What are flower essences exactly?
Flower essences are subtle yet potent vibrational remedies that preserve plants’ unique healing properties into portable potions. They imprint the subtle energy body with the energetic blueprint of particular plants - i.e. songs of coherence - inviting greater harmony within.
Flower essences lack side effects and many people enjoy using them with children and pets due to their being so gentle.
Flower essences are infinitely more environmentally sustainable and ethical than essential oils. For more on understanding the difference between flower essences and essential oils, we've created the following breakdown...
Flower Essences
Ingested orally - either dropped directly in the mouth or into a glass of water
Applied topically (test a small area of skin first to ensure no irritation) - to the pulse or meridian points
Can be added to a bath or dropped onto your pillow before sleep
Works on the subtle body and supports mental, emotional and spiritual harmony
Leverages a flower or plant's healing properties via its vibration and frequency
Uses a small amount of plant material (typically two cups or less of fresh flowering tops)
Essential Oils
Used topically (most oils require dilution before applying to the skin)
Occassionaly ingested (when done so under the guidance of an expert or doctor)
Works on the physical body and primarily supports physical or mental healing
Leverages a flower or plant's materials healing properties via its oils
May use plants grown unsustainably (and occasionally using harmful pesticides) or harvested unethically
Uses a massive amount of plant material and is not a sustainable ecological practice
Thriving With Elissa Goodman & Co
The weekend before Memorial Day, I spent Saturday afternoon tucked into a gorgeous crevice of Los Angeles' Mandeville Canyon with a host of inspiring souls. I had the pleasure of participating in a wellness event alongside an incredible cast of healers and experts. Elissa Goodman lead the event and assembled the day's teachers from friends new (me) and old. A nutritionist and cleanse expert, her knowledge of clean eating and how to maximize gut health (which is hugely responsible for everything from skin to mental health) is staggering. She's also a mastermind in the kitchen when it comes to lick-the-plate delicious dishes that are shockingly healthy.
Goodman included Guided By Light healer Alessandro Gianneti who blew us away with his piercing perceptivity and moving guided meditations. Joe Kara, an extremely gifted yoga teacher, lead a series of restorative poses underneath the afternoon sun which put everyone into a state of pure bliss. It was a gift to be able to share Flora Luna's botanical remedies with the group and to shed more light on the practice of making and using flower essences. A big thanks to Julie and Candice from Birds of a Feather, our fearless organizers, without whom the day would never have assembled in such a magical way.
HOW TO: Making Flower Essences With Rip & Tan
I'm a big fan of Jenni Kayne's gorgeous, eponymous fashion line, so it was an absolute pleasure to teach Jenni and a few friends how to make their own Hibiscus PASSION essence. We snacked on homemade hibiscus tea and hibiscus chocolates that I cooked up - proving there are many ways to work with and enjoy this incredible flower. For more, check out Jenni's blog, Rip & Tan.