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Everyone has a soft spot for flowers. They are romantic, they smell good, and are nice to look at. Even if you think you are the type of girl who would rather have a box of chocolates over a bouquet of blooms, you can’t deny that there is a tiny, tinnie part of you that just melt when you come across florals–especially so if they are given to you~

Here’s the thing though. Flowers are more than just their aesthetic. We’re talking about more than just their secret language (which is also pretty cool, BTW), but their use for therapy! If you’ve never heard of flower therapy before, you’ve stumbled across the right page. Read on if you want to know more about it.

What is flower therapy?

The use of blooms for therapy was pioneered by English physician Dr. Edward Bach back in the 1930s. A bacteriologist and homeopath, he introduced the idea of using the essence of flowers for aromatherapy. To tap the healing power of flowers, he prepared medicines by placing blooms in a pot of water and exposing them to the sun for a certain number of hours. He then took the essence and turned them into healing essences and pills.

Dr. Bach discovered a total of 38 flowers which correspond to specific human states. Floral therapy is, in a way, a form of vibrational healing, meaning that it uses energy to heal a patient’s energetic field. This connects to the concept of floral therapy created by color expert Eiseman which suggests that the pattern and colors of different flowers affect our mental states. Additional scientific researches which claim that flowers and plants, in general, affect our mind and emotions support this, too! So you see, that happiness you feel whenever you get a bunch of blooms isn’t just you being sappy–it’s actually a natural response you get from an improvement of your emotional health!

Healing flowers for natural health:

Now we’re not saying you have to wait for someone to give you a bunch of flowers to enjoy this kind of therapy. It is the 20th century, and as strong, independent women, we can all go ahead and buy our own bouquet to try this holistic approach to natural health without waiting for a prince charming! Give the following seven florals a try for your DIY flower therapy.

1. Rose:

The queen of flowers symbolizes many things depending on its color. Red stands for passion, white for innocence, pink for gratitude, and yellow for friendship. Under Dr. Bach’s list, wild roses can help heal apathy and motivate people to take charge by creating positive changes in their health. According to several pieces of evidences, wild roses can also help bring enthusiasm to someone and can be a long-term healing partner for those who want to renew their flow of vitality.

You can use this flower in the form of a tincture, where you need to take it orally, ideally a few minutes before drinking or eating anything. To use it externally, apply your rose flower essence to acupuncture and marma points of the body.

2. Lavender:

Lavender flower essence is widely known in aromatherapy for its calming properties. In floral therapy, it is mainly prescribed to those in agitated, high-wired states for the refined awareness and spiritual sensitivity that it offers. It is also prescribed for insomnia–just add a few drops of it to an infuser and you’ll be calm enough to be whisked off to dreamland. Just like rose essences, lavender essence can also be taken orally from a dropper bottle or mixed with a glass of water.

3. Chamomile:

Another popular essence for flower therapy, chamomile is commonly taken in the form of tea. Since the flower is a sun-loving plant, it is closely associated with releasing emotional tension which is usually held in the solar plexus of our body. Other uses of it in flower therapy is in relieving depression and improving digestion.

4. Jasmine:

Besides from smelling SO good, jasmine flowers and their essential oils are commonly used in botanical medicine. In flower therapy, the blooms of this plant are believed to enhance mental clarity and induce relaxation. It is also said that jasmine was used historically before as an aphrodisiac or as a helpful agent in promoting the flow of breast milk when its flowers are crushed and applied directly on the breasts. To use jasmine oil for natural health, one can apply it to the abdomen to relieve pain like PMS or massage a drop of it over the heart if to invite emotions like love.

5. Hibiscus:

There are many flower meanings for hibiscus, depending on where you are from. For example, in North America, giving the flower to a female means to complement her perfection, while in the Victorian era, it is a sign of one’s delicate beauty. In flower therapy, the essential oil of this bloom is believed to energize the first and second chakras of the body, helping undo blockages in the spine and lower back. Similar to jasmine, hibiscus is also believed to stimulate passion and sexuality, helping release pent-up forces in the womb. This flower can be taken as a tea or applied directly on the body.

6. Dandelion:

You might not think much of this flower as something more than just a weed, but dandelions are pretty helpful in flower therapy. Similar to how its seeds drift into the wind, carrying wishes to a lover, the essence of this flower gives the person a love for life. Dandelions are believed to help people get in harmony with others, and ease the psyche of an over-planner and an overthinker. Dandelion can be used as a massage oil to help relax muscles and relieve body tension.

7. Honeysuckle:

Included in Dr. Bach’s list of healing flowers, honeysuckle is categorized to be helpful to people who are living in the past and having trouble moving on to the present. These are the ones who spend their time looking back to old memories–like how an elderly person would reminisce their younger days out of the belief that they can no longer experience new things. Honeysuckle is a flower remedy that can aid someone in recalling their past without the painful process of reliving it, guiding the person to take joy in the present. As an essential oil, honeysuckle can be used as a massage oil to relieve stress. A few drops of it can also be added to a warm bath for comfort.

Wrap Up:

Flower therapy may be old school, but it is a beautiful type of natural therapy we should all give a try. Not only are they believed to target emotional parts of us that advanced medicine doesn’t always address, but the science behind them are also just so plainly, breathtakingly beautiful.