Yarrow Flower Essence for Allergies and Environmental Illness

When I was pregnant, I became extremely sensitive to my environment. I woke up with horrendous allergies every morning, and any scent or chemical brought on a sneezing attack followed by exhaustion and brain fog.

I didn’t want to take medication or strong herbal supplements while pregnant, and there was no way to avoid the triggers because I seemed to be allergic to everything.

Enter yarrow flower essence.

Flower essences work on an energetic, non-physical level, similar to homeopathic remedies. Because there is no actual plant material in the essences, there are virtually no contraindications or worrisome drug interactions to consider.

Yarrow flower essence helps to strengthen individuals with diffuse energetic boundaries and defenses. There is no clear definition between self and the outside world.

Those with unclear boundaries often display an extreme sensitivity to their surroundings. Physically, this can manifest as allergies, environmental illness or Multiple Chemical Sensitivity (MCS), conditions that greatly affect the sufferer’s quality of life.

Such individuals also tend to be emotionally sensitive. Their lack of boundaries can lead to being bombarded with other people’s energy. They are easily affected, emotionally and physically, by negative feelings or chaotic environments. Loud sounds and bright lights may bother them as well.

On the positive side, this sensitivity is associated with increased intuition and empathy. But these favorable qualities are best enjoyed without the misery of environmental illness.

Why is yarrow, specifically, seen as being able to control our physical, emotional, and spiritual boundaries?

In herbal medicine, working on the physical level, yarrow is a strong astringent, literally tightening up tissues that have become too loose and porous, such as swollen, runny noses.

It is also a potent styptic (stops bleeding) and a notable diaphoretic (promotes sweating), which is traditionally believed to expel cold and flu pathogens in the early stages of infection. It is able to open the pores to let feverish heat and toxins out but is also able to clamp down the surface and protect the body from infection, excess bleeding or fluid loss. Yarrow helps the body manage what gets held in and what is pushed out.

Yarrow also helps to heal surface wounds when applied topically. In fact, yarrow’s botanical name, Achillea, refers to the Greek mythological hero Achilles, who used yarrow plants to treat his battlefield wounds. This is mirrored on the energetic level, where weak energetic boundaries are often associated with emotional trauma.

With these traditional medicinal properties, yarrow is seen by flower essence practitioners as possessing an energy that heals the holes in our outer defenses. It helps us to regulate our boundaries, knowing when to open ourselves fully to the world, and when to shield ourselves. This can be a great gift to sensitive souls (and pregnant ladies!).

In my case, I saw good results. I took four drops of yarrow essence in water three or four times a day. Within a few weeks, most of my symptoms were gone, and I was able to enjoy the rest of my pregnancy.

For those with more deeply entrenched symptoms, a related product, Yarrow Environmental Solution, might be more appropriate. It combines yarrow and other flower essences with yarrow and echinacea herbal extracts.

Pink yarrow flower essence, on the other hand, works more directly on problems of emotional boundary-setting. If you are a "narcissist magnet," have poor self-esteem or are constantly being taken advantage of, consider trying this out along with therapy and self-study.

Yarrow flower essence is an FES, or Flower Essence Services, remedy. It is not part of the classic English Bach flower essence series, most famous for its Rescue Remedy product. FES essences are derived mostly from North American plants.

Sources: Flower Essence Repertory: A comprehensive Guide to North American and English Flower Essences for Emotional and Spiritual Well-Being by Patricia Kaminski and Richard Katz

Copyright Emily Snelling 2011.

The statements in this article have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and are not intended to diagnose or treat any medical condition.