As an essence maker, I am often taken aside at my workshops by professionals who deal with teens in educational, recreational, spiritual, and counseling settings--not to mention by worried parents. They wonder which remedies can help teens resolve the upheavals so typical of that age.

I've been using flower essences with this age group for over ten years--my own son, others around me, and those at a Sufi camp I work at each summer--and I'd like to address here remedies for a few of the more common and important issues young people face.

I love teens. I find healthy teenagers open and vulnerable under their guises of tough, worldly sophistication. They crave good, clean attention from peers, family and mentors; they crave a goal or direction in their lives, and they crave a life lived fully and well, full of adventures yet serene in acceptance from self and community.

I have come to see that adolescent growth comes in two parts: developing oneself from within, the subject of this article, and developing right relationships to our friends, loved ones and community, to be covered in another article in this series.

Wise adults in adolescents' lives may offer guidance and perspective; and yet, a little "essential" help may be handy at times. With these themes, I have compiled a list of favorite remedies for assisting them through their physical, psychological and spiritual "growth spurts." Many are from my own company, Hummingbird Remedies, but I have included others as well.

The greatest gift we can give our youngsters is self-esteem; this is literally learned at the parent's knee, as each child sees himself reflected in his parent's eyes. For those who weren't given this gift, other modes of learning to love themselves are important--an accepting teacher, counselor, or spiritual practitioner can give them a great deal of affirmation, for instance.

They may value themselves for their courage, intellect, emotional maturity, specific skills, etc. But it's required of each of us to understand that we are not necessarily what we "do," but how we "be."

Several of Hummingbird's remedies help teens come to feel good about themselves. Dahlia lends positive self-worth; alleviates self-belittling and the under-appreciation of self that stems from being under-appreciated by others. It is especially useful for young women with power issues, igniting the will into positive manifestation. Kenilworth Ivy is useful for children caught in shame spirals of never being good enough and being judged harshly by others. It supports self-esteem and the ability to endure and shine when bombarded with an external definition of self as unworthy. Lapeirousia helps the development of softness and affection with one's own self. With this essence young people release self-denigration, self-hatred, and self-spite, so they can be kind to themselves!

Pine, by Bach and Healing Herbs, is a great support in developing self-acceptance, self-forgiveness; freedom from inappropriate guilt and self-blame. It mitigates against self-criticism, inability to accept oneself. The Flower Essence Society (FES) offers Buttercup as a boon for those who feel that they are not "good enough," and who suffer from low self-esteem. It helps one unfold and sustain one's radiant inner light, unattached to outer recognition or fame.

As teens are learning to navigate their new, more complicated hormonal systems, they may feel at times overwhelmed by the magnitude of their emotions. Look for remedies to help calm and clarify their feelings, to more easily find and process the core issues impacting their emotional lives. Here are a few I have found useful in achieving the needed balance.

Humingbird's Air Plant dries up hysteria or ranting so the teen can come to clarity without uproar. One of our many Hawaiian flowers, Pua Keni-Keni, helps them release aggression, rage, and other strong emotions so they can refocus negativity into positivity. Rice relieves emotional stress via wisdom, grounding, and understanding of general issues.

I often add emotional balancers from other makers, most of them offered by both Pegasus and FES. Chamomile calms emotional extremes. Petunia lends spiritual courage to face inner blocks and denial, furthers insight into sources of depression, and calms hyperactivity. Pomegranate can be nearly universally applied to emotional problems. Scotch Broom helps the idealistic teen overcome pessimism and distress related to the world situation. Yerba Santa helps depression-prone adolescents release internalized melancholy, grief, and hysteria, thereby easing emotional stress.

We want our children to do well in school, as we consider it an indicator of how they will fare in life and work. Not all children, however, choose to focus on their studies, nor may they have the capacity to maintain a good scholastic record. These remedies are useful in encouraging learning, developing concentration, and adding new skills.

Some of the Hummingbird remedies that help in school adjustment are: Learning, a formula which assists development of the mind for increased study skills and assimilation of information. Butterfly Bush, which supports confidence in creative endeavor; eases stress and performance anxiety. Pseudosedum is an essence that helps perseverance; useful for those who procrastinate. Viscaria lends focused concentration for study and breakthroughs in mental understanding. Pegasus' Daisy lends clear focus and brings intuitive understanding to a field of study.

EDITORS' NOTE: Some notes on introducing teens to the remedies appear here. Another article on teens by Ouapiti, Teens and The Task of Forming Relationships, will appear in an upcoming issue of Vibration. More information on these remedies can be found via the Flower Essence Pharmacy's web page, where they are also for sale.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Ouapiti Robintree, founder of Hummingbird Remedies: New Flower Essences for Transformation and Healing, travels and teaches workshops on all aspects of vibrational remedies.

She is actively engaged in pioneering and research of new essences, and is available by mail and e-mail for private essence consultations. Information on Hummingbird Research Remedies, and further information regarding parent/child and substance-abuse issues, can be obtained by contacting the author by email.

ART CREDITS: Art Today.

The World Wide Essence Society does not mean to imply any recommendation of nor give certification to any individuals or companies above. This article is provided purely for informational purposes. We ask consumers to make their own determination as to quality of the services and products offered above. This article is not meant to be advice, and the information is not meant to replace medical or psychological treatment.

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