Try these Flower Essences for Fears

The opposite of love is fear, not hate. Dig deep enough, you’ll come to a fear.  An everyday fear tied to our time in the womb. An ancestral fear. An existential fear. We all have fears.  Try the following flower essences for your fears. They can help us to reconnect with our inner wisdom and the strength to rise when it’s time.

The most commonly used Bach Flower essences for fear are Rock Rose, Mimulus, Cherry Plum, Aspen, and Red Chestnut.

Rescue Remedy, a blend of five essences, is a great one to have on hand for acute situations such as an accident.

These flower essences address different kinds of fears – a general feeling of terror, the everyday life fears, known fears (fear of darkness and heights, for example), fear of letting go and losing control, fear of the invisible and unknown, fear of something bad happening to our loved ones …

In Bach Flower Essences and Chinese Medicine, we find the (translated) work of Pablo Noriega. Through this interesting cross-disciplinary lens, we gain a deeper understanding of how to enrich both practices.

For example, he offers insights on how to balance the Fire and Water through essences. We can look at the Fire-Heart and Water-Kidney relationship. The emotion, according to Chinese Medicine, relating to Heart is joy and to Kidney is fear.

How do we draw on each as the most appropriate response? How do we balance them so we are not dominated by bravado or by fear?

Bach Flower Essences for Fears

Mimulus

One of the 12 Healers, Mimulus is indicated for known fears, including fear of responsibility, being alone, open spaces, of other people, and of public speaking. Fear of contamination is more Crab Apple.  Mimulus people need a sanctuary, and downtime. Solitude and the quiet recharge them. Anxiety and overthinking, which imbalances the Spleen (Earth element), is a common challenge for Mimulus folks. When the Spleen is disturbed, the capacity to digest and assimilate decreases and distance and discomfort increase.

To deal with this fear of life itself and a pattern of introversion and even depression, some people compensate with resentment, overstated boldness, and even self-rejection. This stagnation can lead to Heat accumulation and the smooth circulation of fluids is compromised. The Kidneys, which is of the Water Element, can become further imbalanced, deepening fear.

Rock Rose 

Another one of the 12 Helpers, Rock Rose is a remedy for extreme fear. It’s included in Rescue Remedy, a gift in times of crisis, from accidents to flying for animals.

The Rock Rose personality is very sensitive and easily startled. The Heart can easily be imbalanced by sudden fears, showing up as palpitations and insomnia. In Chinese Medicine, the Gallbladder, Heart, Lung, and Kidney are all organ systems that support our capacity for courage.

Cherry Plum

Cherry Plum is one of the 10 trees in the Bach Flower Essences. This remedy is for the fear of losing control or having a breakdown. A person in the Cherry Plum state fears what they may do when they do let go, when that rage rises up. Will they hurt themselves or other people?

It’s interesting to note that the roots of the Cherry Plum are shallow. While we may tend towards digging deeper and to get rooted for more control, Pablo Noriega invites us to look to the Cherry Plum flowers which exude calm and peace. We can find this serenity and equanimity, for example, through meditation. What if we can be in a state of acceptance, looking at the beauty of the moment, rather than blocking what is before us?

Aspen

This tree has shallow roots, giving the clue that a person in an Aspen state can feel ungrounded. In the body, we find our roots in the Kidney, our feet, and Blood and so we can look at these areas for clues. Why Blood? It’s through Blood that Spirit establishes and anchors in the body.

Aspen is indicated for fear of the unknown and fear with unknown reason. Are you afraid of the bogeyman, the paranormal, and ghosts?

There really is a sense that this essence is connected with that which is non manifest, from where changes and situations happening in the manifest world operate.
Pablo Noriega¹

Red Chestnut

A person who can benefit from Red Chestnut flower essence experiences unrelenting overconcern for other people’s safety and wellbeing, especially of loved ones. This may be a parent who is very strict  and overprotective for fear the child may be harmed. This overcare is depleting, limits freedom, and interferes with both people’s development.

For a person in sustained Red Chestnut state, adrenals are overtaxed from feeling unsafe. Because Kidney deficiency can also contribute, we may look at Mimulus as well.

Other Bach Flower Essence considerations

Agrimony

This flower essence is for people who show the world a happy face and keep their troubles buried deep within. Joy is the emotion related to the Heart (Fire element) and with this overemphasis, Kidney (Water element) can be imbalanced.  As Pablo Noriega writes, “in the depths of Water – in the darkness of that which is undifferentiated – primary vitality and human potential are hidden….That which is hidden nourishes and gives life to that which is manifest.”

Why do we deny the unknown? Wisdom, the virtue of Kidney, is understanding that life is both known and unknown. Living is embracing that which is invisible. What are we denying when we just display a joyful face to the world? What is it that we fear? Marianne Williamson reminds us that it’s our brilliance and our light that scare us more than our inadequacies.

Centaury

Pablo Noriega offers that Centaury flower essence strengthens and tonifies the Kidney. When this organ-meridian-energy is balanced, we can more easily connect to our inner authority, willpower, and courage. This essence helps in time of change, strengthening a person’s sense of direction and fluidity.

Gorse

This flower essence is for people who’ve given up. They may, for example, believe their illness is incurable and don’t try to find treatments or accept treatment or help. Chronic illness imbalances and overtaxes the Kidney, further disconnecting a person from their will to preserve. Again this can deepen their fear.

Rock Water

People who need Rock Water are perfectionists. They like to and try to direct flow in every situation and in their own life. They have extreme willpower and can be self-denying. Instead of rising up with true courage, they deny their nature and follow a path that does not reflect who they are.

Working with Flower Essences

Flower essences are infusions of a plant, retaining only the healing vibrational signature unique to each. They are catalysts and supporters, working in resonance with the subtle energy body where the imbalances are. Flower essences work energetically rather biochemically and are safe to use for people of all ages and animals.

Some ways to use flower essences include:

• Putting a few drops in your water or directly under your tongue.
• Putting them on chakras, acupuncture, and marma points
• Making a mist with it for a space or children and animals.
• Adding them to your food or beauty and personal care products, such as shampoos and massage oils. Rescue Remedy, for example, comes in a variety of forms such as candy and a cream.
• Flower Essences is one of the databases that I use in my Quantum Biofeedback sessions.

As flower essences work energetically and in resonance, there are no ill effects from choosing a “wrong” essence. Choosing the right essence or blends, however, can have a potent effect as suppressed emotions may be released. The flower essences, for example, have helped countless people with their varying fears, including dogs and their fear of thunderstorms.

Have you tried any of these flower essences for fears?

Honing in on the right ones also requires a keen perception of how a person is feeling. It is easy enough to self-prescribe for simple things such as a fear of public speaking. However, what is the root of this fear?

Bach Flower Essences and Chinese Medicine provides some clues and more ways to work with flower essences. To unravel the mystery and get to the roots, working with an experienced practitioner is essential to not falling victim to our own blindspots and stopping short of a breakthrough.

Using flower essences for fears is an effective way to dissolve them at the core. We all have fears, whether they can be articulated or are vague. The key is to start. Perhaps it’s Rescue Remedy to peel back some layers or taking the flower essence you feel most drawn to or having a customized blend made up for you. Healthy fear plays a role in our lives. We are talking about fears that keep you at bay from living your own best life.