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©2007 by Sophia Katy Savich and Richard Witteman, makers of the Ancient Forest Essences Have you ever walked through the groves of an ancient forest... and felt the mystery unfolding with each footstep? As you make your way into the forest, the outer world of care and tension drops away, and there is nothing but this moment, this deep silence. Within the cathedral of trees with their towering and majestic presence, relaxation begins to take place, your body rhythmically falls into deeper breathing. Everything is in harmony, all is right with the world.Here the forests pulsate with a wonderful energy. The groves are radiant, you can almost see emanations from leaves, branches, and needles. As you walk, you feel a cleansing in your body; there is a lightness. You sense you are entering an altered and sacred space. Ancient Forest Flower Essences are born of this mystery. They are made within the environments of some of the world's most beautiful and powerful natural forests. They are created in the time-honored way, in the tradition of the Bach flower remedies. Made with awareness and care within the sacred groves, these unique Flower Essences vibrate with the mysterious healing qualities of these profound environments. It is a moving experience to see how people respond when they take a few drops of essence. They speak of becoming relaxed and quiet as they experience the sensations of being deep within nature.
A walk through a Redwood grove has the power of deep and timeless stillness, great echoing shadows of light and dark, filtered and soft sunlight. A hike to the ancient Bristlecone Pines of the Sierras brings dry and rocky terrain, far desert vistas, and a delicate silence which touches the soul.
In our culture, forests are often depicted as places of darkness, where dark spirits lurk, harboring evil purposes. Or alternatively, they are viewed as tree farms, of value only for the wood and fiber which can be extracted. In our journeys, we have come to know the trees as ancient beings of deep silence and profound wisdom, as the forest emanates a quality that draws us down and into the heart of presence, into the grounded aliveness of our true nature. Essences seem to have a profound relationship with the essence makers, with their presence and relationship with the plants and environments with which they work. In the native healing traditions, it is said that herbs harvested from nature will only be effective if the herb collector has the right relationship with the plant. It is crucial for the healer to ask permission of the plant for the taking, and for the harvester to honor and see the beautiful nature of this growing miracle of life. In this kind of relationship, the healer can ask the plant to impart its life energy and healing powers into the leaves, stems, or flowers being taken. This can only take place if there is understanding, love, and respect in the heart of the harvester. This spirit inspires us in our work with essences. We desire to enter deeply into the beauty and integrity of the trees, plants, and environments with which we make the essences. Our overriding vision is that the unseen depths and profound subtlety of each environment is alive and present within each magical preparation.
 GIANT SEQUOIA ESSENCE - Like an Ancient Chief, this powerful and towering sequoia is over two thousand years old. Its wise, old presence resonates the qualities of inner strength and resources, the courage to be oneself. This essence also brings forth a healthy male presence, potent, sensual, and loving.PETRIFIED FOREST ESSENCE - So long ago, these fossilized remnants of the ancient forests of Arizona lived and breathed. This essence breaks up rigid and crystallized patterns in one's emotional, mental, and spiritual life, healing and releasing petrified fear. Wonderful for bodywork. SACRED YEW - Made in the lap of a 1700-year-old yew tree in England, with spring waters from below the Glastonbury Tor, this essence awakens joy from within. Joy is the twin sister to love. When there is joy and love, there is no room for fear. Assists with the deep grief of losing someone dear, allowing us to celebrate the larger mystery of life. COTTONWOOD - From two venerable cottonwood trees, this essence resonates with innocence, trust, and relationship -- seeing another through the eyes of compassion, opening your heart to wonder. Walking in beauty, softness, seeing through the eyes of a child. JOSHUA TREE - Made on a clear winter's night, within a desert forest, in Joshua Tree National Park, from a giant, old tree. These strange and other-worldly trees are like antennas, connecting in mysterious ways to other realms, other galaxies. As the essence was made, there was a profound opening of the crown chakra area, a melting of the small world of thought. The veil of imagined separateness became thin, and we felt we could reach out and touch the vast realms beyond our ordinary sphere of reality. RED CEDAR ESSENCE - The huge trunk of this ancient red cedar in the Olympic Peninsula has broken open, creating a chalice which receives the open sky. This is the essence of being in the heart, in the joy, in the moment -- being present here and now.
 Essences are a wonderful way of consciously participating in the fine and subtle workings of the natural world. The trees, flowers, grasses, earth, and animals are our family. They can profoundly help us to find harmony and balance within the lively, creative, chaotic and suffering world we inhabit -- a world created by our great power of thought and imagination.We never cease to be amazed at how all of this works. It is inspiring and humbling to hear of the life changes that occur in people who take essences. Thought and imagination cannot grasp what is going on here. Essences are a gift of nature. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Sophia Katy Savich and Richard Witteman founded Ancient Forest Essences in 1992. Their love of trees called forth a response of service and dedication to help remember our profound connection with the ancient forests, and to receive their many gifts and offerings which are waiting to recognized and shared. Sophia's deep love of nature combines with over 20 years experience in using and making flower essences. She is an experienced flower essence practitioner, and is available for private consultations. Richard brings to essence-making his lifelong love of meditative inquiry, of allowing the deep silence which is always present to wake us up to what is here, to what we really are. The ancient trees sing this song of silence and intimacy, as they celebrate the magnificent dance of life. Telephone: 1-800-644-2431; Email: ancientforest@bluebottle.com. See a previous article in Vibration by Sophia here. DESIGN CREDITS: This page was designed by Deborah Bier; photos are from Clipart.com.
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Ancient Forest Flower Essences affect people in the same way -- each essence resonates with the unique qualities of the environment within which it was made. By placing a few drops under your tongue, the fresh healing ambiance of trees, water, sun and sky becomes a part of your everyday life.