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 If I had a penny for every time someone asked me to correlate flower essences with the chakras, I could be enjoying early retirement on a tropical island somewhere. Certainly, it's an interesting question, though not always an easy one to answer. People often want to know how to connect these vibrational remedies with other energetic systems, such as astrology, numerology, color therapy, yoga postures, feng shui, vastu, Chinese medicine -- the list is endless. Before we begin, let's define our terms. A chakra is commonly understood as a wheel or circle of energy that resides in the astral, rather than the physical, spine. On a deeper level, the chakras are the centers of our spiritual anatomy. For example, we often speak of the non-physical heart -- feeling broken-hearted, soft-hearted, kind-hearted. This is not the organ that pumps blood for us day after day, but the Heart Chakra, located in the center of the chest in the astral spine. 
The Circles of LifeThe chakras are a fundamental principle of yogic teachings, expounded by the ancient rishis, or seers, of India. Many thousands of years ago, these sages, acting as the custodians of higher truths, also explained the three basic qualities of the universe. These gunas, as they are called, are expressed by all living things, and can be classified as: tamo guna, or dulling energy; rajo guna, or activating energy; and sattwa guna, or the spiritualizing force in nature. The chakras can reflect any or all of these gunas, whereas flower essences contain only sattwic qualities. Essences help us to return to sattwic states of consciousness and thus minimize or eliminate any tamasic or rajasic attitudes. Located across from the throat in the neck, calmness and expansion are the key qualities of the Fifth -- or Throat -- Chakra. It is the higher center of creativity, in a sense being the polar opposite of the second chakra, the center for physical procreation. It also governs the faculty of speaking as well as singing. Negative expressions of the Thoat Chakra include the tamasic and rajasic states of boredom, contractiveness, restlessness, and frenetic changeability. The Essential Four for the Fifth
In the few paragraphs above, we have condensed what could be volumes on these yogic concepts. For the purpose of this article, let's take a closer look at the Fifth Chakra, called in Sanskrit the vishudha, or Thoat Chakra, and four Master's Essences to strengthen it: Apple, Coconut, Lettuce, and Pear. In my first book, The Essential Flower Essence Handbook, Apple Essence is defined as healthfulness. In the ten years since the book's publication -- especially the last few years -- we have seen an expansion of this definition to a broader category: peaceful clarity. Clarity of thought and feeling flourish when the mind is calm and concentrated, beautifully expressing the positive aspects of the Thoat Chakra. One woman wrote to our office: "I've had a hard time for quite a while with insomnia and stress, and Apple Essence so far really seems to help me keep myself from dwelling on negativity at 3:00 AM!... 'Peaceful clarity' does seem to fit -- I've made some steps towards clarity and setting boundaries while I've been taking Apple." She commented some time later on what we call "the flower/fruit connection" -- where people report they are drawn to the corresponding fruit or vegetable, which clues them to their need for that particular essence. She said, "I also noticed that I was seriously craving a certain kind of apple juice (Gravenstein, very tasty!) just before I started taking the essence, but now am craving it less."
Coconut Essence, for greater spiritual awareness, is a perfect encapsulation of the vishudha's expansive nature. When we need to endure, or to rise above, every test, this essence provides a vibrational solution. "Last night, I was really depressed," a client wrote, "and I was looking at everything that was in front of me. I just didn't think I had the energy to make it through. And then I noticed that Coconut was for longer rhythms and the energy to break through. So I stared drinking my Coconut Essence water. Then at 11:00 PM, I got so much energy that I cleaned the bathroom – which I haven't done in three months! And I started to feel great."
The quintessential Fifth Chakra essence is Lettuce, exclusively for calmness. This essence has a wide range of applications: for developing creativity; for expansion; for strengthening relationships and deepening ties between couples; for clear communication skills; for overcoming stage fright, being especially helpful for performing artists and public speakers; for dispelling excited emotions, including anger, which is highly damaging to the nervous system; and for what Dr. Edward Bach once coined as "the gramophone record state of mind," with churning thoughts and un-assuaging mental scatteredness. As one client documented, "From the very first time I took Lettuce Essence, it has not only given me calmness and peace, but also clarity and a quieting of the constant chatter in my head." To sum up this essence, it supports the development of inner strength and the ability to face challenges.
A perfect complement to the calmness of Lettuce is the state of peacefulness exemplified by Pear Essence. The difference between calmness and peace is indeed subtle, and is explained by J. Donald Walters (a direct disciple of the Indian master, Paramhansa Yogananda and founder of the Ananda communities worldwide) in Savitri Simpson's book, Chakras for Starters:
"Calmness differs from peace. Peace is an aspect of God, too, but it is that which you experience once the mind is stilled. It is similar to a deep sleep from which you awaken feeling great. In deep sleep you've gotten back in touch with the chakras. The more you consciously withdraw your energy into the chakras through meditation, the more you experience an enormous revitalization of energy and consciousness."
Pear is for emergencies of any kind and any time you feel out-of-sorts, off balance, or not quite yourself. It's like bathing in a waterfall of liquid peace. Interestingly, Pear is an excellent "first essence" in a program, for it has the ability to sensitize you to other essences. Many years ago, one of my clients shared this story about her four-year-old grandson: "He was behaving obnoxiously. I gave him two drops. He said, ‘I hate it, I hate it.' Then he immediately said, ‘Can I have some more, please?' He completely calmed down, in two minutes. It was a switch from one minute to the next. After being horribly obnoxious, he then wanted to give some Pear Essence to his parents." How to use Flower Essences to Open Your Chakras
Now, for some practical tips, here are some points to consider. Often, people want to "fix" or "open" a single chakra. Usually, the chakra that needs attention is either a different chakra than the one they're focusing on, or a combination of chakras. Or, they may try to self-diagnose an essence regimen for certain chakras based on physical or emotional symptoms that don't necessarily provide an accurate assessment. If someone insists on saying, for example, "Oh, I know it's my Thoat Chakra that's closed" -- it's best to work on clearing the chakra above it, which then draws the energy upward through the spine, much like a flow of water in a hose. By understanding that we already are the positive qualities we are striving to achieve, through the wise use of flower essences, the task before us isn't nearly so daunting!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Lila Devi Stone is the founder of Master's Flower Essences. Please visit www.MastersEssences.com for more information about Lila and these essences. See more of Lila's previous articles in Vibration Magazine here. DESIGN CREDIT: Art from Clipart.com.
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