Blossoming in to the Feminine: Using Flower Essences to Heal our Cycles
Pain can happen in an instant. We tend to think of physical, emotional, or energetic scarring as a result of significant trauma, but sometimes the wounding is much more subtle. In the more than a decade I have spent supporting women in my practice, I have witnessed, over and over, the effects of past energetic wounds on our feminine health. I am not speaking only of blatant sexual or physical abuse. I am speaking of moments when boundaries were crossed, betrayals occurred, times when self-worth was questioned, or when perfection was made to be proof of strength. Take a moment and consider: Have you felt any of these before? It is my belief that every woman has been impacted by these moments along the way, in some form. A tool we can use are various flower essences to heal these wounds. Let’s explore this more.
Most of the time, when these injuries take place, we don’t have the proper tools to process, release, and move on. Often, it is too painful in the moment to confront and feel, and so we push these experiences way down—into the dark and deep crevices of our womanhood.
The Pain of the Feminine Wounds
More than 40 million women are suffering from symptoms including menstrual cramps, irritability, chronic yeast infections, painful sex, mood swings, low libido, fertility challenges, fibroids, weight gain, heavy bleeding, or endometriosis. More and more women are “dealing with” their cycles rather than tuning into what their bodies are trying to tell them. The truth is that our menstrual health challenges provide messages and insight from our bodies. In fact, I believe that the work of healing our menstrual cycles is a deep inquiry into whom we are as women. Coming into partnership with our inner rhythm is a powerful part of the reclamation process on the path to healing our emotional, spiritual, and physical health.
The trauma doesn’t necessarily cause the physical problems. The trauma imprints into our tissues and psyche, creating limiting beliefs and a filter through which we live life. Because these traumas most often impact our self-worth, sexuality, and boundaries, they lodge in our second chakra. Left untreated and unprocessed, they can eventually manifest as feminine health issues.
Our menstrual cycles and hormonal health are our bodies’ expression of the Feminine. For women, this storehouse of our guidance also lives in our second chakra, which houses our reproductive organs. It is the home of our desires, self-worth, sexuality, creativity, passions, and pleasure. When out of balance, we can feel anxiety, shame, guilt, abandonment, indecision, or being stuck, taken advantage of, or invisible.
If we persist in thinking that disease and symptoms such as PMS, fibroids, or endometriosis are simply medical issues and not related to the rest of our lives, we are perpetuating the notion that our bodies are void of wisdom.
In my practice, I use gem and flower essences to heal and facilitate the ability of the body to deeply release. When we clear out the energetic cobwebs of our past, our reproductive and hormonal issues can come into balance. Once the trauma has left the tissues and cellular memory, I use customized herbal formulations to heal and rebalance, which can then work more effectively.
What are Flower Essences?
Flower and gem essences are different from essential oils. They have no scent and are taken internally. They work on an emotional or vibrational level which means that when ingested, they unlock the stories of our past to create present day healing. Similar to homeopathic medicine, flower essences become more potent the more diluted.
There are hundreds of flower essences that are effective in releasing deep feminine wounding. Here are some of my favorites.
Top five Flower Essences for Healing Feminine Trauma
Missouri Primrose
One of my all-time favorites for strengthening worthiness and self-esteem. This flower helps those who cannot recognize or utilize their own power or those who avoid taking in their value. The modern woman’s epidemic is self-doubt, self-hatred, and self-judgment, so this essence is a must-have.
Blackberry Lily
This essence is for healing deep fears around sexuality and releasing repressed sexual trauma. It can help when there are unconscious or unresolved problems in the past concerning close relationships. Its action works to pull and release sexual trauma from the second chakra.
Mariposa Lily
A powerful essence for healing deep betrayals and hurts associated with our mothers or the way in which we were mothered. It can facilitate the feelings of anger, sadness, or abandonment that need to be experienced and released.
Motherwort
This is a powerful essence for creating healthy and appropriate boundaries, while feeling safe. Most women over-give, avoid their intuition, and then feel depleted. Being able to say “no” is actually the foundation to saying “yes” to yourself.
Marshmallow
This essence facilitates the relearning of the strength and value of softness. This can be helpful if a woman has toughened or hardened as way of protecting herself from harm. Marshmallow helps release anger or rigidity and opens the heart.
Joanne Ameya Cohen is an herbalist, flower essence therapist, inspirational speaker, feminine empowerment mentor, and author of the upcoming book The Healthy Feminine Leader: Alleviate Stress, Balance Your Hormones, and Tap Into Your Power. Joanne is devoted to supporting women heal their hearts as the foundation to heal their bodies.