mimulus

May 06, 2012

There are mimulus flowers everywhere . . . well at least on my most recent walk through the desert. My walk took me through a canyon with a small spring fed stream. Mimulus love clear, fresh, flowing water and as far as my eye could see Mimulus lined the banks of this tender stream. It was a winding sea of yellow through the slate grey and brown landscape of the desert wash.

Dr. Bach and Mimulus

Mimulus was the 3rd flower remedy Dr. Bach made, early on he noticed the significant healing potential of this flower. It truly is a lovely flower to behold and healing potential just radiates from the yellow flowers.

Mimulus in the Wild

I have come across this plant many times in the wild and I was surprised to find it here in this desert climate. But, it did have the one requirement that this plant craves and needs to thrive; a constant supply of pure, clear, clean, fresh running water. There was an abundance of that available and from this the plant has colonized the entire stream bed.

Mimulus For Addressing Fears

Mimulus is a type remedy, meaning it is good for the personality type that re-coils in shyness and acts with hesitation to the small challenges of life. It is for the known fears as opposed to Aspen for fears of an unknown origin. Fear has the power to impact, influences and subjugates human emotion and behavior. Yet its place in life is greatly exaggerated and over played.

Fear is a Low Vibration

Fear vibrates at a low frequency and when it is present in our minds and hearts it just drags us down in a spiral of contraction and negativity. Most of all FEAR inhibits us and often stops us from moving forward and taking constructive action. This forces us to contract and has no place in the advancement of life. It may serve as a protective force in certain circumstances but FEAR has become all to prevalent in our day to day life and what ever protectiveness it offered at a certain point becomes counterproductive.

The Trick of FEAR
F- False
E- Evidence
A- Appearing
R- Real

The trick of fear is that it actually does not exist outside of us, it is an internal experience created in concert with the mind, imagination and emotions. Unfortunately fear cancels the love of life that is present and available if we choose to allow it. The way that mimulus exhibits its vulnerability, is that it is willing to take risks. The river where it grows is subject to FLASH FLOODS! This lovely scene before me could turn for the worse at any moment. But it must take the risk to thrive that is the profound beauty of it. It is risking being washed away for its place in the sun.

Bach’s Discovery

Bach discovered that Mimulus is the perfect remedy to address the fearful concerns of daily life, the fear of worldly things such as illness, poverty, of the dark, of being alone, of accidents and so on. These are fears of a known origin which in one sense is good because they then become easier to treat and heal from. By letting go of fear we can gain more trust in the goodness of life and life can flow elegantly and nourish us, they it does for Mimulus. Always straddling the edge between safe ground and constant flow this flower can teach us about trusting the river of life. With risk taking, straddling the edge, we grow and can overcome our fears.

Mar 01, 2012

Dr Oz Rescue Remedy and Sanity

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Am I Normal?
Recently there was a segment on Dr. Oz titled “Are You Normal or Nuts”, if you have to ask chances are you are normal. You may have behavior that differs from the rest but that doesn’t make you “nuts” and in all fairness there is no such thing as “normal”. There seems to be an idea that a normalcy exists when in reality we are all unique individuals. We may have behaviors that are uniquely ours and the a question to ask in light of this is: Does the behavior serve you or is it taking away from the quality of your life?

The questions on the Oz show were in regards to OCD behavior, Obsessive, Compulsive Disorder, fears and unresolved emotions showing up in dreams.

I personally like the Dr. Oz show and think he has brought a new perspective to the limelight, that only an MD could do. I say this because he often talks about alternatives to main stream orthodox medicine but because he is a heart surgeon what he says has credibility. So when I heard him mention on of my most favorite topics flower essences I felt compelled to chime in and expand upon the topic.

Dr. Oz and Rescue Remedy
Dr. Bach’s Rescue Remedy is easily the most widely used and recognized flower essence formula. Dr. Oz’s Rescue Remedy recommendation came in response to a question of how to deal with paralyzing fear. From a general perspective Rescue Remedy could benefit the person in a situation like this. But a paralyzing fear that persists for days leading up to an event would really benefit from a more nuanced approach.

Mimulus
I would need to speak with the person to get a sense of what is going on but right off the bat I would give this client mimulus; which is for fear of known things. A one month treatment cycle with mimulus would help to shift this behavior so it no longer bothers the individual. There is a difference between addressing a symptom and treating the person. One provides temporary relief the other is a long term solution. I am personally more interested in providing my clients with long term solutions.

Rescue Remedy
This formula was developed in the 1930′s a much different time than the one we live in. It was developed to address acute stress and anxiety that is the result of trauma or shocking news, such as a death in the family etc. There is a simplicity to this formula which makes it easy to use but as an essence practitioner I think it is being misused. As with many “alternatives” it is falling prey to the allopathic mindset, meaning it is being used to suppress a symptom and not fully address the underlying causes.

Flower Essences and The New Paradigm
Using flower essences therapeutically presents a new paradigm, it is a dramatic shift from how we currently think about health treatment. To sum up the new paradigm as best I can; I would say the New Paradigm that essences work in is to address the person not the aliment. Our current system is diseased focused, this narrow approach is normal, to want to cure a disease is totally legit. And, what if we could take a broader perspective? What if we could see the person behind the disease and treat the person?

Bach’s Vision
As a doctor Bach had this vision; it revealed itself in his case load and led to the development of flower remedies. What Dr. Bach noticed were these two points:

The same personality types had the same aliments and complaints
People coming for single disease treatment have similar personalities

With that he concluded the following:

There must be a way to strengthen and balance the personality to protect from disease.
There must be a way to treat the personality directly and alleviate the disease.

Do you get what he was doing? He was pioneering Mind/Body medicine, his keen observation and dedication to wellness is and was revolutionary. Treat the personality so the patient regains health. I felt the need to give a concise explanation of what Bach was up to before moving on because I feel it is important to understand the intent and vision of the work if we want to get sound results when using essences.

Dr. Oz and Flower Essences
The proper use of flower essences requires a nuanced understanding if we are to truly address the causes of certain conditions. While I do support his promotion of Rescue Remedy, I want people to understand the depth of healing essences can bring to person.

Honestly folks if you really want the best results from using flower essences, you need to work with a skilled practitioner. There is an old saying that applies here: “A doctor who treats himself has a fool for a patient.” I do welcome the attention essences receive when respected folks like Dr. Oz mention them and as someone who specializes in flower essences I seek to clarify his good intent.

Feb 09, 2012

Bach Flower Remedies for Anxiety

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Bach flower remedies are excellent non-habit forming tools that can be used to calm stress and anxiety. Anxiety is a fear of the future, it can be acute, chronic, have a known cause or an unknown cause. But, whatever the case may be; Bach flower remedies address anxiety with precision and effectiveness uncommon in other forms of healing.

Aspen- Has anxiety descended for an unknown reason? Do you find your self feeling edgy unsteady and generally fearful yet can’t pinpoint what is causing the unrest? Aspen is for those souls who are refined, sensitive souls whose highly refined perception and rich inner life can lead to feelings of anxiety for no known reason.

Mimulus- In contrast to Aspen, mimulus is for anxiety from known reasons. This would be anxiety from shyness, phobias or other known causes. This is such a great remedy for lifting us out of our perceptions of shyness and limitation, as it helps to fortify soul forces to overcome known fears.

Holly- This essence is related to anxiety in and around relationships; in this case the anxiety may take the form of jealousy, envy or suspicion. Holly is like a heart softener that helps it to gently open to greater feelings of universal love and kindness. Holly is great from relationship related anxieties.

Impatiens- You know who you are, the impatient type, most likely this type of anxious impatient person is not even reading this blog. Seriously, this is the fourth paragraph down, who has time to get this far? Well if you have gotten this far and do resonate with this, you might want a little impatiens in your life. It is a blessing for the high strung, anxious, get’r done attitude which leads to uneasy feelings of tension.

Red Chestnut- Oh Red Chestnut, you care so much for those close to and you just fear the worst is going to happen to them. So you fret, you worry and you get anxious. While it may seem like you are doing something, you are just filing your time with fears that most likely will not come to pass. Do you find your self anxious for others? Well you may want to find yourself some Red Chestnut, you’ll be fine.

Rescue Remedy®
All these remedies can be used in combination, for acute situations try adding them to a dosage bottle with a dose of Rescue Remedy®. This will help you get your convenient dose of calm when you need it. Note: Rescue Remedy® contains impatiens. Also Rescue Remedy® was designed for acute situations and it works best when used in this manner.

Feb 04, 2012

Bach Flower Remedies for Work

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How to use Bach Flowers when un-employed or under employed.
The great thing about flower remedies is that they can be used to address and adjust the emotions we feel around a variety of topics and situations including employment.

So you were laid off and you are looking for work and you want some energetic support, because honestly every bit helps. An uplifted mind, spirit and consciousness can only help. Of course I cannot guarantee you will find employment if you use the remedies but you can at least use them as emotional support tools as you do what you need to in order to find work.

Here are a handful of remedies to give a you boost:

Larch
Wild Rose
Wild Oat
Mimulus
Walnut
Cherry Plum
Elm
Gentian
Gorse

These essences all work with different categories of emotional challenges due to un-employment and the search for a job. These categories are:

Faith
Confidence
Tenacity
Fearlessness
Hope
Internal Alignment
Steadiness

Essences address the internal reality, the feeling states and emotions. And, it is from this place that we create our experience; the frame we give our situation determines our situation on the feeling level. There is an external reality and an internal reality, there are many variables in the external world and to try and control them is a losing battle. But, we do have control over our internal states and that is where our power truly exists, not outside of us. Lets now take a deeper look at how to use the essences to support us for employment.

Larch- The essence for confidence, Larch address the fear of failure, use when feeling down on your luck and you need a confidence boost.

Wild Rose- This essence will help you stick with it and remain tenacious; wild rose dispels apathy and resignation.

Wild Oat- This essence fosters greater career clarity, very good to use when feeling ambivalent about your career and you would like to find work that is in alignment with your soul.

Mimulus- This essence is useful for times when we feel resigned in the face of a challenge. It address fear of the known that manifest as resignation.

Walnut- This essence is useful for times when making changes; it helps you to leave the old behind and move forward un-encumbered. This is great when we need to act free from outside influences and to shake the voices of the past.

Cherry Plum- This is a soul soothing remedy useful those under severe mental and emotional stress, it will address the deep fear of losing control. Cherry plum is amazing for stabilizing the mind and emotions when it is being stretched due to adversity and extreme stress. This helps with spiritual surrender and fostering deep faith in feelings of guidance and protection from a Higher Power.

Elm- This is for feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, that leads to stress with the potential towards breakdown. Elm will help you to shoulder your tasks effectively, use this remedy when you feel you may break from pressure of you strain.

Gentian- FAITH, CONFIDENCE, PERSEVERANCE, these are the three key words to for this essence. Gentian is an antidote to discouragement.

Gorse- Pessimism is a poison, it will taint your entire world view and your ability to believe in a positive outcome. Gorse fosters optimism, conviction and hope in a positive outcome.

I wish you the very best in finding the remedies you need to adequately deal with the challenges you face. May the essences support you in your mission and bring the light of hope into the dark, dispel the shadows of doubt and quell fears of the mind. Dr. Edward Bach had a deep abiding faith and lived his life with providence; may the grace of the remedies he has brought to us infuse your life with similar qualities.

Jan 16, 2012

Mimulus and the Monkey Flower Family

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Mimulus also known as Monkey Flower is family of plants common in the Western United States. During spring and summer months it can be found growing near rivers and streams as well as deserts and mountain enviroments. It is a large family that covers much ground in terms of habitat range and its flowers offer a variety of color. Monkey flowers can be yellow, red, pink, purple, orange, beige, brick as well as a combination of these colors. It is such a color diverse family that offers a wide range of benefits for treating a variety of fear related issues.

Bach’s Mimulus

Mimulus one of the original 12 Healers Bach prepared is a type of monkeyflower that prefers clear, moving water. The flowers are a striking bright yellow with many red spots on the throat of the flower which guide bees to the nectar inside. Over the years FES has been making essences from other varieties of Monkey flower most notably pink monkey flower, scarlet monkey flower, purple monkey flower and sticky monkey flower.

Mimulus was one of the first three remedies that Dr. Bach prepared and he used it for patients who are fearful, timid and shy. Bach noted that the mimulus type is sensitive to their environment. They prefer quite, avoid challenges and shy away from life as they are often plagued by many small worries. This type of withdraw from challenges and giving into fears and worry stymies soul growth. When using mimulus the soul and personality develop courage by facing fears and moving beyond them which helps to build the internal resources needed for overcoming lives challenges.

The following is a group of Monkey flowers prepared by FES out of Nevada City California.

Pink Monkey flower: This essence is for fears related to emotions and closeness. Pink Monkey flower helps one to achieve a state of emotional honesty; it is useful when feelings of guilt, unworthiness and shame lead one to hide themselves from others. It encourages emotional honesty and emotional risk taking helping one to remain emotionally open.

Purple Monkey flower: This essence treats fears related to spiritual experiences; it helps to build trust in ones spiritual experience. It helps one to learn to trust spiritual guidance and fosters clarity during spiritual or psychic experiences.

Scarlet Monkey flower: This essence is for those who repress deep strong emotions for fear that the power of these emotions will over take them and they will be consumed by the ’shadow’. Scarlet Monkey flower helps one come to grips with their shadow side, helping to integrate the trans-formative power of deep feelings.

Sticky Monkey flower: This essence treats fears around sexuality and intimacy. Sticky Monkey flower helps with repressed sexual feelings as well as bringing warmth to the experience of human sexuality. This essence helps one to integrate warmth in relationships and sexual expression.

Coming across Monkey flowers in the wild is such a fun feeling because they are so distinct in their coloration and there is such a variety of them. On June 6th 2008, I came upon a variety of yellow mimulus with a large red spot on the front lip of the yellow flower. On March 9th 2009 I came upon Bigelow Monkey flower a striking pink, purple, yellow variety that grows in the desert regions of Southern California.

Bigelow Monkeyflower

I have prepared an essence of each of these varieties and look forward to doing more research with them over the coming years. So far they show promise with 1.) coming into healthy contact with anger and expressing it and Bigelow Monkeyflower treating fear of rejection and fear of falling from grace. If you are interested in trying them as research essences please e-mail me and I will be happy to send them to you.

Jan 02, 2012

Three Bach Essences for Anxiety

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It has come to my attention this case of modern day anxiety, like a dull hum that pulses through the lives and minds of neighbors, friends and colleague. I would venture to say that the media is implicit in this type of fear mongering as well as politicians and corporations.

It is like there is a doomsday story around every corner and topic with grave implications seem to have more value and have become the status quo. This is particularly important to be aware of as we have now entered 2012, a year with many predictions. In my view we are at the cusp of a major change that will actually move us towards a more peaceful and harmonious world. Be steady, face your fears squarely and remember that

. . . serenity, peace, calm and balance are actually the backdrop which frames existence. What I find particularly disconcerting is how widespread mild anxiety is. Anxiety is a fear of the future; in the case of modern day anxiety it is a vague fear of the future. This vague fear seems to me to be encouraged by the media, in a rather titillating fashion. To live in this state of constant fear and danger is damaging to the immune system and completely shatters ones peace of mind.

In the Bach Flower Remedy system there are a few essences which address fear and anxiety as I have been discussing, here is a list of remedies that may help.

Aspen: This remedy is for unexplainable fears and anxiety that stems from the psyche. Usually these fears are related to impending evil; something that lurks in the shadows. The characteristic of the fear associated with this remedy is fear of something unexplainable; of something that may happen. It is like fear of potential disaster.

Mimulus: This remedy deals with fear but more in the realm of shyness. It is a fear of known things, such as a fear of flying, driving over bridges etc . . .

Rock Rose: This remedy is for terror and or panic, when fear has escalated to the point of debilitation. This remedy is indicated for a state called a ‘panic attack’ at times when one is paralyzed by fear.

There seems to be an assumption that we need this type of fear, that it keeps us vigilant and without it we may fall victim to another attack. It is promoted as a pseudo security measure. One can be vigilant, watchful and aware without falling victim to unnecessary fear and anxiety.
With peace and good will I wish you a Happy New Year.

Oct 22, 2009

Curb Your Anxiety

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Flower Essence Remedies for treating acute anxiety as well as understanding anxiety in our life. First a list of specific essences and what they are for. At the end of the list anxiety is discussed along with other approaches to addressing anxiety.

Flower Essence Remedies for treating anxiety:

Aspen: for anxiety that descend for unknown reason

Blueberry Cactus: for treating anxiety that leads to sleep disturbances

Blue Vervain:for treating anxiety from overwork, being leaders and role models

Golden Yarrow: helpful with performance anxiety, when felt in the stomach region.

Larch: anxiety related to fear of failure.

Lemon Balm: this remedy helps calm the mind and allows for deeper emotional exploration.

Mimulus: this treats anxiety related to everyday situations, being afraid of everyday situations.

Rescue Remedy: an all around remedy for acute anxiety, stage fright, test taking and so on.

A few strategic essences which may help to corral mental energy and encourage focus.

Indian Pink: this remedy is managing stress during times of intense activity.

Madia: this remedy is for those who are easily distracted.

Rabbitbrush: useful when feeling overwhelmed by details.

Shasta Daisy: this remedy helps us find the whole among bits and pieces of information.

White Chestnut: helps us find inner calm, treats the “chattering” mind: this essence is good to use when an over active mind keeps us from sleeping.

Anxiety of a more distinct emotional origin i.e.. death of a loved one/pet, recent break up or anxiety surrounding love.

Bleeding Heart: this remedy is excellent when for when a relationship has ended.

Borage: this essence facilitates a buoyant heart helping to uplift any heaviness.

Butterfly Weed: this essence is for “love” addiction when anxiety develops from the initial feelings of “falling in love” begin to shift.

Holly: a great remedy to treat jealousy and anxiety with regards to relationships.

Pink Amaranthus: this remedy treats anxiety when in love.

Pretty Face: for anxiety around beauty and physical appearance.

These remedies are presented as starting points to dealing with anxiety. But ultimately the anxiety needs to rooted out and just treated. The basis for anxiety is fear whether conscious or unconscious. Anxiety results when the mental body attempts to suppress information from the emotional body. When parts escape and overwhelms the mind anxiety manifests.

If you are prone to anxiety it is wise to deal with it by gradually uncovering the underlying fear(s), take it slow be kind to yourself. I caution against anti anxiety drugs due to their addictive nature and non therapeutic way of masking anxiety. One cannot simply drug themselves into a healthy state of being.

There are many herbs available to assist with anxiousness, wild oats and lavender are two good ones to consider. Wild oat is nutritive; enriching the nervous system with calcium. Lavender essential oil is widely known to be very calming and soothing for stress and nervousness.

If your anxiety is due to an over abundance of caffeine it would by wise to cut down on this drug. Try green tea instead of coffee, tea contains the amino acid theanine which is a calming agent. With that said I have found it remarkable how flower essences can even assist caffeine induced anxiety. For this Rescue Remedy is good as well as Lemon Balm and Blueberry Cactus.

Jun 14, 2008

Overview of the Bach Remedy System: Part One “The Twelve Healers”

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The system Dr. Bach developed is aimed at aligning the personality with the truth of who we are. It is neatly broken down into 3 parts which follow chronologically the order in which the remedies were discovered. The first twelve are known as “The Twelve Healers” which are soul type/archetypal remedies that deal with broad themes such as courage, enthusiasm, compassion, wisdom and balance to name a few.

The ‘Key Words’ used are general headings which the remedies treat and the themes are areas of the personality the remedies help to develop. “Use for” referrers to areas of personality imbalance that the remedies correct. Keep in mind these are general descriptions and serve as a simple guide to beginning to understand the remedies.

The Twelve Healers

Mimulus- (mimulus guttatus) Key Word: Fearlessness
Themes: confidence, bravery, security Use for: fear of known things, shyness, timidity

Impatiens- (impatiens glandulifera) Key Word: Compassion
Themes: patience, tolerance, harmonious relationship with time Use for: impatience, developing tolerance, irritablity

Agrimony-(agrimonia eupatoria) Key Word: Truth
Themes: honesty, authentic humor, openness Use for: masked emotions/inner pain, escapism via drugs/alchol

Clematis-(clamatis vitalba) Key Word: Integration
Themes: vision, awareness, present in the body Use for: dreaminess, withdraw, ungrounded awareness

Centaury-(centaurium erythaea) Key Word: Dignity
Themes: boundaries, self esteem, self reliance Use for: weak personality, being used, servant, taken advantage of

Cerato-(ceratostigma willmottiana) Key Word: Instinct/Knowledge
Themes: trust of self, discernment, decisive Use for: discretion, trust of self wisdom, easily influenced

Gentian- (gentiana amarella) Key Word: Hope
Themes: faith, trust in positive outcome, positive outlook Use for: doubt, pessimism, depression, despair, hopelessness

Chicory- (chicorium intybus) Key Word: Love
Themes: fulfillment, radiant love, unconditional love Use for: possessive, heart ache, manipulative behavior

Vervain- (verbena officianalis) Key Word: Passion
Themes: enthusiasm, optimism, dynamic Use for: overly stressed, type A, high strung, righteously indignant

Scleranthus- (scleranthus annuus) Key Word: Decisive
Themes: decisiveness, balance, stable Use for: indecisiveness, mood swings, trust in decision making

Rock Rose- (helianthemum nummularium) Key Word: Assurance
Themes: calm strength, emotional steadiness Use for: panic, stuck emotions of terror

Water Violet- (hottonia palustris) Key Word: Unity
Themes: gracefulness, quite, integration with group Use for: feelings of loneliness, isolation, pride, superiority

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mimulus

Dr. Bach and Mimulus

Mimulus in the Wild

Mimulus For Addressing Fears

Fear is a Low Vibration

Bach’s Discovery

Mimulus- In contrast to Aspen, mimulus is for anxiety from known reasons. This would be anxiety from shyness, phobias or other known causes. This is such a great remedy for lifting us out of our perceptions of shyness and limitation, as it helps to fortify soul forces to overcome known fears.

How to use Bach Flowers when un-employed or under employed. The great thing about flower remedies is that they can be used to address and adjust the emotions we feel around a variety of topics and situations including employment.

Here are a handful of remedies to give a you boost:

Larch Wild Rose Wild Oat Mimulus Walnut Cherry Plum Elm Gentian Gorse

These essences all work with different categories of emotional challenges due to un-employment and the search for a job. These categories are:

Faith

Confidence

Tenacity

Fearlessness

Hope

Internal Alignment

Steadiness

Larch- The essence for confidence, Larch address the fear of failure, use when feeling down on your luck and you need a confidence boost.

Wild Rose- This essence will help you stick with it and remain tenacious; wild rose dispels apathy and resignation.

Wild Oat- This essence fosters greater career clarity, very good to use when feeling ambivalent about your career and you would like to find work that is in alignment with your soul.

Mimulus- This essence is useful for times when we feel resigned in the face of a challenge. It address fear of the known that manifest as resignation.

Walnut- This essence is useful for times when making changes; it helps you to leave the old behind and move forward un-encumbered. This is great when we need to act free from outside influences and to shake the voices of the past.

Elm- This is for feeling overwhelmed by responsibilities, that leads to stress with the potential towards breakdown. Elm will help you to shoulder your tasks effectively, use this remedy when you feel you may break from pressure of you strain.

Gentian- FAITH, CONFIDENCE, PERSEVERANCE, these are the three key words to for this essence. Gentian is an antidote to discouragement.

Gorse- Pessimism is a poison, it will taint your entire world view and your ability to believe in a positive outcome. Gorse fosters optimism, conviction and hope in a positive outcome.

Bach’s Mimulus

The following is a group of Monkey flowers prepared by FES out of Nevada City California.

Purple Monkey flower: This essence treats fears related to spiritual experiences; it helps to build trust in ones spiritual experience. It helps one to learn to trust spiritual guidance and fosters clarity during spiritual or psychic experiences.

Sticky Monkey flower: This essence treats fears around sexuality and intimacy. Sticky Monkey flower helps with repressed sexual feelings as well as bringing warmth to the experience of human sexuality. This essence helps one to integrate warmth in relationships and sexual expression.

Flower Essence Remedies for treating anxiety:

A few strategic essences which may help to corral mental energy and encourage focus.

Anxiety of a more distinct emotional origin i.e.. death of a loved one/pet, recent break up or anxiety surrounding love.

How to use Bach Flowers when un-employed or under employed.
The great thing about flower remedies is that they can be used to address and adjust the emotions we feel around a variety of topics and situations including employment.

Larch
Wild Rose
Wild Oat
Mimulus
Walnut
Cherry Plum
Elm
Gentian
Gorse