Here’s what happened to Jan:

“I got addicted to online romance, I just can’t shut my phone off. It’s disrupting my life in a big way. I’m not eating or sleeping right. It’s strange that I’ve let this overtake my life. Meanwhile, the thought came that I’ve finally found my knight in shining armor!

“I really look forward to his messages. In fact, I missed them one night and got very depressed. I think I’m getting emotionally addicted to this guy and feel like I’m losing control of my boundaries. Do you have a flower essence program that can help me?”

Jan and I discussed a simple, straightforward program, supported by repeating the accompanying affirmations to energize the flower essences: The first is Apple Essence for 1 week, for peaceful clarity, and to clear the air, so to speak. Next is Tomato Essence, again for 1 week, as this is an essence for developing empowerment, strength and courage, and most of all for building one’s will power.

The last essence in Jan’s program is Almond Essence, also for 1 week. While Tomato helps us to build the courage of our convictions, Almond is for the ability to live according to our moral beliefs; what we think is right, how we want to use our energy, and how to live with moderate, not  excessive, life habits.

I’ll let you know the outcome when Jan responds.

Happy Valentine’s Day,
Lila
Spirit-in-Nature Essences Founder

Hi, I have several of the vegetable essences and was wondering if any essence in your collection would work with reducing / eliminating the symptoms of my son’s ADHD.

Thanks!
Kathy

Hi, Kathy,

And thanks for writing. I’m very sorry to be responding so late. Your letter arrived the day I left for a business trip to Italy and I’ve been slowly but surely recovering from jet lag and getting my feet back on the ground.

First of all, it’s important to clarify that flower essences do not directly treat physical symptoms but rather work directly on the life force.

Also, I’d like to share a personal story with you. At a Halloween party last year, I had the delightful job description of offering “fake” palm readings in a special booth for the children. In preparation, I’d familiarized myself with a basic understanding of the different lines and markings on the hands, and said to one girl as I studied her palm, “Ah, I see by your head line that you have a brilliant mind.” The girl looked at me intently, with great intelligence, and said, “I have ADHD.” “Perhaps,” I replied, “but you do have a brilliant mind.” It’s helpful to keep in mind that these children are indeed very intelligent! And, as the saying goes, that their glass is more than half full rather than half empty.

You mentioned vegetable essences, and we do have 5 in our line of 20 flower essences. Among the vegetable essences, to answer your question, Lettuce Essence can be very helpful as well as Spinach Essence, the first for calmness and working to bring scattered energy to a place of center and focus, and Spinach, for the simplicity associated with childhood and that carefree state where the mind is more at rest.

It’s helpful, according to our research to take flower essence singly, for 2 weeks each instead of in a combination formula, for better and quicker results in most cases. Also, Almond Essence is very good for helping to moderate one’s energies, and Pear Essence is an excellent “first essence.” It has a peace-of-mind quality that can also help to sensitize your child to other essences in his flower essence program, much like settling the sediment in a pond to highlight the clarity and brilliance of the waters. (Please see our new Free Consultation page where Pear Essence is the suggested as the first essence in the program.)

So I hope this is helpful, Kathy.

If this is your child we’re talking about, please give him my best, and let me know how it goes. And of course the first photo of the little guy at the computer is rather young for the subject matter of this post—but his brilliance, and levity, really shine through!

In perfect well-being,
Lila
SiNE Founder

Whilst writing, I thought I might give you some feedback about my current situation and the beautiful experience I’ve had with your essences.

As you no doubt have heard, we are having a rather tumultuous time here in Australia with the recent flooding and, given that the floods were only an hour’s drive away and my daughter and I woke to find part of our garden submerged, I have been somewhat challenged in remaining calm and centered during the crisis. Having had for some time, a gut ‘knowing’ that this was around the corner, plus visions of seeing water surrounding the area where I live, I am forever grateful to you all at Spirit-in-Nature for creating the essences and for the incredible support they give, especially during such times as this!

As I’ve previously mentioned to Lila, when my first order arrived, I immediately sensed that my theme essence was Cherry as I do have this inclination to always look for the positive in the most direst of situations. However, when the flood crisis first began, for some strange reason, I forgot all about taking the essences! I soon found myself falling into the mass fear that was gripping the country. So I prayed for guidance and almost immediately found myself rising above the situation and seeing all the positives that are coming out of it. I also ‘saw’ myself gulping down one of the bottles! I then went to my affirmation cards and asked what I needed to take during this period and, of course, picked out the Cherry card! I can’t help but wonder if I was showing myself what it is like to both ‘not have’ and ‘have’ the essences and how invaluable they (and Nature of course!) are to the world, especially at this time of great change.

It’s so reassuring to know we’re loved and supported by Spirit/Mother Nature, and thank you once again to you all at Spirit-in-Nature Essences for bringing their love to us via these precious essences. It has made me more determined than ever to speak up for Mama Nature and remind everybody of her unconditional love!

With fondest love and gratitude,
Terri Lamerton, Flower Essence Practitioner, Mt. Tangerine, Australia

P.S. From Lila: As mentioned in these earlier posts—Flower Essences for The Affirming Mind and Affirmation Cards: Playing With a Full Deck –you can energize your flower essence results by repeating the corresponding affirmation when you take your essences. You might also like to read the complete online Cherry Essence chapter  in The Essential Flower Essence Handbook.

Greetings, and thank you for your interest in Spirit-in-Nature Essence. I am very pleased to hear from you.

To answer your question, which is a deep one, the essences directly affect the life force, the true healer. The life force absorbs the prana from Nature, distilled through the blossoms of the particular essence, and works with it consciously, both according to its own design and to the receptivity of the person taking the essence. It is helpful to remember, too, that flower essences are vibrational and not biochemical in the way they work.

Because the clarity and functioning of the human mind are so easily interfered with and at times blocked, repeating affirmations when taking the flower essences is a powerful adjunct to energize the vibrational benefits of the essences. Our Affirmation Deck is brimming with the energetic message of each flower essence—through the blossom photo, the corresponding fruit/vegetable photo, the key word, and the affirmation itself.

Our U.K. distributor, Clare Harvey of FlowerSense, says, “They’re fantastic, gorgeous. They really jump out at you and the spirit’s there. That’s what makes the difference.” And from Cynthia Horn, a yoga instructor in Tempe, Arizona: “I’m using the cards every day in my classes; they’re amazing, amazing, amazing.”

I hope this helps, and wish you perfect well-being,

Lila Devi
SiNE Founder

Halloween’s a night for vampires,
Lording over their vast empires.
Waiting to see what fright transpires,
While belfry bats sing off key in choirs.

Halloween’s a time for screaming,
While witches stir their cauldrons steaming.
With eye of gnat and other notions,
There’s lots a’brewing within their potions.

Flower essences you’ll not find–
In the witches brew of all combined.
As to her poison, she’s resigned.
Drat! Where’s Pear for peace of mind?

If, upon this terrible night,
The ghouls give you quite a fright,
And vampires hover for one more bite.
It’s time for Tomato, for fears that alight.

Have some fun with flower essences,
Through childhood and adolescences.
To ward of all these scary presences,
A Happy Halloween. . . from Spirit-in-Nature Essences!

I’ve just returned from a productive, though too short, trip to Italy, where Ananda Assisi—voted one of the best yoga retreats in Europe—and InnerLife, a metaphysical online “cooperative” that has carried SiNE for several decades, and myself are establishing L’Essenze “Spirit-in-Nature” Istituto per Operatore Olistici (The Spirit-in-Nature Essences Institute for Holistic Practitioners).

The Institute—the newly launched European headquarters of Spirit-in-Nature Essences—is a branch of the Ananda Yoga Academy and a department of the Center for Self-Healing.

In these times of economic instability, global conflict, and rampant stress, the Institute offers training for practitioners, health care professionals, therapists, and those new to the healing arts, to help clients and customers find easy, inexpensive, and quick-acting solutions to the difficulties in their daily lives. The Istituto serves as a learning center of higher consciousness, based on: Paramhansa Yogananda’s insights into the psycho-spiritual qualities of the different foods from whose blossoms our essences are made; the rishis (Indian seers) and their ancient wisdom; and Mother Nature, who has given us tools for wellness through flower essences.

I’ll be teaching the inauguration of the first educational and practical Practitioner Certification Training Course, Level I of 3, which begins in June of 2012. Although you may not be able to attend this 5-day professional course, I wanted to mention it and let you know of our expansion abroad. This course will give students a solid, working knowledge of all 20 Spirit-in-Nature Essences and their practical usage for adults, children, pets, and plants.

Featured Content of This Course:

*The relevance of flower essences in today’s world within the context of universal energies.

*The psycho-spiritual interpretations of Spirit-in-Nature Essences, as explained by Paramhansa Yogananda, and the historical origins of these essences.

*Botanical background and the Doctrine of Signatures.

*Learning these flower essences in respect to their positive applications for awakening resonant soul qualities.

*Developing an innate ability to implement Yogananda’s wrist-holding technique for essence assessment.

*Self-evaluation and analysis as tools to effectively work with others.
*The placebo effect, the healing crisis, and prefrontal lobes: How our free will affects our flower essence response.

*Music of divine inspiration and flower essences: their vibrational similarities.

*Flower essences and the relevance of affirmations: utilizing Nature’s points of rest to hasten spiritual evolution.

*Incorporating the concepts of theme and plot essences into an understanding of subtle flows of energy.

*Enhancing and enriching the practitioner/client relationship.

Please send your well-wishes for this new venture and adventure. Even though the trip was brief, there was enough time to enjoy a bit of sightseeing in the hills of Assisi, 2 hours north of Rome, and to give special attention to some of the best gelato, ever, plus an oven-baked pizza or two—though I somehow managed to return home none the fatter!

Arrivederci,
Lila

Hi!

I have loved working with your flower essences and reading the information on your website. In your recent blog post about finishing the whole bottle of an essence that’s working, you mentioned not overusing it. I was wondering if there are some guidelines about overuse. Most flower essences seem to say 4 times or more a day. So, I’m wondering—how much is too much? I’m not sure if you will have a chance to answer my question—but thought I would ask! Thanks again for all the wonderful information you have on your website.

Warmly,
Melanie

Lila’s response

Hi, Melanie,

How are you? As for your great question about how much flower essence is too much, for which we can refer back to the August, 2011 blog post where I wrote: “Yes, of course you may finish the whole bottle! If used properly and not overused, it can last at least 6 weeks.”

To clarify: first of all, this refers to a ½ oz, or 15 ml bottle. The 1 oz, or 30 ml, size will obviously last twice as long.

And this is not an easy answer, to respond to just how much is too much—the reason being, the essences are vibrational, which means that the precise dosage is somewhat open to interpretation. Why? I’ve had clients who say that even 1 drop is enough to help them work through their issues—and not just 1 drop per dosage of 4 times daily, but 1 drop, period. Also, the dosage is the same for adults, teens, and children, and very similar for animals. Unlike with allopathic medications, there is no connection between the number of drops and a person/animal’s body weight.

The important point about essence usage, in most cases, is not the number of drops but rather the number of times per day. Most people need to regularly re-introduce the essence into their aura or energy field, or rather the message of that essence—4 times daily, until they can energetically understand what the essence is communicating to them.

To illustrate by contrast: wasting the essence is what happened years ago when a young boy got hold of a 1-oz Grape Essence and drank the entire bottle! His mother called our office, nearly in hysterics, and enquired if he’d need to be rushed to the hospital to have his stomach pumped. Absolutely not. Not only are there no harmful side effects from this kind of overdosing, but the boy also did not receive too strong a dose of unconditional love! Flower essences possess a great purity, and can help us greatly, and safely, without causing any harm.

So you can see here the full spectrum from under-dosing to overdosing. The correct/standard dosage falls comfortably somewhere in the middle: several drops, several times a day. To refer back to the previous post of August 2011, overusing the bottle means squirting a dropperful into your mouth, per dosage. Only 1 to several drops are needed at a time.

Not to confuse the issue, there can be emergency situations or extenuating circumstances where a person or animal may need a flower essence every 5 minutes. We might say the life force is “grabbing onto” the essence with greater immediacy, which supersedes the regular dosage directions.

So, there you have it. If this response leads to further questions, Melanie, please don’t hesitate to write. And please keep enjoying these amazing essences.

In perfect well-being,

Lila
SiNE Founder

Hi, Lila,

Anyway, all’s well. I believe the Raspberry Essence had an extraordinary if subtle effect. I noticed almost inadvertently that I was feeling remarkably calm and content and good about myself last week. May I keep taking it until it’s gone, and then switch to the Coconut Essence?

I keep meaning to read about all of these essences in your flower essence books.

Thank you,
Theodora

My Response

Dear Theodora,

Here are some thoughts in answer to your question about finishing the rest of the bottle.

Yes, of course you may finish the whole bottle! If used properly and not overused, it can last at least 6 weeks. You may find, though, that you will internalize the qualities of Raspberry Essence awakened in your awareness much sooner than that. It may feel like it is “wearing off,” when in fact this is merely a sign that these qualities have been integrated into your newly awakened self. They will feel so natural, so much a part of you and blended in to your natural state that it may feel like the benefits have either stopped or slowed down. In other words, there’s a lessening of the contrast between who you were before taking the essence, and who you’ve become after.

So again, while you may certainly finish the entire bottle of Raspberry Essence, it might be a good idea to introspect on when you feel you have received and stabilized in its benefits before moving on to the next essence in your program; in this case, Coconut Essence. That time may come sooner than you think!

Another interesting element to your comments is that what we call the “textbook definition” of Raspberry Essence is kindness and compassion, yet you reported feeling calm, contented, and good about yourself—all great qualities, but not the typical definition for this particular essence.

This is a wonderful substantiation of how far-reaching each essence is in its application. Raspberry Essence provided just what you needed when you needed it, supplying other “vibrational vitamins” for you at the same time, such as the calm feeling you reported. Your testimony is also highly supportive of the single-essence approach, for which we are such a strong advocate. In other words, you can take one essence to help develop many fine qualities, instead of a combination formula where the mindset is “one essence for one quality.”

Good luck, and please let me know what happens.

In perfect well-being,
Lila

Hi,

I’ve read the descriptions of all of your essences and yet I’m still confused about which ones are the best for heartbreak, loss, rejection, guilt, and regret. I mean, besides Grape Essence, are there any others?

Thanks!
Jamie

My Response

Hi, Jamie,

Thank you for taking the time to write with your great question.

Some of the explanations below are taken directly from The Essential Flower Essence Handbook; others are expanded from there as a base. Also, the 18-page index at the back is an excellent resource for essence selection, listing a wide range of psycho-spiritual, mental, and emotional states and their corresponding flower essences.

In tuning in to Grape Essence, for love and thus also for heartbreak, you’ve certainly struck at the heart of the matter (pun intended), since Grape is our “love essence.”

However, the list you mentioned does encompass other flower essences in our line that could prove extremely helpful in this situation. So let’s review the list of issues you mentioned, one by one.

And I’d like to clarify straightaway that we’re talking about what I often call “the textbook definition” of the flower essences that applies to roughly 80% of all cases. It’s helpful to remember that there is always leeway for particular matches for specific people and their exact energetic needs at the time of the flower essence program, that may fall “outside the box” of that 80% figure.

Heartbreak:  Grape Essence

Ouch. Just hearing the word makes my own heart twinge!

The message of Grape Essence is that love in its purest form is unconditional, divine, liberating, and without end, even though its form may change. The dictionary defines heartbreak as: great sorrow, grief, or anguish. We would add that it often applies to a broken heart, as in the crushing or termination of a love relationship. One might even be inclined to remember Elvis’ famous song, where you “Just take a walk down Lonely Street to Heartbreak Hotel.” The way to begin healing is to give to others the love we feel has left us and, in so doing, to realize that we are not just loving, but Love itself. I know this is a philosophical approach, and seemingly very paradoxical, but it’s also failsafe in practice.

Loss: Coconut Essence

There are times when we have no choice but to wade through “the icky middle” of our tests, where the only way out is directly through. Coconut Essence, for uplifted spiritual awareness, helps us to transcend and transmute our difficulties, and to view them from a superconscious level. Perhaps it was for the best that the relationship ended; perhaps one is now free to move forward in life. So often when one door closes, another opens. These are the primary vibrational messages of Coconut Essence. The well-known metaphysical teacher, Paramhansa Yogananda, said that circumstances are always neutral. This being so, it’s our interpretation of, or reaction to, those circumstances that dictates whether they’re good or bad.

Rejection: Pineapple Essence

Pineapple Essence with its strong magnetism of self-confidence is beneficial to vibrationally affirm our wholeness. Being rejected can easily leave us feeling “less than,” especially if the person who leaves has pointed out our perceived flaws.There’s a spiritual truth that states: whatever flaws we see in others are shortcomings that we ourselves possess. Thus Banana Essence is great to remain impersonal and not get emotionally pulled in to difficult issues, especially in close relationships with others. Also, Strawberry Essence is also fine for dealing with rejection, where we feel “the ground has been taken from under us,” since the strawberry fruit itself practically grows on the ground.

Guilt: Strawberry Essence

Once we learn to respect ourselves, no one can take that quality away from us. Once we define ourselves according to our own highest ideals, nothing can rob us of a healthy self-image. Guilt, or self-blame, is something most people engage in, to some extent, and from time to time. It’s so easy to do!– and almost effortlessly self-perpetuating. Guilt is also an energetic form of self-sabotage that undermines the innate beauty of our true Self. Strawberry Essence with its rich quality of dignity vibrationally affirms our self-worth and self-esteem.The bottom line is this: no one can take our dignity away from us unless we give it to them.

Regret: Raspberry Essence

This essence, for kindness and compassion, is also for letting go, for forgiving, and for releasing any resentment or bitterness that can biochemically backfire on us and create even more problems in the long run unless we resolve those feelings. There is a saying that “the instrument is blessed by what flows through it.” Contrarily, it is also cursed, if we filter the emotional poison of regret through our mind and body. This “shoulda-coulda” state of mind is understandable. Raspberry Essence can help us with the process of introspection as well as release of things past.

On a lighter note of this weighty subject, I’m reminded of the time I was visiting my brother and spilled a container of lowfat milk in his refrigerator. Without giving it a second thought, I said, “No use crying over spilt milk,” and we both had a good laugh over it.

Lastly, it often takes time for the heart to rejuvenate itself and move on. Flower essences do not take away our tests; they clarify them. In every difficult test is an opportunity for growth, greater wholeness, and the potential to achieve perfect well-being.

This is my wish for you, Jamie. Please stay in touch.

In perfect well-being,
Lila

SiNE Founder/Author

Hi Lila,

Hope you’re doing great.

My client has four cats. One of them is very playful, active, and high-strung. I gave her Lettuce essence a week ago. My client has been giving Lettuce to Gabby (the cat) for a week, and observed very opposite effect of Lettuce suppose to do. Instead of giving Gabby calmness,  Lettuce made her more talkative (demanding) and very hyper. Gabby climbed up to the tree in the house where she never been up to before ever, and seems like becoming even more high-strung than before.

Is this possible? How can I interpret it? Have you heard anything like this before?

I appreciate your sharing your perspective.

Thank you,

Mila

Lila’s Response

Hi, Mila,

Thank you for sharing what happened when Gabby was given Lettuce Essence. The most important point with animals is that, due to not having prefrontal lobes in their brain, they are anatomically incapable of experiencing a healing crisis as humans are prone to do.

The best explanation for Gabby’s reaction lies in your actual description of her personality; playful, active, and high-strung may simply describe this cat’s personality. Flower essences, by their very nature, do not manipulate an animal’s behavior; they may, however, activate her natural sense of play. It’s possibly that Gabby is simply high-strung naturally, which is very common especially for kittens as well as cats who have not yet reached full maturity. Cats younger than 2 years old are still kittens—and “play” is their middle name!

In other words, there may be nothing to “fix” with this cat. Of course, we always want to rule out medical causes; dietary factors; and, often, in multiple households, possible personality conflicts between the animals themselves. Or, are there chemicals used in the home for cleaning that might be triggering an allergic reaction?

Here are some other factors to consider: is Gabby an indoor cat and, if so, does she have enough outlets to burn off this high level of energy? Are there any other changes or events that happened in the home this week in particular that Gabby could be responding to? For example, one woman reported last week that the first essence in her program made her violently ill. When I discussed this further with her husband and suggested that perhaps she was getting ill even before taking the flower essence, her husband concurred, saying that he too had come down with “something at the same time,” which clearly was not a result of taking essences.

It’s also possible that Gabby, much like a young child, is acting out other conflicts in the home. With animals being highly telepathic, she may be picking up on certain tensions, either between the people or other animals in the home.

The pivotal point to consider is, I believe, the first one: is this simply the cat’s personality at this stage in her life? If so, then Lettuce Essence has served her well, in her own estimation of herself, by helping to bring out more of who she truly is.

Lastly, one suggestion would be to give Gabby Pear Essence for 1 week, which can be excellent to help her cope with any internal energies at war within herself and to bring her to a place of peace. At the end of that first week, it is usually quite clear which is the best essence to follow with.

Please see if any of these ideas resonate with you and/or the owner. I’d love to hear back from you on this, and please give my best to all 4 cats and the owners.

In perfect well-being,

Lila