BACH FLOWER AND MASSAGE SYNERGY

What is stress?

Stress is a very generic term, to which each person attributes different meanings. The often unsustainable rhythms of life and the perennial struggle against time to complete one's activities, in fact, lead to a progressive overload of the nervous system, which can manifest itself with different mental discomforts and physical disorders of various types. According to experts, however, this situation can basically give rise to FOUR very specific types of moods: 

                   agitation and anxiety; fear; anger; depression and lack of responsiveness. 

Only by identifying the feelings at the origin of everything can the associated physical and psychological discomforts be resolved and the person's well-being and balance can be restored.

The emotions associated with stress do not only act on a psychological level. In many cases, the person somatises them, even manifesting physical problems such as agitation which can interfere with breathing causing the sensation of "shortness of breath" and/or lack of air, or it can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate, while fear can cause muscular tension at the level of shoulders and necking so on.

Those who feel anger, however, may grind their teeth, resulting in jaw and neck soreness and headaches. Another typical disorder is the tension of the forearm muscles, unconsciously tense with a closed fist, which causes epicondylitis, or inflammation of the elbow tendons.

We can use the Bach flowers remedies for a different stress ailment in a very nice and relaxing massage to a different part of the body , this will help to overcome th different type of moods,

Here are some suggestion :  

Bach flowers for stress caused by apathy

In some cases, stress drains a person of all energy and vitality. Apathetic stressed people have the impression that everything is getting out of hand and as a result they become sad, depressed, losing their will to do and interest in every aspect of the outside world.

To combat apathy, you can resort to:

- GENTIAN (Autumn Genzianella, Gentiana amarella), which is indicated in case of temporary depression due to bereavement or sentimental problems;

- CLEMATIS (Vitalba, Clematis vitalba), which fights disinterest in the present, the tendency to daydream, escapes into fantasy and unreal worlds;

- GORSE (Ginestrone, Ulex europaeus), which is useful against total despair and lack of hope;

- OLIVES (Olive Tree, Olea europaea), which helps people who feel drained and exhausted from stress and suffer from both physical and mental exhaustion.

Bach flowers for stress caused by agitation

If in some cases stress causes apathy and depression, in others it has the opposite effect: some particularly stressed people become hyperactive, agitated and anxious. They are unable to live in a relaxed manner and are nervous when faced with any small unexpected event.

To calm agitation, you can use:

- WILD OAT (Wild oat, Bromus ramosus), in case of dissatisfaction with one's life and uncertainty about the path to follow;

- AGRIMONY (Agrimonia, Agrimonia eupatoria), which is the anxiolytic par excellence: it fights internal restlessness and reduces agitation;

- WHITE CHESTNUT (White horse chestnut, Aesculus hippocastanum), the most suitable remedy for those afflicted by constant worries.

Bach flowers for stress caused by anger

Those who are forced to follow intense rhythms can react by decreasing their tolerance and tolerance threshold, becoming easy prey to anger and nervous outbursts. Anger is almost always associated with anxiety.

To keep anger at bay, the flowers indicated are:

- VINE (Vine, Vitis vinifera), to combat anger linked to exaggerated ambition, the desire for domination and power;

- HOLLY (Holly, Ilex aquifolium), for those who quickly become irritated and annoyed, experiencing moments in which they would like to destroy everything;

- IMPATIENS (Don't-touch-me, Impatiens glandulifera), for impatient people, who get angry easily and over nothing, who are always tense and angry;

- BEECH (Beech, Fagus sylvatica), if anger is combined with intolerance and excessive critical thinking;

- CHICORY (Wild chicory, Cichorium intybus), if, however, it depends on possessiveness, intrusiveness, the tendency to manipulate others.

Bach flowers for stress caused by fear

In some people, stress is associated with a feeling of fear and anguish. In fact, the person is no longer able to cope with the rhythms to which they are subjected and ends up feeling fear for themselves and others and concern for everything that happens to them, even the most banal events.

To overcome fear, the most suitable single flowers are:

- ASPEN (Aspen, Populus tremula), which wards off inexplicable anxieties, vague fears, panic and unfounded negative forebodings: it is the remedy for vague and unknown fears for which there is no explanation;

- MIMULUS (Yellow Mottle, Mimulus guttatus), which fights the daily fear of concrete things (accidents, bad luck, loneliness, poverty, pain) which paralyzes or makes one act hastily;

- ROCK ROSE (Helianthemum, Helianthemum nummularium), which is indicated when fear turns into terror, panic. It gives courage to face challenging events;

- RED CHESTNUT (Red Horse Chestnut, Aesculus carnea), which is useful for those who are anxious about others, who project their fears onto those around them, fearing for their health;

- CHERRY PLUM (Myrabalan/Plum tree, Prunus cerasifera), which keeps the fear of losing control of one's actions and harming oneself and others at bay.

Bach Flower remedies

WRITTEN BY BARBARA BENVENUTI 15 OCTOBER 24