything
seems hopeless, and simply not worth bothering
about. Life becomes intolerable and you might
not even have the ability to wear a false mask of
cheeriness, covering things up as you might in an
Agrimony state. You may feel completely cut off
from the world, and feel very alone in your
sufferings, with no light at the end of the tunnel in
sight.

Unlike other states such as Gentian and Gorse

which can often be traced to a specific incident or
situation, the Mustard state always strikes out of
the blue.

The Mustard remedy starts to help by dispelling

the gloom suffocating you. In the long term, it will
help you to develop inner stability and
tranquillity.

40
Chestnut Bud
The Chestnut Bud remedy will aid you, if you
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
find it hard to learn from experience or your past
ACHIEVE
mistakes, especially when it comes to
relationships. This complete failure to learn from Chestnut Bud will empower you
the past may derive from a real unconscious lack with the ability to analyse and
of insight. learn from past events, actions
and behaviours.
The remedy gives you the ability to absorb the
consequences of your actions more clearly, so It will help you take a step back
that you can grow from them. and assess things from a different
angle, as well as to view your
Chestnut Bud is extremely useful when we find
experiences and those of others
ourselves in situations when our progress is
impartially.
halted, when there is a need to process a
situation and to evolve from them to make the
most of our lives.

41
Remedies for Loneliness
CASE HISTORY

David has the flu. He wraps

himself in layers of clothing,
ingests various vitamins and flu
medicines before getting on the
phone to tell friends and family
Dr Bach developed and integrated three distinct how awful he feels.
definitions of loneliness into his system of
Heather should be given to halt
healing.
the self-centeredness.
Water Violet people are quite happy to be left
alone. They are solitary, self-reliant creatures,
often appearing aloof, proud and distant. They
would most certainly never dream of bombarding
others with their problems. People with an
Impatiens nature also tend to be loners.
Although highly capable and quick-witted, they
can come across as being impatient and irritable
with others, since they are not very good at
empathising. Heather people in contrast, as Dr
Bach explained are “always seeking
companionship of anyone who may be available,
as they find it necessary to discuss their affairs
with others, no matter whom it may be.....”. They
need to be constantly surrounded by others to
feel good about themselves. People in a negative
Heather state will talk about themselves for
hours, but they hardly listen to what others say.

42
Water Violet
Would you describe yourself as aloof and WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
reserved with a tendency to withdraw into ACHIEVE WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
yourself? If you have answered yes to all three, ACHIEVE
then you are definitely a Water Violet person. Water Violet will help you to feel
Chestnut Bud will empower y
comfortable with yourself.
Water Violet individuals are, as outlined by Dr with the ability to analyse an
Bach, “tranquil, sympathetic, wise, practical It will help
learnyou to past
from openevents,
up to actio
counsellors, who have poise and dignity and pass others,andso that they see your true
behaviours.
gracefully through life”. They tend to keep to nature as an independent-
minded, It will help youand
unflappable takecalm
a step ba
themselves, and even though they are often
and assess things from a diffe
individual.
willing to dispense advice, they try not to
angle, as well as to view your
influence others.
experiences and those of oth
In the negative Water Violet state, it is all too impartially.
easy for you to withdraw from social situations as
you prefer your own company. Others may then
perceive you as remote and unapproachable.
Consequently, many will find it difficult to build
relationships with you. Despite your self-
sufficiency, you might begin to feel lonely should
the state persist.

The Water Violet remedy give you the courage to

tear down the barriers you have built around
you, enabling you to relate better to others and
for others to get to know you better.

43
Impatiens
Impatiens is a mood remedy, and one of the five
flowers used in Dr Bach’s composite Rescue
Remedy™. It should be used, as instructed by Dr
Bach, “at all times when there is impatience”.
People in the negative Impatiens state are
relatively easy to spot. First and foremost, they
tend to be quite extroverted, and are often loud
and brusque. If they do not reveal themselves
verbally, they will frequently do so through their
body language – shaking their legs, drumming
their fingers nervously, or constantly looking at
their watch - especially when someone else is
talking to them.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
Impatiens will help you retain
your flexible and fast-thinking
mind, but the remedy will make
you more sensitive so that you
become more tactful.
You will also develop patience
and the ability to understand the
opinions and needs of others.

Generally, Impatiens people are quick to jump to

conclusions and tend to react to situations
impulsively. Moreover, they risk pushing
themselves too hard. When this occurs, they can
exhaust themselves mentally and physically if they
do not take time out to rest and relax.

The remedy is a great calmer, and makes you

more patient and tolerant, particularly when it
comes to dealing with others. It will also help you
slow down, rather than to expect everything to
happen instantly.

44
Heather
Have you ever been cornered by at a party by WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
someone who insists on talking about himself, ACHIEVE
and does not seem to have listened to a single
word you said? Then you have definitely Heather will stop you from
encountered someone deep in the negative chatting incessantly about
Heather state. yourself.

Heather people always come across as being
self-obsessed. They seem to believe that the
whole world revolves around themselves and
their personal problems. Indeed, they can go on
talking about their troubles for hours and hours
without pausing for breath. At the extreme,
even strangers can become the target of their
whinging.
Instead, you will regain the ability
to take a real interest in others
and what is going on in the world
around you. You will also become
less afraid of being alone.

All too often, Heather people eventually find

themselves being left deliberately alone, as
word has spread that they are a complete bore
or chatterbox, making others go all out to avoid
them.

Essentially, Heather personalities need to learn

to give as well as take. The remedy will help
improve your listening skills and help you
empathise with others, by removing the self-
absorption that has come to characterise you.

45
Remedies for Oversensitivity
When Dr Bach coined the term “oversensitivity”
he was referring to individuals who have the
tendency to be hypersensitive to external
influences and ideas.
He discovered four separate remedies to
alleviate the varying aspects of the problem.
Agrimony is recommended if you are enduring
intense emotional suffering, but are putting on a
brave front. Conversely, if you are being
overwhelmed by negative feelings and thoughts
about other people that are so severe that they
start to manifest as jealousy, anger, hate,
suspicion and a desire for revenge, the Holly
remedy will help to dispel such malevolent
emotions. Centaury should be taken by those
who find it difficult or even impossible to stand
up for themselves. It is a state of meekness and
submissiveness which in the extreme, can lead to
losing your sense of identity. Finally, Walnut will
help you get back on track if you are susceptible
to outside influences. It also makes coming to
terms with change and its associated
consequences easier. It is used, for instance,
when switching careers, or if you are facing a
major life milestone, like the birth of a new child.
CASE HISTORY
Alicia did not like to burden
anyone else with her problems.
She always had a cheerful smile
for everyone, and seemed
carefree.
However, one day, she had a
nervous breakdown, as she found
it harder and harder to contain
her emotional turmoil within.
She later revealed to a close
friend that she and her husband
were on the verge of a divorce
due to his adultery.
She was then given Agrimony to
help her though her emotional
upheaval, so she could deal with
the acrimonious divorce
proceedings in a calm manner
and communicate more freely
with family and friends to ask for
support.
46
Agrimony
People in need of Agrimony often have two faces
– one public and the other private. Behind closed
doors, they are troubled and tortured by fears
and anxieties, which they try not only to conceal
from others and even themselves. Their problems
are often rooted in illness, relationships, finance
and difficulties at work.
In a negative Agrimony state, although you
appear carefree, underneath you are finding it
increasingly difficult to cope and are suffering
immensely in secret. Your torment is strangling
you emotionally and spiritually. However, rather
than confronting these troubles head on, you
rather bury your head in the sand.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
Agrimony helps you to find an
inner calm within yourself, which
will in turn, improve your ability
to deal with problems more
effectively. You will no longer
hide or run away from them.
It will also help you communicate
more openly with others, so that
you can ask for comfort and
support.

Ironically, as your negative feelings intensify, you

will take more steps to keep up outward
appearances. Indeed, even in the most hurtful
situations, you will use humour to deflect your
unhappiness. There’s a danger here that you
might begin to take your problems too lightly,
and will be tempted not to take any action to
resolve them. On top of this, you have to keep
yourself busy to stop yourself from thinking.

Taking the Agrimony remedy will help you come

to terms with your negative feelings, and you will
gain the inner strength to finally confront them.

47
Centaury WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
Even though they might be highly capable,
ACHIEVE
Centaury people sometimes fail to reach their
full potential. This is because of their meekness, Centaury will help you assert
docility and their innate need to please others, yourself when you need to and to
which makes them ripe for domination. So rather know when to give in to others
than building their own destiny, they are and when not to.
constantly manipulated or steered by stronger
It will give you the will and clarity
personalities on paths that might not be right for
to set priorities and boundaries,
them.
helping you to preserve your
The physical consequence of being in a negative individuality.
Centaury state is that you might start to feel
You will come to realise that it is
extremely fatigued, having done too much in a
you and you alone who are
desire to be as helpful as possible.
responsible for what happens in
Simultaneously, because of your inability to your life.
stand up for yourself and your best interests, you
are probably dissatisfied with your own life.
Indeed, you might be on the wrong path
altogether, since you find it almost impossible to
say ‘no’.

This remedy will give you the strength to draw

boundaries and to assert your needs and your
individuality. You will soon realise that it is
possible to combine living your own life with
being helpful to others, rather than devoting all
your energies to them.

48
Walnut
Walnut is the remedy as Dr Bach explains “for
those who have decided to take a great step
forward in life, to break old conventions, to
leave old limits and restrictions, and start on a
new way”. It is often administered during
periods of major life changes such as moving
house, retirement or losing a partner.
By helping you to take a step back from factors
like outside influences and past preconceptions,
the Walnut remedy will help you approach
change positively. In short, it will help you if you
find it difficult to break from the past.
It can also be taken when you face harsh
criticism from others, which causes your faith in
your beliefs and convictions to waver.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
When you experience major
changes to your circumstances or
lifestyle, or there is a change of
environment, Walnut will
encourage you to stick with your
decisions once they are made,
and to stand up for yourself once
you have made a decision.
It will boost your confidence in
yourself, easing the time spent in
the transition phase.

49
Holly
Bach practitioners around the world consider WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
Holly to be the most important of all Dr Bach’s WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
remedies since it is the antidote for hatred. ACHIEVE
Holly gifts you with the ability to
Holly, as Dr Bach described “protects us from Agrimony helps you to find an
be generous and to express your
everything that is not Universal love. Holly opens inner calm within yourself, whic
love for others.
up the heart and unites us with Divine Love”. will in turn, improve your ability
It helps youwith
to deal to rise above more
problems your
The remedy counteracts negative feelings towards negative emotions
effectively. of anger,
You will no longer
others – anger, hate, envy, resentment, desire for hatred
hideand jealously.
or run away from them.
revenge and other imagined wrongs. In the
negative Holly state, these feelings emerge as It will also help you communica
spiteful, nasty or even violent behaviour towards more openly with others, so tha
others. you can ask for comfort and
support.
By taking the Holly remedy, such emotions will
dissipate quickly, opening up your heart to show
love for others instead.

50
Remedies for Despondency & Despair
This is the biggest of the seven classification
groups of emotional states developed by Dr
Bach. It contains eight remedies in all, and this
group is considered to be the foundation of his
holistic healing system.
Larch is the remedy to take if you lack
confidence in yourself and your abilities. Pine is
required if you blame yourself for everything
that goes wrong, regardless of whether it was
your fault or not. Elm is administered to high
achievers who suddenly feel that they can no
longer cope with the demands placed on them.
Feeling completely overwhelmed by your
responsibilities, your self-confidence begins to
plummet. Sweet Chestnut is for times when you
fall into utter despair. Take it when you are so
aggrieved and heartbroken, you see no way out
of the darkness. Star Of Bethlehem is the
remedy for shock and its after-effects. Willow on
the other hand, will help if you are wallowing in
self-pity. In contrast, Oak people are highly
positive individuals, but sometimes they push
themselves so hard that they burn out. In which
case, the remedy helps them to recharge their
batteries. Crab Apple is also called the “cleansing
remedy”. Dr Bach stated that the remedy “helps
us to get rid of anything we do not like either in
our minds or bodies.”
CASE HISTORY
Belinda feels that she can no
longer deal with the demands of
her business. Normally, she
faces challenges head on, but is
now starting to feel weary and
she is struggling, as her list of ‘to
dos’ increases.
Despite being on the verge of a
burn out, she pushes on, juggling
all the things she has to do as
she does not want to let her
customers down. At the same
time, she lost confidence in her
own capabilities, and begins to
doubt herself.
Elm is recommended for Belinda
to see her problems in
perspective, and to help her get
back on track.
51
Larch
Once you are deep in a negative Larch state, you
will see yourself as a complete failure.
Self-doubt sets in, and you appear completely
insecure and lacking in confidence.
Simultaneously, you have convinced yourself
that there is a long list of things you cannot
handle, and your answer to problems is to
simply avoid confronting or doing anything
about them. Sometimes, this lack of self-
confidence is rooted in childhood.
The negative Larch state might appear
repeatedly throughout your life, often when you
are under stress. That is why Bach practitioners
recommend it for suppressing pre-examination
jitters as well as supporting individuals
undergoing a job interview.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
ACHIEVE
Larch will boost your confidence
Holly gifts you with the ability
in yourself as well as your
be generous and to express y
capabilities, giving you the ability
love for others.
to overcome failure and to
celebrate success.
It helps you to rise above you
negative emotions of anger,
It will also ignite your desire to try
hatred and jealously.
new things, or tasks that you are
normally uncomfortable with.

Rather than expecting failure, the remedy will

transform your outlook, helping you to recognise
the opportunities that lie before you. It also
removes the fear of failure by boosting your self-
confidence, which in turn imbues you with the
ability to take the initiative to resolve problems,
instead of standing on the sidelines as events
unfold. Consequently, you will be able to get
more out of life, learning how to grasp
opportunities and to learn from them, instead of
letting them pass you by.

52
Pine
Pine people are continuously beset by guilt and
remorse. They blame themselves for anything
and everything, even for situations beyond their
control. They often say “Sorry”, even if they
have done nothing wrong. They apologise
immediately when anything goes wrong, even if
the fault lies elsewhere.
When you are in this sort of emotional black
hole you are probably never really satisfied with
what you achieve. Nor are you getting any
pleasure in life, as you are bogged down by guilt,
forever playing the willing martyr.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
ACHIEVE
Pine will help you to realise that
Holly gifts you with the ability
you should only apologise for
be generous and to express y
mistakes that you are truly
love for others.
responsible for.
It helps you to rise above you
It relieves you of unwarranted
negative emotions of anger,
guilt, so that you can feel more
hatred and jealously.
satisfied and at ease with yourself
and your actions.

What you are doing is unconsciously

undermining your self-esteem, undervaluing
yourself so much so that you fail to acknowledge
or celebrate your achievements.

With the help of the Pine Remedy, things will

change for the better. It opens your eyes to the
fact that there are natural limits to blame and
responsibility. Though you will still be able to
acknowledge mistakes, it will now only be ones
you are truly responsible for. You will no longer
fashion a rod for your own back, and you will be
able to communicate more openly with others,
as you no longer have guilt or regret gnawing at
you.

53
Elm
People with Elm personalities are usually high WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
achievers. They are often perceived to be WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVEWHAT THE REMEDY SHOUL
capable and efficient. Almost invariably, they are ACHIEVE
responsible for others who are wholly dependent Elm will ACHIEVE
relight your self-
Holly gifts you with the ability
on them. However, problems start to arise when confidence and
Larch give
will youconfidence
boost the
be generous and to express y
they take on too many commitments, tasks or ability toyourself
assess problems
and your capabiliti
love for others.
responsibilities. These pile up to such a degree objectively andyou
giving rationally.
the ability to ove
It helps you totorise above you
that they start to buckle under the strain. You will failure
now beand able tocelebrate suc
carry your
negative emotions of anger,
This crisis escalates to a point when Elm people tasks andIt responsibilities calmly
will also ignite your desire
hatred and jealously.
feel they can no longer satisfy all demands made without new
flinching from
things, them,that
or tasks as yo
on them, including those that are self-imposed. you are normally
sure that uncomfortable
there is always wi
They are pulled in all directions, and may lapse someone willing to lend a helping
into a state of dejection or despondency. hand if needed. You don’t have to
carry your burdens alone.
Taking the remedy will help to boost your
flagging spirit, renew your confidence, and
ultimately, help you to carry on. It counters the
perception that you have taken on more than
you can chew. You will rapidly recover your inner
strength to keep going as well as your self-belief,
both of which are integral to your success.

54
Sweet Chestnut
Dr Bach wrote in The Twelve Healers and Other
Remedies that Sweet Chestnut is for “the
appalling mental despair when it seems the very
soul itself is suffering self-destruction. It is the
hopeless despair of those who feel they have
reached the limit of their endurance”.
In the negative Sweet Chestnut state, you will
have reached a point where you have become so
battle weary that you simply cannot take any
more. Even the people closest to you cannot
help; there is simply no way out of the doom and
gloom. In extremes, you may even begin to think
that you will eventually go insane, or suffer a
major mental breakdown.
The remedy will help you to overcome your
feelings of despair and wretchedness. It will also
give you renewed hope, that despite how
anguished you are feeling now, this will soon
pass, and that better times lie ahead.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
ACHIEVE
Sweet Chestnut helps when your
Holly gifts you with the ability
whole world has turned black,
be generous and to express y
and when you feel there is no
love for others.
way out of your predicament.
It helps you to rise above you
It ignites a belief that you will find
negative emotions of anger,
light at the end of the tunnel, and
hatred and jealously.
your faith in hope in yourself and
the world will be restored.
55
Star of Bethlehem
Star of Bethlehem is one of the five remedies in WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
Dr Bach’s Rescue Remedy™ formula. Its primary WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
function is to neutralise shock, and its ACHIEVE
subsequent reverberations through the physical, Star of Bethlehem helps to
Holly gifts you with the ability
emotional and spiritual domains. alleviate the trauma of shock –
be generous and to express y
either sudden or delayed – that
Described by Dr Bach as the “comforter and love for others.
could have short or long-term
soother of all pain and sorrows,” it is the remedy consequences on your physical
It helps you to rise above you
of first choice to aid you in traumatic moments, and emotional self.
negative emotions of anger,
such as when you are confronted with bad news
hatred and jealously.
or bereavement. It helps you to get back on your
feet in times of great distress.
Star of Bethlehem is can also be used to help you
vent your feelings and frustrations that you’ve
bottled up for extended periods of time. It
releases all these pent-up emotions, reliving any
pressure, and helping to kickstart the healing
process.

Sometimes, the effects of shock do not show

immediately. Instead, they are repressed, and do
not manifest for weeks, months and even years
after the original incident has long been
forgotten. In such instances, the shock may
appear as physical or emotional ailments with no
obvious cause.

56
Willow
People in the negative Willow state are full of WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
self-pity. They can’t see any good in anything, but WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
one thing they are unreservedly sure of is the fact ACHIEVE
that nothing is their fault. Taking Willow will help you feel
Holly gifts you with the ability
less bitter about your lot in life.
Whatever the situation, they are sure to be the be generous and to express y
first to put a damper on things, and they thus Instead,
loveyou
forwill find yourself
others.
become labelled as the proverbial wet blanket. becoming more optimistic, with
It helps you to rise above you
much to appreciate in your life.
Once you are in this state, you will feel negative emotions of anger,
victimised, unjustly treated by life and filled with hatred and jealously.
resentment. Moody, morose and touchy, you
resent others good fortune and intentions, and
although you expect a lot from the people
around you, you are not prepared to give
anything back.

You are branded as ungrateful and selfish, for

though you might readily accept help and advice,
you rarely express any gratitude. In the long run,
your behaviour will alienate others. Isolation only
makes matters worse, since it causes you to be
more resentful, and you withdraw into your shell
more and more.

The Willow remedy will help you to realise that it

is only you and you alone who are responsible for
the state of mind you are in. You will then find it
possible to be generous to other people, rather
than resenting them for their efforts.

57
Oak
Oak people are strong in body, mind and spirit. WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
They are bold fighters who never give up hope WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
whatever the depth of the problems. They are ACHIEVE
reliable, patient and highly dependable. Oak will renew your strength to
Holly gifts you with the ability
overcome all of life’s obstacles.
When things get too much, and all their energy be generous and to express y
reserves are drawn, they prefer to struggle along You will
lovebefor
able to set boundaries
others.
quietly. Indeed, they will try to hide the fact that to your efforts, and allow yourself
It helps you to rise above you
they are feeling tired from those around them, time to rest and recover, avoiding
negative emotions of anger,
because they will not let anything disrupt them complete burn out.
hatred and jealously.
from their goals. However, if the pressures
continue to mount unabated, they might begin to
crack under the strain, despite their immense
willpower and devotion to duty.

If you are veering close to this point, you need to

take immediate action. There comes a definite
point when it is counterproductive to keep
soldiering on, given that it causes intense physical
and mental anguish. You are suffering within
yourself, and if left unchecked, this will only
worsen considerably over time.

This is when the Oak remedy can help. It will

allow you to become more flexible in your
approach. As well as helping you to recover your
lost vitality, it will rekindle your zest for life. You
will become aware of the fact that there are
limits to your endurance, and that you must do
what you can to unwind.

58
Crab Apple
Recognised by Bach practitioners as the WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
“cleansing remedy”, Crab Apple should be taken WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
if you feel physically contaminated for instance ACHIEVE
from illness, pollution or from simply touching Crab Apple works by encouraging
something dirty. This self-hate or self-loathing you toHolly
love gifts you with the
and appreciate allability
be generous
your positive and–tobeexpress
qualities it y
can also be triggered by your own bad habits
love
physical orfor others. – rather
emotional
such as smoking, which despite all your efforts,
you find impossible to break. than becoming obsessed
It helps you with you
to rise above
negative ones. emotions of anger,
negative
It is also administered to those who possess
negative behavioural patterns - such as being It will hatred and
help you to jealously.
balance the
deliberately rude and unkind to others. internal battle or disharmony
poisoning your mind.
Crab Apple helps you to regain control of our
thoughts, giving you the wisdom to see things
from a wider perspective, rather than dwelling
on the details.

It can be taken as drops as you do normally as

with all Bach remedies. Alternatively, you could
put a few drops into a lotion and apply it to your
skin, if there are physical symptoms. You could
also try to add around six to seven drops to a
bath.

59
Remedies for Overanxiety for Others’
Welfare CASE HISTORY
This final group of emotional states identified by
Dr Bach contains five remedies, all of which deal Heathcliff runs a successful small
with various forms of egocentric or selfish business, and sees himself as a
behaviours. tough boss and a ruthless
businessman.
Chicory is the remedy you need if you have the
tendency to be overpossessive. People in this He knows his own mind and
negative state tend to be deeply selfish, and are expects others to accede to him
determined to have their own way. They are not and his actions. Anyone who does
afraid to play the martyr; even shedding tears if not follow his instructions to the
they feel others do not show sufficient gratitude latter will soon find themselves
for their efforts. Vervain people hold strong out of a job.
opinions and they like to impose their views on Vine should be given to help
others. Vine people are strong-willed, domineering Heathcliff learn to lead without
and ambitious individuals, who often like to take bullying.
charge. In their haste to reach their goals, they
often end up offending other people. They also
think they are right all the time. Beech people are
highly critical and they are quick to condemn
anything they do not accept or understand. Their
intolerance of others makes them irritable. Finally,
there is the Rockwater type. Generally, they do
not try to meddle in the lives of others. But, they
often impose high ideals upon themselves. In fact,
they can be their own harshest critics, as they try
to live up to the high standards they have set for
themselves.

60
Chicory
On the surface, Chicory people may seem caring WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
and self-sacrificial, since they devote a large WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
proportion of their time and energy worrying ACHIEVE
about others. In reality, they are overpossessive, Put an end to your selfish desires
Holly gifts you with the ability
constantly trying to interfere in the lives of those by taking Chicory.
be generous and to express y
closest to them. At their most extreme, they are Instead,
loveyou
for will be able to
others.
emotional leeches, manipulating others subtly to express love and devotion freely
do their bidding. Chicory devotion is driven by self- It helps you to rise above you
without expecting anything in
concern, rather than a genuine care for others. negative emotions of anger,
return.
Their conversations are often peppered with hatred and jealously.
words such as “duty” and “filial piety”. However, Consequently, you will feel more
what they are really implying that a debt has to be secure and happier in yourself.
repaid to them no matter what the personal cost.
They expect constant gratitude and praise, and if
this is not forthcoming, they become full of
remorse and self-pity and may even become
tearful in response to what they perceive as a lack
of appreciation. If you come under the influence of
a Chicory person, you will feel emotionally
drained, due to the demands they will make on
you. You will find it hard to break free from their
grasp, as they will probably try emotional
blackmail to keep you under their thumb.

The Chicory Remedy helps to transform selfishness

into selflessness. Those who take it will learn how
to give their love freely without expecting any
payback. As a result, they will feel far happier.

61
Vervain
As Dr Bach noted, Vervain people are often full of
“big ideals and ambitions for the good of
humanity”. They can also be described as
energetic perfectionists, and they like to speak up
against perceived injustices.
Although such enthusiasm can be infectious,
when carried to extremes, instead of using gentle
persuasion to try to get others to see your way,
you run the risk of becoming dogmatic, unable to
see beyond your particular point of view.
Getting things done the way exactly the way you
prescribe can become tiring if you become more
and more obsessive about it. Your stress levels
will escalate and you are in danger of becoming a
workaholic or fanatic, unable to accept
alternative arguments or opinions. When things
do not turn out as you expected, you may well
blow up into an explosive rage that is often
directed at the people around you.
The remedy will help you set limits to your
efforts, allowing you the opportunity to recharge
while opening up your mind to ideas and
viewpoints expressed by other people.
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
ACHIEVE
Vervain increases the flexibility of
Holly gifts you with the ability
the mind, enabling you to see
be generous and to express y
problems or situations from the
love for others.
perspective of others.
It helps you to rise above you
You will find yourself taking
negative emotions of anger,
others’ views into account,
hatred and jealously.
instead of simply arguing your
own.
It will help you to draw
boundaries to the effort you are
making to achieve your idealistic
goals.
62
Vine
Vine people are natural born leaders. They are WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
highly capable and strong, and often possess WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
tremendous willpower. However, in the negative ACHIEVE
Vine state, they believe themselves to be Vine will help you to leverage
Holly gifts you with the ability
infallible, sure that whatever they decide on, that your innate wisdom and natural
be generous and to express y
is the right course of action. In their eyes, they leadership qualities to inspire and
love for others.
cannot do any wrong. So, instead of trying to lead through example and
justify their beliefs, they simply force it upon persuasion instead
It helps you toofrise
brute force.
above you
others, disregarding alternative viewpoints and negative emotions of anger,
opinions. Herein lies the seeds for dictatorship. hatred and jealously.

People in this emotional state never suffer from

uncertainty or doubt. They firmly believe that
they are sincerely helping others or doing them a
favour, when in reality, they are being tyrannical
and unsympathetic.

They will not compromise, so everyone is forced

to follow their orders. Naturally, they prefer
people who accede quietly to their requests. If
things are not done to their wishes or if they
sense opposition, they will resort to bullying.
Centaury people, who are submissive in nature,
tend to be Vine victims.

Taking the remedy will help Vine people use their

powers of leadership wisely. You will no longer
feel the need to dictate and dominate, and you
will have a newfound respect for the wishes and
rights of others.

63
Beech
A Beech person often has high ethical and moral WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
standards, as well as a well developed sense of WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
right and wrong. ACHIEVE
Beech encourages you to see the
When you fall into a negative Beech state, you Holly gifts you with the ability
good in others. It heightens your
become so convinced of your own integrity, that be generous and to express y
tolerance and understanding of
instead of respecting the right of others to have love for others.
others.
their own views and opinions, you become
It helps you to rise above you
intolerant of them. They, as outlined by Dr Bach, It will open your heart and mind
negative emotions of anger,
“need to see more good and beauty in all that to listen to other views and
hatred and jealously.
surrounds them”. opinions.

Subsequently, your first instant reaction is to Subsequently, you will be able to

criticise. Rather than looking at things in a positive
light, you take a negative, judgemental view and
are constantly on the lookout for others’
shortcomings. As a result, you come across as
close-minded and arrogant, and seem completely
incapable of putting yourself in other people’s
shoes.
offer more constructive advice,
instead of spending your time
constantly criticising others for
their supposed faults and
shortcomings.

The remedy will help you, as Dr Bach explained to

become “more tolerant, lenient and
understanding of the different ways each
individual and all things are working to their final
perfection”. You will come to embrace diversity,
and become more empathetic.

64
Rockwater
Rockwater is the odd one out among all the Bach WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
remedies since it is not derived from a plant. WHAT THE REMEDY SHOULD
ACHIEVE
Instead, it comes from fresh, unpolluted springs or ACHIEVE
wells. Rockwater helps you to break
Holly gifts you with the ability
free from your rigid beliefs.
This remedy can help you if you find yourself be generous and to express y
chained by your rather puritanical approach to life. It gives
loveyou
forthe opportunity to
others.
You find it impossible to compromise and you are enjoy life and its experiences
It helps you to rise above you
often hard on yourself, as you strive to meet your while still upholding your original
negative emotions of anger,
high ideals and standards. As part of this quest for high ideals.
hatred and jealously.
perfection, you will deny yourself leisure and
pleasure.

In this negative state, you are liable to think that

all the demands that you make on yourself, which
might become more and more exaggerated over
time, will lead to self-enlightenment, and eventual
self-perfection. In reality, the pressure you are
piling upon yourself is actually causing you
emotional pain. You feel unhappy, stressed and
full of self-reproach.

The Rockwater remedy will help you to realise that

no one is perfect. It will give you the onus to start
reassessing the way you live your life.

65
How to Take the Remedies
There are many ways to take Bach’s flower essences.

Traditionally, the remedies are taken orally.

For daily use, simply add about two drops to water for the single remedies
and four drops if taking the composite remedy, and sip at intervals. However,
the drops can also be taken directly on the tongue if desired.

Deep-seated or chronic problems which have been persisted for a long time
require a different approach. Add two drops per remedy to a 30ml dropper
bottle, top up with spring or mineral water and take four drops at least four
times a day.

Alternatively, you may apply the remedies externally on the lips, soles of feet
and temples. It is just as effective, and works extremely well on babies and
young children.

Some practitioners also recommend applying the single remedies to specific

accupuncture points for enhanced diffusion of the floral energies into the
aura. In this instance, simply put two to four drops per remedy into a 120ml
glass of water and dip a cotton ball or swab in it. Rub the ball or swab in a
large circular motion over the specific acupuncture points correlated to each
single remedy (illustrated on page 68-70), before resting for 20 to 45
minutes.

Don’t worry if you are unsure where the precise location of the site is.
Covering a large area around the indicated points will ensure the correct
application; the flower essences and its related acupoint are in vibrational
resonance with each other and will be drawn to each other naturally.

When you apply the flower essence to your body, remember that the
acupuncture points are paired on the left and right sides of your body. Apply

66
the flower essence to both accupoints on the left and right to ensure a
balanced treatment.

You can also create a remedy bath by adding six to seven drops of the
required flower essences each to a warm bath. This is akin to steeping
yourself in liquid energy. Relax, and soak for30 minutes, by which time you
would have absorbed all the positive energies transmitted by the remedies.

67
 Acupuncture Points for Bach Flower Remedies
Water Violet
Vervain
Vine Crab
Cherry
Apple
Larch Plum
Walnut Hornbeam
Wild Rose
Pine
Chestnut Rose
Gentian Honeysuckle
Bud
Mimulus
Mustard Heather
Scleranthus
Star of Olive
Gorse
Bethlehem Elm Wild Oat

Sweet
Red Chestnut
Chicory
Chestnut Aspen
Rock
Rose Rock White
Water Chestnut

Impatiens

Clematis
Centaury

Beech

68
 Cerato

Holly

Agrimony

69
 Oak

Willow

70
Bach Flower Remedies and Essential Oils
Bach flower remedies work extremely well with essential oils, and they can
be combined to create a soothing treatment that will support you immensely
during the recovery process by bolstering positive vibrations, emotions and
thoughts.

The chart below provides an overview of essential oils that complement

specific Bach remedies.
Bach Flower Remedies Essential Oils
Agrimony Fennel/Neroli
Aspen Melissa/Rose/Vetiver
Beech Grapefruit/Peppermint
Centaury Black Pepper/ Pine/Melissa/Thyme
Cerato Bergamot/Clary Sage/Orange
Cherry Plum Lavender/Rose
Chestnut Bud Clary Sage/Juniper
Chicory Marjoram/Palmarosa
Clematis Peppermint
Crab Apple Frankincense/Lemon/Vetiver
Elm Orange
Gentian Cedarwood/Ginger
Gorse Juniper/Thyme
Heather Marjoram
Holly Jasmine
Honeysuckle Frankincense/Myrrh
Hornbeam Ginger/Juniper
Impatiens Bergamot/Lavender/Peppermint
Larch Laurel/Rosemary
Mimulus German Chamomile
Mustard Lemon/Thyme
Oak Clary Sage/Geranium/Vetiver
Olive Geranium/Jasmine/Sandalwood
Pine Pine
Red Chestnut Chamomile/Marjoram/Palmarosa
Rock Rose Sandalwood/Lavender
Rockwater Eucalyptus/Vetiver

71
 Bach Flower Remedies Essential Oils
Sceleranthus Bergamot/Clary Sage/Orange
Star of Bethlehem Lavender/Frankincense
Sweet Chestnut Jasmine/Neroli
Vervain Sandalwood/Vetiver
Vine Lavender
Walnut Benzoin/Cedarwood/Cypress/Juniper
Water Violet Geranium/Juniper
White Chestnut Clary Sage/Lemon
Wild Oat Cypress
Wild Rose Cardamom/Ginger
Willow Bergamot/Yarrow

To make up a treatment, mix two drops of Bach flower remedies with up to

10 drops in total of the recommended essential oils to a carrier such as
almond oil and massage directly into the skin.

Alternatively, add six to seven drops of flower remedies to a bath, alongside

up six drops in total of the related essential oils (i.e if three oils are
recommended, use two drops of each), and soak in for at least 30 minutes to
absorb the full therapeutic effects of these natural remedies.

Grapefruit, Lemon, Thyme, Peppermint and Eucalyptus oils should be used

with caution by those with sensitive skin. If you are pregnant, please avoid
using Black Pepper, Cedarwood, Clary Sage, Fennel, Juniper, Marjoram,
Myrrh, Peppermint, Rosemary and Thyme oils.

72
Health Secrets Dr Bach Would Like to Share with You
#1 Preconceptions and beliefs can alter the state of your
health
Dr Edward Bach was a proponent of the mind-body connection. He firmly
believed that “when peace and harmony return to the mind, health and
strength will return to the body”.

The body is equipped with innate self-healing capabilities that have the
power to transform your health. Scientists are now seeing and recording
hard evidence that a positive belief, coupled with nurturing care, causes real,
physiological changes to the body. Negative beliefs are just as powerful,
influencing your conscious and subconscious mind in ways that impede your
body’s self-healing mechanisms.

Consequently, it is vital to ensure that you remain positive even in the most
trying of circumstances.

Dr Bach’s flower essences can help to bring clarity and light in times of doom
and gloom, when you are assaulted by inescapable, negative emotions that
are impacting your overall health and wellbeing. The essences will imbue you
with the strength and optimism to carry on, by putting you into a positive
mental state to cope with problems and challenges.

#2 You know yourself best

You have to listen to your inner voice to create a new roadmap to total
wellbeing. Dr Bach listened intently to his, and used his instincts to create his
holistic healing system of flower remedies as we know them today.

What is your mind and body telling you about your health? What emotional
roadblocks are having an impact on my life? What must I do today to
improve my health?

73
Be completely honest with yourself; write down your present feelings and
emotions and try to pin them down.

Use the questionnaires in the workbook - this will make it easier to pinpoint
which Bach remedies will work best on you to help you on your
transformation journey.

#3 You are not just a product of your genes

You can’t change your DNA – but you can change how it behaves. Scientists
now believe that external factors – such as the environment, nutrition and
even past traumas, thoughts and beliefs – can alter the way DNA is
expressed. Numerous scientific studies now highlight how feelings, notions
and thoughts trigger stress or relaxation responses that could either harm or
heal the body.

Unfortunately, not all of us are programmed to think positively when it

comes to our health. Instead, from an early age, we are bombarded with
subconscious or conscious messages that sabotage our efforts to attain
optimal health and happiness. Beliefs such as “diabetes runs in the family”;
and “everyone in my family gets cancer” cause the mind to release stress
responses via hormones such as cortisol that may well make these negative
notions come true.

Dr Bach was determined to distance himself from the medical profession

who often assailed or programmed their patients with negative thoughts
such as “incurable” and “chronic” – which did little to help them reclaim their
failing health. He believed that genes play a part in determining someone’s
state of health, but they are not the whole story.

It is therefore vital to keep yourself in a prime state of emotional health.

Bach flower remedies can be utilised to keep your emotions in balance, so

74
that the stress response is reduced, and this in turn, will help you reclaim and
maintain your overall health in the long term.

#4 Quality relationships are essential for good health

As spiritual beings, we crave connections – and our physical bodies often
reflect the quality and depth of our relationships. Although Dr Bach worked
alone most of the time, he cultivated close, platonic relationships, that
provided him with much-needed support during his quest to find the right
remedies. It kept him going, despite his apparent emotional upheavals and
physical weaknesses.

We all need people in one way or the other, to feel supported, wanted and
emotionally whole. Loneliness can aggravate the stress response, which can
have a detrimental impact on health.

A study carried out by Harvard University among 2,761 men and women
aged 65 and over for a period of 13 years, uncovered that social activities
such as going to church, taking short trips with friends, playing cards and
games, cooking for others, and community work, actually extends lifespans.
Indeed, participants who did such activities were inclined to outlive their
reclusive peers by 2.5 years. They also found that the odds of experiencing
cognitive decline were approximately twice as great in those reporting no
social ties than in those who had frequent contact with relatives and friends,
attended religious services, or participated in regular social activities.
Scientists who conducted this study concluded that that social engagement
can have as much effect on prolonging life as fitness activities.

However, the reverse is also true – bad relationships can ruin your health. A
study conducted in Ancona, Italy and published in Psychosomatic Medicine in
2007 found that individuals who avoided creating close, secure relationships
showed signs of a weaker immune system than those who felt more secure
in their relationships.
75
Bach flower remedies will help cultivate your self-awareness, giving you the
confidence to improve and nurture positive, loving relationships, as well as
the insight and courage to let go of bad ones.

#5 Finding your true vocation could lengthen your life

In 1917, Dr Bach received a death sentence. Although he was just turned 30,
a medical emergency sent him into the operating room. He had fainted while
working, and was found to be hemorrhaging from a large tumour in his
spleen. He was diagnosed with cancer and told he had just a few months to
live. Instead of getting his affairs in order, Dr Bach began to devote all of his
time to research. Since he had little time left, he wanted to devote the
remainder of his life to create something meaningful.

Then something astonishing happened. Despite his illness, the young

physician grew stronger with each passing day. Bach then began to ponder
what was keeping him alive, and the only explanation that made sense was
that he simply wasn't ready to die, since he had a lot more work to do. This
was the point when he become disillusioned with conventional medicine,
and he began to explore homeopathy. Dr Bach lived for another twenty
years after his brush with cancer, dying only just over a year after his life’s
work - flower remedies - was complete.

From Dr Bach’s personal story, it is clear that finding one’s purpose or

vocation in life is an essential part to securing optimal health.

The average Singaporean gets only seven to 14 days of annual leave, and
many fail to use up their leave allowance! In fact, according to a 2013 survey
conducted by the Straits Times, some eight out of ten workers in Singapore
claimed that they had not used their full leave entitlement for the year.
Singaporeans work an average of 2,287 hours a year, one of the longest in
the world. Working long hours with little downtime leads to elevated stress
levels, weakening the body, as well as the mind.
76
This is certainly telling, as it seems a lot of people living in Singapore today
are subjected to acute amounts of stress, which at its extreme, can be lethal.

So ask yourself – is my work damaging my health? What is my true vocation

in life?

Bach Flower Remedies can be employed to help you to cope with the
stresses and strains of the workplace. Olive, Elm and Oak are especially
useful, if you are feeling as if you are about to crack, and you need more
strength to go on. Wild Oat, on the other hand, will give you the clarity to
plan your own blueprint for health, happiness and success.

#6 Being happy is the best way to protect your health

Depression, worry and anxiety not only poison your mind; they can damage
your body too. We know instinctively that happier people tend to live for
longer.

In fact, in a US study of happy and unhappy men conducted over 72 years,

among the subgroup of men diagnosed with depression by age 50, more
than 70% had died or were chronically ill by 63 years of age. Those who were
considered extremely satisfied with their lives had 1/10th the rate of severe
illness or early death compared to their unhappy counterparts. These
findings held up even after screening out other external factors such as
tobacco, obesity, alcohol and ancestral longevity.

Optimistic individuals also live longer. Dutch scientists found in a study of 941
men and women that people with a positive outlook enjoyed a 45% lower
risk of death during a nine-year follow-up period.

A positive, sunny disposition also wards off infections. A 2006 study explored
the link between emotions and viral infections of the respiratory tract.
Scientists evaluated the personality style of 193 healthy volunteers, and then

77
gave each a common respiratory virus. Subjects who were optimists were
less likely to develop viral symptoms than their pessimistic peers.

Remedies such as Mustard, Willow, Gentian, Sweet Chestnut and Gorse, help
to lift the dark clouds that descend upon us from time to time. Use them
when you face mild despondency or disappointment. However, if you are
driven to deep anguish and despair, it is also best to seek out professional
counsellors who can also support you on your recovery journey.

#7 To attain optimal health, you have to live a life aligned

with your inner voice and your values.
Are you being true to yourself? Or are you living a complete lie?

Dr Bach faced a conundrum when was confronted by the possibility that

conventional medicine did not have all the answers. However, after listening
to his intuition, he decided to remain true to himself and his beliefs, and
embarked on his mission to develop a holistic method of self-healing. Despite
his chronic illness, his work kept him going, and he remained optimistic and
healthy. Once his work was complete in 1936 though, he felt it was time to
let go, and he succumbed to his ailing health.

Unhappiness and dissatisfaction about your life can cause anxiety, remorse,
bitterness and resentment which, if not nipped in the bud, grows and affects
you emotionally and spiritually. Because of the close mind-body connection,
this might dampen your immune system, making you more susceptible to
disease. It is not always easy to confront the truth about how you feel about
yourself and your life.

But, if you do, you will be well on your way to improving your health for the
better.

What can I do now to live the life my inner voice is telling me to?

78
So be brave and take your first steps today to radically change your life and
how you feel!

Use the Bach Flower Remedy and Life Assessment questionnaires as starting
points to identify areas in your life which you can change to nourish your
mind, body and spirit.

79
Exercise #1
Bach Flower Remedies Questionnaire: Finding the Right
Remedies for Me
With 38 flower remedies in the Bach system, you are probably wondering
how you can go about choosing the right ones for yourself or your loved
ones. It can be a daunting prospect for novices or people new to the Bach
flower remedy system.

Esoteric Remedies is here to help.

We have produced a questionnaire to help you pinpoint precisely what

remedies are right for you.

Start by assessing your reaction to an issue or situation where emotional

support is needed. Is there a clear pattern?

Then, look carefully at each question.

Try to pick remedies instinctively, based not only how you feel at this point in
time, but delve deeper – what is causing these emotions? Try to pinpoint the
root cause. Is there any particular person or incident that has triggered this
raft of emotions? How long have they persisted?

Take care of the superficial emotions first – those that have appeared
recently; before delving deeper to find the ones buried deep in your psyche.
Was there an incident in the past that has lead me to feeling this way now?
How has my childhood affected my emotional wellbeing today? Am I still
grieving in some way? Am I trying to forget something?

Then, decide which remedy describes you best as a person.

Choose up to seven remedies and remember, be honest with yourself!

80
 AGRIMONY
Do you hide your worries behind a cheerful
façade to conceal your pain?
Are you distressed by arguments and
quarrels, often giving in to avoid conflict?
When you feel life’s pressures weighing you
down, do you often turn to alcohol, drugs,
work, food etc to help you cope?
ASPEN
Do you feel apprehensive or anxious without
knowing why?
Do you feel that something bad may happen
but you are not sure what?
Do you wake up with a sense of dread of
what the day will bring?
BEECH
Do the habits of others annoy you?
Do you find yourself being overly critical and
intolerant, usually looking actively for or
pointing out others’ shortcomings or
mistakes?
Do the incompetence and foolishness of
others infuriate or irritate you?
CENTAURY
Do you often neglect your own needs in order
to please others?
Do you find it difficult to say no or assert
yourself to those who impose upon your
helpful nature?
Are you easily influenced by those more
strong-willed or domineering than yourself?
CERATO
Do you constantly second-guess your own
decisions and judgment?
Do you often seek advice from others,
mistrusting your own inner voice?
Do you change direction or decisions often,
even after asking advice, because you feel
confused or unsure?
ELM
Do you feel overwhelmed by your
responsibilities?
Do you feel it is too difficult to juggle all the
tasks ahead of you when you were fine
before?
Do you become depressed and exhausted
when faced with your everyday
commitments?
GENTIAN
Do you become discouraged or disappointed
when things don’t go according to plan?
Are you easily disheartened when faced with
difficult situations?
Does your downtrodden attitude prevent you
from making an effort to accomplish
something?
GORSE
Do you feel hopeless, as if there is no reason
to try to improve things?
Do you lack faith that things could get better
in your life and therefore make no effort to
improve your circumstances?
Do you believe that nothing can be done to
relieve your pain and suffering?
HEATHER
Do you find that others may avoid you
because you seem to talk too much?
Do you dislike being alone, and are always
seeking the companionship of others?
Do your conversations always end up
focusing on your interests or problems?
HOLLY
Are you suspicious of others, feeling that
people have ulterior motives or other
agendas?
Do you feel great anger and bitterness toward
other people?
Are you full of jealousy, mistrust or hate?
81
 CHERRY PLUM
Are you afraid you might lose control of
yourself mentally, emotionally or physically?
Do you fear that you may think or do
something that you feel is wrong?
Do you fear you may hurt yourself or others
or become violent and explosive?
CHESTNUT BUD
Do you find yourself making the same
mistakes repeatedly such as choosing the
wrong type of partner or staying in a job you
dislike?
Do you fail to learn from mistakes or
experience?
Do you wish you would not repeat the same
patterns again and again?
CHICORY
Do you need to be needed and want your
loved ones in close proximity?
Do you feel unloved or unappreciated by your
loved ones?
Are you possessive of those you care for,
feeling you know what is best for them?
CLEMATIS
Do you often feel “spaced out” and absent
minded?
Do you find yourself daydreaming, unable to
focus for any length of time?
Are you drowsy and listless, sleeping more
often than necessary?
CRAB APPLE
Are you obsessed with cleanliness or feel
contaminated?
Are you embarrassed and ashamed of
yourself or feel physically unattractive?
Do you tend to pick on small physical
conditions such as pimples or marks?
MUSTARD
Do you feel suddenly depressed without
knowing why?
Do you feel your moods swinging back and
forth?
HONEYSUCKLE
Do you find yourself living in the past,
nostalgic and homesick, wanting things to be
as they were?
Are you unable to change present
circumstances because you are always
reminiscing about the past and hardly
thinking of the future?
Do you often contemplate past regrets?
HORNBEAM
Do you often feel too tired to face the day?
Do you feel overworked or bored with your
life?
Do you tend to procrastinate and put off some
tasks while easily accomplishing those that
are more enjoyable?
IMPATIENS
Do you feel a sense of urgency in everything
you do, always rushing to get things done?
Are you impatient and irritable with others
who seem to do things too slowly for you?
Do you prefer to work alone?
LARCH
Do you lack self-confidence?
Do you feel inferior and are easily
discouraged?
Are you so sure that you will fail that you do
not even attempt things?
MIMULUS
Do you have a fear of identifiable things, i.e.
dentist, dogs, hospitals, the dark etc.?
Are you shy, overly sensitive and often
afraid?
Do you often worry about everyday
situations?
VERVAIN
Do you have so much energy and drive, that
you’re sometimes tense and can’t fall asleep?
Do you possess strong opinions and try to
convince others of them?
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 Do you feel deep gloom, which seems to
quickly appear for no apparent reason and
then lifts just as suddenly?
OAK
Are you exhausted but feel the need to
struggle on against all odds?
Do you have a strong sense of duty, carrying
on no matter what obstacles stand in your
way?
Do you neglect your own needs in order to
complete a task?
OLIVE
Do you feel utterly and completely exhausted,
both physically and mentally?
Are you totally drained of all energy and find it
difficult to carry on?
Have you just been through a long period of
illness, stress, or strain with no relief?
PINE
Do you set overly high standards for yourself,
never satisfied with your achievements?
Are you full of guilt and self-reproach?
Do you blame yourself for everything that
goes wrong, even if it is the fault of others?
RED CHESTNUT
Do you often worry about your loved ones?
Are you distressed and disturbed by other
people’s problems?
Do you worry that harm may come to those
you care for?
ROCK ROSE
Are you susceptible to feelings of terror and
panic?
Do you become helpless and frozen in the
face of your fear?
Do you suffer from recurring nightmares?
Are you sensitive to injustice and dedicated to
causes almost to the point that others think is
extreme?
VINE
Do you tend to take charge of meetings,
projects, situations, etc.?
Do you consider yourself a natural leader?
Are you strong-willed and ambitious but may
appear aggressive and domineering to
others?
WALNUT
Are you experiencing any change in your
life—a move, new job, new baby, divorce,
menopause, giving up an addiction etc?
Do people or situations sometimes drain your
energy?
Do you need to make a break from strong
attachments in your life that may be holding
you back?
WATER VIOLET
Do you appear aloof and arrogant to others?
Do you have a tendency to be withdrawn and
prefer to be alone when faced with too many
external distractions?
Do you bear your grief and sorrow without
talking to others?
WHITE CHESTNUT
Do you find your head full of persistent,
unwanted thoughts that prevent
concentration?
Do you relive unhappy events or arguments
over and over again?
Are you unable to sleep at times because
your mind seems to be cluttered with
repetitive mental arguments?
WILD OAT
Do you find yourself unable to make major life
decisions?
Do you feel ready for a change of direction,
but are unsure of which way to go?
Do you have ambition but feel that life is
passing you by?
83
 ROCKWATER
Do you set high personal standards and take
pride in setting a good example for others?
Are you overly concerned with diet, exercise,
work and spiritual disciplines?
Are you extremely disciplined in your
approach to life, always striving for
perfection?
SCELERANTHUS
Do you find it difficult to decide when faced
with a choice of two possibilities?
Do you lack concentration, always fidgety and
nervous?
Do your moods change from one extreme to
another: joy to sadness, optimism to
pessimism, laughing to crying?
STAR OF BETHLEHEM
Have you suffered a recent shock in your life
such as an accident, loss of a loved one,
terrible news, illness?
Are you numbed or withdrawn because of
traumatic events in your life?
Have you suffered a loss or grief from which
you have never recovered?
WILD ROSE
Are you apathetic and resigned to whatever
may happen in your life?
Do you have the attitude, “it doesn’t matter
what do. I can’t change anything”?
Do you lack the motivation to improve the
quality of your life?
WILLOW
Do you feel resentful and bitter?
Do you find it difficult to forgive and forget?
Do you feel life is unfair?
SWEET CHESTNUT
Do you suffer from extreme mental or
emotional anguish?
Do you feel that you have reached the limits
of what you could possibly endure?
Do you feel as though there is no light at the
end of the tunnel?
84
Exercise #2
Life Assessment
Look at the series of questions presented in this exercise, and take your time
to reflect on each and every one of them. Answer them fully and honestly.
And if you need to take a break, or even stop altogether, feel free to do so.

Listen intently to your intuition and never doubt what it tells you. Try to be
kind and compassionate to yourself as you answer each question. By doing
this, it can relief any discomfort you may feel.

Keep focused on what’s great or positive in your life so you can draw on your
inner strength and courage to confront and change what is not working.

Jot down your answers on a separate sheet.

Once you are done, review all your answers carefully.

Compare them against the results of Exercise 1 – are there obvious links to
the type of remedies you have identified? Which emotional problems are
more deep-seated or chronic and which seem to be moods that will soon
pass? Do you need something else you did not realise before?

Write out your customised formula in Exercise #3.

Preconceptions and beliefs

What are my beliefs about myself?

What are my beliefs about the body’s self-healing capabilities?

Am I open to exploring the root cause of my ailments beyond the purely

physical? If not, why?

How has my childhood affected my health?

85
Inner voice
Am I living a life that is true to myself and aligned with all I desire and value?

Do I make an effort to live an authentic life?

What does my inner voice want me to know?

Who would I be if I was no longer fearful or overwhelmed by worries or

anxieties?

How much do I love and accept myself?

Relationships
How do I feel about my romantic life?

Are there repetitive identifiable patterns in my relationships that continue to

appear in my life?

Is there someone I need to forgive or forget?

Do I feel loved by the people around me?

How much do I open up to others? Do I dare show others my vulnerability?

How often do I feel used in my relationships? Am I willing to stop playing the

doormat or martyr?

Do I feel worthy of love and affection?

What would I change about my love life if a genie granted me three wishes?

Are there toxic people in my life? How are they poisoning my mind?

Work/Life Vocation
Is my work or profession worthwhile? Do I feel like I am making a difference?

What is my inner voice telling me about my work?

86
How does my mind and body feel while I am at work?

If fear was taken out of the equation, how would I change how I spend my
time?

Am I learning valuable things working even though I am not passionate about

what I do?

Am I doing too much to please others rather than doing things for myself?

Finances
What are my thoughts and feelings about my financial situation?

How do I define success, financial stability and abundance?

Environment
Am I residing in the place where my inner voice wants me to live?

Am I surrounded by beauty? Can I commune easily with nature?

How healthy is my environment?

State of mind
What make me happy and unhappy?

What would heal my mind?

Do I feel worthy of being happy?

How much time do I spend engaging in negative conservations such as

unkind gossip, criticising other people, finding fault with others or
complaining?

Do I express appreciation and gratitude regularly in my life?

Do I get caught up in what I lack rather than appreciating what I already

have?
87
Physical health
What bad habits do I need to stop?

How are my energy levels?

Is there anything keeping me from sleeping?

88
Exercise #3
My personal formula
Write down your customised formula here.

Remember, Dr Bach advised taking only a maximum of seven remedies at

one time to maintain the efficacy of the treatment.

If you require more than seven, ask yourself which are the key issues that I
need to tackle first, and which are the ones I believe are closely linked to one
another?

For instance, you might need Mustard because you are feeling down all of a
sudden for no obvious reason, and you have a lot of mental chatter in your
head as you keep trying to pinpoint what is causing your gloom. Therefore in
this case, you will need White Chestnut too.

When you feel that a specific emotional issue has been resolved, stop taking
the appropriate essence, and replace it with another one that you have
identified, but have not taken before.

89
Exercise #4
Simple meditation
Once you have your own personalised formula, take it as instructed on page
64, keeping a journal on how you feel as the days go by. However, in addition
to taking the remedies, you might want to perform this simple meditation to
help release all the pent-up negative emotions festering inside you.

1. Find a quiet spot or space before starting this exercise. You must not
be interrupted.

2. Focus your mind and your heart to release negative feelings, thoughts
and emotions.

3. Take a deep breath. Breathe in slowly all the way to your belly.

4. Hold your breath for a few seconds and breathe out slowly through
your mouth.

5. As you exhale, let your body relax. Keep repeating steps 3 and 4 to
release all the tension in your body. Let tranquility wash over you.

6. Recite the affirmations (pages 90-94) for each remedy you are taking,
focusing on each word and reciting them slowly, as you breathe out.

7. Picture white light radiating inside you as your mind clears any
emotional baggage and debris. Let your emotions bubble to the
surface but do not react. Continue with steps 3 to 6 until all anxiety,
tension and negative emotions are released.
90
Bach Flower Remedy Affirmations
Agrimony
I recognise, accept and assimilate my internal conflicts.

Aspen
I have within me the faith and the awareness that love and goodness dwell
behind all people and all things.

Beech
I combine my capacity for judgement with a sense of tolerance.

Centaury
I fortify myself in will and determination and build my identity as an
individual.

Cerato
I have faith in my sense of judgement and my intuition.

Cherry Plum
I resist all provocation and are attuned to keep my impulses in check.

Chestnut Bud
I observe and learn from life with a depth of insight and understanding.

Chicory
I give my love unselfishly.

91
Clematis
I am fully present to myself and to what is happening around me.

Crab Apple
I purify myself in mind, body and spirit.

Elm
I have the strength to complete all my tasks and to fulfil all my
responsibilities.

Gentian
I cherish my faith in life, and I will overcome all obstacles.

Gorse
I rediscover hope and the will to go on in the toughest of times.

Heather
I know how to listen and to identify with others.

Holly
I open my heart to love, acceptance and compassion.

Honeysuckle
I comprehend my past, I detach myself from it and I live fully in my present.

Hornbeam
I face my days with new vitality and renewed interest.

Impatiens
92
I calm my tensions and grow in patience and in understanding.

Larch
I have faith in my capacities and I act upon them.

Mimulus
I find the courage to combat and dispel all my fears.

Mustard
I disperse the clouds of sadness and recover my inner peace and serenity.

Oak
The flexibility within me balances the strength and sense of responsibility.

Olive
I feel rejuvenated and revitalised to take on whatever life throws at me.

Pine
I forgive myself and have the discernment to know what is truly my mistake
or fault.

Red Chestnut
I release all fears relating to others, discovering faith and optimism in myself.

Rock Rose
I confront every emergency with courage.

Rock Water
I transform my dogmatism into flexibility.
93
Scleranthus
I have the clarity of mind to make my choice.

Star of Bethlehem
I dissolve every barrier to my energy and I recompose myself.

Sweet Chestnut
From the bottom of the abyss I find the light.

Vervain
I project and live my own ideas with moderation.

Vine
I put my power at the service of others.

Walnut
I liberate myself from influences which limit me, and advance without
uncertainty along the route.

Water Violet
I learn to share with humility and wisdom.

White Chestnut
In silence and tranquillity I recompose my thoughts.

Wild Oat
I identify my own path for fulfilling my destiny.

94
Wild Rose
I rediscover my zest for for life.

Willow
I abandon bitterness, assuming responsibility for my actions.

Emergency Elixir
I control my fear. I can face any eventuality (emergencies).

I am resilient in every process of recovery and transformation (support).

95
 Exercise #6
My Enlightenment Journal
Record your experiences using Bach Flower Remedies with our journal.

Start at the beginning of each week.

You need to take your formula consistently for at least two to three weeks in
order to observe and feel any discernible results.
How do you Is there any Describe What are Describe any
WEEK ONE feel overall? emotional your your feelings of
stress or emotions sleeping fuzziness or
physical and moods. patterns heaviness.
tension? like?
When and
where?

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Describe your day

in a few words.

Write down any

notable moods,
feelings,
thoughts,
incidents,
experiences,
events etc
How many times
have you used
the remedies
today? Write it
down.

96
 Try out the meditation exercise on page 90 to support you in the
transformation process.

We also recommend applying remedies directly to acupuncture points (see

pages 68-70) or combine Bach flower remedies with essential oils (page 71-
72) for a soothing body massage.
How do you Is there any Describe What are Describe any
WEEK TWO feel overall? emotional your your feelings of
stress or emotions sleeping fuzziness or
physical and moods. patterns heaviness.
tension? like?
When and
where?

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Describe your day

in a few words.

Write down any

notable moods,
feelings,
thoughts,
incidents,
experiences,
events etc
How many times
have you used
the remedies
today? Write it
down.

97
 As the weeks go by, reassess and revise your customised formula.

Have certain feelings faded away? Do you need to tackle anything else?

Remove and replace single remedies as you need them, until you find the
root cause of your emotional strain and imbalance.
How do you Is there any Describe What are Describe any
WEEK THREE feel overall? emotional your your feelings of
stress or emotions sleeping fuzziness or
physical and moods. patterns heaviness.
tension? like?
When and
where?

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Describe your day

in a few words.

Write down any

notable moods,
feelings,
thoughts,
incidents,
experiences,
events etc
How many times
have you used
the remedies
today? Write it
down.

98
 How do you Is there any Describe What are Describe any
WEEK FOUR feel overall? emotional your your feelings of
stress or emotions sleeping fuzziness or
physical and moods. patterns heaviness.
tension? like?
When and
where?

Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7

Describe your day

in a few words.

Write down any

notable moods,
feelings,
thoughts,
incidents,
experiences,
events etc
How many times
have you used
the remedies
today? Write it
down.

Give yourself a pat on your back! You have taken Bach Flower Remedies for a
month! Reflect on the changes in how you feel, your sleeping patterns and
your experiences since taking your personalised formula.

Which area of your life do you need to tackle next? What else can you do to
improve your state of mind?

Keep cultivating your self-awareness and emotional wellbeing at

www.esotericremedies.com

99