In this section I will outline a few possible combination flower remedies to address various areas of learning difficulties.  The themes are mentioned in bold italics and the essences suggested are meant as guidelines; where certain essences fit.  This is to give you an understanding of how to design a formula.  Other essences that may be applicable but where not mentioned in Part 1 will also be included.

Below is a list of possible combinations based on themes:

Shy Student Low Self Confidence:

Larch, Hornbeam, Gentian, Sunflower, Missouri Primrose (Delta Gardens)

Day Dreamer:

Clematis, Star of Bethlehem, Hornbeam, Rosemary, Wild Rose

Forgetful, Low Grades, Always Trying:

Chestnut Bud, Peppermint, Larch, Gorse, Rosemary,

Study Formula:

Chestnut Bud, Rosemary, Shasta Daisy, Larch

Hyperactive Mind:

White Chestnut, Lavender (FES), Lemon Balm(Delta Gardens),  Chamomile(FES), Blueberry Cactus( Essence Alchemy remedy)

This list is meant to provide a basic starting point on which to build.  All the essences mentioned are available to order through the site.  If you have any questions you can e-mail me at mark@essencealchemy.com.

If you suffer from or know someone suffering from  ADD/ADHD  there maybe many non pharmaceutical options to help you live a better life.  I feel it is important to mention reviewing ones diet especially the intake of caffeine, refined sugars and processed foods.  These substances should be greatly reduced in ones diet as they affect the ability to concentrate and focus.  Since this blog is about flower remedies I have made a list of Bach Remedies that can help as well as 3 others from different producers.  This is only a partial list but is a good starting point to build on.

Treating ADD/ ADHD with Bach Flower Remedies

Chestnut Bud: This remedy is useful for learning; particularly when one makes the same mistakes but fails to learn from them.

Clematis: This essence is for the dream; the person whose head always seems to be in the clouds. Clematis can help one be present and focused rather that off in day-dream land.

Gentian: This essence helps to bring confidence to a person after a setback; gentian enhances perseverance, confidence and faith.

Gorse: This is a powerful remedy for treating pessimism and a complete sense of hopelessness. People suffering in this state see no point in trying because they lack faith in a positive resolution to their challenge.  This remedy builds optimism by supporting a sunnier outlook on life.

Hornbeam: This essence is useful for the ‘Monday Morning’ feeling that kids may experience as they dread going to school. It is helpful for staving off procrastination, it helps one to organize better and gather inspiration.

Larch: This essence helps with confidence; good for students who are shy, timid or don’t feel confident enough to embrace their school work. Larch is very useful when beginning to study a new topic or learning a new language or instrument; it helps one to make an effort and ’stay the course’.

White Chestnut: This essence is helpful for calming an overactive mind

Wild Rose: This essence helps the student to overcome apathy and take a renewed enthusiastic approach to school work.

Some other essences that are helpful with learning, concentration and focus:

Peppermint: This flower essence is for mental clarity helping to bring wakeful clarity to a dull, sluggish or lethargic mind.  This essence is also good for an unbalanced metabolism which depletes mental forces and hinders focus. (made by FES)

Rosemary: This essence helps the soul to more fully incarnate.  Rosemary renews the forces of incarnation, helping one to feel secure in their bodies and in the world. Rosemary is useful for forgetfulness and enhancing vitality, it helps to make one more alert and grounded. (made by FES)

Shasta Daisy: This essence is  helpful for what is called holistic thinking or consciousness. It helps one to see information as a whole rather than in bits and pieces. It helps one synthesize ideas with greater clarity and get a grasp on information. (made by FES and Delta Gardens)

In Part 2 I will present a list of possible combinations to address the challenges of ADD/ADHD.

The initial process of making a flower essence involves clean fresh water, usually spring although some people choose to use distilled water.  The choosen water is then placed in a clean clear glass bowl in direct sunlight.  Then fresh pick blossoms from the plant species is placed in the bowl of water in full sunlight for a minimum of  3 hours.  After 3 hours the water is decanted into an amber glass jar with an equal amount of brandy.  The brandy serves to stabilize the vibration of the essence and prevent the growth of bacteria in the now highly charged water.  Now you have a mother essence, from the mother essence stock bottles are prepared.

To make a stock bottle a few drops of mother essence are added to a neutral solution of water and brandy.  Stock bottles are usually prepared in 1 to 1/4 ounce  bottles.  When you buy flower essences in the store or on line you are purchasing flower essences at the stock level.  Stock bottles are sometimes used directly, though if you are using a few essences at a time it is best to combine your stock essences into a dosage bottle.

Dosage bottles are the perfect way to administer and use a variety essences at one time without having to unscrew the cap a few stock bottles a few times a day.  To make a dosage bottle add 2-4 drops of essences from the stock bottles to a neutral solution of water and brandy, usually in 1/2-1 ounce amber glass bottle.  I personally prefer 1/2 bottles as they last 4 weeks when used 3-4 times a day.  The 4 week period is a good cycle when using flower remedies, after 4 weeks it is time to re-evaluate the formula and decide if you still need the essences.  When administering essences always keep the pipette clean, don’t touch it with your fingers, mouth, tongue or teeth.  Preventing contamination keeps the integrity of the essence at its most potent vibration.

One of the goals of Essence Alchemy is provide people with the flower remedies they need to make a dosage bottle.  The retail cost of stock bottles range from $8 to $12 a bottle and if you need 5 essences this can start adding up.  Essence Alchemy is designed in a user friendly way to help you find the flower remedies you need to design your own dosage bottle for a fraction of the cost if you were to purchase each remedy individually.

I have included 6 major brands of flower essences as they cover a wide range of issues and are all well researched remedies.  The brands include the original 38 Bach Flower Remedies, Flower Essence Society (FES), Delta Gardens medicinal herb set and Woodland Essence forrest floor, shrub, tree and at risk plant flower essences.  I also have the complete set of Australian Bush Essences and a partial set of Alaskan flower essences, gem essences and environmental essences.

There are a number of pre-made flower essence combination remedies available on the market.  The most recognized being Edward Bach’s original formula known as Rescue Remedy also referred to as Five Flower Formula*.   This formula was originally designed to be you used acutely in times of shock, stress or trauma.  It works well when used in this manner.

Rescue Remedy consists of the following flowers Cherry Plum, Clematis, Impatiens, Rock Rose and  Star of Bethlehem.  From this original formula one can make variations on the theme to address more specific concerns.  Below are some examples of other possible uses for Rescue Remedy.

Rescue Remedy + Crab Apple:  Useful for upset stomach  and discomfort from food poisoning, it can also be used topically on the skin for rashes/ hives or other inflammation related skin issues.

Rescue Remedy + Olive: This formula is useful for states of exhaustion it is great for general use.

Rescue Remedy + White Chestnut: This formula is useful for an over anxious mind with it being most helpful when the mind is keeping one from sleeping.

Rescue Remedy +Larch and  Mimulus: This formula is useful for stage fright/performance anxiety.

Rescue Remedy + Pomegranate: This formula is excellent for the discomforts associated with PMS and menstrual cramping.  Pomegranate is available from FES.

These are just a few examples of how one can get creative with the basic Five Flower Rescue Remedy Formula.  There are many stressful situations that can be aided by Rescue Remedy and going off this original formula one can tailor a mixture to best suit their needs.

*Note, Rescue Remedy is a trademark of the Nelson Bach company.  In  Dr. Bach’s lifetime he never made any effort to trademark or patent any of his work, he felt it was a gift to be used freely.  Five Flower Formula is the name given to Bach’s emergency formula by Healing Herbs Ltd.

Flower essences are amazing tools to assist with personal development and knowing how to use them can greatly enhance your experience. A simple method for getting the most out of flower essences in a therapeutic way when choosing self treatment is to focus on one area at a time.  Since most people turn to essences in a time of crisis, it is suggested to start with strengthening essences.

The key here is to use them for grounded perspective so you can easily work with the situation at hand.  Some strengthening essences are borage, mimulus, larch, mountain pride, california fuschi, yarrow, st. john’s wort, walnut, pine, sunflower and red cedar.

It is also recommended to add some catalysing essence to help move energy.  Some catalysts include horseradish, cayenne, habanero and goldenseal.  These essences can help move stuck energy and ‘psychic debris’ from the mind and emotions.  This benefits the whole strengthening process and it is easier to catalyse movement when feeling strong.

Another nice group of essences to include in the initial strengthening process are softening/soothing essences.  The benefits of strength and softness are like a balm to the soul and healing process.  Some essences that are useful with soothing and uplifting the spirit include star jasmine, white chestnut, impatiens, marshmallow, cherry plum, angelica and elderberry.

Self treatment is a great introduction to flower essences as it gets you familiar with the flower essence healing process.  I suggest starting with a few essences at first use them consistently until the bottle is done. For a more in depth experience choosing a personal consultation with someone familiar with flower essences.

There are many types of fears and apprehensions folks suffer from and Dr. Bach felt negative emotions impair a persons ability to achieve well being. Because life is dynamic the negative emotion of  fear falls into many categories. There are a few Bach remedies that treat specific fears; remedies such as Aspen and Mimulus.  And there are ways which other Bach remedies can treat a variety of fears.  Below is a list of 15 remedies and how they can help you surmount your fears.

Bach Remedies for Treating Fears:

Agrimony: treats fear of being seen emotionally- promotes emotional honesty with ones self

Aspen: treats vague fears, fear of the unknown, apprehension-  encourages trust and faith in the unknown.

Cerato: treats fear of making the wrong decision- promotes trust in self

Cherry Plum: treats fear of losing control- promotes calm

Chicory: treats fear of loss of love- encourages freedom and letting go

Crab Apple: treats fear of germs, impurities and sin- a cleansing essence bringing a sense of purity

Heather:treats fear of making a fool of oneself, for those with low self esteem- promotes a sense of individual wholeness tempering vanity

Holly: treats fears that others will receive more love and attention- encourages an open heart and loving inclusiveness

Larch: treats fear of failure, fear of judgment from others- encourages confidence in ones ability

Mimulus: treats fear of known things, heights, public speaking, pain, good for shy persons- promotes courage and bravery

Pine: treats fear of punishment that arise from feelings of guilt- promotes wholesome thoughts freeing us from feeling of guilt

Red Chestnut: this is for fears and worry regarding the welfare of  others- promotes trust in the welfare of others  

Rock Rose: treats terror, extreme fears of self or death, for intense fears- promotes deep strength and courage during emergency.

Star of Bethlehem: treats fears relating to unresolved trauma or injury- promotes peace and healing of recent or old trauma

Water Violet: treats fear of close contact-encourages feelings of friendliness, openness helping us feel more comfortable connecting with others

Essence Alchemy has made it easy for you to design a personal remedy dosage bottle, we call it “Your Personal Bottle”.  A dosage bottle which combines up to 6 different remedies into a single formula.  This is the way essences were designed to be administered.

The other day I awoke feeling under the weather, I usually do not get sick so this feeling was a surprise.  My first thought was what essences can I now use to get my immune system back on track?  I gravitated towards the Perelandra Garden flower essences, knowing some in this kit directly address the immune system.  There are four in particular, two for immune support and two for lifting the spirits during illness.

1. Celery- This essence is indicated for an immune system that is severely challenged due to stress and overwork, it is helpful when addressing a long standing illness with viral or bacterial origin.
2. Cucumber- This essence helps to lift the spirits and gain a vital re-attachment to life, I have found this useful to overcome the hazy and spacey feelings that come on when feeling sick.
3. Tomato- This is a potent essence that works with the first chakra speeding up its velocity helping it to shatter and throw  off illness.  It has a stabilizing and cleansing effect, which was immediately noticeable, soon after taking it I felt lifted and stronger.
4. Zucchini- This essence helps to restore strength to the body when in convalescence, I found it to be helpful with restoring my physical energy helping me to overcome that weak feeling of being sick.

When I tested for these essences (using a pendulum) only cucumber, tomato and zucchini tested positive leading me to believe this was something recent and not a long standing illness my body was dealing with. I used these essences along with some echinacea tea and medicinal mushrooms and within 3 days I was feeling much better;  well enough to want to venture outside and interact with the society.

I drank many cups of Traditional Medicinals Echinacea Tea along with taking many capsules of New Chapter’s Host Defense Medicinal Mushroom formula, which I purchased from iherb.com.  I highly recommend these products, they are well researched and worth the investment.

All the best and know you can speed up your healing with the power of nature.

PS- See the link on the ‘blogroll’ for the iherb coupon code which will save you $5.00 off your order.

Recently FES has introduced a line of 12 combination remedies in spray bottles.  These combination essences address a broad spectrum of conditions and are beneficial for temporary use.  We will now look at the Active 8 combination.

The Active 8 combo contains the following flower essences:

Blazing Star- This a new essence to released by FES as part of The Range of Light collection. This essence carries a fiery quality into the will helping to boost overly listless ‘watered down’ will forces. This essence helps us connect with  fiery solar masculine emotional energy.

Blackberry-The tenacity of this plant lends this quality to its flower essence,  empowering the will to overcome lethargy and inertia.  Blackberry flower essence is also used in the assistance of translating goals and ideas into to concrete action

Cayenne-The fiery essence of this hot pepper plant lends its self to overcoming sluggish phlegmatic attitudes and states of being.  Cayenne imparts fire to the personality helping us break through and move forward past resistance.

Dandelion- This bright yellow ubiquitous springtime flower adds the qualities of relaxation and ease in the pursuit of goals.  It is indicate for the overstriving tense personality, helping one take a more relaxed approach to the work at hand.

Madia- The addition of this flower essence aids in the quality of focus, helping one to contract in a clear and direct manner.  Madia helps center scattered energy and is helpful for dull and listless states of mind.

Red Penstemon- The addition of this essence assists with the qualities of tenacity, completing projects and tasks it boosts determination to overcome challenges and obstacles.

Red Larkspur- The addition of this essence brings a quality of radiance to the personality helping with catalyzing a magnetic quality which aids in leadership and inspires others,

Sunflower- A member of the daisy family, Sunflowers are known to turn their heads and follow the sun as it crosses the sky.  This sun seeking signature , translates to us following our own sunny nature, turning towards the positive life empowering feelings necessary when aiming to create and work on new projects.  Sunflower is used to help get us in touch with our positive masculine solar forces of manifestation.
Active 8 also contains the essential oils of cinnamon and cardamon.

Cinnamon Essential Oil- Has a potent and powerful warm, sweet, spicy aroma used in small amounts it is great for enhancing physical energy. This oil increases bioelectrical forces in the body.

Cardamon Essential Oil- Has a rich spicy scent with notes of citrus, camphor, it also has a slightly floral, woody tone.  Cardamon is stimulating to the conscious mind.

An interesting note about this combo is all the flowers are either red or yellow and a few are from the Asteraceae family, Sunflower, Dandelion and Madia.  Three of the essences in this combo are from the new Range of Light kit, Blazing Star, Red Penstemon and Red Larkspur.

This dynamic collection of flower essences is great to use at the outset of a project or goal or anywhere along the process of task complete and goal achievement.  I find this combo to be useful when feeling dull at work and need a boost to my overall physical, emotional and mental energies.