Bach Flower Remedies for Women 40+: The Challenges and Opportunities of Menopause

By Susanne Løfgren

This book is an invitation for women, forty years old and above, to find new ways to deal with menopause and aging in order to live a happier life. The subjects in the book are body-mind-soul, TCM, balancing the mind with Bach flower remedies, and a holistic view on menopause. The menopause and the third age is a possibility to clean up inside/outside and live a more balanced life. Learn how to treat yourself with love during a changing period. Focus on your potentials.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Nov 9, 2018
• ISBN: 9781982213718

Susanne Løfgren

Susanne Løfgren is a Danish nurse, reflexologist and Registred Bach Practitioner (BFRP). Since 1990 she has been teaching hundreds of students reflexology and Bach Flower Remedies at her own school. She is very experienced in alternative methods and how to help one sef with natural treatment. Susanne has published 6 books in Danish and 3 of these have now been translated into English. Susanne's main purpose tis to teach others how to heal themselves. She is known for her loving but also humorous approach to serious subjects.

Book preview

Bach Flower Remedies for

Women 40+

– the challenges and opportunities of menopause

SUSANNE LØFGREN

casu.dk

Bach Flower Remedies for Woman 40+

– the challenges and opportunities of menopause

Susanne Løfgren

Editorial team: Angela Davies and Susanne Løfgren

Copyright © 2018 Susanne Løfgren.

Books by the same author:

Bach Flower Remedies for the Family, 2017.

ISBN 978-87-997390-8-0

One Point Reflexology – a Method of Holistic Treatment, 2017.

ISBN 978-87-997390-7-3

Portrait photo of Dr. Bach: Borrowed with kind permission from The Bach Centre, England.

Portrait photo of the author: Photographer Camilla Hey.

Front and back cover photos: Chicory (one of the Bach Flower Remedies).

Book layout and design: Lykke Ingeborg Mitchell / IC Design.

All rights reserved. This book or parts thereof may not be reproduced in any form, stored in any retrieval system, or transmitted in any form by any means – electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwise – without prior written permission of the publisher, except as provided by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher ([e-mail]).

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1 [phone]

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1370-1 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-9822-1371-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2018912016

Balboa Press rev. date: 10/08/2018

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Table of Contents

Foreword

How to Use the Book

The General Theory of the Book: Body, Mind and Soul

A Short Introduction to Traditional Chinese Medicine

Diet and Hormones Mia Damhus,CET.

Bach Flower Remedies Are Unique for Balancing the Mind

How are the Bach Flower Remedies prepared and how should they be used?

A brief presentation of the 38 Bach Flower Remedies and The Crisis Remedy (Rescue Remedy)

* There are several remedy makers in the world and there are different brand names for Dr. Bach’s crisis formula and his emergency cream.Personally I only have experience with Rescue Remedy and Rescue Cream and that is the reason why these names are referred to in the book.

The Keywords of the Remedies

Female Types What type of gorgeous flower are you?

The Agrimony Woman

The Beech Woman

The Centaury Woman

The Cerato Woman

The Chicory Woman

The Clematis Woman

The Crab Apple Woman

The Elm Woman

The Heather Woman

The Impatiens Woman

The Larch Woman

The Mimulus Woman

The Oak Woman

The Pine Woman

The Red Chestnut Woman

The Rock Water Woman

The Scleranthus Woman

The Vervain Woman

The Vine Woman

The Water Violet Woman

The Wild Rose Woman

List of Possible Problems during Menopause

A Holistic View of Menopause

Yin og Yang

The Soul

What Can Women in Menopause Use These Philosophies for?

Literature and Links

About the Author

Foreword

The idea to write this book arose from my encounter with numerous wonderful women who shared with me the challenges they faced during menopause and after.

I came to the conclusion that there was a need for a book that could give healthy advice in relation to not only the physical but also the energy-related and mental discomforts associated with menopause and the years that follow.

It is my hope that this book will help you to recognize the inner power that you have as a woman. The feminine power is a gift that you can gain better access to by shifting your focus from the steady decline of your body to the growth of the Soul.

My own menopause has been challenging in many ways yet undeniably insightful. By the end of my menopause I discovered what it is menopause can be a transition to, my hope is to inspire other women with this discovery.

I hope the book will help you to remember who you really are!

I thank the many wonderful women who have contributed to this book. I would especially like to thank Mia Damhus (Centre for Nutrition and Therapy, nutritional therapist, pharmacist and author) for her inspiring contribution about hormones and diet. I would also like to thank Annette Løwe (Bach Practitioner and acupuncturist) for her help in the section about Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Susan Kristiansen (Bach Practitioner) for being a good sounding board regarding spirituality and providing relieving massages with essential oils which helped me gain the courage to publish this book. A big thank you to all the women who have allowed me to take part in their journey into the third age. You are the ones who have taught me the most.

I want to thank Angela Davies (Bach Practitioner and Trainer, UK) for taking the time to read everything and suggest changes.

A big thank you to Karen Chapman who had the vision to create the Bach International Education Programme (BIEP) in collaboration with the Bach Centre to which I equally owe thanks for helping me to understand the remedies.

Warm regards,

Susanne Løfgren

Denmark

www.casu.dk

August 2017

Changes have been made in relation to the original Danish version of the book.

How to Use the Book

This book is full of possibilities. You can read it from start to finish and let it inspire you and/or you can look up the most common problems associated with menopause in the list on p.99 where you will find a number of suggestions.

The physical discomforts associated with menopause and the ensuing years are described in several places in the book. This book is not a traditional ‘medical’ book and it does not provide an in depth account of the physiological aspects of menopause since there is plenty of information to be found on that topic on numerous science-related sites on the internet.

The problematic aspects in terms of lack of energy that one can encounter at the age of 40 and over are described several places in the book. I touch on how Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) views menopause because I find that particular theory especially useful.

A good part of the book deals with how the psyche may influence us after the age of 40.

In connection with that, the section on Bach’s Flower Remedies for mental discomforts during menopause and the time thereafter may prove not only useful but a real eye-opener. I have worked with these wonderful flower remedies since 1982 and have experience in knowing how they can help, among others, women.

There may be a purpose behind the suffering, also during menopause. The Soul, the Higher Self, influences your mind and it may be very interesting for you to read about the spiritual aspects of humans. You will be able to find a specific section in this book dealing with that topic and you can find inspiration in the entire section dealing with Bach Flower Remedies.

The book will show you possibilities that are simple and efficient. How much you would like to use them in your life is entirely up to you. Sometimes we are prepared for a sudden, major transition, other times we must take small steps.

The book is an invitation to do something about the discomforts for which you don’t have the energy and which you shouldn’t have to live with.

Happy Travels!

The General Theory of the Book:

Body, Mind and Soul

The book’s point of departure is an esoteric theory that describes the personality as having four ‘bodies’. The Soul and the Spirit are above the personality. The theory can help us be more aware of the fact that the root of our problems can, in principle, be found in all four bodies. The holistic approach is to make sure that all four bodies are getting the nourishment they need.

Menopause and other transitional phases, some would call them crises, give us the opportunity to develop our spiritual qualities.

But let’s start where the pain/discomfort is located: in the personality.

Later in the book you will be introduced to that which is outside of your personality, namely, the Soul, your spirituality.

The Four Layers of the Personality and How They Come into Play During Menopause

The personality consists of 4 layers or ’bodies’:

• the physical body

• the etheric body (life energy (Qi), the meridians, the chakras)

• the emotional body (feelings or rather, the emotions)

• the lower mental body (the lower mind, convictions, ways of thinking)

The physical body can, during menopause, ‘speak’ through pain and other forms of discomfort and in that way draw attention to a problem. Sometimes you can solve those problems on a purely physical level, other times you can find the root of the problem in one of the other bodies. In this book you will get concrete instructions in terms of diet, herbs, and other things that will help your physical body to function better.

The etheric body is the vital energy that surrounds and flows through your physical body. The vital energy is also known as the ‘ethereal energy’ or ‘Qi’ within Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). But during menopause Qi may not only decrease but stagnate.

The book shows how you can take care of the energy you have and how you can get the energies flowing so that your entire ethereal body, including your cells, can be enlivened by Qi.

Naturally, your emotional body represents your emotions. During menopause, many women experience mental imbalances in the form of concerns, a sense of insecurity, melancholy, anxiety and have dark days.

This book has a clear suggestion as to how to create balance in your emotional life through the help of Bach Flower Remedies.

The lower mental body is the last layer of the personality. It represents your concrete thoughts or your convictions. Negative ways of thinking are not uncommon but can be a burden on your health. The book shows a natural way to create more positive thoughts.

The mental body (the lower mind) is the last layer of the personality. It represents your concrete thoughts or your convictions. Negative ways of thinking are not uncommon but can be a burden on your health. The book shows a natural way to create more positive thoughts.

All Your Bodies Must Be Nourished

When you work with menopause holistically, the point of departure is that all four bodies must be nourished, usually in each their own specific way.

The physical body needs exercise and a natural, non-toxic diet. The etheric body is nourished through fresh, natural vegetables, fresh air and sun. The emotional body and the mental body are nourished by occupying oneself with the things that bring joy and create balance, as, for example, nature, meditation, love relationships and personal development. Bach Flower Remedies are a good tool for creating balance in the mind.

This holistic model provides a basis for the book’s various sections, and on the list of specific problems you may encounter during menopause you will find various suggestions as to how to nourish yourself (i.e.,your bodies) so that you can avoid focusing solely on only one body.

A Short Introduction to

Traditional Chinese Medicine

In the following section you will encounter concepts used in TCM and I will therefore provide you with an ultra-brief explanation since I will go more into depth with the theory of Yin/Yang on p. 154.

In TCM, you work on the basis of the five-element theory which describes how the two great forces in the universe, Yin and Yang, work. Everything in the universe is affected by Yin and Yang including, among other things, our organs, meridians, but also our mind.

TCM sees the challenges that arise during menopause partially as a natural decline in the vital energy Qi as we grow older, and partially as an imbalance that is a result of the way in which we live (in terms of diet, balance between spare time and work, our thoughts, feelings, the way the climate impacts us, etc.).

Qi circulates in the body via thousands of meridians, in which there are 12 that are particularly known because they primarily provide energy to our organs.

It is especially the energy in the kidneys and the liver that is worth noticing

in connection with menopause.

TCM explains how the vital energy (Yin) in the kidneys declines with age. The kidney energy represents the inborn constitution that gives us vitality and strength. Some have a strong kidney Qi while others have a weaker kidney Qi and ought therefore to take extra care of it.

It becomes immediately clear how important it is to nourish one’s kidney Qi when you know that it regulates many of the functions in the body:

Inner sexual organs (ability to reproduce), the ears (hearing), teeth, bones, cartilage, kidneys, vitality and desire to live.

One can quickly discern that it is exactly these areas of function that are affected during menopause: We can no longer reproduce, our hearing declines with age, teeth, bones and cartilage become more worn down, we get problems with incontinence, grow more tired, perhaps lose our zest for life and grow more anxious.

Other discomforts we may experience during menopause are hot flushes/ night sweats, headaches, the sense of being unfocused, reduced vision, muscle soreness, slack tendons and hormonal imbalances. The above mentioned symptoms are, according to TCM, connected with the liver function.

On the list of various problems, as for example, ‘hot flushes’ I have written a few suggestions as to what one can do to take care of one’s Qi.

The following section is about hormones which is good to read because it helps you see why sex hormones cannot be viewed independently of the other components. In order to know how to get better during menopause you must know something about hormones in general.

It is my great fortune that one of Denmark’s most competent nutritional therapists, Mia Damhus, has contributed to the book by writing this