Transcripts
And as you step deeper into whatever
season of your life that you're in,
Speaker:may you remember that you are a flower
essence for this world and you are
Speaker:creating ripples of change everywhere
you are, everywhere you grow,
Speaker:and every time you say
yes to your own becoming.
Speaker:Hello and welcome back to
Remember Why You Are Here,
Speaker:a podcast for seekers and
sensitives where you can relax,
Speaker:receive,
Speaker:reconnect to yourself and remember
the most important thing of all -
Speaker:why you're here. Lately,
Speaker:I've just been in love with
all of the spring flowers
Speaker:where I live.
Speaker:We are in a north facing cove
here in the mountains of Western
Speaker:North Carolina,
Speaker:and so we have this whole
parade of spring ephemerals that
Speaker:happens here starting probably
in late February and then going
Speaker:through till the end of May,
depending on when the canopy closes.
Speaker:And so I've just been in this love
affair recently with the flowers,
Speaker:spending as much time as I can
outside with them and really
Speaker:receiving their medicine.
Humans have been obsessed
Speaker:with flowers forever.
Speaker:There is archeological evidence
as far back as our neanderthal
Speaker:kin of human species burying their
Speaker:dead with flowers,
Speaker:of flowers being this symbol of
Speaker:life, of possibility, of openings.
Speaker:There's such a joy that comes
with the spring flowers every
Speaker:year.
Speaker:It really feels like this
promise of life beginning
Speaker:again, and not just the life of
the earth, but our own lives.
Speaker:This sense of no matter what
pattern of stuckness you've
Speaker:been in, that there is
new possibility coming.
Speaker:There's new blooms on the way,
Speaker:and flowers are really just
so good at showing us that.
Speaker:I've been a flower essence
maker now for 15 years,
Speaker:and it was a huge part of how
I began my whole journey into
Speaker:herbalism. It really started for me
with discovering flower essences,
Speaker:and has remained a cornerstone
in my practice all these years,
Speaker:throughout all the years
that I had my apothecary,
Speaker:I had a flower essence line,
Speaker:made and sold flower
essences around the world.
Speaker:And in my experiences with
working with flower essences,
Speaker:of which there's been so many,
Speaker:so incredible experiences
sitting with flowers,
Speaker:there's been this one message that
has come through a lot for me and
Speaker:has been so profoundly helpful in my life.
Speaker:I then started sharing this
messages when I was teaching,
Speaker:especially when I was teaching retreats
and working with people in person,
Speaker:and I found that this message was
just so helpful for everyone else
Speaker:who heard it too.
Speaker:So for this podcast today, I want
to share that message with you,
Speaker:this message that can really help you
reframe your understanding of yourself and
Speaker:the role that you're here
to play in this world.
Speaker:So keep listening for the audio
version of this beloved video called
Speaker:"You Are Flower Essence for this World."
Speaker:One of my all time favorite
medicines are flower essences.
Speaker:Flower essences are the energetic
imprint of a flower in bloom,
Speaker:captured in water and diluted down
so that it works on our subtle,
Speaker:emotional and spiritual bodies.
Speaker:I've seen incredible shifts happen for
myself and my clients through working
Speaker:with flower essences. At
this point in my life,
Speaker:flower essences are my favorite medicines
to be working with on a daily basis
Speaker:because I've seen firsthand just how
much transformation they can bring.
Speaker:Some people might wonder,
Speaker:how do flower essences make such
a big change if they're so dilute,
Speaker:if they're so small?
But my answer would be,
Speaker:part of how that change is made
is being so small and yet so
Speaker:impactful.
Speaker:Over the past 10 years
teaching the practice of flower
essences to people around
Speaker:the world, I've come to realize
something pretty special,
Speaker:and this message is to let
you know that you are a flower
Speaker:essence for this world.
So at its most basic,
Speaker:we work with flowers in our
essence-making practice because
Speaker:flowers capture the
possibility of blooming.
Speaker:When a flowering plant blooms,
Speaker:it has really fulfilled its life
blueprint, its highest creative potential.
Speaker:It is the penultimate expression
of that plant's heart and soul.
Speaker:So when we work with
flower essences ourselves,
Speaker:we are inviting that expression
inside of ourselves to take root,
Speaker:grow,
Speaker:and flower. We're all here because
we have gifts to bring to this world
Speaker:and flower essences, through
their subtle medicines,
Speaker:help us to see those gifts,
Speaker:help us to dissolve those blocks and
really bloom forth with our gifts
Speaker:without fear and with joy.
When you make a flower essence,
Speaker:you are literally just taking one
drop of water that this flower has sat
Speaker:in and you can create from
that one drop of water,
Speaker:many different bottles of medicine.
Speaker:It's amazing what one drop
can do to change the world.
Speaker:One of the things that I've seen over
and over again in working with different
Speaker:people from around the world,
Speaker:is it can feel so good to come
together and be in community and be
Speaker:supporting each other on these paths of
finding our medicine and connecting to
Speaker:the living world.
Speaker:And then it can feel hard to go back
to the communities that we live in,
Speaker:to go back to our work lives or to go
back to families that don't totally
Speaker:understand what it is, what we're doing,
Speaker:or why it matters to us.
So many times I've had my students say to
Speaker:me, I love being in this community
and I love this information,
Speaker:but when I go back into
my community at home,
Speaker:I feel like I'm too small to make a
difference, and it just feels too hard.
Speaker:And to them and to you, I say this:
Speaker:you are a flower essence for this
world. Wherever you live right now,
Speaker:whether it's an environment where there's
a lot of people who are on board with
Speaker:something like flower essences or you
live in a community where someone would
Speaker:look at you like you're nuts
if you even brought it up,
Speaker:know that your presence in that
community is the thing that is shifting
Speaker:everything on a very subtle level.
When we make flower essences,
Speaker:we're literally just floating
that bloom in pure water.
Speaker:Just that flower being in water
changes the chemical structure of the
Speaker:water. You, who you are,
your unique medicine,
Speaker:the things you're passionate about, the
things you hold close to your heart,
Speaker:although it may not be understood
always by the people around you,
Speaker:know that that heart energy
is literally changing the
Speaker:environment that you're
moving through. In fact,
Speaker:I think the earth is asking a lot of
us to go into environments that feel
Speaker:harder or that feel harsher because
the earth is asking us to bring
Speaker:medicine to those places. Even though
it might not feel that way sometimes,
Speaker:you are medicine for your community.
Speaker:You are like a flower essence
dropped into the well,
Speaker:and whether or not the people
that you're around realize it,
Speaker:you are helping them to open up to
what's inside of them that they have
Speaker:kept under lock and key.
Just like a flower essence,
Speaker:your presence is what is helping
them to dissolve the blocks that
Speaker:have stood in the way of their
happiness, their blooming,
Speaker:and the fulfillment of their life
blueprint. The amazing thing is you don't
Speaker:have to explain anything.
Speaker:You don't have to get people on board
with what you're passionate about.
Speaker:All you have to do is act
like a flower essence,
Speaker:be yourself.
Speaker:Think about how one flower can grow
up in the midst of a city park,
Speaker:and it can change its environment
just by being itself and be
Speaker:willing to bloom. So you in your
community, wherever you are in the world,
Speaker:have the ability to shift your
environment and shift the hearts of those
Speaker:who are in your sphere just by
being brave enough to bloom,
Speaker:by being brave enough to be who you
are and care about what you care about,
Speaker:being honest about what moves you.
And when someone asks you to share,
Speaker:being willing to share that too. When I
take my flower essences in the morning,
Speaker:sometimes I just put one drop in a glass
of water that I'll drink for the rest
Speaker:of the day.
Speaker:So no matter where you are in life or
how much you feel like you've done or
Speaker:haven't done yet, know that that one
drop of who you are, that essence,
Speaker:is literally changing the
fabric of reality around you,
Speaker:and you don't need to do
anything except be yourself.
Speaker:Wow, that message never fails to
help me no matter where I am in my
Speaker:life. That reframe,
Speaker:that understanding from the
earth and from the flowers,
Speaker:has helped me so immensely over
the years to remember who I am,
Speaker:to remember that what I'm doing
is valuable, is important,
Speaker:and that I'm already really fulfilling
my mission on this planet just by saying
Speaker:yes to the continuation of my
own unfoldment. So if you find
Speaker:yourself listening to this message
and feel curious about flower essences
Speaker:specifically, how to make
your own flower essences,
Speaker:I thought I would share with
you here a part two follow-up,
Speaker:which is a guide to making
your own flower essences.
Speaker:This is one of the things that I
love the most to help people with,
Speaker:to teach people about, because
it's actually so simple,
Speaker:and when I first started
making flower essences,
Speaker:there was really very few sources
out there talking about how to do
Speaker:it. And it's one of the most creative,
Speaker:individualized processes that
I see in the herbalism world.
Speaker:It's just the magic that you bring as
an individual to making your own flower
Speaker:essences is incredible.
You can make flower essences out of any
Speaker:flower. If a flower is highly toxic,
Speaker:I would recommend staying away
from that just because with
Speaker:that,
Speaker:you really need to make sure absolutely
what you're doing with the dilution
Speaker:process. But outside of
flowers that are overtly toxic,
Speaker:which is something you can
easily look up for your region,
Speaker:you can make a flower
essence from any flower.
Speaker:So it doesn't have to be a flower that
is something that's part of a material
Speaker:medica. It doesn't have to
be a flower that is edible.
Speaker:All flowers hold energy
of healing that help us
Speaker:unblock our potential,
Speaker:that help us see ourselves as the flower
essences that we are for this world.
Speaker:So if you are curious about making
your own flower essences this spring or
Speaker:whatever season you're in, keep
listening for that tutorial.
Speaker:The elements that you need to
make flower essences are simple.
Speaker:You'll just need a bowl of
water, scissors, sunlight,
Speaker:intention, and your flower.
Speaker:When we make a flower essence,
Speaker:we work with a flower that's
blooming and growing right now.
Speaker:So not necessarily a cut flower,
Speaker:but one that's growing around you. The
first step to making your flower essence
Speaker:is to decide on an essence.
Speaker:And I often find that a particular
flower is really attracting me,
Speaker:is really igniting my curiosity.
Speaker:That's always the flower to go with first.
Number two is to gather
Speaker:together your bowl, the highest
quality water you can find,
Speaker:a pair of scissors, and to go
out to your flower. Once there,
Speaker:we get to step number three and the
most important step in my opinion,
Speaker:and that's to ask permission:
Speaker:to sit with this flower and ask this
flower permission to harvest its
Speaker:blooms in this medicine.This is a
really important moment of making a
Speaker:heart to heart connection with this plant.
Speaker:And when you receive
permission from a flower,
Speaker:that flower is opening the gateway for
all of its healing to be translated into
Speaker:your medicine.
You're going to listen for this nod of
Speaker:ascent, and this might come in through
a sound, maybe the wind moving through,
Speaker:or a bee landing on the
flower. Wherever you're at,
Speaker:just really sink into your meditative
practice and open to whatever answer is
Speaker:there. You might hear no,
and if that's the case,
Speaker:graciously accept that and move
on. Most of the time. However,
Speaker:if I've been getting a message
to work with a specific essence,
Speaker:the answer will be yes. At this point
in time, I often like to give a gift,
Speaker:something that is important
or precious to me,
Speaker:just as a way to show this flower and
this plant being that I'm here to be in
Speaker:relationship. Step number four is to
take your scissors and harvest that
Speaker:flower directly into
your bowl of water. Now,
Speaker:I want to make a note here
about scarcity. Some flowers,
Speaker:particularly if they're
wildflowers, are endangered.
Speaker:So it's important to do your research
and make sure that this isn't an at-risk
Speaker:species. If it's abundant flower,
say garden flour or a weed,
Speaker:then you don't need to worry about it.
You can choose one flower,
Speaker:a whole flower head or several flowers,
Speaker:taking into account the diversity
and the amount of flowers in your
Speaker:general area. As always,
Speaker:ask permission with each bloom and get
that feeling of yes before you clip them.
Speaker:Step number five is to set your
essence out underneath the sunlight.
Speaker:There's a special kind of alchemy that
happens between the sun, the water,
Speaker:and the bloom.
Speaker:I like to let my essence sit for
about three to six hours in the full
Speaker:sun. That said,
Speaker:I've also made essences on
cloudy days or under the moon.
Speaker:No matter where we are and what
time we're in on this planet,
Speaker:the sunlight's always
coming into our atmosphere,
Speaker:whether it's through the moon or
through the far suns of stars.
Speaker:Either way, I want you
to follow your intuition,
Speaker:knowing that the traditional
practice is full sunlight,
Speaker:for a time span of three to six hours.
Step number six,
Speaker:when you feel your essence is done,
Speaker:you're going to take it inside and
siphon off that water from the bloom.
Speaker:I like to use a small coffee
filter or cheesecloth to get any
Speaker:particulates out,
Speaker:and you're going to siphon that water
into a jar or a bottle and preserve it.
Speaker:You can either preserve
it with 50% alcohol,
Speaker:so you'd fill up the jar halfway with
your mother essence water and halfway with
Speaker:alcohol, brandy is traditional,
Speaker:or you can do 50% essence
water and 50% apple
Speaker:cider vinegar if you're avoiding alcohol.
Your apple cider vinegar and water
Speaker:mixture should last at least several
months if kept in the fridge.
Speaker:Your alcohol and water
mixture can last indefinitely.
Speaker:This is your mother essence,
Speaker:and you can take your essence
directly from that bottle. Step number
Speaker:seven, if you choose to, would
be to create a stock bottle.
Speaker:A stock bottle is made by simply taking
one to seven drops of your mother
Speaker:essence and putting in a separate bottle.
Speaker:You would then fill that bottle with
half water and half preservative of your
Speaker:choice,
Speaker:apple cider vinegar or alcohol.
What you find in stores
Speaker:often is stock bottles,
Speaker:and part of the philosophy behind
this is the more highly dilute the
Speaker:essences, the smaller it is, the
deeper it can go into our deep, deep,
Speaker:deep places that are in need of healing.
Speaker:The philosophy behind taking a stock
bottle is similar to homeopathics.
Speaker:When we dilute down our
essence one extra step,
Speaker:we're actually making this medicine
slightly smaller and therefore more
Speaker:readily available and received to
both our emotional and spiritual
Speaker:bodies. So get out there this spring
and try making your own flower
Speaker:essences.
Speaker:It is one of my favorite rituals
and practices throughout the growing
Speaker:season.
Speaker:So now you have everything you need
to make your own flower essence,
Speaker:and if you do, I would
love to hear about it.
Speaker:You can leave me a voice
message over on my website at
Speaker:asiasuler.com/remember,
Speaker:and it is one of the brightest spots
of my day when I get a voice message
Speaker:from all of you. So I'd love to
hear about how the process went,
Speaker:maybe what flower you
made an essence from,
Speaker:and if this way of working with
plants is exciting for you,
Speaker:if you want to go deeper,
Speaker:if you're ready to really step into a
new era of working with the plants for
Speaker:healing,
Speaker:of trusting and knowing that your
intuition has the ability to guide you
Speaker:into having a really vibrant, powerful
healing relationships with plants.
Speaker:Then I have a in-depth program that
I've run now for almost a decade called
Speaker:Intuitive Plant Medicine,
Speaker:where we go really deep into
flower essences creation,
Speaker:practice, plant dreamwork,
channeling with plants,
Speaker:ancestral plant work,
on the body medicine,
Speaker:land healing. And that course is
going to be on sale in just a few
Speaker:weeks. And the sale is actually going
to be bigger than any sale I've ever,
Speaker:ever, ever done before.
Speaker:So if you've been eyeing this course
or it sounds interesting to you,
Speaker:definitely stay tuned for that. And as
you step deeper into whatever season of
Speaker:your life that you're in,
Speaker:may you remember that you are a flower
essence for this world and you are
Speaker:creating ripples of change everywhere
you are, everywhere you grow,
Speaker:and every time you say
yes to your own becoming.
Speaker:And you are creating those
ripples of change every
Speaker:time you simply remember why you're here.
