In early 2005  I made a flower essence of the ‘Blueberry’ Cactus.  It’s name this due the small sweet fruits it produces which resemble blueberries.   I choose a stately 80+ year old specimen which started to flower in early March. It produces clusters of small white flowers with a soft fragrance.  The flowers open in the day and close at night.   The remedy was prepared via the Bach sun method, the flowers infused in the water in full sun for 3 hours under the warm Southern California sun.

Initial provings indicated  that it slowed the velocity of the mind, not so much inducing sleep but slowing the swirling of the mental process to the point where sleep or relaxation would occur easily.   Early in the research I noticed Blueberry cactus to be useful for the ‘Type A’ personality.  Type A of behavior is  so praised in our society that we forget the value of slowing down.  The many Type A people who received Blueberry cactus essence all reported an immediate sense of relaxation and well being.

There were also people I would not classify as Type A who also received lasting benefits from this remedy.  This other ‘type’ are those of a more sensitive nature but have choose to live in a big city.  This group  understands the value of relaxation in its relationship to health. But by osmosis they absorb the tension of city life and suffer from sleep difficulties.  For them the a cycle of disturbed sleep or inability to fall asleep soon after lying down grew into a problem.  People in this group all reported improved sleep patterns including being able to fall asleep easier, staying asleep and waking up feeling more refreshed. Blueberry cactus’s  impact on the sleep has been seen with both acute and long term use, with most clients reporting an immediate benefit.

The common thread with this essence is that it enhances our ability to slow down mentally, making physical relaxation easier.  What then happens is people are able to feel more joy and positive feelings, whih creates a new cycle for the personality.

I look forward to sharing this essence with more people as time goes on. This essence is a lovely reminder of the benefits of relaxation and taking a slower more mindful approach to life.

Discontent is an insidious feeling, subtle and overt at times; it can be mild or wildly disruptive to our lives.  Especially when our discontent is connected to the mundane: the routine of job and/or responsibility.  Over time it becomes a sort of baseline feeling that runs through our day.  The fact that it is not so overt but part of daily routine is its worst eroding quality.

The erosion happens in a way that is almost unrecognizable because it is so common.  We loss interest, the world is not as bright; we are cut off from a feeling and we forgot when and where that happened. A schism has occurred and we participate in it actually give it fodder by continuing the patterns that led to the feeling of discontent.  But a sense of responsibility keeps us plodding on and resolution seems out of reach.  This kind of feeling eventually will wear on our health, relationships and piece of mind.

Recently I have come across a flower essence to help with this all too common feeling; Bouncing Bet.  It works with alleviating the feeling of discontent that comes along with the “inevitable” aspects of our life; such as going to work in the morning.  It has a soothing quality on the mind which helps one find the kernels of brightness and find more contentment in life and routine.

This essence works mainly on the mental body; by helping us to release feelings of discontent.  Also our uplifted and content mind will have an equal effect on our emotions.  A calmer more content mind will ultimately lead to a more enriching emotional life.  Releasing these feelings of discontent opens space up within us that allows for more healthy energy to flow in our system.  This benefits us in many ways, as this renewal gives us the strength to create more opportunities in our lives.  Opportunities to change and create more of the life we want.

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.

I see the flower essence of Rabbitbrush as being a sort of godsend for our modern age.  Rabbitbrush helps us to keep our focus on the task at hand while being able stay aware of the details going on in the periphery. This is useful because influence of technology and media on life today can often act as a distraction with the ability to take our focus and vision in many different directions within seconds.  Part of being a functional human being requires that we focus on a goal and follow it through to completion, which demands that we focus our attention in a chosen direction.

Society today almost demands that we have our focus on more than one thing at time, which can be disorienting and stressful.  As the pace of society and life seems to get faster and faster these demands show no signs of slowing down.  Yet thankfully we have a useful tool, Rabbitbrush flower essence, to help us keep our center and focus as we navigate the maze of the demands of our daily life.

Vision and focus are two words that immediately come to mind when I think of this remedy, because it is such a valuable aid to bringing cohesion  to where the power of sight and mind intersect.  It aids in the ability of the mind to ’stick together’ so that we are less influenced and pulled off course by all that is going on around us.  And it helps to bring a togetherness to different useful pieces that lie at the edge of what we are focused on.   Use this essence for maintaining focus and attention when working on a project with many details that all require your attention.  This essence supports a ‘flexibility of the mind and helps one to gain a wide focus over the big picture so that we are aware of the many details of the issue, task or project.

Rabbitbrush flower essence is also helpful for times when we feel overwhelmed by all the details we need to address whether it be in a personal or professional setting.   This essence helps one to hold the details in perspective so that one may proceed forward with more clarity thus helping to dispel confusion and feelings of being overwhelmed.  This essence is useful for in a wide range of situations and can be used in acute situations or on a ongoing basis.   Many blessings to you in finding the remedies to best suit your needs.

Blueberry cactus (Myrtillocactus geometrizans) flower essence, this is one of my favorite essences that I have co-created. I prepared this remedy in March of 2006 shortly before leaving San Diego, I feel like it is a treasure I got to take with me. The cactus I prepared the essence from is about 80+ years old, it has a towering yet gentle presence. The cactus gets its name from the small fruits that resemble and taste similar to blueberries.

The flowers are a soft white with a sweet fragrance, they open to the sun and close at night, protecting the delicateness within. The day I set out to make this essence I intended to only make one essence that of echinopsis, which I also prepared. But I could hear this plant calling to me so I obliged and I am ever so happy I did.

This essence carries such a wonderful relaxing and joyful energy to the user. My initial provings were such a joy to watch. Literally I could see the shift in people immediately. The first time I shared this essence with a friend was on a curb outside of the Farmer’s Market in Hollywood. I handed her the bottle and told her to take 3 drops. I just sat there and watched as she gazed into the distance commenting how she never noticed how lovely everything looked. I said to her “who do you think could benefit from this essence?” Then a friend of hers ran up to us, clearly in hurry, we asked him to sit with us but he had to run . . .

Two other provings revealed this essence’s ability to bring relaxation to the body. The first involves a female friend. A very well put together woman who maintains perfect posture and is seemingly relaxed. I went to her house with a bunch of essences and tested her for which ones she might need, Blueberry cactus came up. We were sitting and talking she took 3 drops and within minutes she was literally draped over the chair in a relaxing reclined position.

The third proving involved a male friend who always struck me as rather laid back, looking back I think this was a front. I was at his house, were he could always be found moving around from one room to the next laptop in hand, checking emails, sending emails, generally keeping busy. I gave him 3 drops and he immediately sunk into the couch and fell asleep shortly afterwards.

What I have found over the years with this essence is that it relaxes the mental body, this in turn brings relaxation to the physical body. It has proven useful for folks dealing with isomnia and disrupted sleeping patterns as well as general stress related to living in a type A society.

This essence brings lightness, joy and more uprightness to the body, enhanceing the vertical flow of energy in the body. It helps us slow down and take a more compassionate approach, helping us feel a joyful sense of presence. Gentle knowing and trusting develops, the ability to handle stress increase thus leading to greater sense of vitality and energy.