Bach Flower Remedies: Understanding Dr. Bach’s Original Teachings Applied to Life Today -Agrimony and the Feelings We Hide
Updated: 3 hours ago
Introduction: Bridging Dr. Bach’s Teachings with Modern Life
Working with clients and listening to students of the Bach Flower Remedies, I often hear confusion about Dr. Edward Bach’s original writings. They are so complete and simple, yet due to differences in language and synthesis, they can sometimes feel a bit far removed from how we think and live today.
Because of this, I decided to start writing about the remedies in context: offering simplicity alongside practical, clear references to our current way of living. This makes it much easier to understand how Bach Flower Remedies can help us navigate daily life.
As I explore in this podcast, Bach Flower remedies work at their best when chosen and taken according to Dr. Bach’s original instructions. However, it is not always immediately clear how to match the instructions Dr. Bach left behind with our everyday needs today.
I intend to help bridge this gap here, one remedy at a time. Let’s start with Agrimony.
What is Agrimony?
Agrimony is the Bach Flower Remedy that helps us acknowledge the feelings we may hide, face and work through them, heal our inner discomfort, and rediscover a more balanced, authentically happy life.
Dr. Edward Bach wrote about this remedy:
"The jovial, cheerful, humorous people who love peace and are distressed by argument and quarrel, and who, to avoid these, will give up much. Though generally they have troubles and are restless and worried and uneasy in mind and body, they hide their cares behind their humour and jesting and are considered very good friends to know. They often take alcohol or drugs in excess, to stimulate themselves and help themselves bear their trials with cheerfulness.” [The Twelve Healers and Other Remedies, 1936, page 25]
The first thing we notice is the striking contrast Dr. Bach describes:
On the outside: Cheerful, humorous, sociable, a good friend to know.
Inside: Troubles, restlessness, worry, and uneasiness.
This contrast is at the heart of the Agrimony state, but it extends to any time we take action simply to avoid feeling something. Let’s explore what that looks like.
Understanding the Agrimony State
Agrimony is not simply about being a cheerful person. It is about what happens when we refuse to be in contact with what hurts inside us.
We may smile.
We may make jokes.
We may keep conversations light.
We may be the person who brings energy into the room and makes everyone laugh.
Yet, underneath that cheerful exterior, we may be struggling with something we do not want to talk about, or even think about ourselves. So, we move away from it. We distract ourselves, keep busy, and look for something that will make us feel better, even if only for a little while.
We sacrifice our healing, hiding what we truly feel, because we like things to stay calm and usual, as Dr. Bach noted: "distressed by argument and quarrel, and who, to avoid these, will give up much."
While we often hide from others, I frequently see in my practice that we also hide from ourselves, denying our feelings to avoid discomfort. In modern life, this often manifests as the need to fill a void.Agrimony in Modern Life: The Need to Fill the Void
When there is an uncomfortable feeling inside, we instinctively try to fill the space. We need:
Something to do or watch
Something to eat or drink
Someone to talk to
Somewhere to go
Something to keep us entertained
Sometimes this habit is so automatic that we hardly notice it. We wake up in the middle of the night and find ourselves opening the refrigerator, not because we are genuinely hungry, but because we are looking for a little pleasure, a little distraction, or something to take our attention away from an uncomfortable feeling.
Or we reach for our phones, turn on the television, start scrolling, make plans, go out, party, drink, or smoke. Even working long hours to avoid facing the calm and silence within us can call for Agrimony.
KEYWORD: Avoidance The behavior itself is not what defines Agrimony. The vital question to ask is: What is happening emotionally underneath it?
Are we enjoying ourselves because we genuinely want to, or are we using stimulation, pleasure, or activity to avoid being alone with something we don't want to feel?
“Everything Is Fine”: The Mask We Wear
There is another layer to Agrimony: how we respond when others notice something is wrong.
When someone asks, "Are you okay?" we instinctively answer:
"Everything is fine."
"I'm good."
"Don't worry about me."
Perhaps someone tells us, "You seem so happy!" We smile and perhaps make another joke. From the outside, everything appears perfectly fine. But inside, our experience is entirely different.
Sometimes we become so skilled at hiding our difficulties that other people genuinely do not realize how much we are carrying. When people respond to the surface: "You have nothing to worry about," or "Look at all the good things in your life"; we simply laugh it off, make another joke, and carry on. The pain does not disappear; it remains unspoken.
Our modern world makes this pattern particularly easy to maintain. On one side, we are expected to be "on top of things," productive, and fine. On the other, we are busy and surrounded by entertainment, constant stimulation, and digital noise.
There is always something to do, buy, eat, drink, scroll through, or plan.
There is nothing wrong with enjoying these things; the question is whether we choose them from genuine enjoyment or out of fear of encountering what lies beneath.
The Positive Potential of Agrimony
This is where the true beauty of the remedy shines. We do not need to lose our natural joy, humor, sociability, or love of life. Those qualities remain. What changes is our relationship with what lies beneath them.
Agrimony soothes inner torment and helps us grow in self-consciousness regarding what is hidden beneath the surface. There is room for both lightness and depth when enjoyment is genuine, where a smile is truly felt, even in between tears.
Agrimony reminds us that we do not have to choose between being joyful and being honest about what we feel. We can laugh, have fun, and bring lightness to others while also giving ourselves permission to acknowledge our difficult moments.
We do not have to fill every silence, turn every struggle into a joke, or convince everyone that everything is fine. We can simply allow ourselves to be real. That is where the deeper peace of Agrimony begins: when the smile no longer needs to hide the hurt.
Summary: Finding Calm and Clarity
Every time we feel a sense of restlessness, an impulse to constantly stay busy, or the need to fill a void (compulsive shopping included!), there is likely something underneath the surface that needs our attention - some feeling we are neglecting.
I had a client once who realized they started developing OCD behaviors simply to avoid dealing with feelings.
Agrimony is a go-to remedy when we feel restless and "not quite right" without knowing why. When we find ourselves engaging in too many tasks at once, there is probably a deeper emotional layer waiting to be addressed. Life is complex and accelerated, and our consciousness sometimes struggles to keep pace. The rapid progress of real-time connection and information means human biology is still catching up to technology, making full emotional awareness challenging. As a result, emotions get stuck layer by layer until we feel “stuck”. I wrote about this in this other blog.
Why take Agrimony? To find calm and clarity in what you truly feel—and rediscover genuine joy in life.Are you noticing any subtle habits you use to avoid difficult emotions in your daily routine?
Understanding the Agrimony Bach Flower Remedy: Signs and Emotional Patterns
The following table can help us recognize the Agrimony state in everyday life
What we may experience | What it can look like in everyday life |
Cheerful on the outside | Smiling, joking, keeping conversations light, making others laugh |
“Everything is fine” | Saying “I'm good” or “Don't worry about me” when something is actually troubling us |
Avoiding difficult feelings | Changing the subject, making a joke, staying positive, or refusing to think about what hurts |
Constant need for distraction | Reaching for the phone, scrolling, watching TV, shopping, eating, drinking, or seeking entertainment |
Keeping constantly busy | Taking on too many tasks, making endless plans, working long hours |
Seeking company or stimulation | Going out, partying, talking constantly, or always needing something happening |
Feeling restless without knowing why | Feeling “not quite right,” uneasy, unsettled, or unable to relax |
Avoiding conflict at all costs | Keeping the peace, giving up much, going along with things to prevent arguments |
Hiding our struggles from others | Appearing happy and sociable even when carrying something painful |
Hiding from ourselves | Automatically distracting ourselves before we even recognize what we are feeling |
Using pleasure to escape discomfort | Looking for something to eat, drink, buy, watch, do, or plan whenever an uncomfortable feeling arises |
Wondering how to take Bach Flower Remedies?
Request your free pdf copy of The Path to Emotional Balance: Using Bach Flower Remedies
as Dr. Bach Intended
Wishing you balance, inner harmony, and a true connection with your emotions.*
With care,
Elena Maro, BFRP
Bach Foundation Registered Practitioner
Ready to experience the benefits for yourself?
Book a short personalized consultation with me to discover how Bach Flower Remedies can support your unique emotional well-being: simple, tailored to you, and completely accessible.
*[The purpose of this blog is to provide information about the use of Bach Flower Remedies according to the original teachings of Dr. Edward Bach. It is not intended as medical or psychological advice.]
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