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Flower Essence Energy Articles, Page 1
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Flower
Essences?
Do you mean Aromatherapy?
No they are not the same!
By Maggie Smith |
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I
am asked this question frequently when explaining flower essences
to people who come to my classes or who experience my Flower Essence
Sprays.
Flower Essences, or Vibrational Essences as they are also called,
are very different than what has been coined “Aromatherapy”.
Flower Essence companies, which 10–15 years ago were few and far between,
and are now blooming into million-dollar year businesses. The Living
Essences of Australia has a four-year Academy and their programs
are taught in the Homeopathic University and Acupuncture Colleges
in Perth, Australia. There are companies making essences from regions
all over the globe such as the United States, New Zealand, Japan,
South Africa, Alaska, South America, France, Australia, Germany,
England and the Himalayas. There are at least two dozen American
companies producing flower essences and shipping them worldwide.
Flower Essences are made from a variety of natural sources that
come from the ocean, flowers, trees, plants, minerals and power
vortexes around the planet.
Flowers speak to all our souls and to our hearts. They will heal
our emotions and our minds if given the opportunity. Have you ever
really noticed a beautiful sunflower in full bloom? Its graceful
open face surrounded by the golden petals speaks about opening joyously
to the full range of experience in the world and following the sunshine
of our soul when communicating to others. Have you ever wondered
why lovers give roses to each other? They always touch the heart
and remind us to be soft and gentle, enhancing our receptive nature.
When we think about the giant redwood trees growing in Northern
California, we think of them growing strong and tall, their strength
connecting us with the earth gives us a sense of presence and interconnection
with life connecting us with the earth’s rhythms.
So what are flower essences? And how are they made? Flower Essences
are liquid extracts that are used to address profound issues of
emotional well being, soul development, and mind-body health. Flower
Essences do not carry the aroma of the flower, but rather the “vibrational
signature“ of the whole plant. Flower Essences are made by going
to the place where the plant is growing naturally and in healthy
ABUNDANCE.
Then,
much like the principle of homeopathy, the essence of the plant
and flowers are mindfully collected. This is the most important
factor in its preparation as an essence. The process of creating
the Flower Essence is a quite meditation. When I begin to make an
essence, I look for a nice sunny spot in the field or grove. I fill
a clear glass bowl with water from a local spring or well. The only
reason why I might not use water from a nearby stream is if that
water were contaminated by whatever is happening up-stream, animals
or human and I would then use distilled water.
I
create a ritual setting the intention to form the vortex between
the sun, water and the essence of the flowers or trees or the essence
of the place. This is where I then sit in meditation and with conscious
prayers I begin to call in the energies of the plant or tree. I
invoke the Deva or Angel of the flower or the grove I am working
with, the 6 Directions, East, South, West, North, Heaven and Earth,
the ancient Grandmothers, and whomever I may wish to call through
the process of invocation. I invite them to bring the energy and
essence of the plant into the water. Then I pick only perfect blooms
at their peak and place them gently in the bowl. My meditation with
the essence lasts from one to three hours.
The
sun, water and the flowers form a vibrational matrix, which is then
transmuted into the water. The Flower Essence becomes infused with
the Life Force of the plant or place. What is fascinating to me
is that places of power generate their own vibration. Have you ever
been to Machu Pichu, to the edge of the volcano on Maui called Halakeaha
at sunrise, to the spring at Delphi in Greece which has been running
since 674 BC or to Stonehenge where the Druids walked. Each vortex
carries the vibrational essence of its history, the culmination
of past and present.
Thus,
the essential quality of a powerful place can also be captured with
a vibrational essence. Flower Essences therefore, are the subtlest
of the vibrational essence of the plant. They are the liquid extracts
that are used to address profound issues of emotional well being,
soul development, and mind-body health. Flower Essences have no
aroma they carry the “vibrational signature” of the plant. Flowers
have been used in various forms to heal us for thousands of years.
Cleopatra was sure that roses could cure any ailment, keep her skin
beautiful and catch any man, although she died too young for us
to know for sure. The rose was for the Islamic world a symbol of
the mystical path to God. The Persians would sprinkle Rosewater
on guests when they arrived in their homes to freshen and delight
them.
The
Sufis regarded the use of floral waters as essential in healing
the emotional and spiritual centers of an individual. Used extensively
during the Roman Empire, rosewater was commonly placed in fountains
refreshing the air with this delightful scent in order to maintain
a healthy atmosphere. Chinese Medicine and Ayurvedic medicine from
India have always used tinctures of flowers and herbs for healing.
The North and South American Indians have used indigenous flowers
and plants to heal the sick, reduce or eliminate pain and to journey
into the other realms for Shamanic rituals. It is common even today
in the Amazon jungles and the Aboriginal outback of Australia for
pits to be dug, filled with burning coals with beds of damp leaves,
flowers and water to steam the immersed person facilitating deep
healing of diseases of the body, emotions, mind and spirit.
So
now that we understand what flower essences are what are Essential
Oils? Essential Oils can be easily extracted from flowers by steaming
or cold pressing the petals and stems of the plant and are very
concentrated substances. Essential Oils are known for their powerful
fragrances, and, from a therapeutic standpoint, one might find the
aroma of the oil preferable to the live plant because the distillation
of the oil has concentrated or intensified the vibrational of the
plant, and therefore its healing abilities.
>Up
until the early nineteen hundreds, Essential Oils were the strongest
medicine available to both healers and laypersons alike. The term
“essential” applies to the most concentrated essential element of
the plant that contains therapeutic chemical constituents. The term
“essential” is often referred to as the “spirit” or “blood” of the
plant. The term “volatile” comes from the Latin word that means,
“to fly,” meaning that they dispense into the air and float. Volatile
molecules can pass through air and water.
EO’s
will vaporize. Because Essential Oils are so highly volatile, it
is important to keep them stored in dark airtight bottles away from
sources of heat and light or they will evaporate and/or become adulterated.
To be detected as an aroma it must be volatile. Essential Oils can
be introduced to the body in several different ways, first by smell
through the olfactory system, which immediately affects the limbic
system effecting memory and the lymphatic system, which regulates
hormone balance.
Do
you remember the smells of your childhood, the flowers in Church,
grandmother’s lilacs in the garden, the warm bread from the oven,
your wet puppy dog, or the vegetables you disliked the most? No
matter how old you are the smell will take you back to that moment
in your life, bring back a picture, a feeling or a memory. It will
have an immediate and brief effect on your body. Essential Oils
can be topically applied to the skin where they bring oxygen and
detoxify the organism. Miraculously, there is an instantaneous physiological
response within 20 seconds of application anywhere on the body.
So what is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy
is obviously referring to the use of aromas in a therapeutic context.
Essential Oils are use most often in Aromatherapeutic applications
as well as hydrosols and floral waters. These essential ingredients
are added to balms, carrier oils, tinctures, water, and even foods
to enhance their healing properties. In my healing practice I use
both flower essences and Essential Oils. I find that the combination
creates a balance for the emotional, physical, mental and spiritual
states of the client and for enhanced synergistic effect. My Flower
Essence Energy Sprays create an experience in a room or within the
person of equipoise and well being. Flowers and their essences are
your soul’s path to healing!
Hospice, Flower Essences and Aromatherapy
The Hospice movement began in London and was introduced world
wide in the late 60’s early 70’s by Dr. Cecily Saunders. She focused
on the concept of supporting terminally ill patients, and their
families at home. The emphasis was on comfort care, and allowing
people to move through the process with dignity. A new awareness of
the importance of “end of life” issues came from the tireless work
of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, and her book On Death and Dying, published
in 1969. Until then dying patients often were abused, and shunned.
During the 1970’s Kubler-Ross led hundreds of workshops throughout
the world breaking through the layer of professional denial
prohibiting patients from airing their innermost concerns. She
identified the Five stages of dying, “denial, anger, bargaining,
depression and acceptance,” bringing them into common knowledge
within the medical community. In the 1980’s Elizabeth gave “Life and
Death Transition” workshops worldwide. She purchased a 300-acre farm
in Virginia and placed her focus on babies born with Aid’s, when no
one else wanted anything to do with them. Elizabeth became founding
members of the American Holistic Medical Association. In addition to
writing 23 books on dying, receiving over 20 Honorary Degrees, Time
Magazine honored her in 1999 as “One of the Century’s Greatest
Minds”. Her work changed how we now strive to create compassionate
environments for terminally ill patients to die with dignity.
Hospice care or Palliative Care in the final stages of terminal
illness often provides a blessing to both patient and caregiver.
Many people are not aware that this valuable support is available to
them and struggle alone to care for the terminally ill patient
Under the current medical system in the United States, Hospice
Care dictates that the patient must have a terminally ill diagnosis,
have 6 months or less to live, and the burden of curative
treatments, which may not extend their life, outweighs the benefit.
They will no longer receive any type of medical intervention to
extend their life. In other words they will have no, IV’s (except
for pain management or hydration), heart monitors, life support
machines, or surgeries etc. This may sound harsh to those who
believe in the necessity of using every intervention to keep the
patient alive. The opposite is true for some terminally ill patients
who prefer to focus on the quality of life that they have left. With
Hospice support they are allowed to die with dignity.
Hospice provides the patient and family with many types of
support. An initial intake assessment, made by a doctor, a nurse and
a social worker begins the process. Hospice Care monitors the
patient and gives drugs needed for pain control. Hospice provides a
Nurse who visits the patient as often as is needed and is always
available by phone. The Social Worker evaluates the need for various
other support systems, and monitors the caregiver as well. A Home
Health Aid will give the patient a bath and change the bedding and
do the laundry if the caregiver needs this help. Hospice Volunteers
after receiving several days of training are assigned patients to
visit in their home for up to 4 hours. Volunteers read to the
patient, visit or sit quietly, allowing the caregiver the time off
to take care of other needs in their lives. In addition a Chaplain
for spiritual support and counselors to assist with such issues as
anticipatory grief are offered as needed.
Various Hospice Facilities have “Complementary Therapies”
programs, available that are intended to bring comfort to the dying
patient. Pet Therapy brings well-trained dogs and cats to visit the
patient. Music Therapy will bring and hour or two of soothing “live”
or may be just listening to music the patient loves. Art Therapy
brings the opportunity for self-expression. Living History Therapist
tape record the patients family history as a lasting reminder for
their loved one’s. And, Flower Essence and/or Aromatherapy Programs
popularity are requested on a daily basis.
Flower Essences and Aromatherapy can play a valuable role in
calming the stressed, angry, demanding or fearful patient. The
Volunteer or Home Health Aide can do a hand or foot “moisturizing
treatment.” I suggest not using the term “Massage” as it may have
pain associations. For moisturizing, use unscented lotion or Carrier
Oil with Flower Essences and either Rose Essential Oil or Lavender
Essential Oil. I have created Heart Awakening Oil and Serenity
Oil which are used at many Hospice Facilities for this purpose.
The Volunteer , Home Health Care Aide or the caregiver can gently
moisturize the hands and feet which makes many patients fell calm
and supported. You may also use Flower Essence Sprays of Hope,
Calling the Angels and Tranquility to spray the bedding while
giving the patient a bath or changing the sheets, or spray a cotton
ball and pin it to the patient’s gown
A nurse at Banning, California Hospice arrived at a Care Facility
to find an extremely distraught patient. The gentleman, suffering
from Alzheimer’s, had been refusing a bath for days and was so
agitated that he was fighting with the staff. Bob took some of the
Lavender and Vanilla Oil and Flower Essence combination, (mentioned
in the last paragraph) in his hand, reached out to greet and shake
the hand of the patient. The patient said, “what’s this, it is so
nice”, Bob asked him to sit down while he continued moisturized his
hand, and while chatting with him was able to suggest that they get
him into his room for his bath. He happily complied and the staff
was delighted.
Social Workers have used Flower Essences and Aromatherapy to
support the families during the transition of a loved one. In one
case in the grandfather had just passed. The grandmother, from
middle Europe began to cry and wail loudly, a practice common to her
home country, but new and upsetting to this Americanized, extended
family in San Diego. When the Social Worker sprayed a combination
called “Hope” the grandmother began to quietly sob and the family
immediately started to pray—turning a tense situation into a calm,
supportive one. A combination Spray of Water, Frankincense and
Neroli Essential Oils with Flower Essences uplifts the spirit and
brings hope into the situation.
Often patients will become fearful due to the loss of control. A
Tranquility Spray combination of Water, Rosewood and Cedar
Wood Essential Oils, with Flower Essences brings on a tranquil
space, in present time and helps alleviate the “what if “ syndrome.
When patients have breakthrough pain and the caregiver cannot
reach help immediately, I suggest they ask the patient to focus on
the pain, noticing how big it is, what color it is, is it hot or
cold, heavy or light, rough or smooth. I use a combination spray of
Water, Lemon Grass Essential Oil and Flower Essences to release
their pattern of pain. We all have remembered patterns of pain in
our lives, whether from a fall, surgery, or our monthly cycle, any
pre-set experience of what pain will feel like. Flower Essences can
help change that expected pattern, restoring harmony and balance. In
Perth Australia they have introduced a Flower Essence Cream to many
hospitals for pain relief.
I have created a program for Hospice Facilities to train staff
and volunteers in the use of Flower Essences and Aromatherapy. A
demonstration of a gentle moisturizing of hands and arms, and a
guided relaxation meditation, they can read to their patients while
spraying them with a wonderful Flower Essence and Aromatherapy
Spray.
I hope that this will give you some new ideas in ways to treat
friends, and loved one’s recovering from surgery, or who are facing
a terminal illness with the loving support of our flower friends.
One of God’s most beautiful gifts to us are Flowers. They have been
used for thousands of years to heal, uplifting the spirit in times
of grief, anger, sadness or fear and restore harmony and balance to
our lives.
Maggie Smith
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