Healing Herbs

10/12/2025

Behind the scenes, the Healing Herbs team has been working on an exciting development online.

For years, we have operated multiple websites to host our educational materials, learning programme and our essences, books and supplies. We were very much aware that this didn’t present the easiest user experience and we wanted to make it simpler.

We are pleased to announce that the first phase of work to bring all these sites together is complete. You can now browse essences and books or watch our videos all from one website. For our international customers, it is now easier to find your local distributor too.

We hope this makes it easier to explore the world of Bach flower essences.

We would love to hear your feedback, so please do leave a comment below.
https://www.healingherbs.co.uk/

03/12/2025

Error, fault and failing are words that appear frequently in Bach’s writing.

Whilst he considered the purpose of life to rise above such limitations, there is no doubt that the words are laden with negative connotations.

Mistakes and failings can become considerable burdens, our past weighing heavily on our present.

At Healing Herbs we choose to use positive terms recognising that life is a journey of learning. For every perceived negative, we can find a positive; Bach flowers teach this with every observation we make.

If we can choose to become the observers of our reactions and actions, then we have the opportunity to choose a different response. By reframing a mistake into a learning opportunity, the burden is lifted and we are empowered to walk a different path.

Julian Barnard talks about the original Bach Education Programme

26/11/2025

“The physician of the future will need a very wide outlook and understanding. He will be an agent who has closely studied human nature, so that he is able to help and direct his patient.”
Bach, Medicine of the Future in Collected Writings of Edward Bach.

Dr Bach was undoubtedly a visionary. Whilst it can be confronting to read some of these writings, written as they were in another time, with norms that are out of place now; between the lines is a gentleness that could clearly see an alternative way of healing that respected all life.

His approach to healing was always to see the person behind the illness, to really enquire about who they were and where they were suppressing their soul.

Reading his words again today, his holistic vision of medicine brings together skills and qualities held in multiple disciplines. Perhaps this is why he felt that the practitioners of the future would not be scientists. In his later writings, he talked of wanting the power to heal to be in the hands of the patient themselves.

If you would like to explore the evolution of Dr Bach’s work, there is no better place to start than Collected Writings of Edward Bach which is available from our shop and then heading to our free Bach Flower Learning programme to go deeper.

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/bachflowerlearning.com

https://www.healingherbs.co.uk/product/collected-writings-of-edward-bach/

19/11/2025

“We might wonder how terror can be one of the ‘twelve primary types of personality’. Indeed, among the majority of people using Bach’s remedies today Rock Rose is seen as only a treatment for acute fear, panic or distress (he called it ‘the rescue remedy’). While it does work in that way it also has a deeper resonance with a certain type of person: one who lives life mutely under the intense pressure of fear. It is a particular kind of fear, however, not the nervous fear of Mimulus but rather a deeply hidden fear of life itself. Being hidden it is perhaps hard for others to recognise. Like the secrets of the twelfth house in astrology the Rock Rose secret is not apparent to the outer world. Only those who resonate with the blind panic of the Rock Rose soul will recognise its quality.”

Extract from Form & Function by Julian Barnard

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/the-language-of-plants/rock-rose/

12/11/2025

“We have much to discover, but we must not be afraid of the task.”

Although Mimulus will grow on damp, marshy ground it is more commonly seen where the water flows swift and clear. When sitting by the plant, preparing an essence, the most striking perception is often the noise: the sound of water as it streams over rocks. The water must be crystal clear for Mimulus to grow happily.

These two things, sound and the purity of water, combine to show the first aspect of the Mimulus essence. In his earliest description, Bach spoke of Mimulus types as having ‘a marked desire for quietness, aversion to talking and to being questioned’. Later he mentioned ‘fear of…crowds, of noise, of talking of being alone’. This has been extended to indicate a generally nervous disposition and a desire for tranquillity. Mimulus people are hypersensitive to their environment, and avoid conflict. Their delicacy and sensitivity lead them to shy away from the rough and tumble of life. We might picture a child covering its ears and running away from fireworks, seeking protection. They are delicate flowers we might say. Yet here we have a plant which lives in mountain streams, often overhanging the water, on the edge of rocks, or tumbling down a rock face. Perhaps it is driven to the edge.

As much as anything it is this fact that Mimulus lives dangerously which speaks of the inner nature of the plant. Other plants, with less of a firm hold on life, might be swept away by the flooding stream in winter. Other plants choose to live securely in the hedge or shelter safely at the edge of a wood; not Mimulus. It can be found clinging, precariously to a ledge in the water-shoot of a mill wheel, where the driving force of the millstream pours constantly across its roots, splashing the stems and flowers. The roaring of the cascade ever present.”

Extract from Form & Function by Julian Barnard

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/the-language-of-plants/mimulus/

05/11/2025

What drew Dr Bach to particular flowers to make the essences?

There are many clues in his writings and from what Nora Weeks shared about his discoveries. What is clear is that Bach felt a connection to the plant when focused on or aware of particular personality states.

“All living things possess resonance; they vibrate with a particular pattern of energy, Any two bodies which carry the same vibratory pattern resonate together (like the acoustic resonance of a violin will pick up the vibration of another instrument played at the same pitch)..

We have an account of this process in action when Nora Weeks described the moment when Bach found another remedy plant, Water Violet. That was in June 1931 when he was completing the set of the first twelves remedies which he called The Twelve Healers. Her account opens with the statement that Bach ‘was shown’ the remedy. But how was he shown it? During that morning, he had behaved in a Water Violet way (quiet, aloof, withdrawn) and then announced that there were going to find the flower which would help such a person. He said he had the person in mind very strongly. He was resonating with the emotional state of this particular woman. Weeks goes on to describe her temperament. Then they went out together, found the Water Violet growing in a stream and Bach ‘gently placed his hand’ over the plant. Contact with the plant eased his state of mind, bringing a sense of peace, calmness and humility.”

Extract from Form and Function, Julian Barnard p36

"Form and Function" by Julian Barnard. Julian looks at the complex ways in which the remedy plants grow and how this makes them so effective. Available to buy in paperback.

29/10/2025

Bach flower essences are far from prescriptive in their application. Bach firmly believed that every single person responds differently to disease and that the solution was equally individual.

This ethos reinforces the need not only for self-awareness but self-compassion too. The path of healing asks for rigorous investigation without judgement, so that space is available to process. If we can show ourselves compassion, we can begin to live with more compassion generally. This highlights the subtle and intricate webs that support well being in every aspect of life.

As people have learnt and worked with Bach’s system, an equally diverse approach to using the essences has emerged.

In a Journey into Healing, we explore the history of the essences and how they can be used. Featuring many practitioners offering different viewpoints, this film offers practical insight into the world of Bach flower essences.

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/diagnostics/a-journey-into-healing/

22/10/2025

“To find the herb that will help us we must find the object of our life, what we are striving to do, and also understand the difficulties in our path.” Free Thyself, Collected Writings of Edward Bach p.127

Clematis seed heads are blowing in the autumn breezes amongst the hedgerows.

Unlike many plants that release their seeds easily, Clematis holds tightly onto these, wind-dispersed, seeds through many autumn storms.

Bach said of these seeds that they “are always longing to be blown away”. In this he saw a lack of interest in the present, a dreamy state contrasted with a will to hold on.

The flowers are white meaning they reflect the whole colour spectrum back and absorb nothing. This speaks of the dream state of the Clematis type. The flowers are without petals which speaks to a lack of direction, something seen in Wild Oat and Scleranthus too.

It is no surprise then that Clematis is within the emotional group for Insufficient interest in present circumstances. Yet the will to persist speaks of a deeper purpose and vision that can emerge if given space.

In this video, Julian Barnard investigates how the form of Clematis brings insight to those seeking the object of their life. https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/the-language-of-plants/clematis/

15/10/2025

Is it a symptom or a root cause?

The process of finding the origin of a problem inevitably involves peeling back many layers of symptoms before we can reach the original cause.

We may have to move through many different reactions to reach habituated behaviours. Behind these will be the origin of the issue. This is why we recommend creating a blend of essences from the 3 groups of essences (see our website for our essence selector tool).

The Second 19 are the essences that support us with emotional responses to triggers and trauma, in the moment.

The Seven Helpers are the essences that support us in overcoming habituated emotional conditions.

The Twelve Healers support us with the root causes of imbalance that create a cascade of effects. These essences address conditions related to what Bach referred to as Soul Types.

In this video, Mike Booth discusses how Bach’s ideas about the soul and essences link to psychotherapy and peeling back the layers of self to explore the origins of imbalance.

Mike Booth discusses how Dr Bach’s ideas about the soul, and his use of the essences, relate to the practice of psychotheraphy today

08/10/2025

In summer, Mustard flowers bring cheerful colour the landscape. The sudden appearance of the bright yellow flowers mimics the sudden and apparently unexplained appearance of a deep gloom.

It may seem to have no origin or known cause. It simply appears.

Mustard seeds are widespread in the soil seed bank but they only germinate when the ground is disturbed. And this too is the pattern of the Mustard state. A disruption to our equilibrium that brings to the surface old trauma prompting a state of “unexplained” gloom.

The Second Nineteen essences all point to triggered responses. In the case of Mustard, potentially some deeply hidden past trauma.

Mustard essence reflects the energy of the bright yellow flowers allowing you to find joy in life that will dispel the gloom.

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/the-language-of-plants/mustard/

01/10/2025

An update from our educational partners in Brazil at the Beth Bruno project, who have been sharing Dr Bach’s work widely for years.

Bach flower essences have become increasingly prominent among therapists. This growth is especially evident in communities such as Santa Clara in Monte Alegre, where therapist Maria Cleuci Silva de Oliveira shares that flower remedies have become the first therapeutic resource used in community care.

Cases of stress, insomnia, grief, and depression are treated with floral essences, which are also applied to animals such as chickens and cats. Demand has grown so much that people from neighbouring—and even distant—areas now seek treatment, recognising the benefits of this practice that has transformed the community.

In Altamira, therapist Maria Nely Picinini Ficagna, a trained nurse with over 20 years of experience in public health, describes a profound personal and professional transformation after joining the project. Bach flower essences became part of her therapeutic approach alongside other practices such as herbal medicine, bioenergetics, and auriculotherapy. Even the most sceptical patients began to acknowledge the positive effects of the “miraculous little drops”.

In Santarém, Regina Bento da Cruz works as a therapist in her clinic and volunteers at the Bem-Viver Space. She emphasises the role of flower remedies in building trust and emotional security. Edward Bach’s welcoming philosophy brought lightness and hope to those marked by suffering. For this reason, the remedies are affectionately called “drops from heaven”, as they promote well-being, self-esteem, and joy in life.

Regina shares stories of resilience, such as a woman who overcame anxiety and a child who improved concentration at school. She also treated individuals who conquered their fear of driving with the help of the Mimulus remedy.
Maria Cleuci, Noemi, and Regina all agree that Bach flower essences are more than therapeutic essences. According to the three therapists, they are tools of care, balance, and transformation, working holistically to support emotional, spiritual, and community health, fostering well-being and strengthening bonds in their daily practice.

Many thanks to our partners in Brazil for this update. We hope you agree that this is a fantastic achievement.

https://www.twelvehealerstrust.com/2023/06/01/brazil/

24/09/2025

Autumn Gentian is one of Bach’s flowers that is struggling in our rapidly changing environment.

It's a low growing plant that only opens its flowers in strong sunshine, which makes finding it hard unless you have a regular location as we do.

This year the UK has seen months without any real rainfall. For Gentian this presents a problem as it likes moist, but not wet, well drained calcareous soil. It needs consistent rain to be able to thrive and we simply haven’t had sufficient for the plants to be healthy enough for essence making.

To make an essence we have to use plants that are healthy within a clean environment. Weather plays a huge role in their health and we are always at its mercy. But climate change is accelerating the challenges we face.

In the past, having unbroken sunshine has been a big challenge. This year we have had plenty of sunshine but not enough rain. In previous years too much rain and not enough sun has been our challenge. Flowering times are no longer as consistent as they were and we have to monitor the plants closely. Making essences enables us to witness the impacts of climate change in real time.

Thankfully we maintain good supplies of our mother essences to see us through the ups and downs of weather but this does not lessen our concern for the plants and environment.

https://www.bachflowerlearning.com/the-language-of-plants/gentian/