I like flower essences for this, because their actions are subtle and gentle. I think the flower essences are closer to the vibration of the heart than anything else I know. I particularly like how they can be used so specifically, to light up the dark places inside us.
Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and what could be sunnier than a flower?
I like impatiens flower essence. In North America, we have the native Impatiens capensis, the dainty wild yellow or orange jewelweeds. I have the tall pink flowered version that I inherited from the previous owner of this garden, Impatiens glandulifera, sometimes called himalayan balsam (the locals here call it himalayan honeysuckle). "Invasive" outside its native range the himalayan may be, but I don't much care about that (soy and corn are far more invasive!). My bumble bees love it and I love it too, so that's what I use for my flower essence. What these plants all have in common, their 'signature', is the way their seed pods explode at the slightest touch (hence they're sometimes called "touch-me-nots").
This is a useful flower essence for calming the tendency to react in a knee jerk way to circumstances we can't control - especially the emotions of other people. It's helpful to anyone who's too anxious to be allow themselves to be happy, or (I love this expression) the "hyper-vigilant".
Those of us who've raised a difficult kid or two know the feeling of hyper-vigilance all too well, am I right? Ha! But it's also the case that those who've been in relationships with addicts or grew up with a narcissistic parent remain vigilant long after that stage of their life is over. It's a yucky thing to carry forward and really gets in the way of establishing trust in other relationships.
Impatiens flower essence is also useful for those who are easily alarmed by physical symptoms, like a new ache or twinge or gurgle that, if ignored, would probably resolve by itself. This essence has that "there's nothing serious going on here" vibe to it, and old habits of thought just seem to dissolve under its influence. Nice stuff.
Another of my favourites is wintergreen flower essence. As you may recall from a previous post, I gathered my wintergreen flowers in August, which was beyond weird since they normally flower in May! As I've worked with these flowers I've come to understand that little event was almost a signature for what this essence is about - that the sweetness of life can come about when and where you least expect it. That sweetness can come from inside us as well; wintergreen flower essence can bring out the best in us, even when we believe there might not be any "best" in there.
And that best?
I have something in me that feels like a little bubbling spring of happiness. It has always been there, but I sure haven't always been able to access it. Wintergreen flower essence, especially in combination with impatiens, has helped me get to and drink from that spring far more often. The vigilance I was holding onto was creating interference, like some kind of white noise, that was hushed by the impatiens. Meanwhile, the little bell-shaped flowers of wintergreen rang to me with the same tinkling sound my bubbling inner spring was making. Resonance brought clarity. I know that sounds corny as hell but it's the best way I can think to describe it.
Flower essences are as woo as it gets - and silly and wonderful and poetic. And it's poetry that reaches into the soul, not logic. It's playfulness that lifts our spirits.
Now - you know that expression "just because you're paranoid that doesn't mean they're NOT out to get you"?
We happy people are sometimes seen as a threat to the status quo, especially if we're happy for "no good reason". And I hate to say it, but sometimes when we're feeling good the curmudgeons around us just can't handle it. They might even want to bring us down to their level. This is where another favourite of mine, yarrow flower essence, comes in handy.
The signature here is the shield shape of the flowers; it has long been used as a shield against negative energy, as well as a buffer for those who are sensitive to EMF's. This is a terrific essence to use (a few drops internally, or you can put it in a little spray bottle and spray it on) when you're going to be out and about and around who knows what sort of influences.
Yarrow is a very useful flower essence for "empaths". Now, while it's a lovely thing to be able to empathise with others, it can cause us a world of trouble, too. If we're nicely grounded, we can (maybe) uplift someone who is feeling down (if they'll let us), but if our own sense of self is a little wobbly, we can be dragged down into their problems and come away from it feeling wrecked.
Of course, yarrow flower essence is not the solution to such problems, but it's definitely a good interim measure. In herbal medicine we use yarrow to staunch bleeding, and what it can do for a physical wound it can - to some extent - do for psychic wounds as well, although more as a preventative than a cure.
I can't for the life of me understand the desire I've heard some people express to become more sensitive to the vibrations of others - yikes, why on earth would anyone want that? That's like trying to catch the flu or something, sheesh! No matter what the circumstances, our first and most important duty is to ourselves - after all, if we're not hale and hearty we're no good to anyone else. That means we need to be grounded, calm and as cheerful as we can manage before we can go out and safely interact with the suffering or the ill or those neighbourhood curmudgeons and Eeyores we all know (and love). For those who are still working on strengthening their own sense of self, yarrow flower essence can be helpful when we have to be around strongly negative people.
Finally, there is one other plant ally I sometimes like to use. It's in tincture form, not flower essence (although when I next see any in flower, I'll make the essence). Wild lettuce, used correctly, can be really useful for anyone who finds that their thoughts often spiral down into the negative. It's especially useful when cloudy weather affects the mood. By "used correctly" I mean at an extremely low dose, one drop at a time is all that's needed. Any more and it's a pain reliever or even a recreational high. But in extremely small doses, one drop per day, it seems to have that same ability to sneak around resistance to happiness.
And yes, many of us, without realising it, do resist happiness.
Now here's the most important thing to know about taking a flower essence - or any other substance - to help us along as we hone the skill of happiness:
Ya gotta be happy when you take it!
There is not much use in focusing on the problem as you try to solve it; that's a mixed message, not clarity, and what we want here is clarity. Instead, focus on the feeling of relief that you expect the essence to give. Just for a moment or two, with every ounce of imaginative power you can muster, you have to
feel good.
really good.
Smile a genuine smile, no matter how goofy it makes you feel to do so. Goofy is good!
It goes without saying that once you can master the art feeling really good any time you want, you won't need to take that flower essence. And you don't "need" to take it anyway. Well being is our natural state, remember?
Still, this journey of cleaning up our lives so that we can be sustainably happy is a tricky one in the beginning. And it can be a lonely one too - because, honestly, there are not many people around, at first, who will understand or support what we're trying to do! The flower essences are nice to have as allies.
Eventually, though, just being deliberately happy more often than we're not attracts others doing the same thing. It's remarkable, really, how like attracts like.
I just can't resist - here's a cartoon from 1935 about the battle between the happy folk and the curmudgeons - LOL!
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