All we need to do is ask. Flower essences therapy is a wonderful and natural way to treat what ails us. Flower essences are similar to herbal therapy and essential oils in that they use healing properties of the plants to improve certain human conditions. They differ in that they are a much more diluted form, mostly water with a trace of the sun-infused flowers and have no contraindications or side effects whatsoever. They are best for treating mental, emotional and spiritual issues. The flower is the pure potential of the plant. It is delicate and powerful. And so too are its healing properties.
In the clinic I use flower essences to treat grief, anxiety, depression, feeling stuck, fear, low self-esteem as well as “love potions” to help attract a partner or feel more prosperous. It’s all energy. What do you want to attune to? What do you want to vibrate as and attract to yourself? The flowers would love to assist you and I would love to act as a facilitator.
During a flower essence consultation, we spend some time addressing the core issue and the challenging feelings around it, as well as what you want to be feeling and how you want to be living. I use a form of muscle testing, where I ask your higher self which flowers are most needed at this time for your highest good. I have found this method to be the most accurate in addressing the root of the issue. Each remedy, which is a custom blend of 2-6 different essences, usually lasts for 3-4 weeks. At the end of that month cycle, we readdress the core issue and reflect how things have shifted, if they are resolved or if we continue on to the next phase or layer.
So, what is a flower essence and how did they come about? It is believed that flower essence therapy was first used thousands of years ago by indigenous people all over the world, collecting the morning dew off of the flower petals for various uses. They became more widely known with the homeopathic doctor, Edward Bach, in the 1930’s. One of the most popular flower essence blends used today is “Bach’s Rescue Remedy” a combination of 5 flower essences used to treat anxiety, fright, and trauma. My introduction to flower essences was using this very formula for my dog over 10 years ago, during thunderstorms and fireworks, which usually sent him scurrying to the nearest table to hide under. It worked like a charm. Since he had no idea I had spiked his water, I knew it wasn’t just placebo.
Several years later, I experienced the healing benefits myself when I met with a flower essence practitioner and was treated for a pattern of recurring cold sores, that were expressing with every menstrual cycle. This new pattern was concerning, not to mention embarrassing. It was in the treating of this pattern and reading about the flowers which were chosen, that I learned more about what was at the root of this issue emotionally. It allowed me to face those challenging feelings with clarity and grace and to allow a blossoming to occur emotionally which led to more intimacy in my relationships and more self-love and acceptance in general. Although it is tempting to want to have a symptom just “go away” we can rob ourselves of a deeper understanding that these uncomfortable feelings are trying to teach us. It is my continued work with flower essences that has allowed me, and hundreds of others I’ve worked with to break patterns, move through blockages, and experience true joy.
I think of one patient who suffered from PTSD. A 60-something retired firefighter medic and Vietnam veteran. He was getting some improvement with acupuncture, but it wasn’t until we introduced the flower essences that his night terrors stopped, and his angry outburst lessened. I’ll never forget his wife coming in on that next visit with tears in her eyes, saying “Thank you. I feel like I have my husband back.”
I use mostly local Sonoran Desert flower essences from Desert Alchemy Flower Essences, where I did my training. In the workshop, I learned that beneath every uncomfortable feeling: sadness, anxiety, depression, fear or loneliness is the feeling of joy. This joy is beneath everything. It is not something we need to seek outside of ourselves or add to our lives. It is already there, waiting to come forth. Often it is just a matter of peeling away the layers which cover and cloud it over. That is what the flower essences do. It makes these challenging feelings and times in our lives less daunting and confusing. The flowers give us the courage and support to face and move through these difficult feelings with ease and clarity.
Are you feeling unbalanced, in need of emotional support or clarity around an issue? Let the flowers help. Set up a flower essence consultation today and begin the journey of healing, self-discovery, and true joy.
Writer: Danube Jacobs Licensed Acupuncturist