Listen to Dr Kyra's interview on Edge Talk Radio's Happenings with Cathy Jacobsen. We discuss Dr Kyra's upcoming Edge Talk Radio podcast, The Strength of Sensitivity. Cathy asked Kyra several insightful questions about her work with sensitive people. Click the link to listen on blogtalkradio.com. http://www.blogtalkradio.com/edgemagazine/2015/01/22/edge-happenings-with-cathy-jacobsen

Summer Flowers to Lighten the Winter Blues: Flower Essence Therapy for Seasonal Affective Disorder

If you find that winter hits you hard, and you struggle with symptoms like depression, irritability, and fatigue throughout the cold months, you are nowhere near alone. Many people are in the same boat and have found natural approaches such as light therapy, saunas, and supplementation with Vitamin D & fish oils to be helpful for keeping body and spirit up throughout the winter. But there is one other lesser known treatment that can make a world of difference to ease winter blues, and that is Flower Essence Therapy.

Flower essences are energetic remedies made from the flowers of various plants and trees. Because the name sounds similar to essential oils used in aromatherapy, people tend to confuse the two, but flower essence therapy is a unique type of energy medicine in a class all its’ own. Essences are made co-creatively with nature. Flowers are gently harvested from the plants, which are otherwise unharmed and respected. Then their energetic pattern is transferred to water which is bottled and taken in drops. Although they may sound delicate, flower essences provide powerful healing support to transform emotional and spiritual issues. You can find a flower that wants to help you heal from just about any issue you can think of: overcoming a history of abuse, adapting to major life changes, managing anxiety, buffering hypersensitivity, or revitalizing after burnout. Calix: International Journal of Flower Essence Therapy has published several studies which demonstrate the effectiveness of flower essences in the treatment of depression.

When you think about it, taking a remedy that holds the energy of a summer flower in bloom is a unique gift to give yourself during the winter. There are several flower essences that bring healing light to the winter blues. I make a mix I call “Happy Winter Drops,” which contains 3 FES brand flower essences: Rosemary, Chamomile & Saint John’s Wort. The short definitions of these flower essences from the FES Flower Essence Repertory are as follows:

Rosemary brings positive qualities of a warm physical presence, full embodiment into the physical body, and a feeling of vibrant incarnation.

Chamomile helps the personality shift toward emotional balance with a serene, sun-like disposition.

Saint John’s Wort helps us balance the effects of too much or too little light. It provides protection and strength for sensitive people’s psyche and can be helpful for those deprived of light, such as in Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Flower essences need to be taken several times per day to consistently introduce their healing energy and thus make the emotional shifts you seek. It’s easiest to put the drops in a water bottle or herbal tea and sip it throughout the day.

The FES essences mentioned above are just a few of the flower essence remedies that you may find helpful to ease your winter depression. There are many other brands of flower essences as well. Some other flower essence brands found online are Alaskan Essences, Desert Alchemy, Green Hope Farm, and Pacific Essences. (If you purchase flower essences at a co-op or herb shop, please make sure you are actually purchasing a flower essence, and not an herbal tincture or extract.)

All these brands have individual essences or a mixture that is targeted to relieve the symptoms of seasonal depression.

Kyra Mesich, PsyD is author of The Sensitive Person’s Survival Guide. She offers holistic psychotherapy with flower essences, energy healing, intuition development & nutrition guidance to clients in Minneapolis/St Paul MN & by phone consultation. Please visit her website at www.DrKyraHolisticTherapy.com

Seasonal Affective Disorder: Natural Ways to Ward Off Winter Blues

by Kyra Mesich, PsyD in Natural Awakenings Magazine
http://www.natwincities.com/Twin-Cities/January-2015/Seasonal-Affective-Disorder-Natural-Ways-to-Ward-Off-Winter-Blues/