My Experiences of How Flower Essences Can Heal Sometimes Second Hand A few years ago my golden retriever, Barney, managed to pull some muscles in his groin, by behaving like a 2yr old when he was eight. He saw our homeopathic vet who gave him acupuncture as well as some remedies and he went for hydrotherapy, which he adored. As we still were not totally satisfied with his healing, he saw a McTimoney chiropractor, who found he had got himself a bit out of alignment by favouring his good side, which she corrected. Everyone agreed that all should now be well but he insisted on standing with the weight off his bad foot. Between us we decided that he could be afraid of using his leg properly and was in the habit of not using it, so he was given the Bach essences Mimulus (for known fear) and Chestnut Bud (for breaking habits) which, after just a couple of weeks, had the desired effect and he stood normally again. It was the side effects which were the interesting things. Previously Barney had been scared of the vacuum cleaner and black plastic bags. Normally, on the production of the vacuum, he would dive for cover and I noticed that he just stayed put on his chair. As for plastic bags, on dustbin day, again, instead of diving for cover, he simply ignored the bag. I was very impressed. Even more amazing were the effects on me. One of my favourite ways of administering remedies is by massaging them in, so, of course, I was getting them too, second-hand. The results? After a lifetime of being absolutely terrified of spiders, and I do mean terrified, I can now happily catch them in a jar to put then outside. After the same lifetime of hating heights with a vengeance, I not only can now go up into our loft (2 steps up the ladder was my maximum before) but last Summer, I helped my husband to mend some fascia boards whilst standing on a scaffolding (I still can’t believe I did that). But maybe even more mind-blowing and empowering for me, I have also overcome my lifelong dread of visits to my dentist, so much so that, without any local anaesthetic, I recently successfully had a crown done. The only pain relief I needed was a few drops of Crisis (a version of Rescue Remedy) & a couple of Arnica 30 before and after. I defy anyone to say the remedies do not work after that. Freddie, my GSD, has also had flower essences on several occasions throughout his life. The essence Beech (for his allergies) which is also for tolerance had the side effect of making him ignore the vacuum cleaner, which he had attacked since puppyhood (unfortunately, we made the mistake of laughing at him when he was very small which helped to reinforce the behaviour). Freddies lifetime of struggling to overcome vaccine damage appeared to be getting the better of him and he was definitely beginning to lose his sparkle, despite trying various single essences. He was coming up to 9yrs so I was, reluctantly, putting it down to his advancing years. My hopes were raised, however, when a friend introduced me to a brilliant brand new range of Organic combination essences which had been researched by SAFER (the Society for Animal Flower Essence Research). My friend, Lynne, suggested using Elixir of Life, which has been developed for the animal recuperating after an illness, and the self explanatory Old Timer. I was delighted when Freddie again became full of beans again, even chasing after one of my younger dogs, who pinched his ball on a rope, instead of just standing there, unbothered and disinterested, as he had been doing and he started coming up and asking me to play tuggy with him again, so I was absolutely thrilled. Tortuerouge also have an amazing combination called Trust, which I have witnessed turning around a couple of the most traumatised of the rescue dogs that I have been helping with and the Crisis essence has also played a huge part, especially when stressful journeys had to be undertaken. Another of the combinations is called Loss and, sadly, a couple of my friends are sharing this one, because of recent bereavements, with their surviving dogs. The beauty of the essences being that they can be used by animals and people alike. There is also another one called Separation Anxiety, which, sad to say but unsurprisingly, is one of the company’s best sellers together with Fears. That says it all about today’s lifestyles and with SA being even more necessary at the holiday season, the Fears essence is esencial for Bonfire Night or more correctly firework month. Lynne has also been heard to sing the praises of the Show Nerves essence but our showing days are almost certainly over and the same applies for the Training essence, as, needless to say, my boys are way too perfect to need that one any more: ))) Fortunately for me, my friend, Lynne who distributes the essences, lives just up the road from me, so l can call on her anytime. We both feel these essences are too good not to be shared so, if anyone would like to know more, I am sure Lynne would be more than happy to talk about them. Her email address is lynnenaturally4paws@tiscali.co.uk and her telephone number is 01761 420878 Bach Flower Remedies / Essences in the Treatment of Animals Flower essences are very important in the treatment of animals because they restore the balance and harmony of an animals true nature. (See Bach Flower Remedies for Animals by Helen Graham & Gregory Vlamis) They remedy the disorders and diseases resulting from distortion by humans and the environment. To use them, all is required is a careful observation of the animals behaviour and noting of the situations when it occurs. If you are not sure, as you may be too close to the situation, you can enlist the help of a trained Bach Flower Essence practitioner It is limited only by the human interpretations put on the behaviour of the animal but, even if the wrong essence is chosen, the worst thing that can happen is nothing because the Bach flower essences are totally safe. They are a totally natural, non-toxic substance with no side effects unlike those frequently associated with the use of drugs and other pharmaceutical products. The essences can be used alone or alongside any allopathic (conventional) or complementary treatments such as homeopathy. There are indications that flower essences actually act as a catalyst for homeopathic remedies and enhance their effects (Richardson-Boedler 1994). They are also produced and developed without any cruel experimentation on animals such as is involved in conventional pharmaceutical products and, because of new EEC laws, are now regarded as a food supplement, hence the use of the term essences, rather than remedies, as they were originally called. Storage, Use and Dosage Flower essences are sold in stock bottles in concentrated form which will keep indefinitely (being preserved in brandy) but they should be stored away from strong electro-magnetic fields eg TVs, microwaves and exposure to direct sunlight and high temperatures should be avoided. A treatment bottle (Bach 30ml mixing bottle purchaseable) can be made up made up using natural spring water (or even boiled tap water) and 2 drops (or 4 if you are including Rescue Remedy, which is already a mix) of each chosen remedy normally going up to a maximum of 7 essences but, in severe cases, it could even be more. A prepared treatment bottle should then be preserved with a small amount of brandy or cider vinegar or simply kept in the fridge and will last for about 2 weeks. Administer 4 drops of the mixture, 4 times a day. At the end of this time, reassess what remedies are needed, they may have changed, and make up a new treatment bottle. The bottles can be labelled so that treatments for various animals and their humans, who invariably need them too, can be stored side by side. Flower essences are administered in drops, normally straight into the mouth in humans but be aware animals could panic and the dropper is glass and could be bitten off so the dropper must be kept well away from the mouth and it is better to administer them in drinking water, other fluids or foods. For animals that are terrified, they can even be sprayed onto the body and the air around them. They can be applied topically in diluted form and the animal can be bathed in water to which a few drops of essence(s) have been added. Remember never to distress the animal further. Always be calm and patient. Effects of flower essences Animals may respond almost immediately but the longer the problem has been, the longer the period of treatment may need to be, and essences may need to be changed as deeper underlying issues are exposed. There are no known serious side effects and, if the incorrect essence is administered, it will have no effect so remedies can be placed in a general water bowl for a family of dogs. There are one or two reactive remedies like Impatiens where pain can come out as anger or Cherry Plum where there can be a slight loss of control before it is regained but these effects (if they happen at all) are a great release of pent up emotions which are causing disease. Rescue Remedy
The most well known and commonly used essences are the combination known as Rescue Remedy. A bottle of this (diluted into a treatment bottle) is a must to take everywhere with you. The mixture contains:-
Impatiens for irritability and agitation and pain. The 38 Bach Flower Essences
Agrimony Putting on a brave face. Subtle signs of distress like panting. Some Good Combinations
Aggressiveness Beech, Holly, Vine & Willow Education Email : SAFER (Society for Animal Flower Essence Research Related Websites Animal Care with Flower Essences Natural Herbal Remedies from Bioforce Flower remedies of Dr Bach / Healing Herbs Alaskan Flower Essence Project
Books The Bach Remedies Repertory F.J.Wheeler ISBN 0 85207 300 3 Dictionary of the Bach Flower Remedies T.W.Hyne Jones ISBN 0 85207 145 0 Treating Animal Illnesses & Emotional States with Flower Essence Remedies Jessica Bear & Tricia Lewis ISBN 1-879604-10-8 Bach Flower Remedies for Animals Helen Graham & Gregory Vlamis ISBN 1-899171-72-X Dogs Misbehaving – Solving Problem Behaviour with Bach Flower and other Remedies Martin J Scott & Gael Mariani Bach Flower Remedies for Horses & Riders Martin J Scott & Gael Mariani Findhorn Flower Essences Marion Leigh ISBN 1-899171 96 7 Bach Remedies & other Flower Essences Vivien Williamson The Flowers of Life Shimara Kumara ISBN 0 9531533 0 4 Amazonian Gem & Orchid Essences Andreas Korte, Antje & Helmut Hofmann ISBN 1-899171 91 6 Australian Bush Flower Essences Ian White ISBN 0 905249 84 4 Crystal Healing for Animals Martin Scott & Gael Mariani ISBN 1-899171-24-X
©2006 Irish Retriever Rescue UK
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