Transformation with Flower Essences

Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients, April, 2001 by Jule Klotter

Flowers That Heal

by Patricia Kaminski

Newleaf, an imprint of Gill & Macmillan Ltd, Goldenbridge, Dublin 8

Available from Flower Essence Services, Phone 530-265-0258; Fax 530-265-6467; website: www.floweressence.com

Softbound (ISBN 0-7171-2573-4), 210 pp, 1998, $15.95

Patricia Kaminski, who co-directs the Flower Essence Society (FES) with her husband Richard Katz, has written a book on the uses and effects of flower essences. The book, Flowers That Heal, draws on Edward Bach's work and on her own 20+ years as a practitioner, teacher, and researcher of flower essence therapy. The Flower Essence Society has researched and produced over 100 essences made from North American wildflowers.

When Bach identified 38 flower remedies in the 1930s, to address emotional and mental states that underlie illness, scientific medicine was paying no attention to the mind-body connection. Now, the field of psychoneuroimmunology is documenting the effect of thought and emotion on the immune system, blood pressure levels, hormones, and many illnesses. As medicine increases its understanding of the mind-body connection, Kaminski believes that "[f]lower essence therapy will receive increasing recognition for the profound and elegant way in which core emotional states are transformed within the human soul." In her book, she places flower essence therapy in context with other forms of therapy, including pharmaceutical drugs, herbal remedies, homeopathy, aromatherapy, and psychotherapy. Flowers That Heal also explains how to select and use flower essences, the stages of responses, how to deal with negative emotions that may rise to the surface, and how to use essences to cultivate alchemal transformation of the ps yche.

Like homeopathy, flower essences work on a vibrational rather than chemical level. Kaminski explains that "...each flower essence resonates with and amplifies particular qualities within the human soul. The closer a particular remedy matches the energetic condition of the person using the substance, the greater the effect will be. Conversely, a remedy that has negligible relevance to the person using it will not register an effect." A naturally forgiving, flexible soul, for example, would notice little or no effect when taking the Bach essence Willow. Someone who is burdened with resentment and bitterness, however, may become acutely aware of these emotions while taking the same essence.

Such awareness is the first step towards change. Flower essences act as catalysts that open an energetic door, leading to the transmutation of negative emotional and psychological conditions into positive ones. Trauma, fears, anger, grief, overwork, depression, neediness, isolation, self-doubt, and intolerance are just a few of the qualities that can be addressed with flower essences.

In taking essences, people typically notice a positive shift in their energy and self-expression. Insights about the issue or quality often arise. When an essence touches a deeply rooted issue, an awareness crisis, in which the problem seems to worsen, may occur. "The awareness crisis is usually characterized by an intense experience of polarity," Kaminski explains. "As we begin to introduce a new element of behavior or moral force into our lives, the older, dysfunctional patterns may disrupt from the terrain of the subconscious which stores past memories and beliefs about the self. These older patterns oppose the new ones, displaying opposite qualities to the very changes we seek to make.... This experience of polarity creates a catharsis, a feeling of discomfort, dysfunction or discouragement that can manifest itself either bodily or psychologically." (her emphasis) This process of releasing unconscious conflicts can be aided by engaging in activities such as dream work, journaling, art therapy, affirmatio n, meditation, or counselling.

Eventually, people who use flower essences pass into a stage that manifests as an opening to new possibilities. Some may find gold in the base material that they have been working to transform. Domineering tyranical people who take Vine, for example, may find within themselves a leadership ability that respects the individuality of others. Flower essences are not drugs that suppress negative emotions and character traits. Rather, they help free the individual of the fears and social and familial constraints that keep him/her from expressing the true Self.

Like Bach, Kaminski recognizes the partnership of body, mind, and spirit. The case studies that she includes in Flowers That Heal repeatedly link physical symptoms to an emotional or psychological conflict that responds to flower essence therapy. In addition to explaining the practical uses of flower essences, however, Flowers That Heal contains a chapter on working with

"meta-levels. ..broad regions within the territory of the soul," and using flower essences to help actualize the soul's journey. Such a metaphysical focus may hold little interest for doctors who are more concerned with physical health; but when one works with flower essences, one is working with the energy of emotion, psychology, and spirit (i.e, that which gives authenticity and meaning to one's life). For those who seek a means of facilitating the healing journey, which is ultimately a spiritual journey, Flowers That Heal can open the door to the benefits of flower essences.