To be grateful means living in the moment with an open heart

In today’s society, many people are so busy, stressed, unhappy or anxious about their personal situation or the situation of the world at large that they forget all the good things that surround them. They are so focussed on what is wrong, that they lose sight of everything else. This can lead to a downward spiral of pessimism and despair.

One way to break out of this pattern is to consciously notice and appreciate all of the things that you tend to take for granted in your daily life – the roof over your head; the food on the table; the clothes on your back, your family and friends; your health, your pet, the beauty of a sunset, the smile of a child, the wild flowers on the side of the road.

Gratitude is a habit. It doesn’t come naturally to many people – we have to work at it. But the more you practice the easier it becomes until gratitude becomes second nature.

So make a point of seeing the beauty and goodness all around you.  This might be difficult at first, but with a little practice you will find that there are a multitude of things for which to be grateful and the more grateful we are, the more joyous and fulfilling our lives become.

It is increasingly recognised that feelings of love, joy and gratitude are good for your health. When we are grateful, we radiate a positive loving energy to those around us, and we draw positive and loving experiences into our lives.

The importance of gratitude cannot be overestimated as it provides a filter through which to transmute the darkness into light. It gives us access to a very high level of consciousness and wisdom that can help us to find effective solutions for situations and challenges that we are facing.

For years, each time I walked through my garden all I could see were the weeds. Now that I realise the importance of gratitude, rather than feeling tired or discouraged, the garden fills me with joy. The weeds are still there, but my focus is on the flowers and trees and shrubs, the colours and shapes and textures of Nature. The garden is the same, but my way of seeing it is different.

The biggest stumbling blocks to gratitude are negative expectations and victim consciousness. If we stop seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances, we can learn from life’s lessons.  When we have a positive attitude we draw positive experiences into our lives. If we project negative feelings and expect bad things to happen, then we are likely to attract negative experiences.  This is called the Law of Attraction.

Luckily there are some very effective essences to help us become more positive and to assume responsibility for our lives. These include Blackberry (Master’s) for seeing the goodness within your self and others; it frees the mind from judgement, prejudice and negativity; Sunshine Wattle (Australian Bush) for those who project their negative experiences of the past into the present; and Wattle (South African) for those who continually expect the worst to happen. For those who feel bitter and resentful about their lot in life, essences such as Saule/Willow (DEVA), Southern Cross (Australian bush) and Yucca (South African) can banish victim consciousness, that “poor me” attitude, by eliminating old stagnant emotions and thoughts of lack and injustice.

To be grateful means living in the moment with an open heart. It means seeking the positive in every situation, and having faith that there is always a positive side, even if we can’t see it or understand it at the time. Look at the stories told by people who worked at the Twin Towers in New York but were late to work on the morning of September 11, 2001 and as a result are still alive. One person’s alarm didn’t go off, another was stuck in a traffic jam, another missed her bus, another’s car wouldn’t start, one person spilled coffee on his clothes and had to take time to change. How often do we let small things like this ruin our day, rather than being sure that we are right where we need to be, doing what we need to do, even if we don’t understand why?

Ian White has just introduced a new Australian Bush essence called Pink Flannel Flower. This essence is all about gratitude. It is a heart essence that brings you to a state of gratitude for all aspects of your life. It helps you to appreciate and take delight in the details and little things of life, to see and be aware of the blessings grows in one region of the Blue Mountains in New South Wales and that no one has seen it flowering for the last 50 years! Nature gives us what we need when we need it.

Pink Flannel Flower also has an affinity for babies and young children. It will help keep both their heart and heart chakra open so that they maintain the high love vibration that they have been born with, as they adjust to the density of life on Earth. It is also a useful heart balancing essence for adolescents who are completely involved in computers and technology to the detriment of their social and emotional development.

There are also other essences that foster gratitude. Polyanthus (Pacific) helps us to welcome abundance into our lives by recognising and being grateful for what we have rather than focussing on what we do not have. Indeed the energy of gratitude is closely linked to abundance.

Morning Glory (Green Hope Farm) reminds us of the importance of gratitude by encouraging us to be fully, vitally present to the challenges and joys of our daily lives. And Buffalo (Wild Earth) grounds and connects us with the rhythms of the Earth, enhancing feelings of gratitude for the gift of all life.

(back to top)

Purple Geranium essence

In June I attended Ian White’s Level III workshop in Cruseilles, near Annecy. One of the planned activities was to make a flower essence. I have to say that I had misgivings, first about making an essence together with 35 other people, and second, about the energetic quality of such an essence. But it was, in fact, an extraordinary experience, which resulted in the co-creation of a remarkable essence.

Before the workshop began, Ian had explored the fields nearby to find which flower was ready to share its essence with our group. On the Sunday morning we set out for a short walk to a field filled with purple geraniums (geranium sylvaticum – purple flower with a white center). When we arrived, the first thing we did was to make a circle and contact the spirits of the place, asking for their blessings.

Each of us then moved through the field, looking for the flower that would call out to us. After finding our flower, we sat beside it and made contact. We meditated with the flower, noticing its colour, texture, the shape of its leaves and the way that the plant was growing. We also asked to receive information from the Deva about the qualities of the flower.

We then each picked a flower and placed it in a bowl of water which Ian had set out in the sun. Buds as well as flowers that were past their prime were added to the water, so that the energy of the complete cycle of the flower would be included in the essence.

While the essence was being made, we sat in a circle and shared our insights and observations. My over-all impression of the Purple Geranium essence is harmony, integration and connection, both within ourselves and between ourselves and others. Other people experienced feelings of compassion, communication, and joy when meditating with the flower. Purple Geranium essence helps us to feel part of the Whole, to feel a connection to our Higher Self, to our fellow human beings, and to the planet and all of her inhabitants whether they be animal, plant or mineral.

This essence is the result of a group of people putting their energy together to co-create with Nature. Working together is increasingly important if we wish to bring peace and harmony to Planet Earth. The ability to come together for the greater good, in spite of and with respect for our differences, is the way we will co-create a positive future.

At the end of the Workshop, each participant received a bottle of the mother essence, and two of the other participants generously donated their bottle to Fleurs de Vie so that we could share this essence with as many people as possible.
It is in this spirit that I would like to offer a bottle of this essence to anyone who feels drawn to its message.

So if you would like to receive a bottle of Purple Geranium, just send us the order form with your name and address. You can add it to your order, or simply request it on its own. It is being offered free of charge.

»» update: April 2007
The Purple Geranium essence is not available since end of April 2007.

(back to top)

Choosing flower essences for children

Flower essences are a safe and natural way to help infants, children and adolescents. While many people would like to use flower essences for their children, they feel at a loss trying to choose from among the many essences available today.
In order to help, Fleurs de Vie has put together a booklet entitled "Choosing flower essences for your children". It contains general information on essences as well as descriptions of certain flower essences that can be useful for children of all ages.

In preparing this booklet, we have drawn from books and articles written by Ian White (Australian Bush), Molly Sheehan (Green Hope Farm), Lila Devi (the Master’s), Philippe Deroide (Deva) and Jannet Unite (South African). It will give you more than enough information to get started!

(back to top)