Frequently Asked questions

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FLOWER ESSENCES

How do I use Flower Essences?
There are many ways you can use essences. They normally come as a bottle of drops, either a 'stock' (concentrated) or 'dosage (ready to take) bottle, but some are also available as creams, oral sprays and mists. Most people put a few drops under their tongue one or more times each day (depending on the essence range) but you can also put them in a bath or into a drink, on your pillow, rub them into your palms or temples, put them in an oil burner or a vase of water with flowers, put the drops into a water bottle to carry around and sip throughout the day or just carry the bottle close to your person. Because they are energy medicine what is important is to take them into your energy field, this doesn't have to be by taking them internally. Most essences are preserved in brandy so if you don't want alcohol, another way is to put them in a hot drink (80ºC or over) and the alcohol will evaporate, the essences will not be adversely affected.

What do I do with my 'stock' bottle?
Most Essences come as 'stock' or concentrates. Practitioners will dilute these bottles to make 'dosage' bottles for their clients. Makers of each different range suggests a different dilution (see below) and a different dosage. However, this is for guidance only and you may need to take more or less depending on your sensitivity and particular situation. You can take drops directly from the 'stock' bottle and it will have the same effect, the bottle just won't last as long as if you dilute it into 'dosage' bottles.

Dilution into a dosage bottle
Using a clean 30 or 15ml dropper bottle, add the suggested number of drops from your stock bottle (below) and top up with a 30% brandy or vodka/spring water solution. The alcohol acts as a preservative.

Dilutions and dosages for different ranges.

* These suggested dilutions and dosages are for guidance only and it is good to develop an awareness of your response to taking any Essences and adjust the dosage to your unique vibrations.

What if I can't take alcohol?
The purpose of the alcohol is as a preservative. If you don't want to use alcohol you can make up a dosage bottle with just spring water (no brandy) but you should then keep it in the fridge. It should last 2 weeks as long as you don't contaminate the dropper when dropping it under you tongue. Alternatively, you can make it up in the normal way and put drops into very hot water (above 80C) to evaporate the alcohol, then drink the water after it has cooled. You can also apply the drops topically to your palms, temples or feet to absorb the energy signature.

What are Flower Essences?
'Flower Essences' has become a generic term to include any vibrational essence. these include Gem and Mineral Essences, Animal Essences, Sound Essences, Environmental Essences, Colour Essences, Angel Essences, in fact anything that has healing qualities. In modern times, they were discovered and developed by Dr Edward Bach. He identified 37 flowers and 1 other natural product (Rock Water) that he found had a profound emotionally healing effects for his patients. Essences are the result of transferring the healing patterns of energy from natural realms into a liquid medium. This is accomplished by placing healthy flowers (or gems etc), at the peak of their perfection into a crystal bowl of pure water that is left to potentise in the sun. The resulting infusion is preserved (usually in alcohol or brine) and now carries the healing vibration from the flower. When we take a flower essence, just like when we hold a flower, that particular vibration informs our own energy system. It's through this exchange of vibrational information that healing can occur. Individual flowers and their essences have characteristics which, when we match them to our own mental and emotional state, can have a profound healing effect.

Are they different from Flower Remedies?
Flower Essences is another name for Flower Remedies. They are the same thing.

Are they different from essential oils?
Apart from both having a floral origin, there is no similarity at all. Essential oils are made using various semi-industrial methods to extract the aromatic oils rom plants which are then carried in an oil base. One important use for essential oils is therapeutically in Aromatherapy, but they are also used in candle making, soap, perfumes, oil burners and many other applications where the smell is the most noticeable aspect to most people. Flower Essences do not carry the smell of the flower but the energetic imprint which is what gives the healing quality.

Can I mix them?
People often mix several essences together to support their particular needs at that time and the makers also create combinations that they have found are helpful in particular situations. We suggest that when choosing a combination of essences for yourself it is advisable to select essences to address the current most pressing issue, rather than try to fix everything all at once. Up to 5 or 6 essences is usually enough and you may get brilliant results by taking just one on it's own.

Can Essences help with physical problems?
Stress and anxieties can often be a contributing factor to physical symptoms as well as mental or emotional distress. People often find that, as Dr Bach identified, if they address their underlying emotional patterns , physical symptoms also clear up. It is a delusion of modern medicine that we are purely physical beings and can only be fixed with physical means (chemicals or surgery), we are also emotional, mental and spiritual beings and each level is intricately connected with each other. Resolving mental or emotional blocks can often be all that's needed to allow us to move forward with our healing.