How I use flower essences in all parts of self care practice

We all have personal rituals for winding down and relaxing. For some its putting on lotion before they go to sleep. For others its taking a nice hot bath with salts and essential oils. For many its simply getting into bed and reading.

I began adding flower essences into my self care rituals and I've found great benefits.

When I find myself needing to change the energy in my space I will spray essences into the air. I spray essences through out my home whenever there has been any arguments, bad moods or pity parties. When I am irritated or frustrated or find myself stuck in negative thinking patterns I spray my room and myself down in a fine mist of water and flower essences.

When I take a bath I add flower essences for extra relaxation and stress relief.

My favourite way to take care of myself is doing a flower essence compress before I go to sleep.

I have a drawer full of essences and sometimes I know which one I want to use and when I don't I either muscle test or dowse (I'll be explaining these two easy techniques in another entry).
I love it when I am guided intuitively on how I should lay out my little cotton disks and which essences I should use because they tell me alot about what is causing me to not be in balance.

For example a week or so ago I was having some discomfort with one of my hips. The first essence that came to mind was Hibiscus since it is an essence that balances and gently heals any issues in the sacral chakra and hips. It is a hip opener and is associated with the sacrum, hips, sexuality, sensuality, passion and creativity.
I was also feeling pretty crabby, bitchy, critical and over sensitive so I added Beech to that mix. I was then guided to add Lotus; which is for a balanced and spiritual grounding and opening for not only the crown chakra (our spiritual center and connection to the divine) but for the whole body, and Crab Apple; which is a gentle cleanser of the body, mind, and spirit.
I put the cotton disks that had been soaking in water with these essences, on my hips, below my navel, on my diaphragm and on my thymus and forehead.
Within a moment of doing this I felt my jaw open up. I had been feeling tension in my jaw for a while but I had forgotten about it until I felt the tension release.
I had forgotten about the connection between the jaw and hips and the meridians that connect the two.
As I thought about it I could see how the jaw and hips would be connected in tension. Feeling critical had made my jaw clench and this tension was also living in my hips. Part of this critical energy was also related to my creative expression and how I was seeing myself.
The essence compress made me not only release some tension but it made me have an AHA! moment that helped me see how my thoughts where creating tension in my body.

The most simple self care ritual that I do with essences in applying a couple of my personal flower essence mixture to my inner wrists and hands. I rub them on like lotion. I chose these spots because not only are they easiest to access in almost any situation, but because there are many meridian openings and acupuncture sites found on these sites. And in reflexology, when whole body is mirrored in the hands.
I do this when I am stressed out. I do this when I am in crowded spaces and feel overwhelmed. I do this when I want to feel more comfortable. When I start getting judgemental and self blaming, when people are fighting around me, and whenever I feel the need to provide some self care for myself.

Its strengthened me and made my life easier. Its transforming old patterns and behaviours as well as fears and triggers so that I am able to be more present in the world.

Self care rituals are important and empowering and these are only some of the ways that I've been using essences in my daily life.