Bouquet of remedies

Bouquet of remedies

Payal K Talwar shares how Bach flower therapy—a holistic and alternative modality that uses  flower extracts—transformed her life. 

Flower Power 47 

The stress caused by my yearning for a  child for many years, and the subsequent  treatments I underwent, played havoc  with my physical and mental health. My body  was getting stiff and prone to constant spasms,  rendering me immobile for days on end. What  followed was pain and discomfort all over the  body. The pain was getting unbearable, and so  was the mental anguish. I was asked to leave  an esteemed educational institution where I  was working. Despite being in this condition,  I pushed myself no end to prove myself as a  citizen journalist; a few months after leaving  my school job, I took up writing. On one hand,  I was excited to see the bylines, and on the  other, my health kept deteriorating. Running  from pillar to post had become second nature.  I had severe health challenges for which  solutions were not forthcoming. I felt lost and  disappointed.  

Around this time, about six years ago, my  husband and I decided to shift residence.  During the process, one early morning, my  husband was helping me get out of bed to  stand on my feet. As I walked in pain, with one  hand interlocked in his and the other taking  support of the walls, I saw myself in the mirror.  My heart ached to see myself like that.  

After completing the morning chores, my  hand habitually reached out for the box full  of medication. I just kept staring at it, and I  completely broke down. This time, I didn’t  take them and told myself, Payal, you cannot  continue taking this all your life, and you  cannot enter your new house with this box. 

That was it! I threw all the medicines in the  dustbin. I even told myself that, henceforth, I  would be free of all side effects. Suddenly, after  many years, something changed inside me.  The will was in place, but the journey was far  from being smooth.  

In the following years, I tried several alternative  therapies. Nothing worked. I started to get  disappointed again. I felt that my life was  going nowhere in terms of my health as well  as my career. I felt directionless. That’s when  my friend enlightened me that there is a flower  remedy which could guide me to my purpose.  I decided to take a consultation and began to  see subtle changes in my emotions, especially  fear and panic, which I had developed over the  years. And then, there was no looking back. 

I got so intrigued with this simple, subtle  healing system that after six months of  taking it, I thought it worthwhile to become a  practitioner myself. Today, I am a Bach flower  therapist and consultant who has positively  influenced over 200 people.  

Power of Bach flower therapy 

As I delved deeper, inspired to learn everything  that flower remedies offered, I realised why I  behave the way I do: I was not approving of  myself, and that made me push myself so much  constantly. I understood my personality type  and my sensitive nature. Slowly and steadily,  I got a deeper understanding of emotions.  This has now become a constant study that  has taught me so much thanks to the scores of  client cases that I have encountered over the  past four years.  

I could also see why people behave in a certain  way and what emotional state they are in, and  that understanding has only made my life better  and more fulfilling. Thanks to Bach flowers,  my relationship with my spouse and close ones  has grown deeper and has transformed me as  a person. 

How do Bach flower remedies work?  According to Edward Bach, the founder of  Bach flower therapy, “The actions of certain  flowers, shrubs, and trees that grow in the wild  raise our vibrations and open 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. They cure not by attacking the disease  but by flooding the bodies with the beautiful  vibrations of higher nature, in the presence  of which disease melts away as snow in the  sunshine.”  

How does the therapist diagnose?  

Bach flowers treat emotions, and that’s what  a therapist takes into account. For instance,  a few days ago, my domestic help, Pragati  Chauhan, was in tears after having argued  with her sibling. Two days later, she had a  headache and was coughing incessantly. I  treated her after understanding her emotional  state. By the next day, her cough had reduced  considerably, and by the third day, she hugged  me, exclaiming, “Thank you, Bhabhi, khansi  gayaa (the cough has disappeared)!” 

In cases such as this one where the symptoms  were recent, flower remedies work very  quickly. Chronic issues usually take longer to  heal, and you would need to take the remedy  for a few weeks to experience its benefits. As  for autoimmune conditions and even illnesses  like cancer, Bach flowers help you deal with  the emotional disturbances that accompany  the condition.  

Fifty-five-year-old homemaker, Sapna Nagpal,  whose life was on a downward spiral, took to  Bach flowers and benefited immensely. “I had  begun to realise that I was in an emotional  trap where I felt disconnected completely from  everything—cooking, watching television, etc.  I had sleepless nights and felt I was going crazy.  Counselling didn’t help much. Allopathy  made me restless, and I felt drowsy most  of the time. That’s when I reached out for a  consultation. Within a few days, I started to get  a hold of my life. After continuous treatment,  I regained my motivation and started doing  all the daily chores. Today, I am feeling good.  During the course, I also wanted to address  my claustrophobia, for which the remedies are  currently helping me.”  

Ditto with Delhi-based lawyer, Mehak Bakshi  (name changed), who feels that the flower  remedies have introduced her to herself. She  says, “I appeared bold and confident in front  of people, but I felt very unconfident and  confused inside. I had self-doubt. During  my childhood, I had been surrounded by  people who instructed me about what to  do. I used to get hurt easily. That’s when a  cousin recommended Bach flower remedies.  Along with the remedies and constant hand holding, I received an in-depth understanding  of myself. I learnt how to draw boundaries,  and I understood that I had a fear of rejection  and self-acceptance. Today, I feel confident.  I feel more connected with myself and have  started taking responsibility for my actions  rather than blaming others. Believe me, flower  remedies work wonders as they work on the  root of the issue.”  

Social activist  Dipesh Tank  agrees with what  Mehak shared a n d  adds, “In  October 2020,  my entire family,  i n c l u d i n g  

me, was  down with  C O V I D .  Post that, I  faced some  issues on the  professional and personal front because of  which I was feeling depressed. I didn’t want to  jump to taking medication and opted for Bach  flower therapy. Within a week, I felt relaxed  and composed. I could focus on my work better  and, slowly, I was back to being my usual self.”  

Flowers remedies work wonders as they work on  the root of the issue.They cure not by attacking the  disease but by flooding the bodies with the beautiful  vibrations of higher nature, in the presence of which  disease melts away as snow in the sunshine. 

In the Bach flower system, there is no direct  mapping of remedies to any physical issue or  disease. The practitioner takes into account  your emotion, behaviour, and personality, and  based on that information, prepares a flower  remedy combination that will address the  challenges you are facing.  

Being honest with your therapist by sharing  your emotional upheavals in detail and  establishing their trust goes a long way in  preparing the combination of remedies to heal  you. Compassionate listening and an in-depth  consultation combined with the diligence of  the patient in taking those remedies in the  prescribed manner ensures the best path to  healing. 

Bach flowers are safe and for everyone 

Right from humans to pets and plants, Bach  flowers can be administered to anyone. There  is a remedy for every emotional condition you  experience as a human being. These remedies  are non-habit-forming and have no side effects.  

Bach flowers—A placebo?  

Critics often point out that Bach flower remedies  work as placebos. A placebo is a simple inert  substance (e.g., sugar pills or water), which  when consumed with the belief that it will  heal, does end up healing. – what is referred to  as ‘false positives’. This phenomenon is well researched and documented.  

So, is Bach flower remedy a placebo? The proof  of the pudding is in the eating. A placebo  can work once in a while, but in the case of  Bach flowers, it works most of the time if the  diagnosis is correct and the patient takes the  remedies religiously. Given that it is emotional  healing, establishing scientific validity to  the Bach flower system is challenging. When  anyone poses this question to me, I suggest they  try it to experience its miraculous benefits. 

Origin of Bach flower remedies 

Dr Edward Bach, a physician and homeopath, who believed that emotional well-being was critical  to general health, founded the system of plant- and flower-based treatments in the 1930s. Dr Bach  dedicated his entire life to researching the use of flowers and plants to bring about a more basic,  natural, and gentler approach to emotional harmony. He discovered that the dew present on flower  petals retains the plant’s alleged medicinal powers. 

The treatments are brandy and water mixtures, with the water containing extremely diluted flower  material. 

The 38 Bach flower remedies 

Dr Bach discovered 38 remedies, each one for a different emotional or mental state. For example,  White Chestnut is a treatment for those seeking tranquillity. It aids in the removal of unhelpful,  recurrent thoughts. White Chestnut’s positive potential is peace of mind, and it is ideal for persons  who are overly critical of some part of their looks or attitude. 

Elm’s treatment will make you feel less overwhelmed, put your problem into perspective, and  let you do things as per your capacity. Elm’s positive potential is self-assurance and maintaining  perspective. Similarly, other therapies are effective in treating other types of emotional problems. 

Rescue remedy 

This is a one-of-a-kind combination of five flowers that serves as a first-aid kit and aids in dealing  with crises such as shock, terror, and dread. It is an all-purpose, fast-acting stress reliever, which can  be used for symptomatic alleviation. It is sometimes referred to as a crisis remedy. 

Payal K Talwris the founder of Eufloria which utilizes flower es sences to promote emotional well being and holistic healing.