article originally published in Vibration Blog, Dec 11, 2010

While the holiday season is full of fun and heartwarming connections with friends and family, it can also be an incredibly challenging time. The added stress of planning parties, cooking, cleaning and shopping can push us far off balance. Throw in traveling, and spending time with rarely seen family members and you have the recipe for holiday stress! Fortunately, flower essences can support us and help us enjoy the holidays.

Holly and Pine have been used as holiday decorations for as long as humans have been seeking help from the green world to survive cold, dark winters. The evergreen foliage of both plants gives us hope that the sun will shine again and warm, pleasant days will return. As flower essences, they also have powerful resonance with issues surrounding the holidays. Holly (Bach) is a broadly applicable essence for anyone feeling unloved and hurt. It can help with siblings feeling slighted in the gift department, or grownups who re-enact old family dramas each time they meet. Holly helps us realize that there is enough love and attention to go around, helps us to be happy for our friend who received the gift we really wanted for ourselves.

Pine (Bach) is equally resonant this time of year. Many people experience feelings of guilt when we can’t meet the high standards of perfection our culture seems to demand. We are bombarded with images of perfect gatherings, lavish presents and shining, happy families – reality just doesn’t match up. Guilt can become a heavy burden to carry. Pine can help relieve this unproductive emotional state and help people accept their imperfect, but well-meaning and heartful, efforts. Pine helps us understand that we are all just doing the best we can with the time and energy we have available, and our families and friends appreciate us for it.

For many people, the holidays trigger feelings of depression. Instead of being able to enjoy gatherings, they reflect on lost family members, or how life seemed brighter in years past. Chiming Bells (Alaska) can help them find the joy in daily life and experience the pleasure that connections with others can bring. Single Delight (Alaska) remedies feelings of disconnection and isolation. It awakens them to the awareness of their interconnectedness with their soul family, even if they can’t be with them in person.

The end of the year is a time for reflecting on the past year and our accomplishments. Holiday “brag letters” from our family and friends may leave us feeling like our lives are not going well and that we are not measuring up. Columbine (Alaska) promotes appreciation for our own unique qualities and gifts. Comparing ourselves to others is not helpful, whether in appearance or outward accomplishments. Columbine helps us see our own beauty and worth. For those whose work or life may be less than glamourous, Lace Flower (Alaska) can help. When we feel insignificant, and that our contributions are not important, Lace Flower helps us realize that we all have a part to play and that everyone’s role is necessary. A woman whose time and energy are devoted to being a mother may not feel as important as someone who is pursuing a lucrative career, but her work is equally valuable. Lace Flower can give that mother perspective and help her feel the value in her work and life.

While the holidays can be stressful, it is important to take a step back and give thanks for all the good things in our life.  Flower essences can provide this needed perspective and help soothe our challenging emotions so we can enjoy the pleasures of the season.

Kathleen Aspenns is a Certified Flower Essence Practitioner and Tellington TTouch Method Equine Practitioner living in Sonoma County, California who works with people and animals of all kinds including dogs, birds, giraffes, vervets and warthogs. Kathleen has trained extensively with Jane Bell, Steve Johnson and David Dalton. She is available for telephone or Skype consultations.