Sai Ram. Let us today look at the Bach Flowers that are usually indicated in the management of frustration, disappointment, depression, despair etc.
- You were aiming for some high grades in the college and you didn't get it, you are disappointed -
- You had your eye on the particular dress in the shop but when you tried it, the size didn't fit and the shop had no other size - You are frustrated.
Such situations and the resultant moods (blues) normally pass off and soon we are our normal cheerful souls. But if the mood doesn't lift and we continue to feel down, we need GENTIAN. GENTIAN is for Disappointments, Frustrations.
"I have tried everything and nothing works, there is actually no use of trying this but then I wanted to please my wife and so am seeing you."
When you come across such statements, you can safely recommend GORSE and expect good results!
GORSE is for a deeper depression (more severe compared to a disappointment) compared to GENTIAN. Despair (hopelessness if you prefer that word) is very much present in GORSE which is not the case in GENTIAN. I have used despair and hopelessness to mean the same but it appears that Dr.Bach used them differently. So, it may be better to stick to Dr. Bach's meaning. The flower essence for despair is SWEET CHESTNUT and it may be initially difficult to differentiate between these two. You may like to discuss the state of your mind with a close friend or a professional practitioner.
You suddenly feel very much down and depressed, gloomy, but the cloud lifts suddenly and you feel normal. Again the cloud comes and you feel lost. You will do well to take MUSTARD.
MUSTARD is to Gloom (Mental Darkness) as ASPEN is to Fear - both come without any specific reason which you can put your finger on.
If you are feeling down because of some mistake which you committed and are troubled by GUILT, You will need PINE, which may give you the good results. If you feel Unclean or Dirty, if there is Self-Loathing because of the mistake, you may need CRAB APPLE.
In CRAB APPLE, there is not much of guilt but there is a sense of dirtiness, uncleanliness which we feel we should get rid off. Some types of OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder) where the person goes on washing his/her hands trying to clean them, we may get good results with CRAB APPLE. If both Guilt and Self-Loathing are present, think of PINE and CRAB APPLE.
If you lack self-confidence and because of that are feeling low, you will need LARCH. For example, you may be a slow learner and you may need to go through this lesson say three times before you fully comprehend. And your friend is a whizkid and finishes the lesson in a jiffy. You start comparing yourself with your friend and feel a little gloomy (not Jealous! that would need a different remedy HOLLY!). Try LARCH first before reaching out for GENTIAN and you may find better results.
Normally you will hear of GENTIAN, GORSE and MUSTARD when you ask about despair, despondency, depression etc., but as you have seen above, you may need other remedies too.
For example, depression following a personal loss (death of a beloved, loss of a relationship) etc., may need a treatment for the Trauma in addition to or before a treatment for depression is taken up successfully. STAR OF BETHLEHEM will help the trauma and GENTIAN may then work well. This is just an example.
Depression from a deep sense of uncleanliness (physical or emotional) may need CRAB APPLE. If the uncleanliness is also accompanied by guilt, PINE also may be needed.
Since emotions are complex (they are made up of many individual emotions), more than one Bach Flower can be taken at a time. In fact, it is not uncommon to suggest 6 or 7 different essences at a time.
If you or any one in your family, friend circle etc. are suffering from depression, don't neglect and don't stop any medicines that you are taking! Untreated or Poorly treated depression can affect the quality of life very adversely and in some cases may drive the person to suicide, which is not a solution at all! Seek help!
If you need specific advice regarding a Flower Essence or Mixture for you or your people, pl. don't hesitate to write. And try your own analysis of the case and see whether your analysis is correct. Sai Ram.
Saturday, July 7, 2007
When We Can't Decide!
Bach Flowers - When we can't decide!
To be or not to be? To do or not to do? Life is full of uncertainties. Sometimes we don't know what we should do, other times we can't decide between multiple choices. Asking our friends and experts is no doubt a good option, but finally we have to decide. If this becomes a problem more often, we may need a little help. Let us see how Bach Flowers help us in deciding our course of action.
When we can't decide between two or more options. We have got all the inputs about the pros and cons of the various choices. We are now swinging back and forth between the choices and we can't make up our mind. We get frustrated about our indecision.
Astrologically, those of us who are born in the zodiacal signs of Gemini and Libra (Between these two Gemini is much more affected, when Mercury and Moon are together and are weak) will sometimes find this trait so marked that we suffer. If any of you want to comment more on this, I welcome your inputs.
Since we are keen, intelligent people who can see both sides of the coin, we can't make up our mind. When we go shopping, we can't decide what to choose between two dresses or two models of the latest gadget. We go to a restaurant and we can't decide between two good dishes. We need Scleranthus.
We are stuck and we don't know what to do. We have no ideas, we have no choices from which we can choose. We feel blocked. This may be true of any aspect of our life like career or the life itself. We sometimes keep wondering what for we have taken birth. We don't know the purpose of our life. We need WILD OAT.
We have the inputs and we know what to do, but can't trust our own judgment. So, we keep asking our friends whether we are doing right. We are asking them, not for any input which will help us take the right decision, but are asking them for reassurance, because we can't trust our own judgment. We need CERATO. (We may also need LARCH for our lack of self-confidence.)
LARCH has no problem in deciding what to do but lacks confidence in doing it and so feels diffident to take up. Since many times, our expectations come true, we actually fail to do the work and the feed-back cycle is complete. We feel that we indeed are incapable and our self-image starts becoming weaker and weaker. LARCH helps in such a situation. If this is left uncorrected, we may end up as CERATO, where we lack all confidence in our ability to decide between two alternatives and so need reassurance from others. CERATO people tend to cling to friends and relatives for continued reassurance and thus drain their energy!
If we can't decide between CERATO and LARCH, we may first start with SCLERANTHUS!
To be or not to be? To do or not to do? Life is full of uncertainties. Sometimes we don't know what we should do, other times we can't decide between multiple choices. Asking our friends and experts is no doubt a good option, but finally we have to decide. If this becomes a problem more often, we may need a little help. Let us see how Bach Flowers help us in deciding our course of action.
When we can't decide between two or more options. We have got all the inputs about the pros and cons of the various choices. We are now swinging back and forth between the choices and we can't make up our mind. We get frustrated about our indecision.
Astrologically, those of us who are born in the zodiacal signs of Gemini and Libra (Between these two Gemini is much more affected, when Mercury and Moon are together and are weak) will sometimes find this trait so marked that we suffer. If any of you want to comment more on this, I welcome your inputs.
Since we are keen, intelligent people who can see both sides of the coin, we can't make up our mind. When we go shopping, we can't decide what to choose between two dresses or two models of the latest gadget. We go to a restaurant and we can't decide between two good dishes. We need Scleranthus.
We are stuck and we don't know what to do. We have no ideas, we have no choices from which we can choose. We feel blocked. This may be true of any aspect of our life like career or the life itself. We sometimes keep wondering what for we have taken birth. We don't know the purpose of our life. We need WILD OAT.
We have the inputs and we know what to do, but can't trust our own judgment. So, we keep asking our friends whether we are doing right. We are asking them, not for any input which will help us take the right decision, but are asking them for reassurance, because we can't trust our own judgment. We need CERATO. (We may also need LARCH for our lack of self-confidence.)
LARCH has no problem in deciding what to do but lacks confidence in doing it and so feels diffident to take up. Since many times, our expectations come true, we actually fail to do the work and the feed-back cycle is complete. We feel that we indeed are incapable and our self-image starts becoming weaker and weaker. LARCH helps in such a situation. If this is left uncorrected, we may end up as CERATO, where we lack all confidence in our ability to decide between two alternatives and so need reassurance from others. CERATO people tend to cling to friends and relatives for continued reassurance and thus drain their energy!
If we can't decide between CERATO and LARCH, we may first start with SCLERANTHUS!
Bach Remedies for FEAR
Sai Ram. Let us now take up the study of Bach Flowers in more detail.
Dr.Bach grouped the remedies into various categories based on their interaction with human emotions such Fear, Uncertianity, Loneliness, Depression etc.
We will now take up the remedies that will help us with Fear.
Fear comes from a sense of separation, from a sense of 'I' being separate and different from 'Not I'. This is from a spiritual angle. The ego is always afraid of change, which threatens its existence. Ego is limited, bound. So, it will have its boundaries, comfort zones. Even the most adventurous, change seeking ego has some limits beyond which the ego is unwilling to change and if change is thrust on it, fear may be a result.
From a worldly angle, Fear is no doubt a useful emotion. Fear is useful for survival. For example, either I am bitten by a snake or see some one bitten by a snake and see the consequences. Next time, when I see the snake, fear is my automatic reaction. Fear of a street dog (which may bite), fear of being mugged by a stranger on a dark street., all these are valid fears.
Fear helps us take proper precautions. But if the fear becomes a nuisance and it starts interfering in our day to day life, we need to do something about it. That is where Bach Flowers come into picture.
Specific fears like fear of snakes, fear of fire, fear of failure etc., are addressed by Mimulus. To see the picture of Mimulus and other Bach Flowers, pl. go to
http://www.skylarkbooks.co.uk/Shop/media/Prescribing-Bach-Flower-Remedies.htm#Rock-Rose
Apart from the picture, short descriptions of the indications for each Flower are given there. You can order the flower essences from there or buy the same from your neighborhood (which may be cheaper). That site also lists many of the standard books on Bach Flower Remedies and if you are interested, you may consider reading those books.
Please note that the information presented there (the photographs of the flowers and the short descriptions of their use) may be protected by copyright and so don't simply copy and paste into something else for sharing with your friends. Please give the link given above so that your friends can see the information directly.
Though the system of remedy selection is simple, the interpretation of some of the emotional expressions gives rise to different recommendations by different practitioners. The patients are encouraged to take an active part in remedy selection but it is not always feasible. So, what they express, needs to be interpreted by the practitioner and the same expression lends to different interpretation by different people.
For example, Mimulus is meant to help with specific fears, fears which can be named. But consider the following:
"I am afraid of losing my self control." (This may happen due to any cause. What is important is that the person feels so threatened that he/she feels on edge and feels the downfall is imminent)
On the face of it, it looks as if it is a specific fear and I may advise you to try Mimulus, but a better practitioner will recommend you Cherry Plum!
Again - "I am afraid for the safety of my young son, who has gone with his friends on a picnic." will require Red Chestnut.
How to differentiate? The following guidelines will help:
Mimulus is indicated in specific fears which affect the safety of that person, where as Red Chestnut is afraid for people whom they love.
Note: This type of differentiation - compare and contrast is very important and separates the good practitioner from an inefficient one.
Let us see briefly the main characteristics of the 5 different Flower Remedies indicated in Fears and Terror (which is intense Fear).
Mimulus - Specific fears - Fears of fire, snakes, cats, dogs, fire, thunderstorms etc., which threaten one's existence physically. Mimulus people (who will benefit from Mimulus) are generally shy, timid.
Aspen - Vague Fears - Fears which cannot be specifically named - General Anxiety - Palpitations caused by fear - Nervousness
Red Chestnut - Fear for the welfare of other people (not for oneself)
Rock Rose - Terror (intense fear), nightmares
Cherry Plum - Fear of losing one's control - desperation
We will take up some typical descriptive statements which involve the above Flowers in the next lesson.
Pl. feel free to discuss the ideas presented above and input your own ideas and experiences etc.
Dr.Bach grouped the remedies into various categories based on their interaction with human emotions such Fear, Uncertianity, Loneliness, Depression etc.
We will now take up the remedies that will help us with Fear.
Fear comes from a sense of separation, from a sense of 'I' being separate and different from 'Not I'. This is from a spiritual angle. The ego is always afraid of change, which threatens its existence. Ego is limited, bound. So, it will have its boundaries, comfort zones. Even the most adventurous, change seeking ego has some limits beyond which the ego is unwilling to change and if change is thrust on it, fear may be a result.
From a worldly angle, Fear is no doubt a useful emotion. Fear is useful for survival. For example, either I am bitten by a snake or see some one bitten by a snake and see the consequences. Next time, when I see the snake, fear is my automatic reaction. Fear of a street dog (which may bite), fear of being mugged by a stranger on a dark street., all these are valid fears.
Fear helps us take proper precautions. But if the fear becomes a nuisance and it starts interfering in our day to day life, we need to do something about it. That is where Bach Flowers come into picture.
Specific fears like fear of snakes, fear of fire, fear of failure etc., are addressed by Mimulus. To see the picture of Mimulus and other Bach Flowers, pl. go to
http://www.skylarkbooks.co.uk/Shop/media/Prescribing-Bach-Flower-Remedies.htm#Rock-Rose
Apart from the picture, short descriptions of the indications for each Flower are given there. You can order the flower essences from there or buy the same from your neighborhood (which may be cheaper). That site also lists many of the standard books on Bach Flower Remedies and if you are interested, you may consider reading those books.
Please note that the information presented there (the photographs of the flowers and the short descriptions of their use) may be protected by copyright and so don't simply copy and paste into something else for sharing with your friends. Please give the link given above so that your friends can see the information directly.
Though the system of remedy selection is simple, the interpretation of some of the emotional expressions gives rise to different recommendations by different practitioners. The patients are encouraged to take an active part in remedy selection but it is not always feasible. So, what they express, needs to be interpreted by the practitioner and the same expression lends to different interpretation by different people.
For example, Mimulus is meant to help with specific fears, fears which can be named. But consider the following:
"I am afraid of losing my self control." (This may happen due to any cause. What is important is that the person feels so threatened that he/she feels on edge and feels the downfall is imminent)
On the face of it, it looks as if it is a specific fear and I may advise you to try Mimulus, but a better practitioner will recommend you Cherry Plum!
Again - "I am afraid for the safety of my young son, who has gone with his friends on a picnic." will require Red Chestnut.
How to differentiate? The following guidelines will help:
Mimulus is indicated in specific fears which affect the safety of that person, where as Red Chestnut is afraid for people whom they love.
Note: This type of differentiation - compare and contrast is very important and separates the good practitioner from an inefficient one.
Let us see briefly the main characteristics of the 5 different Flower Remedies indicated in Fears and Terror (which is intense Fear).
Mimulus - Specific fears - Fears of fire, snakes, cats, dogs, fire, thunderstorms etc., which threaten one's existence physically. Mimulus people (who will benefit from Mimulus) are generally shy, timid.
Aspen - Vague Fears - Fears which cannot be specifically named - General Anxiety - Palpitations caused by fear - Nervousness
Red Chestnut - Fear for the welfare of other people (not for oneself)
Rock Rose - Terror (intense fear), nightmares
Cherry Plum - Fear of losing one's control - desperation
We will take up some typical descriptive statements which involve the above Flowers in the next lesson.
Pl. feel free to discuss the ideas presented above and input your own ideas and experiences etc.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
How do Bach Flowers Work?
In this lesson, we will explore some ideas about the 'how' of Bach Flowers. How do they work? Actually, this question is important to researchers and scientists and patients who have a similar bent of mind. Otherwise, to a patient, how a medicine works is not important. That it works is important.
Some researchers suggested that the Bach Flowers are not medicines at all (since the flowers are just kept in a bowl of water and are exposed to sunlight and the resulting potion is diluted so much and then a few drops of that is again diluted, thus effectively ensuring that no physical substance is present. So, in the absence of a physical medicine, the curative effect is attributed to the famous Placebo Effect.
What is the Placebo Effect? Placebo literally means to please. Hence a placebo is not a real medicine but is some innocuous substance which works because the patient thinks that he/she has been given the medicine. So, it is a form of faith healing. Placebo Effect is well known in medical circles and pharmaceutical companies evolve fairly sophisticated tests to eliminate the Placebo Effect from their Drug Trials, before they can legitimately claim that their medicine is indeed more effective than a dummy pill.
This argument is refuted and that the healing effect of Bach Flowers is not due to Placebo Effect is demonstrated by the success of Bach Flowers in the treatment of children and animals. Small children and animals don't know what is given to them and they respond very well to this form of therapy. In their case, faith does not play a part.
One theory for the action of Bach Flowers is that they help the individual ego (the little self) to reconnect to the Higher Self and thus reestablish the energy connection. Analogies of a battery and a small water tank are given. Both the battery and the water tank have limited capacity and when they lose the connection with their source (the Mains for electricity and water respectively), will get discharged sooner or later. Both will get restored to their former healthy state when they get reconnected.
Each Bach Flower Essence can be thought of as a missing link in the connection and thus depending on the symptom shown, the right essence can be chosen to reestablish the links.
This theory is appealing and has some merits, but in practice it is difficult to prove.
I feel that how a remedy works is less important than the fact that it works.
I am giving below some emails from http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/talkbach/ that deal with Placebo, with the place of Bach Flowers in the healing methods etc. I hope you will find it useful. What I wrote and what Rosada wrote were a few years apart and I was not aware of her mail, when I replied to Sukrit's mail regarding the Placebo Effect etc.
Swamy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swamy wrote:
Thank you Sukrit for bringing up an important post. Placebo effect is indeed a fairly strong effect where 'hypochondriacal' patients (those who imagine that they are ill though the physical examination reveals no problem) are immensely benefited by the doctor spending time to examine them and 'prescribing' a medicine, which could be some harmless mixture or sugar pills. Placebo means to please. So the patient is happy that he/she got the medicine and the doctor is happy that the patient (who is a paying customer and is thus very important to the doctor) is happy.Experiments in a factory (the famous Hawthorn experiments) conducted by industrial engineers (the changing of light bulbs triggered that memory) has revealed that paying attention is what increased the productivity of workers more than the amount of light!Since many of our health problems do have a psychological/emotional basis (there is an emotionally hungry child in many of us), placebo works by pleasing that child and thus improving the overall condition.The placebo effect is very strong in some psychological disorders. Homeopathy, Reiki, Bach Flowers etc., are considered to be placebos by main stream doctors. But, infants and animals (we can include trees too -- Swamy) are not aware of what they are being given and so placebo effect should not play a role in such cases. But they do and thus Homeopathy, Bach Flowers etc., (and Reiki too) are not placebos. As for improvement setting in after reading about a Flower Essence but without taking it, I had this experience several times and posted here (in that group) about my experience. Similarly, the very act of requesting Reiki makes people better before others actually respond. As Rosada wrote, our being aware of our energy flow and re-aligning is that which is effective in healing. As for Rock Water people, they have rather rigid beliefs including the belief that the apparently harmless drops can't help them really! So, they don't respond easily to other essences. Till they get Rock Water, that is. Thus it may help in frigidity too! Agrimony people are aware of their feelings but don't show them, whereas Rock Water people are not aware (at the conscious level) of their feelings. I hope others will throw more light.Best wishes.Swamy---
In talkbach@yahoogroups.com, "sukritsanatani" wrote:>> Hi again to all who like depths!>> I've attached an old mail I found while searching the archive of> talkbach for discussion on the placebo effect. Its original subject> line was Changing the light bulbs and was written by Rosada - hi, are> you still on the group?>> This is my favorite passage from this mail:>> ... prayer works for when you can't feel the flow,> a placebo works for when you can't quite trust prayer ...> Bach Flowers are for when you can't quite trust placebos,> and drugs are for those who can't trust Bach Flowers ...>>> Isn't this great?! This is from the early days of talkbach.>> Nothing more to add, (contrary to original intention)> I recommend reading Rosada's letter!> SukritOriginal message
All this discussion on the dosing without consent makes me think of the old joke, "How many psychiatrists (make that, 'Bach Flower Practitioners') does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but the light bulb has got to truly want to change...Anyway, Thanks Frank for the explanation re the 38 Bach Flower Assortment versus taking on the whole world of flora possibilities. As to the question, should you dose others or just dose yourself?, I wrote but didn't send an email yesterday saying I felt Sheri had been too hard on Ruth and suggested she try a little tenderness along with a big shot of Vervain. Well, my computer ate it so I took that as an omen and didn't rewrite the message but instead dosed myself with chicory so I wouldn't worry about Ruth and, Lo!, today's messages show they've cleared it up themselves without needing my interference at all. This shows me that sometimes we are called upon just to be loving witnesses and this is a contribution in itself, we aren't always in the theatre to be on stage, sometimes a show just needs an appreciative audience! Yet I do feel as practitioners that if we have been asked, like by a wife wondering what to do about an abusive husband, we can do more without breaking a higher moral standard, than just strengthen the wife. But the motivation is not that we're wanting to "help" the husband, that's co-dependant victim thinking in itself, but rather that at this point we're giving the wife some much needed means of self defence. My own experience, however, is that usually we don't have to go so far as dosing a husband unawares, that strengthening the wife will indeed be enough. Still I say it's better to help her put drops of water in his coffee if her next option is to put arsenic in his tea! (Rosada was discussing the ethical aspects of trying to heal someone without his express permission -- more about that later - Swamy). Now as to the discussion about the placebo effect of Bach Flowers.. First of all, the so called "Placebo Effect" is not at all understood and yet experience shows it is real. So to worry that Bach Flowers may act like a placebo and therefore should not be valued is a misunderstanding. (She means that a placebo is also valuable since it works - Swamy)
Healing happens when we "Let go and let God", whether we are enabled to do this by saying a prayer, taking a drug, a flower essence, a placebo or just falling asleep the healing process occurs for the same reason: we are no longer giving energy to the imbalance and thus are allowing change on it's own to bring things into balance. But being able to Let Go is no small thing. Death is a way of letting go, sleep is a way of letting go, trusting someone else's advice or a taking a drug or a flower essence is a way of letting go, but all these approaches involve a degree of being unconscious (letting go of biases and prejudices, relaxing is more correct -- Swamy) and ultimately we are here on classroom earth because we want to learn how to Let Go and stay conscious at the same time. The way we learn how to do this is by discerning which way the energies are flowing and then consciously choosing to go with the flow (stop struggling against the river flow and swim along -- you will reach the shore safely some where else -- Swamy). Bach Flowers help us discern the energies with a minimum amount of unconscious support. Kinda like standing next to a singer who has perfect pitch. You recognize the tone and can then find it yourself. In fact many of us have had the experience where we've been stressed and only needed to think "I could use some RescueRemedy here," and then without actually taking the drops had the stress disappear. (That is what I too experienced -- Now a days, I hardly use the Bach Flowers! -- Swamy) It's as if when we've learned to discern the energies we can flow with them instead of needing to go unconscious to adjust.
So I suggest prayer works for when you can't feel the flow, a placebo works for when you can't quite trust prayer and Bach Flowers are for when you can't quite trust placebos, and drugs are for those who can't trust Bach Flowers.
But ultimately it all adds up to the same thing, we're trying to find a way to go with the flow, accept change, with a minimum of going unconscious. Question, has anyone had experience with Oak or Elm or Olive? They sound like their sort of dealing with the same things. What are the differences? Also, I would have thought from the description that "Rock Water" would be used a lot for people who don't seem to respond quickly to the essences yet I don't see much mention of it. What is Rock Water generally used for?
Thank you all so much for being there!
Rosada.
(I have slightly edited Rosada's post mainly to eliminate some typos, but the spirit has been left intact.)
Some researchers suggested that the Bach Flowers are not medicines at all (since the flowers are just kept in a bowl of water and are exposed to sunlight and the resulting potion is diluted so much and then a few drops of that is again diluted, thus effectively ensuring that no physical substance is present. So, in the absence of a physical medicine, the curative effect is attributed to the famous Placebo Effect.
What is the Placebo Effect? Placebo literally means to please. Hence a placebo is not a real medicine but is some innocuous substance which works because the patient thinks that he/she has been given the medicine. So, it is a form of faith healing. Placebo Effect is well known in medical circles and pharmaceutical companies evolve fairly sophisticated tests to eliminate the Placebo Effect from their Drug Trials, before they can legitimately claim that their medicine is indeed more effective than a dummy pill.
This argument is refuted and that the healing effect of Bach Flowers is not due to Placebo Effect is demonstrated by the success of Bach Flowers in the treatment of children and animals. Small children and animals don't know what is given to them and they respond very well to this form of therapy. In their case, faith does not play a part.
One theory for the action of Bach Flowers is that they help the individual ego (the little self) to reconnect to the Higher Self and thus reestablish the energy connection. Analogies of a battery and a small water tank are given. Both the battery and the water tank have limited capacity and when they lose the connection with their source (the Mains for electricity and water respectively), will get discharged sooner or later. Both will get restored to their former healthy state when they get reconnected.
Each Bach Flower Essence can be thought of as a missing link in the connection and thus depending on the symptom shown, the right essence can be chosen to reestablish the links.
This theory is appealing and has some merits, but in practice it is difficult to prove.
I feel that how a remedy works is less important than the fact that it works.
I am giving below some emails from http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/talkbach/ that deal with Placebo, with the place of Bach Flowers in the healing methods etc. I hope you will find it useful. What I wrote and what Rosada wrote were a few years apart and I was not aware of her mail, when I replied to Sukrit's mail regarding the Placebo Effect etc.
Swamy
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Swamy wrote:
Thank you Sukrit for bringing up an important post. Placebo effect is indeed a fairly strong effect where 'hypochondriacal' patients (those who imagine that they are ill though the physical examination reveals no problem) are immensely benefited by the doctor spending time to examine them and 'prescribing' a medicine, which could be some harmless mixture or sugar pills. Placebo means to please. So the patient is happy that he/she got the medicine and the doctor is happy that the patient (who is a paying customer and is thus very important to the doctor) is happy.Experiments in a factory (the famous Hawthorn experiments) conducted by industrial engineers (the changing of light bulbs triggered that memory) has revealed that paying attention is what increased the productivity of workers more than the amount of light!Since many of our health problems do have a psychological/emotional basis (there is an emotionally hungry child in many of us), placebo works by pleasing that child and thus improving the overall condition.The placebo effect is very strong in some psychological disorders. Homeopathy, Reiki, Bach Flowers etc., are considered to be placebos by main stream doctors. But, infants and animals (we can include trees too -- Swamy) are not aware of what they are being given and so placebo effect should not play a role in such cases. But they do and thus Homeopathy, Bach Flowers etc., (and Reiki too) are not placebos. As for improvement setting in after reading about a Flower Essence but without taking it, I had this experience several times and posted here (in that group) about my experience. Similarly, the very act of requesting Reiki makes people better before others actually respond. As Rosada wrote, our being aware of our energy flow and re-aligning is that which is effective in healing. As for Rock Water people, they have rather rigid beliefs including the belief that the apparently harmless drops can't help them really! So, they don't respond easily to other essences. Till they get Rock Water, that is. Thus it may help in frigidity too! Agrimony people are aware of their feelings but don't show them, whereas Rock Water people are not aware (at the conscious level) of their feelings. I hope others will throw more light.Best wishes.Swamy---
In talkbach@yahoogroups.com, "sukritsanatani"
All this discussion on the dosing without consent makes me think of the old joke, "How many psychiatrists (make that, 'Bach Flower Practitioners') does it take to change a light bulb? Answer: Only one, but the light bulb has got to truly want to change...Anyway, Thanks Frank for the explanation re the 38 Bach Flower Assortment versus taking on the whole world of flora possibilities. As to the question, should you dose others or just dose yourself?, I wrote but didn't send an email yesterday saying I felt Sheri had been too hard on Ruth and suggested she try a little tenderness along with a big shot of Vervain. Well, my computer ate it so I took that as an omen and didn't rewrite the message but instead dosed myself with chicory so I wouldn't worry about Ruth and, Lo!, today's messages show they've cleared it up themselves without needing my interference at all. This shows me that sometimes we are called upon just to be loving witnesses and this is a contribution in itself, we aren't always in the theatre to be on stage, sometimes a show just needs an appreciative audience! Yet I do feel as practitioners that if we have been asked, like by a wife wondering what to do about an abusive husband, we can do more without breaking a higher moral standard, than just strengthen the wife. But the motivation is not that we're wanting to "help" the husband, that's co-dependant victim thinking in itself, but rather that at this point we're giving the wife some much needed means of self defence. My own experience, however, is that usually we don't have to go so far as dosing a husband unawares, that strengthening the wife will indeed be enough. Still I say it's better to help her put drops of water in his coffee if her next option is to put arsenic in his tea! (Rosada was discussing the ethical aspects of trying to heal someone without his express permission -- more about that later - Swamy). Now as to the discussion about the placebo effect of Bach Flowers.. First of all, the so called "Placebo Effect" is not at all understood and yet experience shows it is real. So to worry that Bach Flowers may act like a placebo and therefore should not be valued is a misunderstanding. (She means that a placebo is also valuable since it works - Swamy)
Healing happens when we "Let go and let God", whether we are enabled to do this by saying a prayer, taking a drug, a flower essence, a placebo or just falling asleep the healing process occurs for the same reason: we are no longer giving energy to the imbalance and thus are allowing change on it's own to bring things into balance. But being able to Let Go is no small thing. Death is a way of letting go, sleep is a way of letting go, trusting someone else's advice or a taking a drug or a flower essence is a way of letting go, but all these approaches involve a degree of being unconscious (letting go of biases and prejudices, relaxing is more correct -- Swamy) and ultimately we are here on classroom earth because we want to learn how to Let Go and stay conscious at the same time. The way we learn how to do this is by discerning which way the energies are flowing and then consciously choosing to go with the flow (stop struggling against the river flow and swim along -- you will reach the shore safely some where else -- Swamy). Bach Flowers help us discern the energies with a minimum amount of unconscious support. Kinda like standing next to a singer who has perfect pitch. You recognize the tone and can then find it yourself. In fact many of us have had the experience where we've been stressed and only needed to think "I could use some RescueRemedy here," and then without actually taking the drops had the stress disappear. (That is what I too experienced -- Now a days, I hardly use the Bach Flowers! -- Swamy) It's as if when we've learned to discern the energies we can flow with them instead of needing to go unconscious to adjust.
So I suggest prayer works for when you can't feel the flow, a placebo works for when you can't quite trust prayer and Bach Flowers are for when you can't quite trust placebos, and drugs are for those who can't trust Bach Flowers.
But ultimately it all adds up to the same thing, we're trying to find a way to go with the flow, accept change, with a minimum of going unconscious. Question, has anyone had experience with Oak or Elm or Olive? They sound like their sort of dealing with the same things. What are the differences? Also, I would have thought from the description that "Rock Water" would be used a lot for people who don't seem to respond quickly to the essences yet I don't see much mention of it. What is Rock Water generally used for?
Thank you all so much for being there!
Rosada.
(I have slightly edited Rosada's post mainly to eliminate some typos, but the spirit has been left intact.)
An Introduction to Bach Flower Remedies / Essences
Bach Flower Remedies (in USA they are called Bach Flower Essences because FDA doesn't allow the word Remedy) are the gift of the Spirit to mankind through Dr. Edward Bach, an English physician who lived from 1886 to 1936. They are considered as 'Alternative Therapy', 'Herbal Supplementation' and 'Energy Essences'. In some countries, to meet the local laws, they are classified as Homeopathic Dilutions. Together with Herbal Supplements, Aromatherapy, Acupressure, Schussler Tissue Remedies and where necessary allopathic medication / surgery, they form an effective and safe healing system.
Bach Flower Remedies are Flower Essences (with one exception of Rock Water, which is a specific natural spring water, but is clubbed with the others) derived from the flowers and some other parts of wild plants and trees of English countryside. Introduced between 1931 and 1935 by Dr. Edward Bach of England, the remedies or essences are 38 in number and have proved themselves over the years all over the world. They are called Bach Flower Remedies in England and Bach Flower Essences in USA.
Dr.Edward Bach (originally pronounced as Back, but later pronounced as Batch by his colleagues and that stuck) was born in 1886. He was of delicate health (and destiny chose him to discover a system which heals others!). His father wanted him to continue in the family business of foundry, but Edward chose to become a doctor. As was the usual practice, he studied in the regular orthodox medical system and worked in various hospitals. Like other path-breakers, he too was not satisfied with the system of treatment prevailing in his days. Thus he was always looking for better ways. In the course of his work, he became a bacteriologist and became acquainted with the work of Samuel Hahnemann, the brilliant German doctor who discovered the homeopathic principle of ' Similia Similibus Curanter - like cures like' about 150 years earlier.
Dr.Bach was happy to realise that his ideas of mind influencing the matter were not new and that Homeopathy recognised this long ago. However, he also felt that it should be possible to classify the basic human nature and the mental/emotional aberrations into a fairly limited number of classes or groups and thus simplify the method of treatment. He felt that once the mind is OK, body will become OK. Treat the person, not the individual symptom was his motto.
During the course of his work in a hospital, Dr.Bach prepared 7 nosodes (homeopathic potencies of diseased tissues and or disease products) from the intestinal flora of his patients and found excellent results in terms of restoration of health. In a way, this is similar to the use of prebiotics and probiotics to take care of IBS, Crohn's Disease etc. More about it later. If any of you are specifically interested, I will discuss about them later. The nosodes developed by Dr.Bach and others are extensively used in homeopathic practice even today. Dr.Hahnemann and other homeopaths believe that whether it is pure gold or filth, anything and everything is useful as a curative remedy and there should be no taboos.
But Dr.Bach had some aversion to administer disease products, of however minute quantity through the mouth to his patients. He was convinced that the same God/Nature which produced a problem also provided a solution and thus was compelled to abandon his practice in London and move to the countryside. His own ill health must have been another added factor. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer if I remember correctly. (I will give more deatils after checking up). There in the course of a few years, he discovered some wild flowers whose essences (not aromatic, by essence it is meant its healing properties) could help the person recover from negative emotions. He found that these essences work as efficiently or even more efficiently as the nosodes.
Here it will be helpful to differentiate the use of the word Essence in this system and in Aromatherapy. There Essential Oils refer to aromatic substances distilled from flowers and other parts of trees, plants etc. Here, the word essence refers to the essential (important) part of the plant from the point of view of healing. It refers to the spiritual vibrations of the flowers and not to the smell. In fact, Bach Flower Essences are free from smells (except that of the grape alcohol).
There are 38 of them and a compound or mixture of 5 of them discovered by Dr.Bach himself as being of invaluable service in emergencies and which he called appropriately as Rescue Remedy. Though Rescue Remedy is a mixture of 5 different Essences, it is classified as a single Essence. I will explain more about it later.
The list of remedies and their principal uses -
Name of the Remedy/Essence - Main symptom which it helps
Agrimony - Hiding problems behind a cheerful face
Aspen - Vague and undefinable fears
Beech - Intolerant of others, critical
Centaury - Weak-willed, easily led, unable to say no
Cerato - Not trusting one's own judgement, always asking others for advice
Cherry Plum - Fear of Losing self control
Chestnut Bud - Failure to learn from past mistakes
Chicory - Possessive, Over-protective
Clematis - Dreaminess, lack of interest in the present
Crab Apple - Poor Self-Image, Sense of uncleanliness
Elm - Overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian - Discouragement, Despondency
Gorse - Despair, Hopelessness
Heather - Self-centered, Talkative, Always talking about one-self
Holly - Envious, jealous, hatred, lack of love
Honeysuckle - Dwells on the past,nostalgic
Hornbeam - Mental weariness, doubting one's ability to cope, but doing well once taken up.
Impatiens - Impatience (very useful for competent and quick, impatient people)
Larch - Lack of confidence
Mimulus - Fear of specific known things
Mustard - Deep gloom with no origin, Depression
Oak - Exhausted but struggles on
Olive - Lack of Energy, exhaustion of body and Mind
Pine - Self-reproach, guilt
Red Chestnut - Fear or over concern for others, esp. loved ones
Rock Rose - Terror
Rock Water - Rigid, inflexible, self-denial
Scleranthus - Uncertainty, Indecision
Star of Bethlehem - After effects of Shock
Sweet Chestnut - Extreme Mental Anguish
Vervain - Over enthusiasm
Vine - Assertive, dominating,inflexible
Walnut - Protective from change and outside influences
Water Violet - Proud, Aloof
White Chestnut - Unwanted thoughts,mental arguments
Wild Oat - Uncertainty as to correct path in life
Wild Rose - Resignation, apathy
Willow - Self-pity, Resentment
Rescue Remedy - For emergency (accidents, injuries, burns and panic attacks etc.)
Rescue Remedy is a combination of Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose and Clematis. Rescue Cream with added Crab Apple is available and is useful as a multi-purpose skin salve. Rescue Spray also is available.
If you or your friends are sceptical about the efficacy of Bach Flower Essences, the first Essence which you should try is Rescue. The next time a cut or burn or a sprain or a panic attack occurs, try that. If the results are not satisfactory, Bach Flowers are probably not for you or that person.
Bach Flower Remedies are prepared from the flowers by 'Sun Method' and 'Boiling Method', each of which is briefly explained below. Note that each Flower Remedy is prepared using one of the two methods, depending on its nature. The same flower will not be prepared using both the methods. Which Remedy is prepared which way is detailed in Bach Literature. I will give you links to various websites, and books etc. later.
In the Sun Method, flowers are placed in a bowl of water and are exposed to the sunlight for about an hour. The essence of the flowers is absorbed by the water and the energised water is preserved as a standardised mother tincture by dilution with 40% pure brandy. The stock remedies are prepared by further dilution with 27% grape alcohol.
In the Boiling Method, flowers, twigs etc. of the plant are put in a kettle and are boiled. The distillate is collected and processed further as above.
As already mentioned Rock Water is not a flower essence and is collected from some natural springs oozing out from under some rocks. Useful for very rigid thinking, highly idealistic.
The treatment bottle is prepared by taking two drops of the stock remedy and adding mineral water to a 30 ml bottle. More than one Bach Flower Remedy can be added to the same botle and thus a mixture individualised can be prepared.
Bach Flower Remedies are unlike homeopathic medicines in that they are not potentised. They could be called dilutions at the most. And the dilution is fixed, as described above. They are prescribed purely based on mental / emotional symptoms, without reference to the physical symptoms, modalities (time, location, aggravations, ameliorations) etc., which form a crucial part in homeopathy. Bach Flower Remedies are selected many times with the active participation of the patient in the treatment process. Classical homeopaths spend a lot of time in taking the symtom picture and then decide on the homeopathic remedy matching that symptom picture. The name of the remedy is usually not revealed to the patient. "The name of the disease is not my concern and the name of the remedy should not be your concern" is the attitude. Of course, it is possible to find a suitable remedy in either system by self-study but self-treatment is always discouraged by all health professionals!
Bach Flower Remedies are safe and are used for treatment of Children, Pets and Plants too. No adverse reactions are reported from use of a wrongly selected Remedy or from over dosage.
Since there are only 38 remedies it may be necessary and it is permitted to mix two or more remedies at a time in the treatment bottle. To that extent, they are similar to Schussler's 12 Tissue Remedies. I will take up the course of that later. Rescue Remedy, if selected is counted as one remedy. Up to 6 or 7 remedies can be mixed at a time, though Dr. Bach used up to even 9 remedies at times. However, it is always recommended to use as less number of remedies (essences) in a mixture as possible. There is a strong temptation to mix all 38 essences as a sort of Cure All. It has been tried and Dr.Bach did not find good results.
Bach Flower Remedies can be taken directly from the treatment bottle or mixed with food, tea, coffee, cool drinks, juices etc., unlike homeopathic preparations, which are to be taken separately.
In India, Bach Flower Remedies are also available in the form of sugar pills wetted with the liquid. In India, they are available from homeopathic shops. In UK and USA, Nelson Bach is the main supplier. but there are others too and a search on the internet will be helpful in locating a shop nearby. It is also possible to order the Remedies through Mail order.
Distance learning programs and other courses are available from Bach Centre, UK, Nelson Bach etc.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/talkbach is an excellent Yahoo Group, where one can get a lot of information and advice about the Remedies.
www.essences.com is a good site which gives a lot of resources including educators, practitioners etc. in various countries.
www.gemmamonter.com is another good site maintained by my friend Gemma Monter, BFRP. She has started compiling an International Directory of Bach Flower Therapists. Especially for Spanish speaking readers of this blog, I recommend Gemma.
The above recommendations are done to set you exploring and without any monetary or commercial motives.
Bach Flower Remedies are Flower Essences (with one exception of Rock Water, which is a specific natural spring water, but is clubbed with the others) derived from the flowers and some other parts of wild plants and trees of English countryside. Introduced between 1931 and 1935 by Dr. Edward Bach of England, the remedies or essences are 38 in number and have proved themselves over the years all over the world. They are called Bach Flower Remedies in England and Bach Flower Essences in USA.
Dr.Edward Bach (originally pronounced as Back, but later pronounced as Batch by his colleagues and that stuck) was born in 1886. He was of delicate health (and destiny chose him to discover a system which heals others!). His father wanted him to continue in the family business of foundry, but Edward chose to become a doctor. As was the usual practice, he studied in the regular orthodox medical system and worked in various hospitals. Like other path-breakers, he too was not satisfied with the system of treatment prevailing in his days. Thus he was always looking for better ways. In the course of his work, he became a bacteriologist and became acquainted with the work of Samuel Hahnemann, the brilliant German doctor who discovered the homeopathic principle of ' Similia Similibus Curanter - like cures like' about 150 years earlier.
Dr.Bach was happy to realise that his ideas of mind influencing the matter were not new and that Homeopathy recognised this long ago. However, he also felt that it should be possible to classify the basic human nature and the mental/emotional aberrations into a fairly limited number of classes or groups and thus simplify the method of treatment. He felt that once the mind is OK, body will become OK. Treat the person, not the individual symptom was his motto.
During the course of his work in a hospital, Dr.Bach prepared 7 nosodes (homeopathic potencies of diseased tissues and or disease products) from the intestinal flora of his patients and found excellent results in terms of restoration of health. In a way, this is similar to the use of prebiotics and probiotics to take care of IBS, Crohn's Disease etc. More about it later. If any of you are specifically interested, I will discuss about them later. The nosodes developed by Dr.Bach and others are extensively used in homeopathic practice even today. Dr.Hahnemann and other homeopaths believe that whether it is pure gold or filth, anything and everything is useful as a curative remedy and there should be no taboos.
But Dr.Bach had some aversion to administer disease products, of however minute quantity through the mouth to his patients. He was convinced that the same God/Nature which produced a problem also provided a solution and thus was compelled to abandon his practice in London and move to the countryside. His own ill health must have been another added factor. He was diagnosed with stomach cancer if I remember correctly. (I will give more deatils after checking up). There in the course of a few years, he discovered some wild flowers whose essences (not aromatic, by essence it is meant its healing properties) could help the person recover from negative emotions. He found that these essences work as efficiently or even more efficiently as the nosodes.
Here it will be helpful to differentiate the use of the word Essence in this system and in Aromatherapy. There Essential Oils refer to aromatic substances distilled from flowers and other parts of trees, plants etc. Here, the word essence refers to the essential (important) part of the plant from the point of view of healing. It refers to the spiritual vibrations of the flowers and not to the smell. In fact, Bach Flower Essences are free from smells (except that of the grape alcohol).
There are 38 of them and a compound or mixture of 5 of them discovered by Dr.Bach himself as being of invaluable service in emergencies and which he called appropriately as Rescue Remedy. Though Rescue Remedy is a mixture of 5 different Essences, it is classified as a single Essence. I will explain more about it later.
The list of remedies and their principal uses -
Name of the Remedy/Essence - Main symptom which it helps
Agrimony - Hiding problems behind a cheerful face
Aspen - Vague and undefinable fears
Beech - Intolerant of others, critical
Centaury - Weak-willed, easily led, unable to say no
Cerato - Not trusting one's own judgement, always asking others for advice
Cherry Plum - Fear of Losing self control
Chestnut Bud - Failure to learn from past mistakes
Chicory - Possessive, Over-protective
Clematis - Dreaminess, lack of interest in the present
Crab Apple - Poor Self-Image, Sense of uncleanliness
Elm - Overwhelmed by responsibility
Gentian - Discouragement, Despondency
Gorse - Despair, Hopelessness
Heather - Self-centered, Talkative, Always talking about one-self
Holly - Envious, jealous, hatred, lack of love
Honeysuckle - Dwells on the past,nostalgic
Hornbeam - Mental weariness, doubting one's ability to cope, but doing well once taken up.
Impatiens - Impatience (very useful for competent and quick, impatient people)
Larch - Lack of confidence
Mimulus - Fear of specific known things
Mustard - Deep gloom with no origin, Depression
Oak - Exhausted but struggles on
Olive - Lack of Energy, exhaustion of body and Mind
Pine - Self-reproach, guilt
Red Chestnut - Fear or over concern for others, esp. loved ones
Rock Rose - Terror
Rock Water - Rigid, inflexible, self-denial
Scleranthus - Uncertainty, Indecision
Star of Bethlehem - After effects of Shock
Sweet Chestnut - Extreme Mental Anguish
Vervain - Over enthusiasm
Vine - Assertive, dominating,inflexible
Walnut - Protective from change and outside influences
Water Violet - Proud, Aloof
White Chestnut - Unwanted thoughts,mental arguments
Wild Oat - Uncertainty as to correct path in life
Wild Rose - Resignation, apathy
Willow - Self-pity, Resentment
Rescue Remedy - For emergency (accidents, injuries, burns and panic attacks etc.)
Rescue Remedy is a combination of Impatiens, Star of Bethlehem, Cherry Plum, Rock Rose and Clematis. Rescue Cream with added Crab Apple is available and is useful as a multi-purpose skin salve. Rescue Spray also is available.
If you or your friends are sceptical about the efficacy of Bach Flower Essences, the first Essence which you should try is Rescue. The next time a cut or burn or a sprain or a panic attack occurs, try that. If the results are not satisfactory, Bach Flowers are probably not for you or that person.
Bach Flower Remedies are prepared from the flowers by 'Sun Method' and 'Boiling Method', each of which is briefly explained below. Note that each Flower Remedy is prepared using one of the two methods, depending on its nature. The same flower will not be prepared using both the methods. Which Remedy is prepared which way is detailed in Bach Literature. I will give you links to various websites, and books etc. later.
In the Sun Method, flowers are placed in a bowl of water and are exposed to the sunlight for about an hour. The essence of the flowers is absorbed by the water and the energised water is preserved as a standardised mother tincture by dilution with 40% pure brandy. The stock remedies are prepared by further dilution with 27% grape alcohol.
In the Boiling Method, flowers, twigs etc. of the plant are put in a kettle and are boiled. The distillate is collected and processed further as above.
As already mentioned Rock Water is not a flower essence and is collected from some natural springs oozing out from under some rocks. Useful for very rigid thinking, highly idealistic.
The treatment bottle is prepared by taking two drops of the stock remedy and adding mineral water to a 30 ml bottle. More than one Bach Flower Remedy can be added to the same botle and thus a mixture individualised can be prepared.
Bach Flower Remedies are unlike homeopathic medicines in that they are not potentised. They could be called dilutions at the most. And the dilution is fixed, as described above. They are prescribed purely based on mental / emotional symptoms, without reference to the physical symptoms, modalities (time, location, aggravations, ameliorations) etc., which form a crucial part in homeopathy. Bach Flower Remedies are selected many times with the active participation of the patient in the treatment process. Classical homeopaths spend a lot of time in taking the symtom picture and then decide on the homeopathic remedy matching that symptom picture. The name of the remedy is usually not revealed to the patient. "The name of the disease is not my concern and the name of the remedy should not be your concern" is the attitude. Of course, it is possible to find a suitable remedy in either system by self-study but self-treatment is always discouraged by all health professionals!
Bach Flower Remedies are safe and are used for treatment of Children, Pets and Plants too. No adverse reactions are reported from use of a wrongly selected Remedy or from over dosage.
Since there are only 38 remedies it may be necessary and it is permitted to mix two or more remedies at a time in the treatment bottle. To that extent, they are similar to Schussler's 12 Tissue Remedies. I will take up the course of that later. Rescue Remedy, if selected is counted as one remedy. Up to 6 or 7 remedies can be mixed at a time, though Dr. Bach used up to even 9 remedies at times. However, it is always recommended to use as less number of remedies (essences) in a mixture as possible. There is a strong temptation to mix all 38 essences as a sort of Cure All. It has been tried and Dr.Bach did not find good results.
Bach Flower Remedies can be taken directly from the treatment bottle or mixed with food, tea, coffee, cool drinks, juices etc., unlike homeopathic preparations, which are to be taken separately.
In India, Bach Flower Remedies are also available in the form of sugar pills wetted with the liquid. In India, they are available from homeopathic shops. In UK and USA, Nelson Bach is the main supplier. but there are others too and a search on the internet will be helpful in locating a shop nearby. It is also possible to order the Remedies through Mail order.
Distance learning programs and other courses are available from Bach Centre, UK, Nelson Bach etc.
http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group/talkbach is an excellent Yahoo Group, where one can get a lot of information and advice about the Remedies.
www.essences.com is a good site which gives a lot of resources including educators, practitioners etc. in various countries.
www.gemmamonter.com is another good site maintained by my friend Gemma Monter, BFRP. She has started compiling an International Directory of Bach Flower Therapists. Especially for Spanish speaking readers of this blog, I recommend Gemma.
The above recommendations are done to set you exploring and without any monetary or commercial motives.
Saturday, January 27, 2007
An Introduction to Holistic Health
Lesson No. I Introduction to Holistic Health
Health is the concern of all. "Health is Wealth" goes the saying. Everyone wants to be happy. Health is the first and foremost condition to happiness. And, yes, happiness is a pre-condition for health! Thus, it is a nice merry go-around! I don't want to call it a vicious circle, since that connotes a very negative image. Thus health and happiness go together. Unfulfilled desires lead to unhappiness and unhappiness leads to disease, ill-health, a feeling of being unwell. Efforts to either fulfill the desires (which can and should be fulfilled) or to understand the undesirability of fulfilling the desires (illegal, unethical and immoral) and/or the futility of pursuing desires which are beyond one's reach, will quickly restore the health, since the unhappiness, which was causing the derangement in health has been removed.
Purely physical causes which cause temporaray dislocation in one's health are generally, easy to correct. For example, a sprained ligament may give discomfort for some time and restrict one's activities but once it is repaired, the person can lead a normal life. But, psychological aspects of one's ill-health, especially in chronic cases, are difficult to correct, since it is difficult to remain optimistic in the face of chronic ill-health. It is also difficult to understand and accept the role of the psychological factors that are contributing to one's physical ill health. For example, poor relationship, dwelling too much on the past wrongs (of oneself or others) and chronic anger etc. cause many physical symptoms, which are confused with disease. However, with proper understanding, and with Divine Grace (Grace of God and Guru), it is possible to change one's outlook on various aspects of life and thus to achieve a better state of health. Even coping with some chronic physical health problems becomes easy when one realises that disease or ill-health has a clear and definite role to play in one's learning process, called life.
Anything can cause ill-health. And anything can cure the ill-health. Acupressure, Acupuncture, Aromatherapy, Ayurveda, Bach Flower Essences, Chiropractic, Color Therapy, Crystal Healing, EFT, Feng Shui, Herbal Remedies, Homeopathy, Magnetotherapy, Naturopathy, Pranic Healing, Reflexology, REIKI, Unani, Yoga ... are some of the alternative health systems that complement the modern medical system, also called Allopathy. Some of the systems are also called holistic health systems. Let us understand the differences between alternative, complementary and holistic systems.As the name suggests, holistic health involves an integrated approach to all aspects of health, spiritual, mental and physical. "Treat the patient and not the disease" is the basic approach in this system. Since spirit expresses itself through the mind (esp. the emotions, desires, aversions etc.), holistic healing involves an integrated approach to the mind-body connection. On the other hand, some of the health sytems mentioned above may deal only with the emotional, psychological aspects, without taking into account the physical symptoms. They may not be holistic in the strict sense of the term, but since it is now understood that more than 90% of the health problems are psychosomatic in nature, any health system that tries to restore the emotional health (since it is the emotions that affect the mind, and contaminate the intellect, which by itself is normally not affected except in serious degenerative diseases of the brain), can be considered holistic. Some systems may complement the allopathic system and some may supplement the system. Thus a holistic health professional may use one or all of them or work with other professionals so that the patient is restored to a state of good health at the earliest. Integrated Medicine is the best approach and is slowly winning increasing acceptance from the main stream medical establishment.
This intrduction and the subsequent lessons in this course are not meant to make you a professional healer but are meant to be educational and may help you and your friends, relatives etc. to understand the various risks and benefits of using different healing systems and thus make a better informed decision. Since the holistic aspects of health including the preventive aspects, alternative practices, non-medicinal energy-based systems for healing etc. are proposed to be discussed in a series of articles, the same may be of interest to you and your family members and friends.
Modern medicine (also called ALLOPATHY) has its rightful place too and especially the modern diagnostic procedures, the surgical intervention and reconstruction are definitely not to be ignored. In any medical emergency, my sincere advice to you is to rush to the Hospital or Emergency Room etc. However, when only the medicinal aspects are required to be used, the gross side-effects of most of modern drugs make us look for better alternatives. Alternative systems like what I mentioned above come into the picture in such situations. Psychosomatic complaints (that means disorders of the physical body caused by disorders of the mind - most of the disease conditions!) are better treated using non-medicinal Energy Systems like Acupuncture, Acupressure, EFT, Quantum Touch Healing, REIKI etc., or with Holistic Systems like Ayurveda, Flower Essences, Homeopathy, Tissue Remedies, etc. Some of these systems like Quantum Touch, Reiki are also useful when modern medical treatment is being employed.
In the next lesson, we will take up an introduction to Bach Flower Remedies also called Bach Flower Essences.
Pl. feel free to contact me with any questions or suggestions. I wish you success in your efforts. Sai Ram.
One statutory warning: No advice, except that given by a qualified and registered health professional, is to be taken as a prescription. And it is up to you, to act on any advice and the consequences of that action are solely your responsibility. The person who has given the advice can not accept any legal responsibility for the consequences of following the advice. This is common sense, but bears repetition.
About the Author: Though I am a metallurgist by education and have no formal medical training, I studied HOMEOPATHY, SCHUSSLER'S TISSUE REMEDIES, BACH FLOWER REMEDIES, became a REIKI Master / Healer, a Crystal healer and of late found that SPIRITUAL HEALING is the most powerful. Pl. see www.freewebs.com/svswamy for my profile.
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