Vibrational medicine treats disease as part of a complete system based on the mind, body and spirit. The theory is that humans are made up of not just a physical body but mental, emotional and spiritual bodies as well. Illness is believed to be a result of an imbalance between these separate bodies. Flower essence therapy is one aspect of vibrational medicine that aims to treat the whole person.
Dr. Edward Bach's Flower Essence Discovery
Healing with flowers is as ancient as medicine itself, but it was Dr. Edward Bach (pronounced batch) who introduced flower remedies for modern use in the 1930s. He was an English physician who believed that traditional medicine didn't treat the entire person or get at the root of the problem.
He found that people with similar personality types responded to the same treatment. He believed there were 12 distinct personality types and that flowers also had personalities of their own. He devised a simple way to capture a flower's essence or energetic signature in liquid form. He used flower essences with certain personalities to treat patients with corresponding traits.
Dr. Bach's flower essence preparation methods are used by alternative medicine practitioners and lay people all over the world. While he developed 38 flower remedies, his most famous is Rescue Remedy used to immediately relieve stress and anxiety. Variations of his methods are explained below. This is not meant as a substitute for medical advice but as a complementary health technique.
Items Needed to Make a Flower Essence
- Freshly picked flowers of choice (pesticide free and one flower type per remedy)
- Glass or ceramic bowl
- Spring water
- Brandy or apple cider vinegar for preserving and stabilizing the remedy
- Dark glass dropper bottles (i.e. amber or cobalt blue)
Flower Essence Preparation - Sun and Boiling Methods
Fill the bowl with spring water and float flowers on top. Place in sunlight for several hours. Bach believed that the sun released the energetic imprint of the flower into the water. Remove the flowers and discard. Pour liquid into a glass bottle with an equal amount of the preferred preservative. This is the stock flower essence that dosage-strength remedies will be made from.
For the boiling method, place spring water and flowers in enamel pan and boil for 30 minutes. Filter the liquid after it has cooled and place in glass bottles with the preservative.
Flower Essence Preparation Variations
The moon can also be used to draw out the energy of flowers. The process is exactly the same as above except the bowl should be left for several hours in moonlight instead of sunlight.
Gems and minerals can be incorporated into flower remedies. Place a gem or crystal such as rose quartz or amethyst in the bowl with the flower and the energy of the stone will be drawn into the remedy.
Flower Essence Dosage and Storage
To make a dose bottle of the flower essence, place 2 drops from the stock bottle into a clean 20-mL glass dropper bottle with 1 teaspoon brandy or cider vinegar, then fill with spring water. The most common way to take this is 2-4 drops under the tongue or in a small glass of water taken in sips 2 to 4 times a day until symptoms have passed. The stock and dosage remedies do not have to be refrigerated but should be kept out of direct light.
Resurgence of Flower Essence Therapy
Dr. Bach sparked a natural healing revolution that gained momentum in the 1960s and 70s. The Findhorn Foundation in Scotland is one of the most famous communities that began working with devas or spirits of plants. The Flower Essence Society in America has been a pioneer in the field since 1979.
Individuals around the world continue to experiment with vibrational medicine to treat illness without chemicals from the perspective of wholeness rather than as a set of symptoms. As this idea is now being considered in traditional medicine, it's likely that flower essence therapy will continue to grow in popularity.
For information on specific ailments that certain flowers can be used for, visit Ten Top Flower Essences: Common Plants Used in Vibrational Medicine.
Reference:
- Cochrane, Amanda and Clare G. Harvey. The Encyclopaedia of Flower Remedies: The Healing Power of Flowers from Around the World. Thorsons, 1995.
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