An increasing number of children in the United States and Europe are being diagnosed as suffering from ADD (attention deficit disorder) or ADHD (attention deficit hyperactive disorder). There are many theories as to why we are seeing so much of this disorder. Lee Carrroll and Jan Tober (The Indigo Children: The New Kids Have Arrived, Hay House, ISBN 1-56170-608-6) and Doreen Virtue (The Care and Feeding of Indigo Children, Hay House, ISBN 1-56170-846-1) think that many of these children represent an evolutionary advance in humanity, which society and particularly our school systems are not equipped to deal with. These books describe many complementary approaches that can be used to help Indigo children but they do not mention flower essences. This article will seek to fill this gap as flower essences are a wonderful and safe way to help Indigo children receive the love and support that they need to reach their full potential.

There are many areas where essences can be of assistance to Indigo children: protection, aggressive or self-destructive behaviour, sleep problems, focus/concentration, anxiety/depression, communication, spirituality and life purpose. Essences can also be of help to the parents and teachers of Indigo children. Each of these topics will be explored. But first a short introduction to flower essences.

Flower essences contain the energetic healing pattern of flowers infused in water. Flower essences interact with the human energy field to harmonise the emotions, calm and clear the mind and bring about a sense of peace and well-being. Flower essences can be taken in conjunction with any type of therapy or treatment, whether allopathic or holistic. In addition, they have no side effects and can be used by everyone, including pregnant women, newborn babies and the elderly. Flower essences are not medicines. But they are a safe and natural way to help you and your family stay healthy and well-balanced.

Dr. Edward Bach discovered the first flower essences in England in the 1930s. In his practice, Dr Bach realised that he was treating his patients symptoms but that the real cause of many of their ailments was emotional. He considered that illness was a sign of an emotional imbalance or negative emotional state and that real healing occurred when emotional balance was re-established. This realisation led Dr. Bach from allopathic medicine, to homeopathy and finally to the discovery of the healing quality of flowers. The first 38 flower essences, known as the Bach Flowers, are now widely known throughout the world. For forty years the Bach Flowers stood alone, but at the end of the 1970s other essences, made from other flowers began to appear. Today there are thousands of flower essences from all over the world.

In relation to Indigo children we will be looking at essences from four different companies: the Australian Bush Flower Essences, the Green Hope Farm Flower Essences (from the USA and Bermuda), the Pacific Essences (from Canada) and the South African Flower Essences.

Protection is one of the most important areas where flower essences can be of assistance to Indigo children. These children are, for the most part, very sensitive and act as sponges, soaking up the thoughts and emotions of those around them. They do not seem to have the usual buffers that keep their energy field separate from that of others. This, by the way, is a phenomenon that we are seeing with an increasing number of adults as well.

Energetic pollution comes in all shapes and forms: toxic emotions and negative thought-forms, astral entities and astral pollution, electromagnetic and other man-made types of radiation. Some children absorb these energies into their own energy field which then becomes extremely dense and contaminated. Other children, when coming into contact with various types of pollution will have much of their own energy sucked out of them. Energetic pollution can be at the root of many problems: fatigue, lack of concentration and focus, problems sleeping, hyper-activity, anxiety and depression.

If he is sensitive and absorbs negativity, think of using flower essences to protect your child when he is around lots of people, particularly at school. Indigo children may pick up energetic cords that link their energy fields with that of other children or fall prey to negative thoughts directed towards them (psychic attack). By cleaning your child’s energy field and then protecting his aura, he will be less likely to fall prey to these types of pollution which drain his energy and keep him from developing to his full potential.

Babies of Light (Green Hope Farm) while not solely a protection essence, can be of great comfort to Indigo children, particularly babies and infants. It is a combination essence that helps these new souls adjust to life on planet Earth. It contains protective essences as well as essences to calm, ground and provide a feeling of safety and love. Babies of Light essence will keep the Indigo child from feeling overwhelmed during his or her first months and years.

There are so many electrical and electromagnetic fields that crisscross our modern day life that we tend to forget that these frequencies can have a very unsettling effect on certain people and particularly Indigo children. Lavender (Green Hope Farm) and Lavender (South African) create a protective barrier that calms and soothes jangled nerves that have been over-exposed or too stimulated by these electrical fields.

Golden Armor (Green Hope Farm) is a combination essence which provides a very complete protection from many kinds of energetic pollution. There is an increasing amount of man-made dissonance in the air. Golden Armor provides a protective buffer from these sounds, as well as electro-magnetic radiation and atmospheric changes. In addition, it protects from astral energies and any negativity that humans can throw at each other. It also provides an impermeable shield to anything not of the Light.

Another good protection is the combination essence Auric Protection Essence (South African). It provides a protective shield from most forms of negativity whether it be psychic attack, negative thought-forms or electromagnetic radiation.

Some Indigo children are so sensitive that they have no clear emotional boundaries, so they feel and pick up the emotions of others. This can lead to an over-identification with the pain and emotions of others. Buchu (South African) helps to establish boundaries with others, thereby strengthening the sense of self and clearing the auric field.

Indigo children can sometimes be aggressive or indulge in self-destructive behaviour. One possible reason for this is that children who absorb too much negativity get electrically overcharged and then proceed to discharge this energy through violent outbursts of temper or destructive physical activity. A combination essence called Outburst (Green Hope Farm) can help children to discharge this negative build-up in a constructive manner. This essence can be used together with another combination essence called Watch your Back (Green Hope Farm). This essence helps a child when the symptoms of a negative energy overload are physical in nature. It balances and re-energises the entire chakra system which is often profoundly affected.

Belladonna Lily (South African) is helpful for children who have violent rages and fits of temper. It restores a sense of calm and helps the child to express his anger in an appropriate manner so that the underlying cause can be healed.
Sometimes aggressive behaviour is simply the result of feeling awkward or ill at ease with others. If this is the case, Kangaroo Paw and Tall Yellow Top (both Australian Bush) can help the Indigo child gain a sense of belonging and the ability to feel comfortable and at ease in the company of others.

When Indigo children feel cut off and alienated from those around them they may develop destructive patterns of behaviour that serve to numb their feelings of separation, isolation and pain. Essences such as Nicotiana (South African) and White Nicotiana (Green Hope Farm) open the heart chakra and instil a sense of wholeness which lessens the emotional pain and allows the child to re-connect with his true self and self-worth.

Chinese Hat Plant (Green Hope Farm) can help a child who is disoriented and out of balance to calmly hear and process information that he might otherwise want to shut out. For example, if a child is caught in a cycle of counterproductive behaviour, this essence can help him hear the course corrections offered by adults. When he can process this feedback about his behaviour, he can begin to let go of destructive behaviour patterns in favour of more constructive ones.

Many Indigo children have problems sleeping. This is not surprising, particularly if they are very sensitive to the energies around them. Sometimes children have difficulty falling asleep or toss and turn a lot in their sleep because they can’t discharge the negative energies that they absorbed during the day. Pennyroyal (Green Hope Farm) will clean the aura, calm the mind and also provide protection from psychic attack. It can also be sprayed in the child’s room to “clear the air”. Space Clearing Mist (Australian Bush) will also clear and release negative emotional, mental and psychic energies from a room. Eliminating energetic pollution helps children fall asleep quicker, sleep better and have less nightmares.

Sweetpea (Green Hope Farm) has a calming effect on the mental, emotional and spiritual bodies which can help a child sleep better, while Morning Glory (South African) harmonises imbalances between waking and sleeping patterns, particularly for those who have trouble going to sleep or waking up.

Many of the nightmares that young children have are associated with past lives, as children are often still processing events from their previous life in the early years of the present incarnation. Use Green Spider Orchid together with Grey Spider Flower (both Australian Bush) to release and process the causes of nightmares, whether they be rooted in past lives or the present one.

Inability to focus and poor concentration can be major problems for Indigo children. Fortunately there are many flower essences that can help.

Indigo children tend to have an active right brain while traditional education emphasises the use of the left brain. Essences such as African Banana (South African), Blue Camas (Pacific), and Bush Fuchsia (Australian Bush) help integrate the left and right brain functions. They are therefore useful essences for helping Indigo children work within the normal school system as well as helping children with learning disabilities such as dyslexia.

Blue Lupin (Pacific) encourages clear and precise thinking and improves focus, while Ox-Eye Daisy (Pacific) keeps a child from becoming over focussed and gives him perspective and the ability to synthesise knowledge. Spur Flower (South African) harmonises, organises and calms the mind so as to facilitate the assimilation of facts and integration of information. This is one of the key ingredients in the South African Study Essence combination which also improves focus and concentration.

Some Indigo children are easily bored and have trouble finishing what they start. Australian Tea Tree and Jacaranda (both South African) strengthen the will and bring the focus and determination needed to persevere and follow through with projects. They are also useful essences for children who procrastinate.

The ability to concentrate and think clearly is also influenced by the state of a child’s energy field. A child who picks up lots of negativity from other people and his surroundings will not be able to function properly. So here, again, a protection essence will be of assistance for focus and concentration. In addition, when taking exams, it is useful for sensitive children to use an auric protection essence so that they do not absorb the stress and anxiety of the other students in the class.

It is a sad sign of our times that so many children, whether they be Indigo children or not, suffer from anxiety and depression. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, here again, energetic pollution is a major contributing factor in some cases of anxiety and depression, for both children and adults. People who are extremely sensitive to the world around them often absorb the energy of others and the resulting pollution in their energy field can have a negative impact on the psyche. So aura cleansing and auric protection essences can go a long way to healing anxiety and depression in certain Indigo children.

Anxiety is often triggered by some shock or trauma. So it is a good idea to always have some form of emergency essence at hand such as Balancer (Pacific), Crisis Remedy (South African), Emergency Care (Green Hope Farm) or Emergency Essence (Australian Bush). These types of essences should be taken as soon as there is any disturbing experience, whether it be physical, emotional or mental. They calm and centre, dissipate fear and remove shock from the energy system. This is extremely important as an accumulation of shocks, large or small, can lead to other problems.

Anxiety (Green Hope Farm) is a combination essence which is extremely useful for reducing feelings of anxiety and helping with anxiety-related behaviour. Maltese Cross (Green Hope Farm) is for the child who has been through wrenching experiences, including divorce, death, separation from loves ones, sudden moves or loss of any kind. It helps him feel whole when it seems like his life is falling apart. Grape Hyacinth (Pacific) helps a child to harness his inner resources so that he can respond to difficult situations. It dissolves feelings of despair and hopelessness, bringing a measure of balance and perspective. It is not uncommon for Indigo children to feel that they have been unjustly dealt with and misunderstood. Flowering Quince (South African) helps to dissipate feelings of despair and depression that can result from this depressed anger.

Some children suffer from feelings of intense loneliness or profound, existential pain. Mountain Rose (South African) shifts the focus of consciousness from the lower self to the Higher Self, which allows a feeling of joy to break through the pattern of fear and pain. Waratah (Australian Bush) is another essence to use for black despair and hopelessness. It is a fast-acting essence that instils strength, courage, tenacity, endurance and the ability to cope with crisis and change.

One last note concerning depression and anxiety. People often notice that they feel a bit better when they go out, but when they return home feelings of depression and anxiety pull them down again. When someone is depressed they generate an emotional charge that literally hangs in the air. It is important to clean out this energy of sadness and despair so that it no longer affects the child, who will then be able to recuperate more quickly. This can be accomplished with Space Clearing Mist (Australian Bush).

Being able to communicate with the world around them is an important challenge for certain Indigo children. Wallflower (Pacific) dispels the sense of hopelessness at being misunderstood, when he can’t find the right means to communicate with others. It will help a child to attune to his own inner rhythm, erasing the imprints of old emotional pain that comes from feeling “different”. Bluebell (Pacific) is another remedy for self-expression. It will help an Indigo child overcome shyness, and the fear of being misunderstood or being judged. For the child who has trouble expressing himself clearly and especially speaking in front of others, Cosmos (South African) and Cosmos(Green Hope Farm) focuses the mind, bringing about composure, integration of ideas and coherent expression.

Red Helmet Orchid (Australian Bush) can be of help to Indigo children who have trouble with authority figures, while Snapdragon (Green Hope Farm) helps curb the impulse to be rude and say rude things. It releases the tension stored in the throat and skull area that may be prompting such outbursts. These essences are particularly useful for interacting with teachers and parents.

Indigo children need to express their own unique qualities of being while interacting with other children. Indian Pipe (Pacific) confers the ability to “stand alone in closeness” so that he can be part of a group while maintaining and expressing his individuality. Carouby De Maussane Pea (Green Hope Farm) helps a child feel acceptance towards himself and others in group situations. It promotes a climate of gentle forgiveness and compassion for others. 

From birth, many Indigo children are extremely spiritual and have a clear vision of why they were born. It is important that this aspect not be squashed or even eliminated through medication, or disbelief and ridicule from those around them.

Baby Blue Eyes (Green Hope Farm) helps children recognise their own wisdom, whether others acknowledge it or not. It helps a child find inner strength and resilience, flexibility and spiritual strength. It helps a child so he doesn’t feel like he needs to resort to belligerence or false bravado to get attention because he knows from within that he is heard. Trilium (Green Hope Farm) helps an Indigo child to maintain his spiritual connection while remaining grounded in the present. It confers a feeling of balance and peace. If over time you feel that your child has forgotten his mission, try Turnera (Green Hope Farm). This essence will confer “the quiet bliss of knowing”, reconnecting and aligning the child to his life purpose.

Being the parent of an Indigo child can be a disconcerting experience. But the Universe never gives us any challenge that we cannot handle. There are several essences that can be of help to parents. The first is Freshwater Mangrove (Australian Bush). This is an essence for open-mindedness. It helps us look beyond conventional wisdom and release mental prejudice. It opens us up to an awareness that there are other ways of doing and perceiving which are different from what we have done before. Grass Widow (Pacific) is another essence that helps us question and release old traditions and beliefs. The Indigo children represent a change in our world which is positive and loving, but which does not fit in the box of our current societal conditioning. Parents need to be open to the fact that things need to change in order to accommodate the Indigo children, rather than trying to change the Indigo children in order to accomodate the current system.

Harvest Lily (Pacific) will help parents to work with their Indigo children. Its energy is very good for groups and resolving tension in interpersonal relations. It helps us to see the other person’s point of view and begin to appreciate the meaning of the Sanskrit word “Namaste”, “I acknowledge that place in you where we are both the same”.

Parents of Indigo children also need the courage to listen to their intuition if they feel that the advice that they are receiving from teachers or doctors is not the right course of action for their children. Bush Fuchsia and Dog Rose (both Australian Bush) will help them listen to their intuition and have the courage to act on it.

There are many ways to administer flower essences. The most common way is to have the child take a few drops, either placed directly in his mouth, or in a small glass of water or juice. As flower essences are energetic remedies, topical applications can be as or more effective than ingesting the essence.

For infants and small children, place a drop of the essence on the top of the head. Essences can also be rubbed on the hands and feet or sprayed into the aura. Sensitive children will receive the beneficial qualities of the essences just carrying the bottle in their pocket.

Bathing with essences is an effective way to treat the child’s whole energy field. Nightly essence baths can be very helpful in critical situations. Put two or three pipettes of essence (depending on the size of the bath) in the water and if possible have the child totally submerge himself at some point during the bath.

Follow your intuition, as well as your children’s intuition, when using essences. Children often know which essences are best for them and just how they need to take them.