Dr Edward Bach’s explanation of the real cause and cure of disease

Dr. Edward Bach’s “medical-philosophy” is contained in his booklet Heal Thyself, first published in 1931 in Great Britain. In his book, Bach gives great importance to the individual’s spirituality, and being first of all a physician, he relates Body and Spirit, that is disease with the individual’s evolution. According to him, disease is nothing but a conflict between Soul and personality, as to say that we fall ill whenever we don’t go toward the right direction, toward our true evolution, free from social and psychological conditions.

Bach, like Epicurus, was convinced that true disease is the one that hinders happiness. He thought that happiness equals wellness, because he was convinced that a happy man – that is a man whose true Self is not in conflict with his mind – does not suffer of any disease. To confirm the latter, Philip M Chancellor in his book on the Bach’s Remedies, reported case studies in which as soon as the patient was feeling happier, more hopeful and less depressed, his body was responding faster to the remedies, and the patient was healed.

As Dr Edward Bach himself wrote, he hoped that his booklet Heal Thyself  would be “a guide to those who suffer to seek within themselves the real origin of their maladies, so that they may assist themselves in their own healing”. As a matter of fact, loss of one’s individuality (which is the result of our interference with another person) is for Bach one of the main causes of disease, because the meaning of life of each individual is to acquire experience and understanding, in order to single out and then make one’s personal evolution perfect.

A new approach to managing Pain according to Ayurveda

Last month of September Dr. Atul Rakshe, Ayurvedic Physician and Assistant Director at Institute of Indian Medicine in Pune, gave a workshop on Pain at “Associazione Operatori Ayurvedici” in Udine, Italy (www.assopea.it).

The ayurvedic approach to pain introduced by Dr. Rakshe was very interesting, as it suggests both an increase in the “pain threshold” and a reduction of the causes that produce pain.

The first aspect, that is the increase in the pain threshold, can be attained, among others, through practices like pranayama, or meditation, which reduces anxiety caused by pain. On the other hand, the causes that produce pain can be managed by eating sattvic food, for instance, as well as by panchakarma and the use of other ayurvedic techniques or herbal products which aim at balancing doshas and eliminating toxins from the body.

But Dr. Atul Rakshe also reminded that in Ayurveda pain is an indication of a Vata imbalance, and that aggravation of diseases is not only due to the normal physical causes, but also to the desires for material pleasures (ragas) and passions. As a matter of fact, in humankind there is a natural inclination to seek pleasure and avoid pain (kama), but as long as the mind clings to material pleasures (ragas) and desires, it is not possible to truly achieve wellbeing in its real sense. Therefore, Ayurveda aims also at attaining the state of vira or vairagya, that is detachment from the sensual world, with both its enjoyments and sufferings.

This means that the spiritual element is of utmost importance also in managing pain.

Thank you, Dr. Rakshe!

For those who are interested in knowing more about Dr. Atul Rakshe’s activity, his website is www.cozwecare.org.

From the Bhagavadgita (Ch.10, 4-5)

 

Reason, right knowledge, unclouded understanding, forbearance, veracity, control over the senses and mind, joy and sorrow, evolution and dissolution, fear and fearlessness, non-violence, equanimity, contentment, austerity, charity, fame and obloquy – these diverse traits of creatures emanate from Me alone.

Un nuovo approccio alla gestione del Dolore secondo l’Ayurveda

Nel mese di settembre scorso il Dr. Atul Rakshe, Medico Ayurvedico Direttore Assistente all’Institute of Indian Medicine di Pune, ha tenuto un seminario sul Dolore presso l’Associazione Operatori Ayurvedici di Udine (www.assopea.it).

L’approccio ayurvedico al dolore presentato dal Dr. Rakshe è estremamente interessante perché propone sia  l’innalzamento della “soglia” sia la riduzione della causa che lo produce.

Il primo aspetto, e cioé l’innalzamento della soglia del dolore, si può raggiungere, fra gli altri, attraverso la pratica del Pranayama, oppure la meditazione, che riduce l’ansia che sopravviene a causa del dolore. Invece, le cause che poducono il dolore possono essere gestite attraverso un’alimentazione sattvica, ad esempio, così come il panchakarma e le varie tecniche ayurvediche o prodotti erboristici atti ad equilibrare i dosha ed eliminare le tossine.

Ma il Dr. Atul Rakshe ha anche ricordato che per l’Ayurveda il dolore è indice di uno squilibrio Vata, e l’aggravarsi della malattia è dovuto non solo alle normali cause fisiche, ma anche ai desideri per i piaceri materiali (raga) e alle passioni. Infatti, nel genere umano esiste una naturale inclinazione a ricercare il piacere ed evitare il dolore (kama), ma finché la mente si ostina a ricercare i piaceri materiali (raga) e i desideri, non è possibile raggiungere il benessere nel vero senso del termine. Scopo dell’ayurveda è quindi anche quello di raggiungere lo stato di vira o vairagya, e cioé il distacco dal mondo dei sensi, con i suoi piaceri e le sue sofferenze.

Insomma, la componente spirituale è di una importanza estrema anche nella gestione del dolore.

Grazie, Dr. Rakshe!

Per chi desiderasse sapere di più sull’attività del Dr. Atul Rakshe, segnalo il suo sito www.cozwecare.org

Integrating Counselling with Bach’s Remedies – Part II

Within the Bach’s system, counselling is absolutely necessary as a prescribing method, in order to accurately “diagnose” the emotions that are being experienced by the client at the time when he asks for the practitioner’s help. As a matter of fact, there is no mechanic or intuitive process within the Bach’s system.

At the end of the 1960’s Philip M. Chancellor, before publishing his book on the Bach Flower Remedies, asked Nora Weeks – Dr Edward Bach’s closest collaborator – to briefly tell about the method and the procedure that she, together with Victor Bullen and many other Bach practitioners were using when interviewing their clients before prescribing the most suitable remedies for them. She then wrote a letter stating that actually there was no standard list of questions for prescribing the remedies, because each client must be treated individually and differently from any other. She continued by stating that therefore, each individual person had to be addressed to “in a way commesurate with his understanding, his background and his general attitude towards life”. The most important thing was to “put the patient at his ease; to make him feel that you are his friend and that you sincerely want to help him. Make him feel secure in the fact that he can talk with you about himself in absolute confidence. It is only by talking about himself, without reserve, that you will be able to help him by prescribing the correct Remedy for his condition.”

Moreover, Nora Weeks used to remind that a good practitioner – or physician – is also a good listener. “Cultivate this habit and let the patient talk, but be sure to listen attentively!” she used to say. One may start interviewing him by saying for instance: “Since you may not know very much about the Bach Flower Remedies, please tell me first about your physical difficulties, and then I will ask you a few questions about yourself”. In this way, that is by talking about his physical symptoms, the client will reveal a lot about himself, and these are the information that practitioners want to know. The client might say, “all unwittingly, that he is afraid the complaint will worsen (MIMULUS), or that he has lost hope of ever becoming cured (GORSE). He might say ‘I get so impatient or so tense that my work is affected (IMPATIENS)’. Indirectly, a patient might remark that he is really resentful about this or that person or condition (WILLOW).” All these sentences might seem casual, but instead they are of great importance to the practitioners, especially because they are spontaneous. Nora Weeks continues by stressing how important it is the way the client speaks. “How does he talk? Does he talk hurriedly or nervously, or slowly and hesitatingly? Does he speak with great determination, or with the voice of authority; does he whisper with the insecurity of uncertainty and fear?”

Also the client’s facial expression must be studied well, because “it reflects his emotions. Is it an expression of worry, or does he frown or blush? Is his smile genuine, or is it forced to cover some deep sorrow or distress?” The client’s movements need to be observed. “Does he sit calmly, or does he fidget with his hands or feet; does he shift his position restlessly in the chair?”

The rule is therefore to listen quietly and observe attentively the client while he speaks. It is possible to ask questions, but without ever interrupting him while he is talking. One may ask: “How long have you had this trouble? Was there some physical or emotional shock connected with it (STAR OF BETHLEHEM)? Was there a disappointment? Is there still a worry connected with the trouble which weighs upon your mind (WHITE CHESTNUT)?” The age and the general situation of the client must be taken into consideration, “whether he is married, widowed or single, etc.; does he dwell in the past (HONEYSUCKLE)?”

Nora Weeks also reminds that Dr Edward Bach himself used to give advice on how to carry out interviews with clients. He thought one should tell the client to think and concentrate on his positive qualities. According to Nora Weeks, one should always let the client know that he is not alone in this world to have a problem similar to his, and one should sincerely assure him “that his difficulties are only temporary, and that his fears are manifesting because he is developing the great courage which is already within him, for fear, after all, is simply a test of courage.” Moreover, one should tell him that “he does have an understanding and a tolerance of others, that his genuine feeling is only overlaid temporarily by impatience and irritability.” Again, he must be assured that he is not the only one to feel the emotions he is feeling, “and that the very emotions which are the most troublesome to him can be wholly eliminated.”

After having told how an interview of a Bach Flower practitioner should be carried out, Nora Weeks stresses the fact that the client’s interview alone is extremely important in order to help him overcome his problem. Moreover, it also creates a “foundation of confidence” in the practitioner as well as in the Bach Flower Remedies as a healing method. Lastly, Nora Weeks wishes that the client would leave the practitioner’s studio feeling better than when he entered: this is the main rule in the practice.

Carl Rogers’ Counselling and Edward Bach’s Prescribing Method

Counselling is a technique that promotes wellbeing and prevents dis-ease. It was conceived in the 1950’s by American psychotherapist Carl Rogers (1902-1987). Set within humanistic psychology, it highlights the importance of personal evolution, and therefore individuality, and this was just the essence of Dr Edward Bach’s philosophy, the foundation of his therapeutical approach. It was even assumed that Carl Rogers could have been inspired by Edward Bach (who, it is remembered, was born in 1886 and died in 1936), and therefore that Dr. Bach could in a certain way be considered the forerunner of a psychology testing method.

One can surely state that Rogers and Bach had something in common, that is their interest in oriental cultures and philosophies – which probably grew in Rogers after his trip to the eastern countries when he was young, and in Bach after his possible meeting with Krishnamurti. This interest might have brought them both towards a similar way of thinking and approach to life. Nevertheless, common to both Rogers and Bach was the conviction that within the individual there is a positive force that drives him towards evolution and therefore the individual owns within himself those resources needed in order to make him become a better person.

However it is, there are for sure some similarities between Edward Bach’s prescribing method and Carl Rogers’ counselling. In his piece of work “On becoming a person” Carl Rogers has described counselling as a relationship between two persons where the goal of at least one of the two is to promote in the other growth, development, maturity and the attainment of actions that are more suitable and integrated to the other. Moreover, Rogers’ “client-centered-therapy” is similar to Bach’s philosophy in that it highlights respect of each one’s individuality in the conviction that each one is different.

Emotions and Bach Flower Remedies

Dr Bach’s keyword was “simplicity”. He believed that all in Nature is simple and is capable of satisfying our needs – food, water, air, heat. Therefore, Nature itself is capable of providing us the means for our well being.

Bach thus wanted to create a “simple” system, which would use Nature’s own products, and could be at everybody’s disposal. In fact, according to him, Remedies should be taken in the same way as one takes a lettuce leaf in order to satisfy his hunger.

As a matter of fact, Dr Bach chose the Remedies with the intention of reducing the undesirable effects of stress, as they are capable of acting directly on one’s mind – and therefore on one’s emotions – by boosting the immunity system. One could thus state that Bach Flower Remedies are capable of changing distress into eustress. This means that singling out those true emotions that produce stress in an individual is of extreme importance in order to choose the right Remedies, and therefore to heal or prevent disease.

Within Bach’s System, emotional problems can be either “transitory” or “long term”. The former are emotional states that last for a relatively short period of time, whereas the latter are emotional states that are there since a long time – even since years – and no solution has ever been really found (perhaps because one has adapted to circumstances). These negative emotions have, with time, modified one’s personality by accumulating in what is called ” the snowball effect”.

We can ourselves choose the remedies for transitory emotional states by passing into a state that psychologists call metaemotion, that is by trying to face our emotional states, in order to singling them out clearly. But, as said before, when these emotional states have been ignored for a long time, then “layers” of negative emotions are formed which have to be recognised and “discovered” one by one. This process has been associated to the opening up – layer by layer – of an onion: each layer of the onion corresponds to a negative emotion we have to free ourselves of before reaching its core. What can we expect to find in the core of the onion? Sometime, we might discover our “type Remedy”, showing us the main quality of our personality we should work on. Some other time, it could be a traumatic event which was not rightly resolved at the time when it happened. Or else, it could be a small emotion that has overgrown. The only way to know it is to start lifting up the layers of our onion one by one. The way to do it is the following:

1. choose the remedies needed at the time, for how we feel “now”
2. take them regularly until we feel they are not working any more
3. choose the remedies again
4. stop when the need is felt

This way, the remedies give us the opportunity to learn something about ourselves. It is an enriching process, which teaches us how we are predisposed to respond to stress. If used in the proper way, remedies can give us insights about who we really are. Anyway, it should be pointed out that should we take remedies we don’t need, they would not interfere with the appropriate ones, becoming passive.

Sometimes it is difficult to “understand oneself”, especially if one is not used to listen to the body’s – and therefore the mind’s – messages, therefore the help of a practitioner is needed, someone who may understand our true emotional states in order to choose the right remedies.

Simbologia di Macrocosmo e Microcosmo in Astrologia

L’Astrologia altro non è che una delle simbologie dell’unione di macrocosmo e microcosmo, di Cielo e Terra, ed è la fonte di tante verità nascoste sulle quali meditare per una migliore comprensione della vita umana e dell’Universo.

Attraverso le simbologie della Carta del Cielo impariamo che cos’è la Vita, sia nel suo significato cosmico che nel significato che è proprio ad ogni individuo. E conoscendo la vita impariamo ad amarla, sia nel bene che nel male. Se il primo insegnamento dell’Astrologia è che l’Uomo è parte integrante del Cosmo, il secondo insegnamento è che l’Uomo deve imparare a mantenere un equilibrio in modo che la sua unione con il Cosmo non venga a mancare. Questo avviene attraverso il controllo della propria vita. In questo contesto, la consapevolezza di chi siamo e del cammino che ognuno di noi è chiamato a compiere nella vita assume una grande importanza, non solo per noi stessi, ma per l’equilibrio dell’intero Cosmo.

Le filosofie e le tecniche orientali che si sono diffuse nel secolo scorso e che l’Occidente ha fatto proprie convergono tutte su di un punto fondamentale: l’Uomo deve poter raggiungere un equilibrio con se stesso e con l’ambiente circostante perché vi sia un vero equilibrio cosmico. Questo dice il Feng Shui – e, ancor prima, il Vastu Shastra dei Veda – e su questo si basa il famoso concetto taoista dello Yin e dello Yang, i principi femminile e maschile che avvolgono il Cosmo e si rispecchiano in ognuno di noi, e per i quali il legame Uomo-Cosmo è il tema della vita, e quando questo legame si spezza allora insorgono disordine e malattie.

L’Astrologia ci aiuta a comprendere i nostri limiti e i nostri punti di forza, rendendoci consapevoli del cammino da compiere, così da capire in modo profondo il vero significato della nostra vita. I nostri limiti non ci appariranno più tali se riconosciamo i nostri punti di forza, e il nostro cammino non ci apparirà più così difficile se ne capiremo il significato.

On Mahatma Gandhi’s birth anniversary

“It is unwise to be too sure of one’s own wisdom.

It is healthy to be reminded that the strongest might weaken and the wisest might err”

Mahatma Gandhi (1940)