Positive Health Online

In many ancient cultures there are remedies to heal the body and cures to heal the heart. They balance and express our deepest feelings and desires, the part of us that no one else owns or can heal. Flowers are very sensitive instruments for measuring and expressing emotions. Each flower has a unique aroma, taste, color, texture and shape called the 'signature' which resonates with frustrations and disappointments recorded in the nervous system. The essences drawn from flowers may be calming or energizing, allowing us to return to the source of the present moment of grace.

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The art of creating flower essences, organically grown and hand crafted, has been handed down through several generations in my mother's family. Over the years I have developed a unique process for concentrating the lipoic acid that catalyzes flowers into bloom. We can use these flower essences as natural detoxifiers and catalysts to express the greatest potential inherent in all of us. Like flowers we must learn to bloom under stress. From uninhibited energy, creativity is born. When we open the deepest layer of our creative potential, we leave behind all that is not true to our own nature. The fears, resentment, beliefs and roles that no longer serve us, fade away. Flower essences catalyze and soften the process of conscious growth. For every impossible situation or incurable illness, Mother Nature has provided a flower to help.

My own experience with the flower essences accelerated when my twins were born with immune deficiency disease. They had temperatures of 105 degrees. They suffered from asthma, prophylactic shock and eczema, leaving most of their skin raw and bleeding, which meant sleepless nights for me. When I looked within myself for answers, I was drawn to the flowers growing in my garden. I developed many of the Petite Fleur Essences in order to strengthen their immune system. When my third child turned two, his doctor diagnosed a 50 per cent hearing loss. Subsequently I developed the Antique Rose Collection, which supports the neurological system, and fully restored his hearing. The doctors were left dumbfounded. But with every challenge a new essence came to me through conscious dreams and intuition.

The twins are now robust and healthy twenty-three-year olds; my daughter is working on a Ph.D. in nutrition. My youngest son is nineteen, and helping me with the business.

During my recuperation from Crohn's disease, I used Snapdragon, Pink Geranium, Gaillardia and Old Blush Antique Rose to enhance my immune system. I used Lilac, Marigold, Orchid and Rose Campion essences to reduce a precancerous tumour. Onion, Sage and Thyme essences dealt with simpler problems such as colds and influenza. My training as a clinical nutritionist and medical herbalist allowed me to add nutritional, herbal or manipulative medicine as appropriate.

At a deep level, these essences catalyze attitudinal changes and their consequent emotional well being. Life is no longer a 'struggle,' but a process of continuous learning, viewed from a calm and balanced body and mind. Over the years I have used these essences with thousands of clients, many of whom come to me as a last resort.

One client, under my care for nearly two years now, came to me complaining of poor circulation, confusion, low energy and an inability to cope with her life. As a recently widowed business woman, she has a lot of stress in her daily life – stress which a less sensitive caregiver might have attributed to her age (early 70s). I recommended dietary and herbal supplements initially, and some improvement was noted. However, it was not until the Petite Fleur essence Wisteria was added, that she began to feel at peace with herself.

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"The stress hasn't left me," she says, "but it doesn't send me into orbit like it did. I am able to make good decisions quickly, and I am able to turn off the outside world from time to time so that I can explore the world within. I take Wisteria before retiring each night. More often than not I awaken refreshed and rested."

Another client came to me with menopausal symptoms, chronic headaches, neck pain and aching shoulders. She was determined not to get caught in the 'estrogen fix', but preferred to aid her body's transition with natural herbs and supplements. A searcher, she asked me if there might be some way to get a message to her body, to relieve these symptoms, since nothing she tried had worked. I suggested that she have her husband put the Mushroom essence on her back, and the pain eased. She became aware of her back, how she was sitting, when her shoulders were up, when she was holding her head too low, causing strain on her neck.

"That awareness came directly from the Mushroom essence," she said. The essence helped give her body a tool to send a message of hope for releasing those harmful patterns of posture. The hormone deficiency was corrected with my women's herbal tonic and the Female combination of Petite Fleur essences.

Often physicians refer terminally ill cancer patients to me for flower essence therapy. With one patient in Massachusetts suffering from prostrate cancer, I chose a combination of essences to isolate the tumor: Lilac to reduce tumor growth; Marigold for sexual energies being imbalanced, as well as for sexual guilt; Gaillardia to stimulate macrophage production; and Meadow Sage to reduce the growth enzymes of the tumor. African Violet was added to help the patient experience a greater sense of fulfilment in his life. This is the only treatment he has used for over five years, and the tumor has been contained to date. In his late 70s, Tom says that he is now looking forward to the best years of his life.

Julia is an interesting case history, in part because of the complexity of the issues that came up. She was referred for attention deficit and dyslexia. At 36, she could not spell correctly, had poor memory, and low self-esteem. I recommended White Petunia (for left/right brain balance) to overcome the dyslexia; Iris for mental stress; Blue Danube Aster to increase concentration; and Salvia to enhance self-esteem.

Within three weeks Julia was spelling words correctly for the first time in her life; and she reported that her reading speed and comprehension had increased. She then felt confident to work on her weight problem. Salvia was continued, and Pink Rose was added for 'fat complex'. We also used Ranunculus for childhood abuse. She lost ten pounds in one month, and began to have vivid memories of sexual abuse. I added Vanilla for protection, and she lost 20 more pounds over the next six months.

Julia began to date for the first time in her life, so then I suggested Lily to reduce the fear of failure, and Lemon Grass to let go of the belief that love always hurts. Within a few months she expressed a desire to become involved in a committed relationship. I combined a 'love essence' of antique roses: Marie Pavi – to help her follow her heart; Fimbriata to release inhibitions to express passion; Archduke Charles to encourage intimacy through commitment; and Cecil Brunner to help define boundaries for a healthy relationship.

I potentized the combination with a few drops of Yarrow, and was invited to the wedding several months later. Fingers crossed, three years on they still appear to be happily married!

I must admit that on the way to the ceremony I dosed myself with Garden Mum to release critical thoughts, and Onion for fixed opinions. My experience of marriage included three children to raise, chiefly as a single parent, and a house payment. In a rebellious mood I asked for guidance on an essence for those experiences. I was promptly directed to grow Wild Oats . . . to develop a sense of humor!

The Petites are catalysts that encourage us to make the most of every situation. They work at an individual's pace to make constructive lifestyle changes. Unlike homeopathics, they do not evoke a negative symptom to bring about healing; instead they help promote inner harmony and peace.

Over the past sixteen years the range has grown to 129 Petite Fleur essences and twelve combinations. They can be used in association with kinesiology, massage, nutritional and herbal supplements, acupuncture and acupressure, and subtle body healing therapies.

From the indigenous people of the world I have learned how simple healing can be. As we return to the source, we will again express a passion for life in everything we experience. The Petites have taught me that what is divine cannot be separated from its source, and that all true healing comes from the heart.

Note: A complete description of the 129 Petite Fleur Essences is found in the Returning to the Source practitioner's manual. An intensive weekend workshop called "Healing from the Heart" enables practitioners to learn case histories involving the use of the essences over a wide range of healing applications. For information on both of these, please contact the International Flower Essence Repertoire, The Living Tree, Milland, Liphook, Hants GU30 7JS. Tel. 01 428 741 572.