FLOWER POWER
Can dew drops on plants cure a physical or emotional ailment? Sounds ephemeral and fanciful? But it is true.
Cold, cough and I go back a long way. A cloud of dust, a whiff of sandalwood, a drop in temperature, a particular person – just about anything or nothing had the potential to get my nose running. If I didn’t immediately pop in an anti-allergic, this mild sniffle would blow into a massive cold and congestion, which would then require a battery of antibiotics to cure. This was my life five years back, when a friend gently nudged me towards homeopathy.
To start with I didn’t really have much faith in the system of homeopathy. I had vague notions like they are harmful steroids, take really long to work and may not work at all. However, I did believe in the friend and I also reasoned that for 30 years Allopathy had not been of much help for my condition. Before, I say any further, please note that I am not negating Medical Science and I do have utmost respect for it. All I am saying is in my individual case, I couldn’t find a proper cure. So switching to homeopathy showed results. My body felt less tense and stretched, and the cold didn’t get as severe. This transition made me mindful of my body and made me delve deeper into the philosophies of healing oneself. I read the usual books like You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay, did a workshop on Pranic Healing, tried my hand at Crystal Healing and so on. Through all this a constant was my Buddhist faith and beliefs. I searched and prayed to heal myself completely and to be free of endless medicines.
This quest for healing very gently led me to the world of Bach Flower Remedies. Again I was directed to this path by the very same friend who had led me to homeopathy. Bach Flower Remedies are little known in India, though the awareness is growing at a very quick rate. This system of healing was discovered by Dr Edward Bach who was a physician in UK in the 1930s. He was a far sighted man who in his short career moved from orthodox medicine into developing a natural form of medicine to treat emotional and spiritual health. Dr Bach discovered 38 medicines, each for a specific emotional and mental state plus a combination of five remedies designed for difficult and demanding situations, which he called Rescue Remedy.
The art or method of preparing these remedies is as poetic as the names and effects of the essences are. These are made by either floating delicate flowers in pure spring water for three hours in direct sunlight or by boiling blooms for half an hour in pure water. After that, the energised water is mixed with an equal quantity of brandy. This mix is the mother tincture. This tincture is further diluted into brandy (at a ratio of two drops of mother tincture to 30 ml of brandy) to make the stock bottles that you buy.
Over the last four years I have extensively used these flower essences to treat various ailments and emotions ranging from fever, anger, hurt, fear, physical pain to cold. While using these remedies one must keep in mind that the flower essences don’t aim at curing physical ailments rather they focus on the root cause or the emotions that lead to the ailment. So for instance, two people having cold may not benefit from the same medicine. The remedy assigned to each is based on the individual’s reaction to the situation. One person might be feeling angry about the ailment, while the other person might be suffering it silently with the belief that that’s her lot. Hence, when taking or suggesting the medicine, a good understanding of human nature is very essential. I, for instance, have become more mindful of my life and my emotions. I have learnt to understand myself better and in turn my understanding of others has improved.
Some of the remedies that I have used effectively are Rescue Remedy, Crab Apple and Olive.
Rescue Remedy: This is a combination of five remedies – Rock Rose, Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Clematis and Cherry Plum – and as the name suggests, this blend is a crisis manager and can be used for immediate or instant relief. I have used it when I have had fever – along with having a paracetamol – and it has helped. I have even had it when I have had a bout of sneezing and within 15 minutes it has stopped.
Crab Apple: This remedy is a great “cleansing remedy”. It helps remove any negativity from body and mind. I have used it consistently on a keloid that I had on my ear and without any surgery of medication the keloid is gone.
Olive: This remedy works wonderfully when you are feeling tired or exhausted. Just throw in four drops of the essence in a glass of water, tea, coffee, juice or soup and have it. You will feel better almost instantly. I generally have this after a bout of illness or hectic travel and I feel refreshed very soon.
To start with, try these three remedies and gradually explore the world of these 38 healers. Remember they are safe, gentle and effective. They don’t have any side effects. You can consume them with a drink or even apply it on your body as mist. I even use Crab Apple as a room spray to clear the air. If this interests you, get in touch with me to explore more.
To know more about these remedies visit: http://www.bachflower.com/
