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Flowers have long held a place of high esteem in the traditional healing systems of the world. Many plant flowers have medicinal properties that are utilized in Western herbalism, Ayurveda, Chinese Medicine and Native American healing. California poppy and passionflower are two highly regarded plants utilized in Western herbalism in the treatment of depression, anxiety, insomnia and other conditions affecting the nervous system. Many of us have experienced the effectiveness of echinacea (used in the Native American herbal pharmacopoeia) to bolster our immune system or ward off that impending cold.

In Ayurveda, the native health system of East India becoming increasingly popular in this country, plants are recognized as having parts that correspond functionally to the human organism. Thus, you have bark, the ?skin? of the plant; leaves, the plants ?nervous system;? and fruit or berries which are basically the sex organs of the plant. These plant parts, not coincidentally, often treat the corresponding human ?part? of the body. Hence, tree barks such as white oak and sassafras effectively address various skin conditions, fruits or berries such as saw palmetto and vitex berries can address problems related to the reproductive system, and so on.

[tag]Flowers [/tag]express the nature of the plant through their visual beauty and smell. Thus, the flower part of a plant can often address imbalances related to the emotions or expressive part of human beings. This is true not only in herbal medicinal preparations, but another plant-based therapy, aromatherapy; the ?science of using essential oils?the volatile oils of plants?to promote psychological and physical well-being. ? (www.aromaweb.com) These oils are not oily but are the liquids distilled from various parts of the plant.

[tag]Essential oils[/tag] have a wide variety of applications including skin conditions such as acne and eczema, asthma, insomnia, PMS, arthritis, irritable bowel syndrome and various digestive problems, to name a few. I?ve acquired several different essential oils and have come to rely upon them to help with PMS symptoms (nervousness, tension or anxiety, the ?blues?) as well as a quick pick me up when my energy feels low. Or, sometimes I pull them out just so I can enjoy the sweet aromas of Nature!

A fun and easy way to introduce yourself to the wonders of [tag]aromatherapy [/tag]is to ease on down to your local health store, most of which now carry essential oils. Most brands feature samplers you can whiff. Often there will be pamphlets describing the uses of each essential oil. But just as effective, and more fun, is to smell various oils and let your body tell you what works!

A few words of caution when using essential oils: Arm yourself with a book or instructional pamphlet (often availiable through the companies which produce the oils) before you consider taking the oils out of the bottle. Most aromatherapy books and pamphlets instruct you to utilize essential oils in one of two ways?by massaging into the skin (through a carrier oil or other liquid) or inhalation through the nose or mouth with air or steam. Essential oils are very powerful and must be diluted in water or a carrier oil or other solution before applied directly to the body. They are, however, perfectly safe when used according to directions.

Also, be advised that some companies do label their products as ?aromatherapy? when they are, in fact, adulterated with fragrances or other artificial substances. Look for labels that say ?100% essential oils? and/or give the botanical name of the plant (usually listed in italics below the plant name). www.aromaweb.com, provides an excellent online resource for beginners.

(Sources; The Yoga of Herbs, V.Lad & M.Tierra; Discover Essential Oils, N. Naylor; The Aromatherapy Book, J. Rose)

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