THE BACH REMEDIES
by Dr David R. Sim
The great advantage of educating a child at home is that the opportunity is increased for inspiring the learner with a sound system of ethics and an acceptable morality. Such an acquisition gives the child a head start in repudiating the negative onslaught on civilized values so often presented on T.V., cinema and peer pressure.
However, notwithstanding the best moral training, home schooling needs a significant adjustment, both on the part of the child and on the part of the parent.
Conformism imposed by school authority and peer group pressure is absent, competition, too, is no longer either a stimulus or a source of intimidation. The learning process is no longer a group activity with a set pace but consists of individual stages of achievement whereby the pace is established by consensus between pupil and mentor. In principle, progress should be faster as the external distractions are minimized, discouragement is absent, and the whole activity of assimilating knowledge should be fun, painless and purposeful.
However, the gulf between theory and practice must be recognized as a reality, and be understood by the parent in order that strategies can be introduced to reduce the gulf to a minimum.
Very few parents have the qualifications, either professionally or academically, to supervise the schooling procedure, even if learning material is acquired from a competent professional source. This problem is exacerbated if the pupil suffers from a learning difficulty. Even at the lower educational levels, there will still be the necessity for the parent to study and understand the syllabus and always advance her own subject knowledge beyond the defined boundaries in order to advise and instruct with confidence and, where possible, inspire genuine enthusiasm. Part of the tutor’s task is to try and extend the pupils interest and knowledge as far as possible.
Acknowledging the fact that home schooling, like conventional schooling, is not always plain sailing , there must, inevitably, be periods of frustration for both mentor and pupil. Irritation, aggression, (frequent with some slow learners), despondency and other negative emotions must appear occasionally, sometimes frequently. When these moods are obtrusive, measures must be taken to understand, and where possible, avoid such provocative situations. However, the subject of this short article is to suggest that the Bach remedies may be useful in reducing these outbreaks in frequency and intensity.
For those readers unacquainted with the work Edward Bach M.B., B.S., M.R.C.S., L.R.C.P., D.P.H., I include the following paragraphs which, I hope, may be of interest and some practical use.
Bach introduced a system of medicine that is harmless, without side effects and efficacious. It also has the significant advantage of being inexpensive and simple to use.
Bach believed that continued mental or psychological disharmony would ultimately result in physical imbalance and impaired vitality. Physical disharmony would, according to him, reinforce the negative and conflicting moods such as fear, uncertainty, disinterest, over- sensitivity, despondency, despair and all the other negative phases of which human kind is capable.
The thirty eight Bach flower remedies are presented as effective means of reducing or, possibly, eliminating these unwelcome symptoms of human weakness and restoring mental and physical equilibrium.
The short remedy repertory is very easy to follow and the mood of the subject provides the guide as to which remedy should be chosen.
The remedies are inexpensive and easily obtainable and the directions for administration concise and simple.
Probably the best known of the medicines is the combination of four Remedies sold under the name of Rescue and used for cases of shock, grief, anxiety and fear.
Further information on the Bach flower remedies is easily obtainable on the internet by searching under the name of Edward Bach.
By Dr David R. Sim
November 2005
Copyright © 2005 Dr David R. Sim