Australian Bush Flower Essences

Sondra J. Johnson, CHTh, CC

In the early 20th century Dr. Edward Bach, a British physician, began to re-explore the very ancient healing system of flower essence use. His motivation was a deep dissatisfaction in the way doctors were expected to ignore the entire person and concentrate only on a specific disease or ailment. Fifty years later and building on this new old system, Ian White, Bachelor of Science, Doctor of Naturopathy, Diploma of Homoeopathy, and Diploma of Botanical Medicine, explored the need for a modern system that addressed all the issues modern society struggles with. This system needed to deal with emotional, physical, and spiritual issues including today's complex communication challenges, relationship problems, learning disorders, PTSD, and spiritual growth, things none of the earlier systems addressed.

Ian White, building on his fifth generation herbalist knowledge, began to more closely explore the wild Australian bush environments he grew up in. Australia has a deeply wise, ancient energy that strongly affects the plants that grow there. The vigorous vitality of Australia's plants is a major factor in their strength. The flowers of the essences are collected from some of the most inaccessible, wild, and pollution free areas of the Australian continent (and in the world). Each flower essence is then obtained by extracting the healing vibrational quality from the highest evolved part of the wild plant - the flowers. This care in the selection and collection of plants has helped retain the full healing property of each plant. It has been shown that the absolute pureness of the collected Australian plants is what produces their startlingly fast results.

Over the past thirty years extensive case studies from all over the world have been documented and analyzed on Australian Bush Flower Essence use. This has resulted in solid protocols for specific physical and emotional maladies. Flower essences are considered to support the psychological, spiritual, and physical states of an individual. It is theorized that they act as catalyst to help resolve a vast range of negative emotional states and the development of intuitive abilities and that they heal by helping to bring a person into emotional, spiritual, and mental harmony. In other words, most physical illness is the end result of emotional imbalance.

Flower essences in general, and particularly the Australian Bush Flower Essences, have gained great respect world wide over the past several years. The Australian Bush Flower Essence system has built the solid reputation of producing incredibly fast and powerful results on the physical level as well as the emotional and spiritual levels. Today they are used alone as well as successfully combined with many other healing modality systems. They can be found in cancer treatment centers in Europe aiding in recovery and pain management, in use by cardiologists in South America as an alternative to expensive pharmaceuticals, and in general medical clinics in Asia as standard medical support.

The main purpose of this system is to help individuals discover that they have the power to make positive changes in their lives, which they do by developing a clear connection with their Higher Self - their own intuitive center that knows their life purpose. "The effect of these Essences is similar to that of meditation in that they enable the person to access the wisdom of their Higher Self. This releases negative beliefs held in the subconscious mind and allows the positive virtues of the Higher Self - love, joy, faith, courage etc. to flood their being. When this happens, the negative beliefs and thoughts are dissolved, balance is restored and true healing occurs." ¹

Australian Bush Flower Essences work on the mind, body, and spirit without being therapeutic drugs. They are entirely safe and without side effects. They work on an emotional level by harmonizing negative feelings and belief patterns held in the subconscious mind that have lead to a manifestation of a physical illness, this can also include genetic inherited conditions. The scope of use for Australian Bush Flower Essences is unlimited. They are used either singly for a specific result or in combination to support various issues and illnesses. A few of the more commonly supported medical issues that have documented positive results are:

Diabetes	Depression
Asthma	Hormone Replacement Therapy
Heart Disease	Cancer - Chemo and Radiation Treatment Support
Thyroid Disease	Preventing Transplant Rejection
Parasites	Arthritis
Neuropathy	Fibromyalgia
Autoimune Disease	Lupus
High Blood Pressure	Glaucoma
Kidney Disease	Hay fever & Sinus
Addiction	Sexual Dysfunction

Australian Bush Flower Essences can be used at the same time as traditional medical treatment without any interaction or negative results. Their use approaches resolving any medical issue from the point of its source, or causation, by working to clear it from the cellular base by way of the etheric body. The careful study of use of the essences has shown that they do not force change as do many medical treatments. Each individual responds uniquely to flower essence treatment in the capacity that they are willing to achieve. An individual highly resistant to change will result in little gain.

One of the greatest reassuring aspects of these flower essences is that they are completely natural. They do not add any chemicals to the individual's body when they are being taken. They are entirely safe, free from side effects, and are fully self adjusting to the needs of the user. For example, "Bush Essences are used in hospitals in Europe and South America as a viable, effective and safe alternative to hormone replacement therapy without the increased risk of breast or cervical cancer and elevated cholesterol levels."²

When addressing emotional concerns, the Australian Bush Flower Essences are also highly useful for assisting individuals in shifting long held emotional issues or behavior patterns that complicate or limit the desired balance within their life. The Australian Bush Flower Essences help individuals address these issues in ways that can help create positive, needed change very quickly. A few of the emotional issues that flower essences can help address are:

Stress	Break Old Habits	Optimism
Burn Out	Enjoyment of Life	Compassion
Spiritual Discernment	Inner Peace	Despair
Trust	Forgiveness	Impatience
Resentment	Anger	Commitment Issues
Over Doing	Self Confidence	Adaptability
Scattered	Persistence	Critical
Co-Dependency	Life Purpose	Sexual Enjoyment
Mood Swings	Sadness & Grief	Emotional Exhaustion

The use of flower essences can be utterly transforming for individuals, both physically and emotionally. "The Bush Remedies not only help to give clarity to one's life but also the courage, strength and commitment to follow and pursue one's goals and dreams. They help to develop a higher level of intuition, self esteem, spirituality, creativity and fun. The more the Essences are used, the more one is likely to experience greater awareness and happiness in one's life. Then everyone benefits....the individual, society and the planet."³ The Australian Bush Flower Essences with their purity and concentrated energy can help create shifts in a person's life that they never thought possible, quickly and without the curse of the cure being worse than the illness. Flower essences give people options. They allow people to be self empowered. Only an individual can decide what they truly want and flower essences honor that.

QUESTIONS ANSWERED

Where does this system come from?

Dr. Ian White, doctor of naturopathy and herbalist, explored the need for a modern flower essence system that addressed all the issues modern society struggles with, such as emotional, physical, and spiritual issues including today's complex communication challenges, relationship problems, learning disorders, PTSD, and spiritual growth, things none of the earlier systems addressed.

Ian White, building on his fifth generation herbalist knowledge, began to more closely explore the wild Australian bush environments he grew up in. Australia has a deeply wise, ancient energy that strongly affects the plants that grow there. The vigorous vitality of Australia's plants is a major factor in their strength. The flowers of the essences are collected from some of the most inaccessible, wild, and pollution free areas of the Australian continent (and in the world).

Who uses the system?

All over the world clinics, physicians, herbalists, and practitioners use this system. In some medical clinics, the ABFE system is the primary system of treatment. Specialists all over the world use the ABFE. Today they are used alone as well as successfully combined with many other healing modality systems. They can be found in cancer treatment centers in Europe aiding in recovery and pain management, in use by cardiologists in South America as an alternative to expensive pharmaceuticals, and in general medical clinics in Asia as standard medical support.

How are they made?

The flowers of the essences are collected from some of the most inaccessible, wild, and pollution free areas of the Australian continent (and in the world). Each flower essence is then obtained by extracting the healing vibrational quality from the highest evolved part of the wild plant - the flowers.

"Flower Essences are prepared by imprinting a flower's unique vibrational healing signature onto a carrier solution of brandy and water. This is achieved by working with flowers, under ideal conditions, that are growing in the wild in an environment free from pollution, roads and power lines. These flowers are collected and without being touched directly by the individual, placed in a bowl of pure water and left in direct sun for several hours. The flowers are then removed from the bowl, using a twig or a leaf from the same plant. The remaining flower water is then added to an equal amount of Australian brandy and this mixture is referred to as the Mother tincture. The latter is further diluted to produce the stock concentration which in turn is also diluted in order to prepare the dosage strength." (Ian White, http://ausflowers.com.au)

How do they work?

Natural medicine avers that all disease is a state of dis-ease, a state of emotional imbalance. In other words, The flower essences address this imbalance by working to bring the state of one's emotions back to their specific life purpose and a state of joy and, hence, comfort. Richard Gerber MD, provides a more scientific and physiological description of how the Flower Essences work. When an Essence is ingested or absorbed through the skin, it is initially assimilated into the blood stream. Then it settles midway between the circulatory and nervous systems. There, an electromagnetic current is created by the polarity of the two systems. The Essence then moves directly to the meridians, which are vital mechanisms of interface between the subtle bodies and the physical body. From the meridians the Flower Essence is amplified out to the chakras and various subtle bodies and then back again to the physical body. The amplification also magnifies the life force potency of the Essence and aids in its assimilation. The Essence reaches the imbalanced parts of the body faster and in a more stable form. The quarts-like crystalline silica structures in the physical body, such as those in the blood stream, the hair and nails, amplify and transmit the healing energies of the Flower Essences to their appropriate sights of action, and at the correct frequencies. This whole process is similar to the way radio waves strike a crystal in a radio so that the crystal resonates with the higher frequencies, absorbing them and transforming them into audio frequencies which can be heard by the human ear. (Vibrational Medicine, Richard Gerber, MD)

How effective are they?

The Bush Flower Essences are very strong and fast acting. They are used successfully world wide. Careful case studies have been kept for decades with a wonderful archive practitioners can refer back to when presented with unusual cases. Many other flower essence products address certain issues, the Bush flower essences are acknowledged as one of the fastest remedies known today. "The power of the Bush essences and the results they consistently produce are astounding. They act as catalyst to help resolve a vast range of negative emotional states and develop intuitive abilities. They heal by helping to bring a person into emotional, spiritual and mental harmony." (Australian Bush Flower Essences, Ian White)

What happens when I take them?

There are a variety of results people have reported when taking the essences. Some will have very immediate symptom relief while others will have such subtle changes they only notice when the process has reached completion. There is frequently an increase in dreaming and easing of stress. Each person's response is unique to them and that is their value.

How long does it take to notice results?

This is an individual thing. Some individuals have immediate and strong results while others do not notice any changes until after the course has been completed as the shift was so very gentle and subtle. Sometimes the effect is subtle yet strong such as when Cognus Essence is used and an individual's concentration and memory may be strongly enhanced. Emergency Essence is renowned for having immediate effects in severely stressful situations.

Each person is unique and their reaction to a flower essence will follow that. Usually an essence is taken for two weeks when it is addressing an emotional issue and four weeks when it is physical issues and imbalances. Occasionally, an individual will need a repeat of either the two week or four week course at a later time.

How safe are they?

The Australian Bush Flower Essences are completely drug free and have no side effects. They are fully self adjusting so the user experiences no huge or frightening crisis. On rare occasions, when someone begins using an essence their symptoms will slightly increase for a day or two or a light rash will appear over certain organs for a few hours. This is called a "healing crisis" and is nothing to fear. The body is preparing to heal and is detoxifying. In situations such as this, the remedy may be stopped for a day or two or, conversely, taken more frequently. This is a very rare occurrence and all decisions are carefully discussed with the client ultimately choosing their preferred course of action.

Can children take them?

The Bush flower essences are very effective in addressing children's needs and issues. The great advantage of them is that they have no interaction nor do they place chemicals into the body. A parent can feel fully confident that their child is safely addressing the core of their current issue and nothing else. The system is also excellent for animals, who respond even more quickly to the flower's healing power.

Can more than one be taken at the same time?

Usually a single mix course is taken at a time. This is to maintain a strict and specific focus for the essences in what they are addressing. The exception of this is when a one off dosing of a Combination specialty mix is taken. This could be a dose of Emergency Essence for trauma or Cognis for concentration.

Do they have to be made up in brandy?

Traditionally, flower essences are placed into a carrier of 2/3 purified spring water and 1/3 brandy as a preservative. For a variety of reasons, people will ask for their essence to be made up without brandy. The main alternative is food grade glycerin although apple cider vinegar is also an option. These have a shorter shelf life, about a year, and to extend the potency it is advisable to keep these bottles refrigerated. When placed strictly in purified spring water, the shelf life for the potency is about two weeks. Shelf life for brandy based mixes is around three years.

How do they compare to other flower essence systems (what makes them unique)?

"We have a high regard for all professionally prepared Flower Essences. Australian Bush Flower Essences started within a natural health clinic and became the choice of practitioners worldwide because of their diverse range and efficacious results within a clinical environment. There are a number of unique points associated with our essences, firstly, Australia being the first continent has some of the oldest species in the world and has the highest number of flowering species - a wonderfully rich biodiversity in natural healing qualities. Secondly, Australian Bush Flower Essences address many contemporary health issues such as communication, learning difficulties, spirituality, radiation, electromagnetic radiation, space clearing and sexuality not addressed by our peers. Also the Bush Essences have a reputation world wide for being incredibly quick acting and having a profound effect on the physical body." (Ian White, http://ausflowers.com.au)

How are essences chosen for individuals?

There are a variety of ways to choose an essence for someone. One of the ways is to narrow the primary symptom or issue down and find the corresponding flower essence that most closely addresses it. Another way is to use the Insight Cards. Other possibilities are to dowse or use Kinesiology. Relying on a trained practitioner will take a great deal of the guessing and puzzlement out of the process and help to address one's most pertinent issues.

What if you take a wrong essence?

The flower essences are self adjusting and address only that which needs addressing. They work on subtle energy levels and if the specific properties of the incorrectly chosen essence are not present, nothing will occur.

Do they interact with other medications?

Because flower essences work on the vibrational level, there is no interaction between them and any medication an individual is taking. They are not therapeutic drugs. They are entirely safe and without side effects and are completely self adjusting to the needs of the individual taking them. They work on an emotional level by harmonizing negative feelings and belief patterns held in the subconscious mind to affect desired changes in the individual's life and health.

Can you have an allergic reaction to them?

This is a highly unlikely possibility. The amount of plant the individual is exposed to is so small as to preclude any reaction. "he leaves the flowers in the water long enough for the life force energy of the flowers to combine with the water. He then removes the flowers from the bowl so that no physical properties of the flowers remain in the flower water. This flower water is then further diluted down several times until the dose essence is achieved. The dose bottles have been analyzed by chemical laboratories to determine how much physical matter of the flower is present. The results show that there is only an infinitesimal amount of the flower remaining - one part in a hundred thousand, which is far too small to cause any physical reaction." (Ian White, http://ausflowers.com.au)

Are there negative interactions with foods, liquids, or other substances?

Some homeopathic medicines, herbal blends, and allopathic medicines restrict what can be eaten or used when taking them. Flower essences are not counteracted by strong aromas, substances, garlic, or essential oils. It is advised, however, that waiting a few minutes before and after meals and consuming strong substances like coffee will aid in the best results.

What is the difference between Flower Essences, Herbal Remedies, Homoeopathy and Essential Oils?

Homeopathy treats the physical, in a whole body process with spiritual healing and is a process of "Succession" - several stages of dilution and activation of the vibrational effect. The part of the plant is used, very diluted. 6x Strength - usually purchased over counter. 30cs usual dosage. Cs & Fs - works on emotional body, aura. Frequency higher. Used by Homeopathic doctors.

Aromatherapy is derived from essential oils, which are extracts of the parts of plants. They work by way of the olfactory senses and can be used in conjunction with many other modalities. Used topically only.

Herbal Extracts are directly obtained from plants by way of tinctures, dried parts taken directly, or in teas. They work only on the physical body and can produce physical reactions.

Flower Essences are created where a flower with sunlight imprints its vibrational energy into water, not percussing and not making it become a higher frequency. Just using the plant material, then taking the plant material back out, leaving just the vibration. Flower Essences treats the Emotional which ultimately affects the physical. The Body-Mind Connection is addressed in this system. Example: Energy Field around people:

Issues start: Energy - to Physical Body

Emotional issue - Mental (know it's there but don't clear it out)

Spiritual (either lack of awareness or avoidance, karma)

Physical (becomes ailment)