The following article was originally published in Health Keepers, a magazine created by Trinity's founder, Dr. Wendell Whitman. This article appeared in Volume 3 • Issue 2 • pg 12-13. This article originally titled, "Connecting the Spirit, Soul, and Body for Optimal Health Part II: Let Your Health Blossom!" was written by Cheryl Townsley N.D., M.H..
Each morning I sit on my front porch and inhale the rich fragrance of the surrounding flowers. As my eyes feast upon their vibrant colors, I relax in the refreshing environment of nature. What a blessing flowers are in our lives!
I believe God gave us herbs and food for our physical body and flowers for our emotional health. Flowers are given for emotional reasons—weddings, births, funerals, and special gifts. I can think of no reason that a person gives flowers without an emotional motivation (even if it is the man who only gives his wife flowers because she wants them!).
Dr. Bach did a tremendous amount of research and development in the area of using flowers for addressing emotional issues. During my continuing research, I studied his work and everything else I could to learn how to support emotional healing through the use of flower essences.
The result is an expansion of Dr. Bach’s work in the use of flower essences to include the promotion of positive growth. It is common to focus on a client’s presenting problem, such as the fear of known things. Like all naturopaths, we want to address the person and not the disease. Therefore, it is vitally important for us to focus on the positive building-up of a person and not simply eliminating a particular fear. For example, Mimulus addresses the fear of known things as defined by Dr. Bach. On the other hand, Mimulus can be used to promote confidence, calmness, and a sense of security. It is helpful to know both the positive and the weak sides that any flower essence can address. In this way, we can better serve the whole person.
Many times I find that clients prefer to work towards the positive side of an issue or emotion rather than only away from the negative side. As a result, I have written the book Discovering Wholeness with both approaches in mind. This article provides a brief summary of the positive side of each of the flowers to give you an introduction to this type of approach.† Once you have identified the flower essence(s), you can follow the protocols for oral, topical, and bath uses.
The accompanying list below is an abbreviated summary of the positive strengths for each of the Bach flowers.
Bach Flower Strengths
Agrimony Strengths
Emotional honesty, able to perceive and work with emotional pain, walks in inner peace (not angry)
Aspen Strengths
Trust and confidence to meet the unknown, draws inner strength from spirit more than circumstances, trusting nature
Beech Strengths
Tolerant, accepting of others’ differences and uniqueness, able to see good in others and in all situations
Centaury Strengths
Serves others due to strong sense of inner peace, recognizes own needs and balances it with others, able to say “no”
Cerato Strengths
Trusts own judgment, strong intuition, discerning, self-confident, certain of self
Cherry Plum Strengths
Trust, balance during times of great stress, trusting God is in control, feels balanced, mothering
Chestnut Bud Strengths
Learns from experience, wise, quick learner, able to maintain habits, insightful, studious, analytic, researcher
Chicory Strengths
Selfless love, freely gives, respects freedom of others, responsible
Clematis Strengths
Awake, creative (drama, writing, art, design), focused, able to concentrate, inspirational, practical
Crabapple Strengths
Clean, pure, orderly, touching, likes to be touched, self-accepting
Elm Strengths
Freely giving service to others, confidence in one’s work, feels competent, relaxed
Gentian Strengths
Perseverance, confidence, diligent, persistent
Gorse Strengths
Deep faith and hope, optimistic, over-comer
Heather Strengths
Self-sufficiency, inner peace, able to go beyond self
Holly Strengths
Extends love to others, compassionate, open-hearted, graceful, sharing, joyful, hospitable
Honeysuckle Strengths
Learns from past and able to release it, balances past with present and future, lives in present, fond memories of past
Hornbeam Strengths
Energetic, enthusiastic, involved in life, joyful, excited
Impatiens Strengths
Patient, accepting, flows with others, healer, good listener, moderate, nurturing, tolerant
Larch Strengths
Self-confident, creative expression, able to express self, creative, courageous, mobile, spontaneous, goal-oriented
Mimulus Strengths
Confident, courageous, calm, secure
Mustard Strengths
Serene, emotional balance, cheerful, courageous, joyous
Oak Strengths
Balanced strength, accepts limits, knows when to stop, leader, flexible, strong, responsible, ambitious, persistent
Olive Strengths
Able to draw on God’s strength for the supernatural, anointed, great strength
Pine Strengths
Self-accepting, self-forgiving, free from guilt/shame/blame, fruit of the spirit, moral, objective, discerning, intercessor, evangelist
Red Chestnut Strengths
Cares for others, compassionate, trusting, trusts God for family, nurturing, secure, provides calm leadership, cool head in emergencies, health care provider, relaxed, sensitive
Rock Rose Strengths
Courage, hero, handles emergencies well, prophetic gifting, prayer warrior
Rock Water Strengths
Flexible, spontaneous, receptive, flows with spirit instead of the law, idealistic, forgiving, teacher, tolerant, open-minded, joyful, great example for others
Scleranthus Strengths
Decisive, resolved, certain, confident, wholehearted, clear purpose and commitment, breakthrough counselor, mobile, concentrated, able to integrate potential into life, soothing to others
Star of Bethlehem Strengths
Soothing, calm, good with children, quick recovery
Sweet Chestnut Strengths
Deep courage, deep faith in God, job experience, overcomes despair, close relationship with God
Vervain Strengths
Moderate, tolerant, balanced, sees big picture “torchbearer,” visionary, leader, inspirational speaker, healer, healing ministry
Vine Strengths
Selfless service, tolerant, wise, pastor’s heart, delegates, leader, good investor, goal-oriented
Walnut Strengths
Freedom from limiting influences, healthy transitions, courage to follow self, strong, sensitive, protected, pioneer, unprejudiced, sets the stage, strong habits
Water Violet Strengths
Social, charming, gentle, tactful, independent, calm, competent, comfortable with self, graceful, well-balanced, wise, loving, humble, creates beautiful atmosphere/home, elegant, generous
White Chestnut Strengths
Calm, intelligent, clear mind, peaceful, clear speaker/writer/thinker, philosopher, relaxed
Wild Oat Strengths
Knows purpose, lives according to purpose, clear focus, can do many activities well, self-actualized, certain, mobile, decisive, good role model, multi-talented
Wild Rose Strengths
Will to live, joy, vitality, flexible, motivated, loving, full of hope
Willow Strengths
Accepting, forgiving, takes responsibility for one’s own life, master, flexible, responsible
Endnotes:
†For more information, see Dr. Townsley’s book, Discovering Wholeness, or enroll in the Certified Flower Essence Specialist program taught at Trinity School of Natural Health.
NOTE: This article was edited to adhere to current legal and practical standards.