Bach's Walnut for Smoother Transitions

Bach flower remedies are wonderful to help you handle the little (or big) anxieties in the roller coaster ride called Life.

Walnut is especially useful to help us prepare ourselves for the many transitions life puts before us. 

Walnut is the flower essence to use at any period when there is a major life change. 

This may be at birth, or puberty, menopause, teething; or moving from one place to another, marriage or divorce, change of job, first day of school, recovering from a major illness. 

Children respond very well to Bach flower remedies. If you have a child who is having difficulties adjusting to a new school or new city, or needs help to cope with separation anxiety, try Bach's Walnut flower essence!

How to take Walnut: 

For adults or children: Take two drops directly on the tongue, or mix two drops in a glass of water and sip throughout the day. 

Using for 2-3 days is generally enough in acute situations.


Find it here on Amazon (not affiliated)

Bach flower remedies - An update

I recently updated the post on Bach flower remedies and included dosage instructions after I received a question from a reader of this blog. Sorry readers, I shouldn't have missed writing about it! 

Please leave your comments and feedback on the blog, including any questions about my posts. It will only help me include more information that will be available for everyone to see. So don't be shy! :) You can even comment anonymously if you wish to.

If you don't see the comment form below the post, you can leave your comments or feedback by clicking on the 'Post a comment' link at the end of the post.

Here's a link to the updated article on Bach flower remedies.

Homeopathy in pregnancy and childbirth - Part 3

This is the last post in the series on Homeopathy in Pregnancy and Childbirth. We will see how homeopathy can be used in different conditions that may arise with the process of childbirth and the postpartum period.

Itching all over the body is a common and annoying symptom in the last stages of pregnancy. Using a heavy moisturizer or oil helps to some extent. Moisturizing is also important to prevent rashes from stretch marks. 

For itching without any other cause: Dolichos, Tabacum

Varicose veins: Calcarea flour, Acid flour, Carbo vegetabilis, Hamamelis, Vipera

Caulophyllum

If labor is:

Slow and delayed: Caulophyllum, Cimicifuga, Gelsimium
Violent and too fast: Aconite
Accompanied by severe back pain: Kali carb

Postpartum:

Hemorrhage: Secale corn, Phosphorus

Depression: Pulsatilla, Natrum mur, Sepia

Soreness: Arnica, Bellis perennis, Hypericum

Episiotomy: Calendula tincture can be applied externally. Mix 10 drops in 4 tablespoons water, soak a cotton gauze pad in the solution and apply to perineum. This can be repeated several times a day for up to a month.

After cesarean, to promote healing: Arnica, Staphysagria, Hypericum, Calendula tincture

Bach Rescue remedy is also recommended to take as often as needed, to relieve stress. 


It is always recommended that a woman take up a detailed consultation with a homeopath in the early stages of pregnancy or prior to conception so that her constitutional remedy can be evaluated. Constitutional remedies are customized to the individual's needs and it is the best kind of homeopathic therapy for many chronic illnesses. The remedies included in this post are just a guideline for what can be used. It is not recommended to take remedies on your own without the guidance of someone who is trained in homeopathy.

On a similar note, I would like to suggest to every woman to make informed choices about any and all medical interventions during her pregnancy. Use the services of a midwife or doula if one is available near you. Ask your doctor if external cephalic version is possible if the baby is not in a head-down position, before considering a cesarean section. This is not about whether medical interventions are good or bad, but whether a procedure is right for YOU. You are an unique individual, and what is right for someone else may not be right for you. Assess the risks and benefits of every procedure that is offered to you and make a decision based your judgment.

'The future depends on what we do in the present.' - Mahatma Gandhi 

Image courtesy H. Zell Creative Commons 

 

Complementary therapies - Bach flower remedies

Monday's health tip for this week is a short introduction to Bach flower remedies which is a complementary therapy used alongside homeopathy.

Bach flower remedies are 38 flower essences that were originally discovered as a natural method of healing by Dr. Edward Bach, around 1930, in England. These remedies are made from wildflowers. The essence is extracted either by boiling in water or by steeping in sunlight. Bach flower remedies work by removing negative emotions and they are mostly used for emotional issues like fear, nervousness, panic attacks, grief, stress, worry, indecision etc, which disturb the equilibrium of the vital energy in the body. Once the equilibrium is maintained, the vital energy is able to take care of itself and progress into healing. Bach flower remedies are safe to take at any stage of life, including pregnancy and delivery, when a woman goes through many emotions at once. They are also useful for children, who often express fear of new things, shyness, tantrums, or difficulty with adjusting to a new sibling or a new school. Animals also express many emotions, and Bach flower remedies are useful with animals too. They fall into three groups:

1. The 12 healers - These are the remedies that describe the kind of person you are.The remedies are - Agrimony, Centaury, Cerato, Chicory, Clematis, Gentian, Impatiens, Mimulus, Rock rose, Scleranthus, Vervain, Water violet.

Impatiens 

 2. The 7 helpers - These are remedies for chronic conditions, which describe how you have become accustomed to dealing with life. Gorse, Heather, Oak, Olive, Rock water, Vine, Wild oat.

3. The 2nd 19 - These remedies correspond to emotional issues of everyday life, and each remedy has a positive and negative aspect. The natural vibrations of the flowers are the positive state, and in illness, the negative state is seen. An ill person is given a particular flower remedy by matching his symptoms with that of the flower. This concept is very similar to the homeopathic concept of 'Like cures like', but one or up to five flower remedies may be used (unlike in homeopathy where only a single remedy is recommended at one time). Remedies in the 2nd 19 are Aspen, Beech, Cherry plum, Chestnut bud, Crab apple, Elm, Holly, Honeysuckle, Hornbeam, Larch, Mustard, Pine, Red chestnut, Star of Bethlehem, Sweet chestnut, Walnut, White chestnut, Wild rose, Willow. 

4. First aid - A combination of five flower remedies is called Rescue Remedy and is useful in any kind of stressful situation ranging from nervousness before an exam to shock upon hearing bad news. The five remedies used are Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock rose, and Star of Bethlehem. This is a very good remedy to have on hand for everyday stressful situations. It can also be given to children when they have slight anxiety like on the first day of school or to help them adjust to a new place.

Update - I'm updating this post because a reader sent me a question - "How are Bach flower remedies given?' It is a very good question and I'm sorry I did not post that information here earlier.

Bach flower remedies are available as liquids. They do not have any potency number next to their names, like homeopathic remedies have. Bach flower remedies are taken by mixing 4 drops of the liquid in 4 oz (around 100 ml) water and sipping this water 4-6 times a day. The solution is to be discarded at the end of the day and a new solution has to be made for the next day. Repetition of the doses depends on the person's response to a remedy. In general, when a positive response is observed, the remedy is to be stopped. If symptoms return, the same procedure is followed until a positive change is seen.



Image courtesy: ggalice CC license

 

Homeopathy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

We're in the middle of winter, and even though Punxsutawney Phil has predicted an early spring, many of us are recovering from the effects of the recent snow storms. 

Cold weather, lack of light, and generally stressful conditions all contribute to a form of depression called Seasonal Affective Disorder. 

Symptoms of SAD are common in the months of January to March, in the peak of winter (and after all the festivities of the holiday season!). Symptoms vary in severity, and men, women, children, and pets are all affected.


The main symptoms of SAD are:

• Lethargy and fatigue, sometimes making it difficult to carry out normal routines

• Mood changes, irritability, restlessness, headaches.

• Cravings for sweet, salty, or 'comfort' food that is high in carbohydrates, leading to weight gain

• Feelings of despair and hopelessness, avoidance of social contact

The homeopathic treatment for SAD is through an individualized approach, by taking into consideration all the symptoms of the person at that point in time. This allows the practitioner to come up with a customized remedy which is more effective in providing relief than something that is all-purpose. There are thousands of remedies in homeopathy and any one of them may be the right fit for someone, but some remedies that are over-sensitive to cold weather are considered first. 

Remedies like Causticum, Phosphorus, Rhus tox, and Sepia are all worse from cold weather. While a Phosphorus person needs sunlight to feel lively and happy again, a Rhus tox faces rigidity at both physical and mental levels, leading to stiff joints and compulsive behavior.  Other remedies are Aurum metallicum, Phosphoric acid, Pulsatilla, etc. 

[The remedies described are just examples with some pointers, and they may or may not be the right ones for you. Do not attempt to use homeopathic remedies for chronic illnesses without the guidance of a homeopath.  A homeopath has the expertise to choose the correct remedy and dosage to suit your needs.]

Other ways to support healing from SAD are:

• Go for a walk in the middle of the day and get some sunlight. Open the curtains and blinds on your windows and let the sun come into your home.
• Exercise! If you can't go out of your home, exercise at home. Stretch, run, skip rope, dance - do whatever you enjoy to get your heart pumping a little harder. Exercise releases endorphins which are your body's natural mood enhancers.
• Bach flower essences are very useful for healing emotional issues. Mustard is used for depression.

Stay warm, and stay healthy!