Selecting remedies

Dr Bach wanted his remedies to be simple to use. Anyone can select and take them without professional advice. You don't need special techniques or mystical abilities. The simple method set out here is the only one used and taught by the Bach Centre.

Suppose you are suffering from asthma. There is no Bach remedy for asthma, since this is a physical complaint. So the first step is to forget about the physical problem.

You might start by thinking about the way you feel at the moment. Perhaps your son is about to start school and quite without cause you are frightened that he will be bullied. Red Chestnut is the remedy for the fear that something bad will happen to loved ones. Perhaps you have been working too hard and are exhausted: this would indicate the need for Olive.

Consider too how the asthma makes you feel emotionally. Do you feel frustrated, annoyed, resentful, discouraged, resigned about the situation? Are you always worrying over when the next attack will come? Do you always forget to take your inhaler out with you? Looking through the list of remedies, find the one that best matches how you feel.

You could also think about your basic personality. Perhaps you are someone who tends to be quiet, shy and timid. You get nervous about things like speaking in public and meeting new people. This might indicate that you are a Mimulus type. On the other hand, maybe you recognise yourself as a Vervain person, full of enthusiasm and energy, and committed to justice for others? Or you might be something of a loner, liking quiet pursuits and your own company, reserved and upright? That would be a Water Violet personality.

You can select up to six or seven different remedies in this way. Don't worry too much if you make a wrong selection, because if a remedy is not needed it will not do anything. Experience has shown, however, that too many remedies taken at one time are not as effective as a few well-chosen ones. This means that there is no point mixing all 38 together to zap everything at once!

There is a full list of remedies on this web site; links lead to individual pages on each remedy. We also have a guide to dosage. If you need some help to get started, or if you get stuck and would like an outside opinion, you can always consult a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner. BFRPs act as teachers and advisors, and will give you the confidence to select remedies for yourself, and for your family and friends.