Flower Power

Treatment in which the energy surrounding beautiful flowers helps to heal instead of bitter pills... can it actually happen? can hopes be pinned on a complementary medicine like flower therapy? it is not without reason that flowers are used to convey the message ‘get well soon’. so believe dr atul shah and dr rupa shah, physicians and directors of the mumbai-based complementary medicine research centre. the allopathic doctors were looking for something that was more integrative in approach. and that is when nature’s blossoms caught their attention. dr atul, an md, has worked as a radiologist in new york’s salon kettering and his wife is an mbbs who got interested in alternative medicine. together they have opened the centre, after walking the jungles of gujarat, rajasthan, maharashtra and the himalayas for research. they have been exporting their flower remedies abroad and recently opened a franchise with nirmala tyagi in pune. atul says, “working as a radiologist was akin to being a playback singer! it was very dry and uninteractive. i wanted to understand my patients.” the couple talk to their patients, understand their behaviour pattern, preferences, attitudes, problems and then give their flower solution. they assert that these remedies can treat anxiety, depression, fear, stress, bed-wetting, thumbsucking, fatigue, memory problems, acidity, cold, cough, acne, menopause, sun stroke... you name it. the basis of their flower healing method is that every flower has its own distinct energy level which can do wonders for the human mind and body. “flower essences can cure emotional imbalances and soothe deeply embedded emotional disturbances,” says rupa. they were inspired by the bach flower remedies. “but unlike the bach remedies, we do not cut the flower from the parent plant. we have devised an apparatus through which the flower is immersed in water for two hours and then the energised water is collected in a beaker. for flowers like raatrani and rajnigandha, the process is done in moonlight and for flowers like sunflower - sunlight is important,” explains rupa. the water is called floral water and sometimes a preservative like vinegar or brandy is added. to prepare a remedy, mantras are chanted and special prayers offered to the flowering plant. the remedy is taken orally, three drops thrice a day depending on the severity. it can take anything between hours to months to heal a person. a 125 ml bottle that lasts for a month costs rs 100 to 150. amongst the cases that they claim to have cured are a 23-year-old girl who suffered from myasthenia gravis. she showed improvement after flower therapy and later even had a normal delivery. then there was a 30-year-old lady with hyperthyroid who was on thyroid hormone for nine years. she had symptoms like fatigue and anxiety. “she realised that she could express herself better with the treatment. her blood reports later showed normal thyroid levels,” says dr atul. a 13-year-old girl with rheumatoid arthritis and depression responded very well too, negating the rheumatoid factor in her blood. then there’s tyagi, who says, “my son had met with a serious accident last year and had lost self-confidence. with the flower therapy he has been able to overcome the shock, grief and lack of confidence.” what are the essences used? well, tulip tree flower essence is used to treat day dreaming, morning glory deters one from smoking, whereas chicory treats love pangs and grief which affects the heart chakra. peepal, coconut palm, neem, sandalwood, eucalyptus, lotus, jasmine, rose and hena are those primarily used. the couple has also had some success with helping cancer and hiv cases.