If you find that winter hits you hard, and you struggle with symptoms like depression, irritability and fatigue throughout the cold months, you are not alone. Many people who are in the same boat have found natural approaches — light therapy, saunas and supplementation with Vitamin D and fish oils — to be helpful for keeping body and spirit up throughout the winter.
But there is one other lesser-known treatment that can make a world of difference to ease winter blues: Flower Essence Therapy.
Flower essences are energetic remedies made from the flowers of various plants and trees. Because the name sounds similar to essential oils used in aromatherapy, people tend to confuse the two, but flower essence therapy is a unique type of energy medicine in a class all its own.
Essences are made co-creatively with nature. Flowers are gently harvested from the plants, which are otherwise unharmed and respected. Then their energetic pattern is transferred to water, which is bottled and taken in drops. Although they may sound delicate, flower essences provide powerful healing support to transform emotional and spiritual issues. You can find a flower that wants to help you heal from just about any issue you can think of: overcoming a history of abuse, adapting to major life changes, managing anxiety, buffering hypersensitivity, or revitalizing after burnout.
Calix: International Journal of Flower Essence Therapy has published several studies that demonstrate the effectiveness of flower essences in the treatment of depression.
When you think about it, taking a remedy that holds the energy of a summer flower in bloom is a unique gift to give yourself during the winter. Several flower essences bring healing light to the winter blues. I make a mix I call “Happy Winter Drops,” which contains 3 Flower Essence Services (FES) brand flower essences: Rosemary, Chamomile and Saint John’s Wort. The short definitions of these flower essences from the FES Flower Essence Repertory are as follows:
- Rosemary brings positive qualities of a warm physical presence, full embodiment into the physical body, and a feeling of vibrant incarnation.
- Chamomile helps the personality shift toward emotional balance with a serene, sun-like disposition.
- Saint John’s Wort helps us balance the effects of too much or too little light. It provides protection and strength for sensitive people’s psyche and can be helpful for those deprived of light, such as in Seasonal Affective Disorder.
Flower essences need to be taken several times per day to consistently introduce their healing energy and promote the emotional shifts you seek. It’s easiest to put the drops in a water bottle or herbal tea and sip it throughout the day.
The FES essences mentioned above are just a few of the flower essence remedies that you may find helpful to ease your winter depression. FES flower essences are stocked in several co-ops throughout the Twin Cities. Many other brands of flower essences also are available in stores and online, including Alaskan Essences, Desert Alchemy, Green Hope Farm, and Pacific Essences. All these brands have individual essences or a mixture that is targeted to relieve the symptoms of seasonal depression.
