©2000 by Paul Wyman, CMT, CPCC

As many of you know, my work with flower essences involves using the essences directly on the skin. This topical application method is simple, grounded and highly effective. I've been using this technique for several years in my bodywork practice, and have achieved some extraordinary results with pain relief, improvement of organ function and overall energetic revitalization. In this article, I want to share a single case which powerfully illustrates the character of this work.

It involves my son, Alexander, who was born in November 1997, after a particularly difficult labor. My wife was in labor for five days (a condition called pro-dromal labor, common in first time moms), and by the time we reached the hospital, she was thoroughly exhausted, and so was I.

Ever prepared for energetic emergencies, I had brought a selection of flower essences with me. I'd selected some essences to help my wife through labor, and for the baby to deal with the shock of being born.

Particularly effective for my wife during labor were Pear (Master's), Borage (FES) and Rhodochiton (Hummingbird). At each moment during labor when my wife was feeling overwhelmed and exhausted, not sure if she could go on, we used one of these three essences, and the feeling seemed to pass.

I used a few drops of Rhodochiton on my wife's second and third chakras--around the navel and solar plexus--and each time the monitor showed stronger uterine contractions as a result. The change in my wife's demeanor was even more visible: color returned to her face, and there were moments when the joy of childbirth was more visible than the pain and exhaustion.

We had planned a natural childbirth, but various complications required that Alex receive just about every technological intervention available, short of Caesarian section. Forceps and suction were just a part of the picture. Nevertheless, at 3:23 PM on 11/19/97, Alex arrived, healthy except for some bruising on his skull and temples from the forceps. The first thirty-six hours of his life were fine. He was a normal, healthy newborn.

Late in his second day of life, however, things changed. He went from feeding well to not showing any interest. He made no noise whatsoever, a dramatic change from his raucous cries when hungry or uncomfortable. His eyes were unfocused, and his whole energy seemed drained and shut down. Medical evaluations showed nothing amiss, and the doctors assured us he was fine, just tired out from being born. Energetically, something was wrong.

I tried some essences on Alex, but with little result. I was pretty scared that something was seriously wrong, but I couldn't get a clear sense of what he needed. I called a friend, Sharon Lamson, who is a gifted energy worker and flower essence therapist, and she came right to the hospital to see what she could do.

We started applying essences to Alex's body, focusing on the areas that seemed traumatized, particularly the bruising on his head. We worked with a series of essences related to trauma: the Bach remedies Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, and Rescue Remedy, as well as Master's Pear, Pacific Essences' Balancer, and several others. Occasionally, Alex would rouse for a second from his semi-comatose state, but then his eyes would lose focus and slide closed.

Sharon asked her guides for information, and was told that Alex's spirit was not sure he wanted to be in a body again. This shifted the direction of our work. With the goal of finding an essence which would communicate that being in a body wasn't so bad after all, we selected Pacific Essence's Lily of the Valley (for the state of child-like innocence and simplicity), and applied two drops to his root, sacral and solar plexus chakras.

The result was instantaneous and astonishing. His eyes popped open, he focused on me for the first time in almost 24 hours, and let out the most enormous scream. Two nurses who happened to be passing by our room at the hospital came rushing in, afraid that something terrible was happening! Suddenly, Alex was all animation, movement and noise. He was ravenously hungry, totally present, taking everything in.

Lily of the Valley brought Alex back into his body instantaneously, and he's been a thoroughly well embodied and vigorous child ever since. Why did this essence work so well? I believe it is because the essence carries the energy of innocence and simplicity. I imagine an old soul suddenly being back in a newborn body, frustrated at its limitations. The essence somehow communicated that it was okay to be a kid, to be grounded in the innocence and simplicity of childhood.

Energy Medicine: Pacific Flower and Sea Essences, by Sabina Pettitt, (1999) says this essence "brings us back to that state of child-like innocence and wisdom where and wisdom where we only know how to respond with loving behavior.....Lily of the Valley is an emotional tonic which helps us to see 'through the eyes of a child."

Since then, Lily of the Valley has come up for Alex several times. He always responds strongly to it, whether the effect is to calm him down from a toddler tantrum or to allow him to become more awake and present when he's struggling to participate in some activity. It's a key essence for him, perhaps his soul essence.

This experience has led me to wonder whether we all have an essence that plays a similar role in our lives. What does your soul need to know to be able to be fully present here, fully embodied, and physically grounded? This essence communicated something to Alex that his soul needed to hear. What does your soul need to hear? Is your challenge, like Alex's, one of embodiment and celebrating the spirit's choice to be in a body? Or does your spirit require the energy of comfort and protection--or perhaps some other quality altogether?

I'm not sure it's possible to figure out one's soul essence through reasoning and deduction. However, here are some ideas gathered from colleagues about discovering your soul essence:

1. It would be a flower (or animal or gem) which you find beautiful, almost irresistible. Aesthetic sensitivity and energetic sensitivity might be two ways of describing the same phenomena.

2. The soul essence might make no sense intellectually, but would still evoke a strong reaction in you when you take it, or are around the flower. Several colleagues described that their soul essence generates "a feeling of radiance and total safety."

3. It would be an essence that you can take in almost any challenging situation, and receive an immediate balancing effect. My soul essence is Sunflower, which has to do with balanced confidence. I've taken it at moments of crisis and moments of depression, and it always brings me back to my center.

4. The positive qualities brought forward by the soul essence would describe a quality that is the essential you. When I am at my best, untouched by fear, the radiant quality of Sunflower is visible in me, just as my son embodies the positive qualities of Lily of the Valley: innocence, playfulness, simplicity, and joy.

Flower essences are, and have always been, medicine for the soul. However, we commonly use them to address the problems of the body and neuroses of the psyche. It is my hope that we can remember that, underneath our aches, pains and emotional hurts, we know that we are pure spirits, and we use the energies of the flowers to keep us in touch with that magnificent and beautiful part of who we really are. Perhaps finding and using your soul essence will be a step along this path.

EDITORS NOTE: Another example of Paul's work is in the statment of ethics in this issue. For earlier contributions, see our Articles Index

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Paul Wyman is a second generation flower essence practitioner, who also practices massage therapy and personal coaching in Denver, Colorado.

Paul offers free sample telephone sessions in this style of "flower essence coaching" to anyone interested in getting a first hand experience of the way this type of interview is conducted. He also offers individual training and supervision for flower essence practitioners. Call Paul at (720) 359-1360 for more details, or send him email.

ART CREDITS: This background was created by Morris. The lily of the valley and the earth came from The Rhymester. The pear came from a collection of food clip art at Don's Kitchen.