The Bach Flower Remedies are a gentle pattern-based system of healing derived from the essences of 38 plants and one naturally occurring stream. The system was developed in England by Dr. Edward Bach in 1930. Dr. Bach was a physician and bacteriologist who abandoned the practice of traditional medicine for the flower remedies.

Through observing his patients, Dr. Bach came to understand that the origin of physical disease was in the emotional layer and conventional medicine somehow didn't seem to be enough to help his patients heal. And so Dr. Bach dedicated the latter part of his career to the practice of the flower remedies and harmonizing the emotions. 

 Like peeling back the layers of the onion we hear so much about in holistic medicine, the remedies begin their work by addressing whatever emotional layer is present, until the deeper layers rise to the surface.

 As gentle and as subtle as the system is, it is a powerful tool of transformation as the remedies allow the personality to align with the higher self, taking us out of our Shadow Self and leading us to our True Self. 

Dr. Bach's system is used globally in 66 countries today. It is safe and non-toxic and holds no side effects. It is safe to use on people of all ages, from newborns to the elderly. It is even safe and effective to use on pets. As the remedies are not herbal medicine, but plant-based energy, which operate similar to the concepts of homeopathy, the remedies have no contraindications. 

Why is the consultation essential to the success of the formula?

In the Bach system, the consultation is an essential part of the experience. The consultation allows the practitioner to get to the heart of the matter and create the best formula for you.

You may be familiar with Rescue Remedy, which is also called the crisis formula. Rescue Remedy is used for sudden stressful events or in anticipation of stressful events. It may also be given for unresolved experiences that still trigger episodes of stress. In England, you can find Rescue Remedy sold at the airport alongside aspirin. The formula was designed for use in critical moments and so a consult is not warranted to know when it is needed. 

But when it comes to creating a personal formula, the consultation is vital to the success of the formula. This is partly because each formula is customized and typically will change as different emotional layers present. And so remedies you choose for yourself today may not be appropriate a month later.

Most important in this experience, however, is having a trained professional hold your story with objectivity and compassion. We almost never see our own situations objectively and rarely do we practice self-compassion as well as we should. Having a trained professional hold space with us, honor our story, and reflect that story back to us is central to the experience of the Bach system.