Remedy Basics I:
VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS - AN OVERVIEW
Transformation With 4 Drops 4 Times a Day…
Dear Ones,
Sometimes we all need a little help shifting a phase or pattern we feel stuck in, resourcing and regenerating, returning to center. I know I do and lately I’ve been feeling this coming up for me. There are many tools available to support these intentions and flower remedies (A.K.A. vibrational preparations, flower essences, vibrational essences…) are some of my personal favorites. Today I’ll be offering a brief introduction to vibrational preparations and how you can use them to effect gentle yet powerful change for yourself and your loved ones.
WHAT ARE VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS* & HOW DO THEY WORK?
The short answer is that, in this case, vibrational preparations are liquid preparations that hold the vibrational imprint or energetic signature of a natural element or phenomena and can be made from:
Plants (wild rose, sweet grass, reindeer moss, paper birch, etc.)
Animals (dolphins at play, sea turtles, whales, etc.)
Gems (aquamarine, smoky quartz, celestite, fire opal, etc.)
Locations (ancient stone circle, hot springs, glaciers, bog, etc.)
Natural Phenomena (volcanic eruptions, typhoons, baby laughter, full moons, starlight, etc.)
These vibrational imprints work to bring change within the human energy field. Think of a string plucked on a guitar and how the strings in proximity resonate with it. Unlike essential oils or herbal preparations such as tinctures (two things I use at home), the final product contains no plant or animal parts. They are considered extremely safe, gentle, and in my personal experience, highly effective.
*I use Vibrational Preparations as a blanket term and interchangeably with flower remedies/essences, gem elixirs, vibrational, plant, animal, celestial, & environmental essences, etc. as there are 600+ individual preparations in the apothecary I maintain and work with. Dr. Edward Bach coined the term “flower remedy” in reference to his system of 38 remedies and it remains the most recognized term and widely available set of vibrational preparations in the Western world.
WHAT CAN VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS HELP?
Mind: intrusive and repetitive thoughts, impatience, apathy, escapism, indecision, etc.
Emotions: fear, overwhelm, gloom, foreboding, loneliness, etc.
Spirit: dark night of the soul, extreme anguish, desolation, trauma, disconnection from intuition, etc.
ARE THERE PHYSICAL EFFECTS?
Vibrational preparations are not typically considered a tool for physical healing. As an energy practitioner I know that issues in the energy field can show up in the physical body and therefore, healing that occurs in the energy field can manifest as healing in the body. That said, most reputable practitioners will not use vibrational preparations to directly address a physical ailment, instead approaching healing from the mental, emotional, and spiritual realms, allowing transformation there to organically manifest in the body on its own.
HOW DO I USE VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS?
Here I’ll be emphasizing the standard Bach method of use, because Bach remedies are the most widely recognized and available. However, they are by no means the only wonderful essences, nor are their method of use and preparation the only effective options.
The standard Bach method is…
4 drops 4 times a day for 4 weeks. It’s super simple!Under the tongue or in a glass of water (best at transitional times like waking, lunch, after work, bed).
Add a full day’s dose to a bottle of water and sip it throughout the day.
Applied to the skin.
Diffused in the environment (spray or cold diffuser).
Options for Alcohol sensitive individuals
Add to hot water and/or allow the glass to sit, facilitating evaporation
Use glycerine based preparations (available through some producers and practitioners)
Note that a dose of a standard, alcohol-preserved preparation contains similar amounts of alcohol as many common foods such as very ripe bananas, orange juice, and some cheeses.
I find that the most effective way is to use them internally, but I’ve personally used Rescue Remedy on the back of my small infant’s neck to almost immediately calm a sudden, intense, and scary bout of crying due to an unknown cause, as well as applied it “over the heart” of children (who can, by the way, take Rescue Remedy and other vibrational preparations internally. I give them a choice) to ease them during times of great upset. I’ve also spilled flower remedies on myself or in my environment and then noted a shift in my mood or mindset related to the specifics of those remedies. I advise clients to make taking or using their preparation a routine bundled with other routine activities spaced throughout the day. Often transitional times are best (morning, lunch, afternoon, night). Unlike homeopathic remedies, you can take vibrational preparations at any time (with meals, etc.) and there are no restrictions on the intake of other foods or beverages in conjunction with them.You may notice immediate effects or you may need a full twelve week treatment course to become aware of any changes. Convention is to complete, at minimum, one 30ml dosage bottle before considering changing your preparation or formula (with the exception of the crisis formula, Rescue Remedy), allowing it to do its deep and full work. We are all, however, individuals and if you find yourself forgetting your preparation after establishing your routine it might be time to consider a change to your formula or preparation. Trust your instincts and intuition.
HOW TO CHOOSE THE RIGHT VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS?
Before you start, here are some helpful things to know:
You can’t hurt yourself using vibrational preparations, so there is no harm in choosing the “wrong” preparation. Worst case scenario is that nothing happens because the vibration of the preparation was not attuned to your specific need.
Sometimes the “wrong” preparation turns out to be what you needed all along, and helps you make a shift that is necessary before you can make your intended shift, like layers of an onion. Your intuition might be speaking to you without you realizing it.
You have a number of options in how you make your selection.
Ways to choose:
Intuitively
Hand scan
Pendulum
Muscle testing
The “lean” test, etc.
If you’re willing to take a leap into the unknown and try something a little different you can select your remedy using your intuition. Yup. That’s right. When I was first learning to do this I loved the method of closing my eyes and running my hand slowly above the bottles. When I noticed a shift in sensation I would hover and tune in to what else I noticed. Then I’d drop my hand and either consult my pendulum or pull the bottle before continuing across the rest of the options. I’d set aside any bottles that “spoke” to me, line them up and repeat the exercise, pulling the “loudest” option(s). I could end up with as many as 7 or as few as 1 for my personal formulation. If you’d like to try using your intuition you can use our hand, a pendulum (I often use a pendulum when selecting for myself and others), muscle testing, the “lean” test, hold each and “feel” for what is right, or any other intuitive method you prefer. While I often use my intuitive sense to select remedies I also use my training, personal knowledge, and other resources, depending upon the situation.
Conventionally
Books
Charts
Pamphlets
Online guides
There are many publications available. Books, charts, or online guides abound and you can use these to help you in selecting your preparations. The majority of the published literature is dedicated to the Bach remedies because they are the most widely known and easy to access. Bach Flower Remedy displays in stores often have little free pamphlets available, which contain very basic information about each vibrational preparation and its properties. All of the producers I source my preparations from offer guides of some sort and I use them to cross reference and learn more about this wonderful resource.
Formal
Practitioner
Classes
Workshops
Study groups
Practitioners can help you identify which preparations to start with and prepare customized formulations. If you want to dive in deeper for your personal understanding classes, workshops, and formal or informal study groups are wonderful ways to further familiarize yourself with preparations and expand the scope of your knowledge alongside like-minded explorers.
WHERE DO I GET VIBRATIONAL PREPARATIONS?
Health food stores
Online
Home-made
Practitioners
Vibrational preparations can be found in many health food stores and the most widely recognized brand where I live is Nelson’s Bach Original Flower Remedies®, a high quality and well trusted option, a complete system in itself, and a great place to start. You may already be familiar with the Bach five-flower crisis formula known as Rescue Remedy®, one of the Bach system’s most popular preparations in their line of 39. You may live somewhere where you have easy access to other brands and local producers who make either the same remedies that Bach developed or essences from other sources. You can also make your own flower remedies if you are so inclined and they are not particularly complicated to create. The absolutely critical thing is that the producer has access to healthy, clean, organic sources of the raw materials and a low pollution outdoor environment in which to make them. Many practitioners, energy sensitives, and remedy producers will add that the plant, gem, environmental phenomena, etc. must extend the invitation to obtain an essence from them, in order to create the most potent product. I do not make my own preparations because I do not have easy access to the high level of environmental and ingredient purity that I believe necessary. Instead, I stock only high quality organic, sustainably wildcrafted, and Demeter Certified Biodynamic® essences, elixirs, and remedies in my apothecary of 600+ vibrational preparations, created by trusted producers around the world.
I hope this piques your curiosity about vibrational preparations if you were previously unfamiliar with them, and sparks a deeper interest in those who have used them in the past or currently. I will continue on this theme in future by highlighting some common issues and remedies to support you, and more detailed information on some of the points I’ve touched on here.
Now that I’m finished here I’m going to take my morning dose of the personal formula I made up yesterday and let it work its magic. Enjoy your playtime with vibrational preparations!