It is always a pleasure to be a guest on the Herbal Highway Show on KPFA public radio. Host Sarah Holmes and I spoke about flower essences for grief. Here in Sonoma County, CA, we are in the first anniversary of the devastating wildfires, and so many of us are still working through the profound loss of last year. Flower essences are such a great help in working through grief, helping the emotion to flow and release.
In this show we discuss many aspects of the grief experience:
what grief feels like in the body
the energetic of grief and how it relates to the season
flower essences for shock
flower essences for healing the broken heart
flower essences for calming the anxious mind
flower essences for grief
Note: there were some technical difficulties at the very beginning of the show so the feed starts a little late
This fall has been a time of loss for me and for my community. In October, the North Bay area endured the worst fires in California history. Lives were lost, thousands of homes are in ruins, and the entire area was blanketed in smoke and and a palpable sense of fear for weeks. My home was at risk, and was thankfully spared, but I lost my beloved horse in a terrible accident as she was being evacuated.
And now that we are more than a month away from the events, what now? Our culture has such a limited understanding of loss – there is the belief that grief can be wrapped up within a two week time frame. “We have moved on, why haven’t you yet?”
The initial shock phase does often recede within a few weeks, but the grief process is not over, not by a long shot. My clients often express to me feelings of inadequacy, that there must be something wrong with them to still be feeling so badly months later.
But of course there is nothing wrong with them, they are simply working through their grief. There is comfort in hearing the journey is one humans have always taken, that there are known stages, and that while they will always feel pain over their loss, they will indeed start to feel better. The feelings of loss will eventually be tempered by the memories of happier times, and the possibility of a bright future.
Flower essences can be a great help to you as you heal your grief. They do not medicate the pain, or keep you from feeling your loss, but they do give you support and the strength to process it. Emotions are by their nature fluid and move through the body, and your grief must too. Allowing your emotions to flow will keep them from becoming stuck, and prevent them plaguing you in the future.
Flower Essences To Support You In Loss and Grief
A combination formula designed to assist the grieving process is an excellent starting point for most people. As you work through the phases, issues specific to your loss may arise and indicate particular flower essences that you may add to the formula you are using, or use separately. Adding an essence or two to customize a formula to your individual needs can be an excellent way to enhance your healing.
I created the Flora-Therapy Loss and Grief formula to work with this life passage. Grief has been a significant part of my life experience, and I regularly guide my clients in their healing as well. The wisdom of Nature speaks to this shared experience, and the flowers are ready and willing to help us heal from the pain, gain perspective on our suffering, and find the joy and love within our life as it is now.
The Flora of Asia Flower Essences in Loss and Grief Flora-Therapy Blend:
Gigantea Rose – the song of this rose can sustain the heart in the darkest of times and give comfort to those who have suffered great losses
Lavender Aster – helps you find the perspective of celebration for what was, and deepens appreciation for what was learned and experienced
Morrow’s Honeysuckle – aids you in accepting impermanence and the inherent instability of life, while honoring the gift of the love or life that has gone, helping you accept the change and find hope for the future
Schima – helps you hold a sense of inner stillness and balance in chaotic or shifting times so you can find and maintain your center
Soul’s Rose – teaches you to fully embrace the experiences of both love and loss, not attempting to insulate yourself against loss by not fully loving
Yulan Magnolia – helps ease tension held in the chest by elevating the spirit, helps to restore natural breath pattern after shock or grief
