Calming Influences: Lettuce Flower Essence

In flower essence therapy we speak of a "Theme Essence" to describe the personality type of an animal. For example, if you live with an animal who is calm by nature, who is gentle with other animals in your household and who seems to communicate her wants and needs to you in a quiet, almost telepathic manner, you are fortunate to be sharing your life with a "Lettuce Theme" individual.

The lettuce plant itself is a spring crop, which grows best in cooler climates and is very Yin or feminine in quality with her high water content and understated beauty. In herbal practices the extract of the lettuce has been used for centuries for its sedating and anesthetic properties. As with all plants the highest vibrational quality of the plant is held in its flower, the reproductive system of the plant. Therefore, if the lettuce plant contains the "vibrational vitamin" of calming, it is the lettuce flower that contains the highest concentration of this subtle energy and in the form of a Flower Essence, the energy of the flower is transformed to a potenthealing remedy.

Because of its calming influence, Lettuce flower essence is recommended to help an animal who is restless, nervous or hyperactive. It is a great remedy to give to your animal before training sessions if he or she has trouble staying focused or has a short attention span. Conversely, Lettuce can also help one who is overly focused, wound-up inside and always "on the job" by allowing him or her to relax the need to perform.

Flower essences are here to assist us with our animals, of course, not to substitute for how we should be caring for their needs, training them and loving them. We must be sure they are receiving plenty of good, fun exercise, proper nutrition, guidance when necessary and a safe and comfortable place of their own in which to retreat. By understanding our companion's essential nature and knowing when she is out of balance, we can identify the proper essence to help keep her emotionally healthy. Both the essence and our appreciation of our animals' positive qualities can be very affirming and validating to their spirits.

If you find an essence is not working for your animal's particular issue, it may be necessary to re-evaluate the situation to see if there are other factors contributing to the problem.

There are many reputable lines of flower essences on the market; the Lettuce Flower Essence discussed in this article is from Spirit In Nature Flower Essences, the oldest line of essences in the United States, developed by Lila Devi Stone in 1977.