Bach Flower: Sweet Chestnut

Sweet Chestnut and the Last Straw

The Bach flower remedy Sweet Chestnut in its negative state describes a person when he has reached the end of his tether. He feels like he has his
back against the wall, in spite of everything that he has done and there is no way out. He feels completely exhausted and it is as though every avenue he has explored is a dead end with nowhere left to go.

Physical

He feels drained and this is not something that is psychosomatic – it happens after he has worked hard towards his goals. Physically, he is at a point when he feels that his legs will carry him no further, when he has exhausted the last ounce of his energy. It isn’t just the incredible fatigue that he has to bear, it is the feeling that his body cannot go on. Sweet Chestnut gives his tired bones a fillip to go that  extra mile. More than that, it puts hope into him that all is not lost and that there could be a rainbow ahead after that next turning.

Mental

Mentally, he has given up and that is why perhaps he has this ‘I’ve reached the end of the road’ feeling. He feels tortured mentally because nothing seems to be going his way till at last, he gives way to despair and feels there is nothing ahead to give him any kind of hope. However, even though it is extreme despair that he experiences, he never thinks of ending it all with suicide. All he does is feel terribly tired and gives up. Sweet Chestnut makes him hope and opens his mind to other avenues to explore where he could begin to see success.

Emotional

After suffering inside, he comes to a point when all he feels is a desolate nothingness. However lost he feels, he tries and hides his feelings from the world. Much of his heartache stems from the fact that he tries to do everything himself and doesn’t let others know what he is feeling. He quite forgets that burdens shared are burdens borne better. With Sweet Chestnut, he  feels again and he learns to love and share both the good and the bad.

Spiritual

There’s a hollowness inside – a darkness of the soul. All belief seems to die and therein lies the utter hopelessness. His soul writhes in pain till it reaches a point when there is only desolation. Sweet Chestnut helps him tap the hidden springs within and lets hope flow over his parched soul. With belief comes the feeling that his soul can rise up and feel joy again.


Reference: Bach Flower Remedies by Shalini Kagal (2012)
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e-mail: shalini.kagal@gmail.com