Homeopathy vs. Flower Essences

Jul 7

I was introduced to homeopathy in 2001 not long after I started working as an administrative assistant at the Program in Integrative Medicine at The University of Arizona. My supervisor, the Director of Research, at the time, was also a Ph.D. in neuroscience and a classical homeopath. I knew homeopathy was a critical part of her research agenda, but my experience of homeopathy was more direct.

When Zoe, my golden retriever, was about a year old, she was having episodes of urinary incontinence while she was asleep. I would come home from work or wake up in the night and her bladder would have released and she’d be in a puddle of urine.

I mentioned this to a colleague at work and she suggested I try putting some Pulsatilla 30c in her water. Pulsatilla is a keynote remedy for issues related to female reproduction and hormonal balance, including incontinence.

After about a week of taking the remedy, the incontinence stopped. It was just gone. I was stunned, but now a believer. She had one more episode about 6 months later; I re-dosed her and it never came back.

This began my explorations in energy or vibrational healing.

Homeopathy

Homeopathy is a medical system based on the belief that the body can cure itself. Those who practice it use tiny amounts of natural substances, like plants and minerals. They believe these stimulate the healing process.

It was developed in the late 1700s in Germany by Samuel Hahnemann. It’s common in many European countries, but it’s not quite as popular in the United States.

How Does It Work?

A basic belief behind homeopathy is “like cures like.” In other words, something that brings on symptoms in a healthy person can -- in a very small dose -- treat an illness with similar symptoms. This is meant to trigger the body’s natural defenses. For example, red onion makes your eyes water, so Allium Cepa, the homeopathic remedy for red onion, is commonly used to reduce watery eyes, like we experience with seasonal allergies.

Homeopathic doctors (homeopaths) add the ingredients to adding water or alcohol, then they shake the mixture as part of a process called “potentization.” They believe this step transfers the healing essence of the substance, sometimes called the vibrational frequency, into the fluid which can then be used to heal symptoms.

Homeopaths also believe that the lower the dose, the more powerful the medicine. In fact, many of these remedies no longer contain any molecules of the original substance. They come in a variety of forms, like sugar pellets, liquid drops, creams, gels, and tablets.

During an appointment, a classical homeopath will ask a number of questions about your mental, emotional, and physical health. They’ll prescribe the remedy that best matches all of your symptoms. Then they’ll tailor the treatment for you.

You can also buy over-the-counter homeopathic remedies at drugstores and health food stores that address immediate and acute issues. For example, using arnica montana for sore muscles and muscular injuries has become quite common in the US. The dosage and quality of these products depend on the manufacturer.

* This segment edited from a WebMD page on homeopathy.

Flower Essences

Like homeopathy, flower essences are a form of energy or vibrational medicine that work with the body’s electrical system. Each flower essence holds the essential nature of the flower; all of its strengths and the lessons it has learned. Our body uses this information vibrationally to activate deep healing. Flower essences will not interfere with any allopathic, herbal or prescription medicine you are taking because they work with the body's electrical and nervous system to help us come into a natural balance, addressing any imbalances with care.

Flower essence therapy, a form of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) based on these ideas, uses flower essences, which are liquids infused with a flower’s energy to initiate mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual wellness.

Modern flower essences were created by Edward Bach, a British physician, in the 1930s. Today, people use flower essences for the same purpose. They are made by local healers (like the essences I prefer made by Molly at Green Hope Farm) and nationally (like Bach or FES) and can be purchased directly from the maker, in natural food stores, and online.

How are flower essences made?

Similar to homeopathy, flower essences are submerged in natural spring water and placed in the sun and/or overnight during a full moon. The sun and moon exposure helps extract the energy of flowers into the water. The water is then filtered and preserved with brandy. The finished essence contains no part of the flower.

Unlike homeopathy, flower essences are not “potentized” or shaken to increase the potency.

Essences can be made with nonflowering plants and crystals using the same method. They can also be made with vinegar instead of alcohol.

Thanks for reading!