Flower Essences: A Perfect Complement to Therapy
When we are faced with major challenges in life, many of us wisely reach to therapy—we seek out another human who can witness our suffering and our perseverance; and who can stand with us and serve as a guide through the more difficult terrain of our lives. Humans, especially wonderfully trained and compassionate mental health professionals, can offer us SO much support through the tougher seasons of our lives. In addition to human support, another legion of healers stands ready to support you: the plant kingdom.
The plant world is a tremendous ally to humans in countless ways. While medicines, foods, the exchange of carbon dioxide for oxygen, and inspiration are a few of the obvious benefits the plant realm offers to humankind, plants offer more subtle yet profound healing promises to us. Flower essences, for example, are specialized botanical preparations made from the flowers of various plants, that offer significant healing on the emotional, mental, and deeper spiritual levels.
Flower essences are energetic or vibrational remedies—working on the same system as acupuncture, reiki, healing touch, and meditation. They support our emotional and mental well being, help us find balance in the face of the polarities and extremes of life, and enable us to work through our deeper soul lessons. Because of their area of expertise, flower essences make tremendous allies for us as we work through our traumas, obstacles, and challenges in a therapeutic setting.
Flower essences offer hundreds of avenues of support—a dozen or so specialize in the various types of fear we encounter as we move through life (fear of the unknown, fear of specific elements in our everyday life, fear for the wellbeing of others, terror, fear of losing control). Several specialize in the uncertainty than can stultify our progress through life. Several help us work through trauma. Grief. Anxiety. Stress. Loss. Loneliness. Change. All the painful, challenging and yet universal phenomenon of being human. Each flower holds an archetypal pattern of healing that it lends to others through its life force (which is what is captured and potenized in a flower essence remedy).
Because flower essences directly affect our energy systems, rather than our physical bodies, they are completely safe for use in humans of all ages and conditions, animals, and even plants. Flower essences have no contraindications, no risk of side effects, no addictive properties, no safety limitations. Flower essences can be given to newborns, pregnant women, nursing women, people with health conditions, people on medications…really everyone.
Let’s get back to flower essences as a perfect partner to psychotherapy. Through psychotherapy we can gain a companion through the challenging chapters of our lives—we have someone we can work things out with on a cognitive level, someone with whom we can identify and work through our thoughts and emotions. Perhaps this person will even bring awareness and attention our mind-body wellness, helping us listen to the ways our body communicates with us about our overall wellbeing. Talking and processing are so crucial, AND there is a lot that can be done on the energetic level to really support the healing goals we long to reach. Flower essences support your healing goals on a deeper level in a way that greatly complements the difficult and beautiful work you do in therapy.
Flower essences are accessible to everyone at local natural health stores and online—and are intended to be the kind of healing system that one can use without professional support. However, this does take time and a willingness to educate yourself on the kinds of flower remedies available and how to use them.
A great asset to those interested in gaining the support of flower essences is a flower essence practitioner who has extensively studied this system of healing. A flower essence practitioner can talk with you about your challenges and healing goals and suggest a single or combination remedy. They can follow your progress and support you through the changes that inevitably unfold. Some practitioners also offer healing sessions (much like a Reiki session or massage) that utilize flower essences for healing. These sessions can be quite profound.
Written by Jaime Fleres-Mizejewski, owner of Santosha Birth and Wellness, flower essence practitioner, placenta encapsulator, herbalist, and writer. Jaime offers classes around the Twin Cities about flower essences and offers flower essence remedies, custom consultations, and healing sessions. Please learn more at SantoshaMama.com.
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Great books to get you started learning more about flower essences:
The Lily Circle: Practical Guide and Repetory by Julia Graves
Flower Essence Repertory: A Comprehensive Guide to North American and English Flower Essences for Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz
The Bach Remedies Workbook by Stefan Ball
The Essential Writings of Dr Edward Bach by Edward Bach