Coconut Flower Essence: “The Uplifter”

Qualities:

Uplifted Spiritual Awareness

Message of Self-Mastery: 

Superconsciousness; endurance; perseverance; for completing tasks; living one’s highest potential; strong, steady energy; welcoming challenges; solution-orientation; for readiness to take the next step; determination despite setbacks.

Pattern of Disharmony: 

For making excuses; lack of endurance; problem-orientation; shakiness; escapism; a quitter; avoidance attitude; for the “last straw” feeling; for the inability to commit to putting out more energy.

AFFIRMATION

I see every obstacle as an opportunity to rise in inner happiness and freedom!

POSITIVE EXPRESSIONS

NEGATIVE CONDITIONS

TESTIMONIALS

“I woke up today saying, ‘This is it-no more stress. Don’t go to work.’ I called in sick. Then I took Coconut and felt my spirits lift. I previously felt that the job-and the world-were on top of me. Coconut brought my energy from despair due to overwork to a sense of serenity, and that I would be taken care of.”
-KA, Palo Alto, CA

“I took one drop of Coconut at the kitchen table. By the time I had walked over to the refrigerator, I actually felt taller. Hard to imagine since I am 6’4″! I felt euphoric for the next three weeks.”
-CH, Los Altos, CA

“On Coconut, obstacles in my life became games that I felt I could easily win.”

-SN, Charlotte, NC

“Taking the Coconut was truly amazing. If a remedy’s going to do something, I’ll feel it right away. My spine straightened. There was a sense of ‘nothing daunts me.’ I noticed that my voice is now stronger in contrast to my usual timid self. Now I am straightforward instead of avoiding issues. Also, I felt taller!”
-NL, London, England

“My husband is a different man on Coconut. He is really dealing with his issues-and he’s open to taking his drops.”
-GR, Medford, OR

FAMOUS QUOTE

“Our humanity were a poor thing were it not for the divinity which stirs within us.”
-Bacon

FLOWER /FRUIT/FOLKLORE

So named because the ripe coconut resembles a monkey’s head, the coconut palm probably originated in the Malay Archipelago over three thousand years ago and now grows along the seashore of many tropical lands. Reaching a height of up to eighty feet, it bears fruit for as many years. Coconut palms are cross-fertilized, as the tiny white male and female flowers do not mature at the same time. The coconut is a large, one-seeded fruit, its fibrous husk enclosing the brown, hard-shelled nut. Coconut milk, made by liquefying the meat, is seventy percent fat, and rich in phosphorus and iron. Comparable to mother’s milk in its chemical balance, it is a complete protein food. The milk may be used to treat cataracts and fungal infections.

SPECTRUM PLACEMENT

(see explanation of The Essence Spectrum Chart)

Coconut, placed in Quadrant I’s second house, is the natural successor to Lettuce. Through Lettuce, we enjoy a clean-slated mind, freed from restlessness and upsetting emotions. Now we take the mind to its highest expression-the superconscious, meaning “above the conscious mind.” Problems exist on the conscious level, their solutions, on the superconscious. Coconut embraces both the milky softness of the Spectrum’s feminine half and the first Quadrant’s freshness.

POSITIVE APPLICATIONS

About twenty years are required for the coconut palm tree to reach a state of full bearing-a perfect symbol for Coconut essence’s quality of perseverance. “Patience, endurance attaineth to all,” promised the Spanish saint Teresa of Avila. Coconut, then, helps us to commit to resolutions and solutions-and to believe that they are here to be found.

The positive Coconut state is splendid for completing tasks. We live in an age when one’s word means so little. We make promises and then break them. We start projects and then quit. In a recent Broadway play, the female lead confessed to her friend that she had once been married. “How long?” he asked. “Oh, I don’t know,” she replied, “but it seemed like weeks.” Of course this is a joke, although a sad one, revealing a certain lack of commitment and the express need for Coconut Essence.

Coconut gives a clearer, more spiritual focus. It will help to give you the energy to endure, or to rise above, every test. It shows us the value of seeing a challenge through to its conclusion, no matter how difficult it is. Poet Robert Frost put it well: “The best way out is always through.”

Some years ago, I had the opportunity to personally research Coconut while sitting in the dentist’s chair awaiting an impending root canal treatment. Having had one before, I knew I was in for one heck of a time, being a painful experience at best with an uncomfortable week or so of healing afterward. Beads of sweat gathered profusely on my upper lip in memory of a previous dental visit. “I can just walk out of here right now,” came the joyful, albeit cowardly, thought. But no- I was trapped. There was clearly no way out of this test except through what a friend once called “the icky middle.”

Then I remembered the bottle of Coconut in my purse and slipped a drop under my tongue. My state of mind changed instantly. Yes, the fear was still there, and so was I. But a subtle change had occurred, thanks to Coconut; I was then able to “get a grip on myself.” It was as though I had taken myself by the shoulders and said, “Look, you’re just going to have to go through with this. You know from past experience that it will probably hurt, but the good news is that it’s going to end.”

Coconut is the answer to our shakiness and lack of commitment. This remedy is epitomized by the intestinal fortitude of Olympic competitors who demonstrate superhuman skill and talent, and the ability to pick themselves up when they fall and “try, try again.”

“It’s not just athletic skill that molds winners,” writes John Anderson in an article entitled, “What Makes Olympic Champions?” 9 Answering his own question, Mr. Anderson pinpoints several necessary qualities: having a dream; being fired up; mustering the ability to bounce back; aiming high; having a back-up plan for trouble; never quitting despite setbacks; and making their own luck. In a nutshell, these are all outstanding qualities of Coconut.

Olympic winners, he observed, “mounted the winners’ stand not simply because of athletic talent but because of resolute inner fiber. Real winners in sports, as in business or school, are those whose failures inspire them to go at it again. Hanging in there despite setbacks teaches us the value of perseverance. An inner dynamo keeps Olympic champions going-for the possibility of a medal as well as the satisfaction of completing a difficult task against immense odds. That same effort can apply whether the task is a race, a difficult mathematics lesson or a corporate report.

These words of inspiration from 1994 Olympic competitors summarize the positive Coconut state:

“Of course there is a lot of pressure on us in Norway, but that only makes me stronger.” -Espen Bredesen, Norwegian ski jumper

“This time, it’s something I can do, not something I have to do. But it’s just my nature to go for the gold.” -Cathy Turner, USA speed skater

If we look symbolically at the coconut-the hard shell representing the body, the meaty pulp the mind and the subtly sweet milk the soul-we find a perfect metaphor for the vibrational message of the positive Coconut state: integration. “A tough nut to crack,” Coconut rewards our efforts with superconsciousness.

NEGATIVE INDICATIONS

The defeatist attitude paraphrases a major negative Coconut trait. Coconut’s solution is, simply, not to give up. This essence addresses neither Strawberry’s self-doubt nor Pineapple’s lack of confidence, but rather a mere lack of committed energy. The conscious decision simply to give up or, worse yet never to begin, portrays the negative Coconut state. As W.C. Fields said comically, “If at first you don’t succeed try, try again. Then quit. No use being a damn fool about it.” This attitude is an unmistakable cry for Coconut!

The negative Coconut state manifests as procrastination, making excuses, unwillingness or any form of escapism to avoid getting the job done. “My husband had put off repairing our furniture for so long-a year or more-that I finally gave up on him,” wrote Darlene. “Then I remembered Coconut. You should see our living room now! I’m proud to show it off to anyone who visits.”

Coconut tells us that every question has an answer, every problem a solution and every rainbow a pot of gold. But what we do not discover until reading the fine print is that the gold is not as easily attained as we might think-it’s more like winning the lottery! A “happily ever after” state of mind has nothing to do with outer realities-rather, it refers to the inner Coconut state of self-transformation, that “pearl of great price.”

THEME CHARACTERISTICS

(see explanation of Theme Flower Essences)

When confronting challenges, Coconut themes are individuals of great patience and endurance. They will hold a job for many years even under the most adverse circumstances, such as: no heartfelt interest in the work, difficult co-workers or employer/employees, unsatisfactory income or unhappy working conditions. They are inspirational companions for this very attitude of commitment to seeing a job through to completion. We could say that they resolve to solve.

Coconut themes are more than born optimists. Their very cells are committed to higher truths. Intuitively, they know that solutions to seemingly unsolvable problems abound. This inner knowing forms the underlying reason for their astounding perseverance.

One characteristic physical attribute of Coconut themes is a strong bone structure, regardless of body weight. Mentally, the quality of stamina is predominant. The magnetism they offer to others is a blending of the qualities of upliftment and perseverance, quietly encouraging us: “If I can do it, so can you.”

FAMOUS THEME PERSONALITIES

• Arthur Ashe
• Cathy Turner
• Espen Bredesen
• Jacques Cousteau
• The Ever-Ready Battery Bunny
• Larry Bird
• Ludwig van Beethoven
• Marcus Tullius
• Cicero
• Sri Ramakrishna
• Plotinus

As a stunning Coconut theme example, Arthur Ashe comes to mind. That he was a champion black tennis player-the first Wimbledon had ever known-almost pales beside his other accomplishments. He also championed justice for blacks, actively opposing South Africa’s apartheid. In the early 1990s, he took part in a demonstration protesting the government’s treatment of Haitian political refugees. Mr. Ashe epitomized Coconut’s ability to persevere in his crusade to eradicate the psychological remnants of slavery. For although slavery officially ended a long time ago, he recognized that racial prejudice has lingered to this day.

Perhaps his greatest test-and the test of his greatness-was his choice to go public with news of the AIDS virus that he had contracted from a blood transfusion during heart surgery in 1983. Mr. Ashe epitomized Coconut’s strengths, both in his struggle with AIDS and with his opponents on the tennis courts. Never did he ask, “Why me?” The obstacles on the tennis court and the ravages of AIDS were the same to him, as Coconut-like opportunities for spiritual growth. Arthur Ashe, a champion in every sense of the word, uplifted family, friends and countless fans through the inspiration of his life as well as in his passing. He died in 1993 in his forties.

CONFESSIONS OF A COCONUT THEME: LORENA’S STORY

“I had a very colorful childhood, truthfully, and have thought a lot about writing it. My parents were already separated by the time I was born. They divorced when I was two, and I didn’t meet my dad till I was twenty-five. That was pretty interesting, and it was wonderful when I got to meet him. My mom was married three times. I had a family that was very artistic. From a very early age, I was exposed to the arts and absorbed them on a daily basis. That’s probably why I became a musician and a violin teacher.

“My mother’s life was in such turmoil-she was an alcoholic-that I spent a lot of my childhood alone, parenting myself and taking care of myself physically and emotionally. I’ve learned to have an enormous amount of persistence in terms of my own emotional healing. I’ve worked doggedly on that from my earliest memories, really, to find a better way and not be done in by that stuff. It’s been a big mountain to climb, but I feel richly rewarded.

“In some ways, yes, I think I have long-haul stamina. I’m a good long-distance runner, but I’m not real fast. I can run and not feel winded. This kind of sums up my energy. I do have trouble, though, getting bottomed out during the day. But with some time to myself and some sleep, I can just get back up and go.

“I would say that I’m an uplifting person, and I look for this quality in others. I give a lot of support and positive feedback to people in my life, and definitely to my students and the people that I work with I feel like I’m here to be a vehicle to uplift others.

“I’ve never been crazy about coconuts. I’ve not ever developed a relationship with them. But macaroons are good! The other day, my girlfriend gave me some coconut lip gloss and I really liked it.”

WRAPPING IT UP

There is a folk saying that he who plants a coconut tree plants vessels and clothing, food and drink, a habitation for himself and a heritage for his children. What other delicacy from the plant kingdom can make such claims? Likewise, the quality of upliftment, proffered through the tiny coconut flower, is equally all-encompassing. The coconut, growing as high as eighty feet above ground, is itself a symbol of elevated, uplifting qualities. Coconut essence, then, offers us a path out of suffering and into joy. It accompanies us through the dark forest of trials and into the light of freedom.

Coconut gives us with the example of a strong, steady energy. It vibrationally speaks of living fully in the moment, being willing to take risks and doing what we know to be the right thing, whether it “feels” good or not. The reward for our “stick-to-it-iveness” is upliftment whereby, through our efforts, we are raised to a higher level of awareness. Coconut’s message is to honor that “divinity which stirs within us.”

ESSENCE ENHANCERS

Take up a new sport or hobby that stretches you, either physically or mentally, beyond your limits.

Analyze your present life. In one column, list problems-in the other, the solutions. Reflect on both columns and make needed changes for improvement.

One by one, finish projects that you have left incomplete. Mentally repeat the Coconut affirmation several times a day, especially when taking this essence.

VISUALIZATION

You have just stepped out onto the ice for one last practice session before the skating competition. How many of those about to watch you realize the intense years of training that have gone into these mere four minutes of performance time? And who among them has experienced your love of skating-the unparalleled freedom of speed and strength on the ice or the sense of flying with perfect physical control?

The music begins and you give yourself to it. Gone now are the hours and years of training. Gone now is also the driving desire to |win. Only you and the ice exist, connected through the music. “The Blue Danube” blares through the loudspeakers, though to you, it seems to rise up out of the ice beneath your skates. All you need to do is follow it.

Using your arms and legs to pick up speed, you jump and spin. The familiar breeze through your hair and the coldness on your ears spur you on. Skating is always the same-so freeing, so empowering. Again, you jump, pushing up out of the ice, as it were, to lift yourself up and out of it. All the dance, gymnastics and yoga postures have made these moments possible. All the fluidity and sense of rhythm are yours through countless hours of discipline.

Music becomes movement, and movement becomes grace. Now, at last, you are ready for the performance.