Peace, both in our global community and in our interior world, is an important part of being in balance and being in good health. Peace is one of those concepts that is at once complex and really quite simple. I believe one of our drawbacks as human beings is over-complicating things; which means we are putting more emphasis on what our brain has to say than on what our heart has to say. Our hearts hold our true wisdom. I think it is important to explore how we can cultivate peace in the world and in ourselves.
A good place to start is to pay attention to what takes you out of your heart. What makes it easier for you to disconnect; from others, from self. Looking at our words and actions and deciding, does this bring harmony or dissension? And what do I want to foster in this moment? That is not to say that we don’t confront what should be confronted; rather that we work toward finding the path that allows that confrontation to be productive and create movement toward positive change. As opposed to arguing for the sake of argument. In our dominant culture, those concepts are frequently confused…just look at our Congress.
So I encourage each of you to really stay conscious and make the choice to create connections and harmony – for this is, at the core of things, working against the pattern of disconnect which allows for so much violence and injustice in the world. We can start with ourselves, our loved ones, the people we see each day as we go about our lives; and expand that circle out. For we all indeed impact each other. We are all connected.
Restoring harmony/clearing the air
Sometimes we get out of harmony/balance and we need to clear things out to restore harmony. We can also work preemptively. Keep up a daily check-in with self so that your words and actions are coming from conscious choice and not from a reaction based on old patterns. This can also include cleansing the energy of your home or work space.
For those of you who for health or other reasons, do not want to smudge a space, some flower essence companies make sprays that can be used instead. They are a blend of essences and essential oils in a spritz bottle that you can use on yourself or in a room. For more details about these products, go to their website, but here is some information to get you started.
Purification spray from Alaskan Essences
Cleanses and purifies your home and work environments and your personal energy field; helps to break up and clear stagnant patterns of energy; clarifying, sanctifying and refreshing; washes away tiredness and brings a sense of vital aliveness.
Guardian spray from Alaskan Essences
Helps to create a powerful force-field of protection in your aura and environment; claim your energetic space, maintain your grounding, and feel the protection of strong, healthy boundaries; joy and playfulness; good for people who are highly sensitive; connects us with our inner light and helps us radiate this powerful energy outward into our surroundings; brightens your mood, lift your spirits, and make room for future possibilities.
Purple Sage from Flora of Asia – Brings a cleansing and highly protective energy that ‘throws off’ non-harmonious or disease energies.
Bringing in the calm and peace
Once you’ve cleared out the energy, set your intention for what you want to fill that space with. In this article I’m talking about peace, so here are some plants to support you in cultivating peace. Consider some of these plants also when you are having conflict, or think it may happen, just to help hold the energy.
Pine is used by many Native American cultures to bring in peaceful energy. You can smudge with this, have a pot of water simmering with pine needles in it, make a pillow of the needles to sleep with.
Peace Beach from Hawaiian Essences – Helps to change the habit of constant motion to allow our bones, blood, nerves, senses, brains and fluids to rest; deep interconnected relaxation that restores our peace and protects our sustainability.
Harlequin Glorybower from Flora of Asia – Gives feelings of contentment, peace and joy in physical existence; helps one find the experience of peace in the midst of pain and turmoil.
Schima from Flora of Asia – Provides peace and solace in times of turmoil; the calming and nurturing energy of the divine feminine gives the experience of grace during stressful circumstances.
Japanese Beautyberry from Flora of Asia – Provides a base level of peaceful support and trust that all will be well; encourages harmonizing with challenging situations to find the place of peace and ease within conflict.
Lighten Up spray from Alaskan Essences
Helps to uplift, energize, inspire and nourish; when you feel cut off in any way from your inner sources of light; opens and expands energy pathways, dispelling stagnant emotions, and encourages.
Mind/heart balance
As I mentioned earlier in this article, sometimes what is throwing us off is balancing our mind and heart. Here are some plants to support that balance.
Schisandra – grounds excess energy in the head into the heart.
Aquamarine from Alaskan Essences – stills the mind and allows it to function better as a serene place; esp if being overused.
Giant Burnet from Flora of Asia – a deeply calming essence that releases heat and aggravation from the body; soothes the heart and eases a nervous stomach.
Gigantea Rose from Flora of Asia – encourages the opening of the heart field so that you can be guided in your actions by your most compassionate self.
Illicium from Flora of Asia – provides clarity of mind and calm attention so that you can connect to the guidance of your spirit and strengthen the knowing of your true purpose.
Oriental Plane from Greek Tree Essences – focuses on the heart chakra and how this is the mediator between the head and body; helpful in expressing connection to others on an emotional level; allows for more appropriate emotional judgments.
Replenish spray from Hawaiian Essences – calms and soothes your mind and body, bringing you into a state of deep relaxation; helpful in regaining balance during stressful times, to restore energy reserves, and before bed to enhance restful sleep.
Foothills Paloverde from Desert Alchemy – if you are critical of self or others; deep inner shame and/or self blame; helps to accept and share feelings; brings mind to quieter place, stilling the ego and help be in touch with true self; brings an inner stillness like the moment before dawn.
Connection/disconnection
As Cynthia Athina Kemp Scherer so articulately writes, “as we move into greater awareness of the oneness of all of humanity, we are left with the task of actually getting along in our daily lives with others.” Here are some plants for supporting us to choose connection rather than disconnecting.
Sea turtle from Hawaiian Essences – helps us learn how to share space with others so that connectedness nourishes rather than depletes us; increases awareness of and appreciation for our interdependent relationship with Nature and other forms of life; helps us move with grace and peace in any environment.
Oak’s Mushroom from Greek Tree Essences – brings closure and allows the disconnected to connect; helps see the relation between seemingly unrelated things.
Okinawan Holly from Flora of Asia – helps us open our hearts to others and realize we are part of a greater whole; addresses the polarities of separation vs interdependence, allowing us to release our fears of lack and habits of contracting instead of sharing.
Naked (spray) from Hawaiian Essences – liberates your self radiance so you can express yourself and share your gifts with the world; helps you to be seen and valued for who you truly are.
Rainbow Shower Tree from Hawaiian Essences – feeling showered with safety and angelic grace when we feel vulnerable to allow our full beauty and potential to shine through; encourages group harmony be weaving angelic grace into the fabric of family and community.
Community Spirit Formula from Desert Alchemy – enhances the ability to sensitively and firmly express our personal needs in relation to the group and to contribute inspiration to the community; sparks an appreciation of our place in the greater global community and a sense of responsibility for the earth.
Male Papaya from Hawaiian Essences – manifesting plans into action with flow rather than force; learning to love putting our true self out into the world and seeing the positive impact of our actions; developing leadership qualities
Sweet Michelia from Flora of Asia – holds sacred temple energy; inspires us to seek re-union with our spirit and fosters compassion for ourselves and for others
I hope that this article has brought you some measure of peace today and that, perhaps, one of these plants spoke to you as an ally in your work of cultivating peace.
Be well and walk gently,
Sarah