The major difference between alternative medicine, or what I’ll call holistic health, and Western medicine, is in approach.
A Western doctor, or MD, sees his duty as searching out disease, diagnosing it, and treating it. If he does that correctly and effectively, he’s done his job. Most often, this means the doctor prescribing a pharmaceutical drug or a surgical procedure to remedy the situation. The patients is passive in all of this.
A holistic health practitioner sees her duty as an educator and a facilitator. She feels that the body can heal itself, and it doesn’t necessarily need outside influences (drugs, surgery) to heal from an illness or to prevent an illness. In holistic health, the patient is an active participant.
This is the best and the worst thing about holistic health! The patient is actively involved in the healing process. Everything you know about your body says that this is the right approach. It makes so much sense. That’s the good part. The bad thing about this is that it is HARD WORK for the patient. In most cases, the patient must make changes to their lifestyle. Change your diet, do more exercise, stop using sugar, do these stretches, stop negative thoughts, meditate twice a day, etc.
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About Flower Essence Therapy
Use of flower essences is an extremely safe therapy for shifting emotional states which may be causing or perpetuating outward physiological illness. Developed by homeopath, naturopath, and allopath Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930’s, these liquid preparations are intended to work in subtle ways on one’s emotional/spiritual energetic patterns. Through repeated dosage, essences have helped individuals release ‘negative’ emotions or fears, and support transformation to higher states of health and wellness.
While a few ‘formal’ methods are given, there are no hard-and-fast rules for the use of flower essences. It can be best to begin with one of the ‘commonly’ prescribed methods, and explore creative ways to incorporate the flowers into your life as you see fit. Flower essence therapy has a certain flexibility, and will likely be most effective when used in a way that feels right in your life. Here are a few guidelines to take into consideration:
Frequency of Use
Most flower essences can be used directly from the ’stock’ bottle (the dilution level at which essences are most often sold). A typical usage schedule is four drops directly in the mouth (or added to a glass of water), four times daily. Because of the particularly dynamic nature of daily awakening and retiring, the most important times may be immediately upon waking, and just before going to sleep. The other two times may be before lunch and upon arriving home at the end of a workday - whatever times might best suit your daily rhythms. Some folks apply essences to their heart chakra, pulse points on their wrists, or on their forehead; essences can be dropped in a bath or added to a spray bottle and sprayed about a room or house (more about further dilution in a minute). Sixteen drops can also be added to a water bottle and taken throughout the day and this is a very effective method for those with a busy schedule who otherwise may forget to take their essences.
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