In 2012, I invested in a membership with the Flower Essence Society. Since flower essences are the focus of my professional life here in Edmonton, at the same time as investing in said membership, I also established a signature for my Gmail account:
Roberta Shepherd
Holistic Health Practitioner, Flower Essences Aficionado
Why? Why do I love Flower Essences so much and why are they a therapy worth exploring to achieve all your mental, emotional and spiritual health goals?
I love Flower Essences because they’re a synergy of:
– the beauty of plants
– energetics (as in, energy work, which Flower Essences are a branch of)
– endeavours to get to the root cause of what holds us back from being who we really are, and,
– the ongoing and beautiful opportunity for me to receive the stories of many.
Flower essences are the brain child of Dr. Edward Bach (1886 – 1936), who was a leading English surgeon, bacteriologist and pathologist. Well versed and influential in the field of Homeopathic medicine, Bach was ridiculed by his medical counterparts for his pursuit of seemingly less tangible practices like Homeopathy and Flower Essences. Nevertheless, Bach was unwavering in his belief that remedies gentler than pharmaceuticals existed by which patients could bring themselves back into balance. So inspired by his vocation, Bach abandoned his lucrative private practice in 1930 to concentrate upon his true “life work”. Bach passed away in 1936, leaving behind a legacy of insightful information that lies at the foundation of the Flower Essence Society’s work today.
Flower Essences are dilute floral infusions. The key word here is “essence” – it is not roots, leaves, stems or seeds of flowers that are being ingested in Flower Essence therapy, but the “essence”. In other words, the energy. Flower Essences are worth your exploration because they address the myriad of human conditions experienced in the modern world. For every issue that exists in the modern world, there is a flower essence that can be paired to that issue. Taking the Flower Essence paired to your respective issue stimulates awareness around that issue. Flower Essences are like counselors in a bottle – part of a counselor’s job is to diplomatically point out blind spots: parts about you that you’re unaware of. Gaining awareness around what you don’t consciously realize you’re thinking, believing or doing allows you to have a different perspective and to see how these thoughts, beliefs and/or behaviors are holding you back. With new awareness, you can implement change that will influence your life in a more positive direction.
The practice of Flower Essences is a celebration of the way plants lend themselves to human conditions. A successful Flower Essence cycle brings change, leading you towards your highest expression of yourself. When you’re expressing yourself at the height of “Who You Really Are”, you’re likely expressing self-confidence, gratitude, abundance, prosperity, happiness, compassion and empathy.
As if all of those reasons aren’t enough for “why” you ought to explore Flower Essences, let me get more specific. Flower Essences ought to be employed for any of the following issues: eating disorders, sleep disturbances, workaholism, depression, death and loss, lack of direction, unhealthy attachment and codependency, broken relationships, perfectionism, lack of boundaries, exhaustion and fatigue, lack of motivation and drive, low sex drive, procrastination, restlessness, anxiety, lack of concentration and focus, anger, change and transition, immune disturbances, self-defeatist patterns and habits, abuse, shame, stress, arrogance or low self-esteem, trauma of any kind, and the list goes on and on… Flower Essences are also very effective for common and not-so-common issues that occur with infants and children such as: teething, excessive crying, nightmares, sleep disturbances, neglect, bullying, shyness or aggression, fear, anxiety, over-dependence and clingy-ness, difficulty with change and transition, bet-wetting, etc.
The simple answer to “Why Flower Essences?” is this: because they really work at helping us get to the root of whatever’s holding us back from being “Who We Really Are”.