Flower Power: Flower Essences For Healing

Throughout the world's history flowers have played integral roles in nearly every activity and every landmark in human life. From being strewn on floors and made into wine, to decorating a wedding hall, the beauty of flowers endeared them to the hearts of people everywhere. What you may not know, however, is that you can readily and effectively use flowers and flower essences for healing.

Flower essences are often used at home to treat a large variety of symptoms, such as depression and exhaustion. Flower essences are typically most effective when used to treat behavioral/emotional problems, and this coupled with their safety when used in children and pregnant women make them a popular option. Additionally, flower essences can be used in conjunction with other treatments with relative safety (though you should always talk to your doctor first!).

Want to make your own flower essences? Here's a great article that shows you how.

Blissful Bouquets

Research shows that live or cut flowers in and around your home actually lift spirits. When a person receives flowers as a surprise, typically their behavior shifts into a more positive mode and the good vibrations remain for days. When flowers are placed around a space, it can decrease stress and increase your inventiveness too!

The only caution here is to make sure that no one nearby has an allergy to the flowers you're utilizing.

Bach's Flower Remedies

Edward Bach invented his flower essences remedies in 1930. The concept behind the solutions is that even miniscule portions of a flower's or plant's oil could translate into water with all the healthful benefits intact even after tremendous dilution.

Overall the remedies focus on the mind and spirit moreso than physical conditions. For example, holly decreases angst or ire, while wild rose inspires focus and engaged thinking. Heather offsets loneliness or longing, Honeysuckle helps people release the past and move on, and pine is for building self-trust.

It should be noted that Bach's Flower Remedies have not been studied at any great extent under scientific conditions. In most circles they're considered a folk treatment, and one best accompanied by a professional physician.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy is exactly as it sounds - using smell as a helpmate to psychological and physical conditions. The key ingredient to aromatherapy is essential plant oils (NOT scented or perfume oils). These essentials blend with good quality oils (almond being one example), bath salts, clay, or other items depending on the final form the blend's intended to take. For example, oil may mix with milk and egg to create a natural facial that has a specific aroma intended to act on the person wearing it.

While this might sound odd at first, the concept behind aromatherapy is thousands of years old. Around the world people used incense, potpourri, and extracted oils for everything from sacred spaces to healing practices.

Think of it this way: when most people smell fresh baked cookies – they react positively, expectantly and joyfully. Similarly the odor of old garbage creates a very negative response. Those types of instant recognitions and changes in energy are exactly what aromatherapy hopes to trigger.

So where's the flower power? Lavender, geranium, and chamomile (each or in combination) all produce oils for peace, harmony, unity of mind, and relaxation!

Edible Petals

Flowers are an alternative "vegetable" that also provide whimsy in any dish. While there hasn't been a lot of research on the nutritional value we do know that many have high levels of vitamin A, C, iron, calcium, and phosphorus. Some of the flowers particularly good for you are roses, dandelions, marigolds and nasturtium.

If you're interested in trying edible flowers it's very important that they have not been treated in any way with pesticide. Additionally, the fresher the flowers are, the better (i.e. if you can harvest organic flowers and use them immediately, you'll get the best result with both vitamins and overall flavor. If you can't use the flowers quickly, keep them chilled. Wrapping the petals in damp paper towels in the refrigerator works to keep them fairly fresh for up to a week.

Here is a brief list of some of the flowers you can eat: chive blossoms, garlic flowers, basil flowers, carnation, chrysanthemum, squashflower, day lilies, gladiolus, honeysuckle (only the flowers), jasmine, lavender, lilac, pansy, primrose, sunflower and violet.

Floral Feng Shui

If that wasn't enough good mojo for you - flowers can be used in Feng Shui too!
This system of placement considers having growing plants in the house as both healthy and lucky especially if they're in an eastern or southern part of the home. However, make sure to replace any cut flowers before they die or dry, and that disturbs positive Chi (energy). The only room of the house in which flowers should never go is the bathroom.

For more on the healing power of flower essences, visit the EnvyMyHealth.com Vitamins & Herbs Channel!

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