Flower Essences for Your Emotional Health
I first began using flower essences in medical school. I was living across the country and just constantly missing home. Whenever I had a moment of solace, a dark cloud of homesickness swept in. Eventually, I decided to give flower essences a try, and I quickly noticed a subtle shift in my perspective. Yes, I was still homesick, but I felt mentally stronger. I continued to experiment with flower essences on my friends and family, and I quickly realized that those subtle shifts happened with them as well. Flower essences often find their way into my treatment plans because so often our emotional health is left out of the conversation. These plant remedies are a profound and gentle way to care for your own emotional health.
The World of Flower Essences
Before we dive into the world of flower essences, it is important to first touch on the spectrum of herbal medicine because each form of plant medicine is very different in terms of safety.
What even are they?
On one end of the herbal medicine spectrum are essential oils, which contain high amounts of concentrated plant matter. They contain all of the lovely aromatics of the plant. But because of this high concentration, they can have interactions, side effects and toxicity. Essential oils can be quite dangerous when not used correctly.
Right in the middle of the spectrum is where we find whole plants, which are often used in teas, tinctures and capsules. These forms contain all the phytochemicals and compounds found within the plant. This means that they have specific mechanisms by which they work.
And that brings us to flower essences, which are on the opposite side of the spectrum. Flower essences do not contain any physical matter of the plant, which makes them safe for all ages. Instead, flower essences contain the vibrational frequency and energetic imprint of the plant. Think of this like the plant’s personality.
How do they work?
Flower essences are a form of energetic medicine, like acupuncture and chakras. The way they work is still a bit of a mystery, but it is hypothesized that flower essences work through vibrational resonance. Our world is made up of atoms that are always moving and vibrating, and our bodies are constantly responding to those vibrational frequencies…just think about sound waves. With flower essences, each one contains its own unique frequency and imprint. When taken, they cause a gentle shift in the body. Flower essences are a lovely therapy to help us release old thought patterns in order to welcome in new ways of thinking.
Building Your Emotional Health Toolkit
I reach to flower essences when I need a gentle support for the emotional body. For most, the first flower essence they try is Rescue Remedy. This is a popular combination of five different flower essences, and it is most effective at calming temporary bouts of high stress or panic. It is often used as a supportive option for things like test and performance anxiety.
But that is just one of the many different flower essences. The world of flower essences is expansive! These are some of my most used single essences, which I often blend into combination formulas. Keep reading till the end to see how to include flower essences in your own emotional health toolkit.
Buttercup
Buttercup is a bright, radiant flower that many of us remember from childhood. When taken as a flower essence it illuminates our own inner light. I use this flower essences for times when we have become overburdened by negativity and discontent. It is useful for when we need to release feelings of low self worth and self esteem, even self-doubt. Buttercup helps to restore our confidence, find our inner bright light, and acknowledge what makes us unique.
Sunflower
Sunflowers are special because they symbolize the balance of masculine and feminine energies. Sunflowers stand tall and strong, but they are also yielding and supportive of other plants. As a flower essence, sunflower is useful for those who may be lacking self confidence, over thinking their decisions or have a fear of failure. Using sunflower flower essence helps to enhance your inner self confidence, providing you with the stability you need to trust yourself and your abilities.
Borage
If you are familiar with borage, you may notice the drooping buds, which eventually emerge as a bright blue flower. I like to use this visual because with borage flower essence, it is best used for when we are going through a time of negativity, depression and heavy heartedness. Much like the blooming of the borage flowers, this essence uplifts us, making way for optimism. It is a lovely essence for when we feel like we need to lift our spirits.
Chamomile
When we think of chamomile we think of calm and tranquility. Not only is this true as a tea, but also as a flower essence. Chamomile flower essence is useful for those with changeable moods, irritability, and anxiety. Chamomile relieves tension and helps us let go of emotional stress, especially at the end of the day. A lovely visual is that it helps part those storm clouds to allow the sunlight through.
Motherwort
Motherwort is one of my favorite herbs to use in practice as a tincture, but I also love this herb as a flower essence. Interestingly, the latin name for motherwort is Leonurus cardiaca, meaning the heart of the lion. I like to think of motherwort flower essence as helping you find your own inner lion. Motherwort aids in magnifying your own courage and assertiveness. It can be very helpful for those who struggle with setting boundaries and saying no.
Yarrow
Yarrow is another lovely flower essence for drawing boundaries. Yarrow, with its shield like flowers, is said to help shield us from any negativity in our environment. It is useful for those who feel vulnerable or overly sensitive, leading to feelings of depletion. Yarrow flower essence helps to restore resilience and healthy boundaries.
Zinnia
I had to save my favorite for last! Just the sight of zinnias brings a smile to your face because of how bright and beautiful they are. The flower essence is no different. Zinnia flower essence is useful when we are overly serious and lacking joy. Sometimes this shows up as the inability to laugh at ourselves or to find our own light heartedness. Zinnia helps us to reconnect with the inner joy that is our inner child. It brings back our child-like humor and playfulness, reminding us that there is a place for this in our daily lives. This is a wonderful essence for the workaholic within us or for those overburdened by responsibility.
Putting It All Together
In my practice, I typically combine 5-7 flower essences into one formula so that I can address multiple layers of the emotional body. We are complicated beings, and sometimes we have more going on than just “lack of self esteem”, for example. To make a formula, you then combine 5 drops of each single essences into a 0.5 ounce dropper bottle, and top with water. That’s it. This combination can then be taken orally at a dose of 5 drops, three times daily.
About the Author
Dr. Hannah is a naturopathic doctor providing whole body adjunctive healthcare to patients in Maine and Massachusetts. She believes every patient has their own unique health journey, which influences her personalized treatment approach. She has a passion for helping women, mothers and families heal and thrive, all while uncovering the root cause of whatever ails them. Her goal is to empower and guide her patients on the path towards healing the mind, body and soul through natural methods of healing. Dr. Hannah sees patients locally in Portland, Maine. Through telehealth, she is happy to serve the people of Lewiston, Ellsworth, Belfast, Bangor, and all the towns in between! She now sees Massachusetts patients through telehealth as well!
Disclaimer
The information provided on or through this website is for educational and informational purposes only. This information is not a substitution for proper and personalized medical diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or trusted healthcare provider before making an adjustments or changes to your healthcare regimen. Natural medicine is not inherently harmless, and therefore it is important to speak with your healthcare providers for personalized medical advice.