Reprinted with permission from the August 1998
issue of Dr. Bob and Susan
Goldsteins’ Love of Animals newsletter, 606 Post Rd. East, Westport, CT
06880; for subscription information, call 800/211-6365.
In recent months, we have
become keenly aware of how emotional problems are often at the
root of physical disease ... and no matter how well we treat the
physical condition, if we continue to ignore its emotional
aspects, true and complete healing cannot occur. Flower essences
prepared from the blossoms of flowering plants have the
capacity, to shift the emotional "imprint" of animals
and people in a powerful way.
Dating back to the
1800s and the well-known Bach Flower Remedies (from which Rescue
Remedy came), the field has undergone a renaissance in recent
years, taking its place in the pantheon of energy and
vibrational modalities.
In our practice, we've been using these
flower essences with outstanding results. They complement
holistic veterinary medicine so well, are inexpensive,
completely harmless and without side effects. (You cannot say
that about too many modalities in veterinary pharmacology!) And,
as more is learned and applied in emerging field of energy
medicine, we expect that specific flower remedies will be
increasingly prescribed to address a myriad of emotionally based
disorders, such as grief, loneliness, jealousy and anxiety, to
name a few.
Consider anxiety, for example. Anxiety
comes in many different forms, and can be precipitated in
animals by the process of adoption, relocation, the introduction
of a new human or animal into your home and the absorption of
negativity from family issues. Formulas are available which can
neutralize and help heal your companion of these painful
reactions which, if left unresolved, may manifest into physical
abnormalities resulting in disease.
Return to Joy-Setting the Stage for Emotional and Physical
Healing
We are delighted to share with you one
of our most successful flower remedies. It's called Return To
Joy, a flower essence combining Bleeding Heart, California Wild
Rose, Castle Lake Azalea, Echinacea, Shooting Star, Flannel
Flower and Lady's Slipper. Return To Joy sets the stage for
healing by relieving stress and relaxing the animal, helping to
rebuild trust and reopen the heart.
Conventional medicine (veterinary and
human) often recommends a tranquilizer, powerful medication that
simply dulls and deadens the emotions. In our clinic in recent
months, we have developed an increased awareness of the
emotional and spiritual needs of our patients and have witnessed
firsthand how flower essences address these needs.
We learned about Return To Joy during a product training given by Sharon Callahan, founder and director of Anaflora Flower Essence Therapy for Animals near Mt. Shasta, California. (Her tiger cat, Lily, pictured at left, stays very close to the bowl of water and flowers during the essence transfer process.) Previously, we had the privilege of administering a specially prepared Anaflora remedy to our beloved Corgi Annie last December. Despite the fact that it was Annie's time to leave her physical body, she was having a difficult time leaving us. Sharon's remedies, which were flown to us overnight, helped us all to let go.
Sharon believes that flower essences are especially effective at releasing past and present suffering and abuse in animals, repairing the damage done to our relationships and enabling new levels of trust.
You may be wondering how a few drops of liquid plant extract could facilitate emotional healing in both animal and humans. I have to ask you this question: Do you know how electricity works before you turn on your refrigerator? And Sharon Callahan points out that all medications, even allopathics, were originally made from plant sources.
We now prescribe Return To Joy, along with remedies to heal the physical condition, to many animals brought to Northern Skies Veterinary Center or our Earth Animal store with a chronic degenerative disease or behavioral problem. Likewise, as a starter remedy, we recommend Return To Joy if your animal __
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is exhibiting emotional problems of any kind
-
is having a behavioral problem
-
has a chronic disease
-
has difficulty receiving or giving affection
-
has difficulty trusting other animals or people
-
is withdrawn or hyperactive
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has been recently adopted from a shelter, weaned or relocated
-
has suffered abuse of any kind or if you suspect abuse
For dogs and cats, add 5 drops to fresh water daily for one month or until improvement is noted emotionally and physically. (For yourself, take 5 drops under the tongue three times daily.)
In future letters, we'll look at other flower essences and their applications. For further information about Anaflora flower essences, you may call Anaflora at
530/926-6424. You can order Return to Joy directly from Anaflora; through our Earth Animal store
800/622-0260 or as part of a health consultation for your animal at our Northern Skies Veterinary Center 203/222-0260 |
