PRACTITIONER BULLETIN

Issue 54 - Mar/Apr 2004

The Bach Centre

Mount Vernon

Sotwell

Oxon

OX10 0PZ

England

Tel: 01491 834678

Fax: 01491 825022

www.bachcentre.com

Registration renewals

We are changing the way we collect registration renewals. From 1^st April we will no longer send reminders to practitioners on a month-by-month basis. Instead we will mail all practitioners in September asking for payment for the year ending 31^st March 2005, with one further reminder being sent in November. Any practitioner who has not contacted us by December will be taken off the register.

We have taken this decision to try to reduce the administrative cost of collecting registration renewals. As a result we are able once again to avoid putting up the cost of registration, which will remain at the same level as last year.

At the Bach Centre

We have been asked to use the Bulletin to keep practitioners up to date with what has been happening at Mount Vernon. From now, then, we will include a brief overview of recent activities at the Centre.

The Foundation ran two courses in February. Judy Howard and Stefan Ball taught a level 2 course to 15 students, most of them (unusually for our courses!) being based in the UK. A week later Lynn Macwhinnie taught a level 3 course to six students.

The Bach Centre welcomed the usual daily flow of visitors, including travellers from Australia, Chile and the USA.

And Remedy-making has begun again, with the Cherry Plum tree the first to flower in the garden. Spring is well and truly here, despite the hard frosts overnight, and the bulbs are coming through.

Other news was less good. Kathy Nicholson fell and broke her wrist on her way home from working at the Centre, which led to a trip to hospital. We’re sure that all of you (and it will be the majority of you) who have been helped by Kathy at some time or another, will join all of us in wishing her a swift recovery and a quick return to Mount Vernon.

Letters

We want you to use this bulletin to keep in touch with each other. If anything wonderful, funny, interesting or just plain typical has happened to you in your work with the remedies, or if there are any questions that have been nagging away at you, or if you simply want to say hello, please write and tell us.

Send your contribution to the Foundation, marking your letter clearly as being ‘FOR PUBLICATION’.

We can’t promise to print every letter in the bulletin, but even if we don’t use your contribution we always love to hear from you.

I am a member of a monthly Bach group run by Angela Davies in Gravesend. We read with interest Clarissa’s article on the use of Bach remedies with plants (see Jan/Feb 2004 issue – Ed.) and discussed it in the group.

Angela and I have tried spraying flowers with remedies and putting some in the water. We have both found that cut flowers can last a week or two longer than usual. I also routinely buy the boxes of bedding plants marked down as ‘on their way out’. After trimming off the dead parts and giving a drink of fresh water and remedies such as Gentian, Rescue Remedy, Walnut, Gorse or Olive (depending on the condition) they always go on to look no different from the boxes sold earlier and provide a wonderful display.

- Jan Roberts BFRP, England

I have also had a great experience with my plants, both inside and outside on the balcony.

I can´t tell you their names in English, but in Spanish we call them geranios and alegría de la casa, sencilla and doble. Normally they give flowers only in summer, and in the autumn they dry and, in the case of alegría, die and don´t survive for another year.

But mine, now, in the middle of the winter, are beautiful, with plenty of big coloured flowers. A surprised neighbour asked me for the secret. I gave her as a present a mix of Rescue Remedy, Crab Apple and Olive. Just what I give every day to my plants.

Some weeks after that she asked me for a consultation for herself !

- Cristina Cayuela BFRP, Spain

BFRP Kit Keetch asked the writer of the following letter if it could be reprinted here. We’re grateful for her permission, and to Kit for bringing it to our attention. – Ed.

Dear Kit

I do remember meeting you and that you spoke to me about the Bach remedies.

I don’t know whether you know but a national cancer research network has been set up to improve the quality of research across the UK. It is hoped this will lead to an improvement in outcome. In addition to our obvious site groups – breast cancer, colon cancer etc. – we have a complementary therapies group.

I obviously see a role for complementary therapies and am quite excited that they are going to be properly evaluated. This would make it much easier for me to introduce them into the NHS. I have always felt very strongly that we offer a cardiac rehabilitation programme to our cardiac patients and I would like to offer the same to my cancer patients. To bring this forward we do need to have a complementary studies group and have central direction. From my point of view it has been much easier to introduce new treatments when I have got central backing.

I will keep in contact. I was very interested in your leaflet and thank you for sending it to me.

- Anne Robinson

Consultant in Radiotherapy and Oncology

In June 2002 an elderly relative was diagnosed as having bladder and lung cancer. For a year he suffered from discomfort but no pain. In April 2003 he suddenly became very ill and a blood test showed that the cancer had spread to his liver. He experienced fever and acute exhaustion. He was so drained that his astonished wife reported that he had asked her to put his slippers on for him. He was reported to have said that he was ‘only living for the next medical examination’.

Unfortunately it was difficult to get much more information about his inner state. Having thought for a few hours I rang and suggested he take Rescue Remedy, Olive, Walnut, Crab Apple, Gentian, Aspen and Wild Rose.

Two days later I rang up to hear how he was. I heard he had been up and re-potting tomato saplings in the greenhouse. His wife reported that he seemed to be happier in himself.

A week later he was out of bed, answering the phone and participating in normal life again. His wife confirmed that he was still taking the drops.

Of course, such acute illness can rapidly alter his state. I was nevertheless touched how the change in inner attitude gave him back his interest in life.

- Nicola Hanefeld BFRP, Germany

I wonder if this has already been done? I would like to compile a list of music that portrays different remedies, to help students learn what each remedy is for. For example:

Sitting on the Dock of the Bay or Gone Fishin' for Wild Rose

Dashing Sergeant for Vervain or Impatiens

I wonder if other practitioners would have suggestions?

- Caroline Kenyon BFRP, England

No, it hasn’t been done as far as we know, and it’s a great idea. How about Flight of the Bumblebee for Impatiens, and Tom Jones’ Delilah for Holly? Anybody have any other ideas? – Ed.

Animal Courses 2004

Bach Foundation-approved Level 3 Animal Practitioner courses run every year at the Natural Animal Centre in Wales. The course is made up of three stages: Stage 1, a two day introduction; Stage 2, a 3-day course; and Stage 3, a 4-day course followed by a period of home study and supervised case studies. Dates this year are 15^th-16^th June (Stage 1), 17^th-19^th June (Stage 2), 24^th-27^th November (Stage 3). For more information contact the Natural Animal Centre, Penhill, Trawmawr, Carmarthen, SA33 6ND, Wales: Email natural@globalnet.co.uk or phone 0870 991 3334.

Also at the Natural Animal Centre in Wales, a CPD conference will be held on the 27^th and 28^th March. This will be a chance for animal practitioners to catch up with the latest research on animal behaviour, as well as an opportunity to meet and share experiences with other practitioners. Once again, contact the Natural Animal Centre for more information.

Bach Centre Refresher Days for 2004

Tuesday 5^th October 2004, Working with Survivors of Abuse at the Bach Centre, UK. – A one-day seminar by Tessa Jordan intended to inform and support practitioners who are working with survivors of abuse. Includes discussion, exercises and case studies, and information on the context of abuse and legal responsibilities when working with survivors. CLOSING DATE FOR BOOKINGS: 12^th September 2004.

Wednesday 6^th October 2004, CPD Workshop at the Bach Centre, UK. - Following the Bach Foundation’s introduction of Continuing Professional Development, this is a workshop designed to debunk some of the myths surrounding CPD. Workshop leader Tessa Jordan will answer such questions as: What does CPD mean? Why is it important? How will clients benefit? – and will give each participant the chance to review their own practice, consider their personal CPD needs and plan an outline for their future CPD activity to support and develop their work as a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner. CLOSING DATE FOR BOOKINGS: 13^th September 2004.

Both the above are for BFRPs only, and cost is £47 including VAT. To book send a UK sterling cheque made out to the Dr Edward Bach Foundation, or book by credit card on 01491 834678.

Welcome to…

Since the last (January 2004) issue was prepared, 54 new practitioners have joined the register:

in Argentina, Macela Patricia Pallanza;
in Australia, Susan Vizzarri, Marvi Bernardina Ribeiro Ruegg and Anne-Marie Maschio;
in Brazil, Quelita Beatriz Cunha, Maria Paula Tonini and Katia Maria Do Nascimento Teixeira Gandour;
in Chile, Maria Teresa Neira Vianello;
in Denmark, Maria Frølich Kristensen, Susanne Waagstein Madsen, Anne Le Formal Nielsen and Jeanette Henningsen Bogdanovic;
in England, Debra Dalton, Maureen Iggleden, Tajinderjit Sandhu, Jill West, Maggie Kent, Valerie Sorrell and Christine Drinkhall;
in France, Genevieve Bardinaud, Isabelle Werts, Sophie Badreau, Patricia Widolf, Dominique Virot, Marie-Pierre Chiffe and Claire Routin-Piquemal;
in Germany, Martina Jören;
in Ireland, Fiona Ardiff-O'Connor;
in Italy, Francesca Grimaldi;
in Japan, Makki Tsuchiya, Hisako Inooka, Sayoko Sotoyama and Miho Tanaka;
in the Netherlands, Ine Cornelissen, Ella Termorshuizen, Marianne Geerts-Roeven and Nancy Steutel;
in Norway, Kine Ihlen Kildahl, Gun Stubberud and Elisabeth Kjar;
in Spain, Assumpcio Torres Benejam, Nefertiti Garcia Dominguez, Montserrat Zapater Olivan, Roser Vargas del Rio, Julio Segura Soro, Presen Serrano Ruiz, Africa Morales Gallego and Maria Asuncion Guadamuro Brado;
in the U.S.A., Joan Dimauro and Donald Hanson;
in Uruguay, Alberto Montero Scaramelli;
and Venezuela, Adele Frediani Irala, Blanca Elena Siso Moreno and Elizabeth Garet Rocco.

There are now 1,454 practitioners on the register.

Healing (Learning) Moment (s)

Together

In this space

And listening

To all the words he’s choosing

Not watching

But observing

All the movements his body makes

And here am I

Waiting

In silence

Without expectation

Allowing his thoughts to be freed through speech

As right now

I’m accepting

All that he brings to this moment

And understanding

Just trying

To understand

Through all his tears

The pain that he is feeling

And learning

On reflection

That he teaches me

Something so profound

As I help him

Understand

That the message held within this bottle

Is one that only he can truly read

So that

When he is ready

He may begin to heal himself

George Hollis BFRP, England

LAST WORD - Remember to tell us if you move or change any of your contact details (phone, email etc.).