An Expert's Guide To Flower Essence Therapy
Flower essence therapy is a natural practice that uses flower-based remedies to support emotional balance and mental wellbeing. A long-standing part of the treatment menu at Neal's Yard Remedies, founder Anabel Kindersley shares her guide to the practice, from commonly used flowers and their benefits, to how it can be incorporated into everyday life.
Flower remedies are grounded in the belief that flowers carry subtle energies that can help restore emotional and spiritual balance. Whilst today there are many Flower Remedies, the first formal one was developed by Dr. Edward Bach in England in the early 1930s. He was a physician working in conventional medicine. His medical research led him to see that many illnesses have their roots in mental and emotional imbalances, rather than purely physical causes.
Using the ancient philosophy of the Doctrine of Signatures, where the physical characteristics of a plant reflect its healing purpose, Dr. Bach observed that the character of each flower mirrors specific human states, whether emotional patterns, long-held struggles, or ways of being. He recognised a relationship between the disharmonies that we can carry and the healing properties expressed in plants, which could gently restore inner balance and wellbeing.
Star of Bethlehem
Flower Essence practitioners believe these remedies gently support emotional and mental wellbeing by helping to shift underlying patterns such as fear, grief, anxiety, or lack of confidence. By restoring balance at the emotional level, it is said that they can bring a sense of calm, clarity, or inner strength. While they do not act directly on the physical body, people do report experiencing a secondary benefit of improved physical health as their emotional stress eases. Personally, I have found that Flower Essences can be a subtle yet powerful remedy for emotional wellbeing - but of course, on a case-by-case basis, and not as a replacement for professional mental health care.
Whilst there are many different Flower Remedies available, the two that are most well known in the UK are the Bach Flower and the Bush Flower.
They are quite different. Whilst the Bach remedies are gentle, introspective, and rooted in the English countryside, they work subtly to restore inner peace by addressing negative emotional states like fear, worry, and hopelessness.
Bush Flower Essences, created in the 1980s by Ian White, draw on the vibrant, often intense flora of Australia. These remedies are considered more catalytic and fast-acting, supporting emotional strength, spiritual growth, and clarity in facing modern challenges. They also use the Doctrine of Signatures, interpreting the bold appearance and resilience of Australian plants as metaphors for emotional empowerment. Dr. Bach also worked with the Doctrine of Signatures, observing how the appearance, growth patterns, and environment of each plant reflected the emotional states they could support.
Each flower essence relates to a specific emotional or mental state. I've always found Bach flowers to suit me better, and at Neal's Yard Remedies we have developed a couple of carefully curated blends to address the emotional needs we see most often in our customers.
On an individual remedy basis, these are some of the most commonly used:
Elm, also known as ulmus glabra.
Flower essences are usually taken as drops under the tongue or in a glass of water, 2–4 drops, four times a day. Remedies can be used singly or one our carefully chosen combinations.
At Neal's Yard Remedies, we've developed a collection of custom blends, each designed to address concerns such as stress, anxiety, emotional balance, confidence, or being stuck in a negative mindset.
I tend to use either one of our blends, or if I know specifically what I need to address then I choose two to four different flower remedies, either dropped into a glass of water to sip throughout the day or blended into a small bottle with water.
I think of Flower Essences as my supportive friends. They're part of my daily self-care. Depending on how I'm feeling or what I need support with, I might use them to help start the day with a positive mindset, take them before stressful events, or include them in my evening rituals to calm the mind. I find they're most supportive when taken with mindfulness and intention.
Whether for ongoing emotional support or specific challenges, helping to ease that feeling of being completely overwhelmed, shifting a negative mindset, or managing stress - flower essences can be a very helpful part of a comprehensive wellbeing strategy.
A closeup of a bloomed Red Horse-Chestnut or Aesculus cornea.
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