Learn your lessons with Chestnut Bud

Choose this remedy when making an effort to break a bad and persistent habit.

by Linda Crider —

Insanity is often defined as repeating the same negative actions and expecting different results. Some of us learn from experience the first time, while others appear to require numerous courses from the proverbial “school of hard knocks.” For those locked in this continuous cycle, Dr. Edward Bach included the essence of Chestnut Bud as one of the 38 flower remedies in his system of natural healing. In his words, it is for “those who take a longer time than others to learn the lessons of daily life.”

If you have ever found yourself stuck in a strangely familiar but dysfunctional relationship, unsatisfactory job or other equally unfortunate circumstance and wonder how you got there again, you might consider this remedy. Taking Chestnut Bud can help you achieve a break in those repeated behavior patterns that yield such unproductive results.

It is more likely, however, that you might know someone who is in need of this remedy, but does not appear to be aware of it. Individuals in this negative state are usually disconnected from the reality of their situations, whatever they might be. They often become stubbornly fixed on their versions of life as they want or perceive it and are averse to any input to the contrary.

These folks simply do not relate to any helpful advice, whether it comes from others or from their own inner wisdom. They either refuse to notice their detrimental actions or do not want to be held accountable for them. They do not see that one of the first steps to getting oneself out of a negative place is to acknowledge that one’s own actions or decisions have often gotten them there. This is where Chestnut Bud can be of assistance, as it opens inner vision and gently prods us with a reality check.

Choose this remedy when making an effort to break a bad and persistent habit. For instance, it can aid those who are determined to quit smoking after several unsuccessful attempts. In the same way, it is often the answer for yo-yo dieters who struggle with emotional eating issues.

And more specifically, for the youngsters, Chestnut Bud can be used when potty training has reached levels of frustration for both the trainer and trainee. It may also be helpful when dealing with adults, as well as children, with learning disabilities. Chestnut Bud can be included along with other therapies to promote better learning habits and greater success in school.

As with many of the other 38 remedies in Bach’s healing system, Chestnut Bud is often used successfully with animals. Try it for a pet that proves difficult to train; for example, a kitten that refuses to use the litter box, despite your efforts to keep it clean and make it accessible. It might also benefit a puppy that repeatedly has accidents on the carpet after numerous training efforts.

This flower remedy is another example of how Dr. Bach recognized that nature has provided tools to help us achieve harmony and health. For those who seem destined to take a lifetime to see the error of their ways, we have Chestnut Bud. One Bach scholar aptly refers to this plant as “the learning flower.” “Nobody,” she writes, “escapes the task of learning from experience.”

Linda Crider has been a promoter and educator of botanical healing practices for 15 years. She specializes in flower essence therapy and is a Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner and founder of Blooming Vibrations, LLC. 602-774-2382 or www.bloomingvibrations.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 31, Number 1, Feb/Mar 2012.