The Flower Essence Podcast

In this episode, Rochana and Kathleen explore neurodiversity and the application of Bach flowers as a balancing, stress-reducing complementary therapy for people with Autism, ADHD, and other forms of neurodivergence.

We reframe some of the traditional, often judgmental, Bach flower descriptions into a more modern, neuro-affirming framework that supports lived experience rather than treating brain differences as disorders.

Rochana brings in her story as a late-diagnosed AuDHD woman as we discuss Heather, Pine, Hornbeam, Elm, Olive, and Agrimony in the context of common neurodivergent challenges such as executive functioning, sensory overwhelm, burnout, masking, self-focus, and shame.

We'll also be doing a deep dive into some of these essences in our upcoming live cohort of Bach Flowers in Contemporary Practice, the last in the series, taught by Ruth and Kathleen beginning Sept. 24th.

00:00 Opening

03:03 Neuro framing

13:15 Heather

19:20 Pine

24:15 Hornbeam

30:54 Elm

32:00 Olive

34:15 Elm and Olive

36:00 Industrial society

39:14 Agrimony

42:43 Contemporary Practice

44:54 Closing

🌼 Full show notes on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Please leave a review on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribe to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes on the website ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

The fear of being seen - an inexplicable dread around being seen publicly, in person or online, is common among practitioners of alternative healing modalities, flower essences included. Revealing our true selves — our spiritual, mystical, or intuitive selves, is a challenge for so many of us.

In her role as a business coach, Rochana noticed this and related deep-seated patterns of staying small that consistently blocked women from their business goals, and she saw it in herself as well. She noticed the difference between how visibility felt in the corporate world vs. in the healing world, and set out to explore why her nervous system was triggered so much more in the latter case. The rabbit hole she found was one that deeply resonated with her modern-day experience, past life memories, and connection to her ancestors.

In this episode, we explore where this fear comes from and why it's persistent — we look at the roots of it as inherited transgenerational trauma stemming from centuries of patriarchy and the terror of the witch hunts. We bring in flower essences and gem elixirs as exceptional allies for the journey of becoming visible.

Rochana's business practice is: Creative Soul Business

The upcoming course will be posted at the School for Flower Essence Studies

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

Gem elixirs are having a moment, and Kathleen and Ro think you should know why. In this episode of the Flower Essence Podcast, they explore how gem elixirs work alongside flower essences to anchor energetic shifts into the body, strengthen the auric field, support heart healing, and help us stay grounded in overwhelming times.

They walk through practical gem-flower pairings for empaths and sensitives, emotional boundaries, stress relief, and heart reopening — covering stones like Black Tourmaline, Hematite, Rose Quartz, Kunzite, Jade, Gold, and Smoky Quartz, paired with essences including Yarrow, Pink Yarrow, Angelica, Rose, and more. They also share tips on using color as an initial pairing indication and resources for deepening your gem elixir knowledge.

A gem elixir course from the School for Flower Essence Studies is coming this year — this episode is your beautiful introduction.

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

When we hear people talking about boundaries, we're usually hearing the idea of verbally setting a limit in a relationship - this is important, but misses the foundation.

If we don't have an energetic boundary, if our sense of self never developed, if our field has been compromised by trauma/abuse, we don't have a sense of self/not self. Any setting of boundary from this state is unstable, and tends to either be soft or rigid.

Flower essences help change our boundary patterns by establishing a new template for our energetic and emotional fields.

In this episode, Kathleen and Rochana chat about the polarity of boundaries and some key flower essences that can help us come into energetic balance.

Sign up for our new live workshop, Reclaim Your Energy on May 30, and stay tuned for the Energy Boundaries Reset course.

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🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

Our friend and teacher David Dalton returns to the pod to talk about his new book, Advanced Flower Essence Healing: New Frontiers in the Field of Bach Flower Remedies.

David is a pioneer in the flower essence field. He's worked as a flower essence practitioner, producer, researcher, and teacher since the 1980s. He's the founder of Delta Gardens Flower Essences, author of Stars of the Meadow: Medicinal Herbs as Flower Essences, and has presented at our Flower Essence Conferences.

In this episode, we explore David's considerable contribution to the structure and development of this healing modality:

• his research and how to know what a flower essence does
• how past trauma affects personality development and daily life
• patterns he's seen over decades of practice
• the energy transmission method he's developed
• and more

We're excited for this book to hit the shelves on April 14, and it's available for pre-order now.

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

Joining us to talk about the energetics of adoption trauma and healing with flower essences is Charlene Briggs of Botanical Energetics. As a Flower Essence Practitioner since 1999, Charlene specializes in working with adoptees and helps clients frame and recalibrate from the many losses associated with relinquishment, adoption, and subsequent adaption.

According to Charlene, adoption is hard on everyone. For the adoptee it's an energetic fracture and a lifetime of recalibration. For the first mothers it's heartbreak, and for the adoptive parents it's an unspoken debt that often comes due when the adoptee reaches the limit of their pain.

This debt is not just imposed on the family but on society. No matter how much we manipulate nature to satisfy our needs and wants, it's nature's job to return to itself. "If a plant cannot live according to its nature, it dies, and so a man". —HD Thoreau.

Adoptees are plants ripped from their roots and this energetic fracture at their core ripples throughout families and time. Transformation of this fracture lives in nature's ability to restore order, productivity, creativity and peace.

Flower essences can be:

• offered to first mothers for clarity in their decision and in anticipation of relinquishment

• applied to the wrists of lost newborns to help them regulate the rupture

• kept on hand for the relinquished person's painful journey back to their root

• shared with the adoptive parents to help them with their unique challenges.

Gifts from nature, flower essences offer hope to everyone caught in the adoption triangle.

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2026 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

Kathleen and Rochana welcome Heidi Smith back to the podcast! Author of The Bloom Book - A Flower Essence Guide to Cosmic Balance, Heidi is a psychosomatic therapist, registered herbalist, and flower essence practitioner based in New York.

In this episode we dive into her latest book, The Uncommon Book of Prayer: A Guide to Co-Creating with the Universe. After unraveling and reframing the term "prayer", we explore flower and vibrational essences that support divine connection, ritual, affirmation, and intention. Enjoy this illuminating discussion just in time for the Winter Solstice.

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2025 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

Kathleen and Rochana discuss the magical and healing benefits of belonging to a safe and soul-aligned community, while acknowledging the challenges faced by empaths and those recovering from toxic community experiences.

We exlore flower and gem essences for maintaining healthy discernment, grounding, and boundaries, for feeling more at ease so you can show up as who you actually are, and for feeling coherence in spaces with others.

No matter where you are in the process, the community of Nature, plants, and animals is always there for you. And if you use flower essences and yearn to talk about it with like-minded souls, stay tuned for our upcoming Soul Circle beginning in 2026. Sign up for the Waitlist here: https://floweressencestudies.kit.com/communitygroups

We're grateful to have you in our community 💕🌸🌼🌻🌺

☞ Join us on our free Live Chats!

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☞ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript

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✿ Kathleen Aspenns ✿

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___________________

© 2025 Flower Essence Studies LLC. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law. Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice.

In this episode, Kathleen and Rochana introduce the 12 Windows of Plant Perception, a multi-dimensional approach to plant study developed by the Flower Essence Society. It's a significant component of our Flower Essence Practitioner Training Program, and helps us to cultivate a living, holistic understanding of a plant and its healing signatures.

We discuss our experience with this approach and some of the "windows" explored during our in-depth study of the Chicory and Queen Anne's Lace flower essence plants.

Learn about the objective and subjective practice of plant observation, how plant stories help cultures maintain stable information over time, and be encouraged to try it yourself!

🌸📚🌿💕✨Join our upcoming cohort of the FES Flower Essence Practitioner Certification Program!

You'll enjoy a rich and spacious learning experience through our hybrid approach that blends on-demand multimedia lessons and live interactive sessions. We'll meet twice a month for six months beginning October 17, 2025, allowing plenty of time to explore, experiment and integrate the information. Register now for immediate access to the course materials. ✨

🌼 Full podcast show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2025 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law. Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.

In this episode, Kathleen and Rochana bring you an excerpt from their new course, Bach Flower Foundations, now open for registration at the School for Flower Essence Studies.

We share a segment from the module, Bach Flowers for Modern Life, where we springboard from Dr. Bach's original insights on personality types to think in terms of the Bach flowers as archetypes representing personality "parts" and how they interact in relationships.

It's a fascinating discussion highlighting some of the most "active" Bach flower archetypes and some corresponding "reactive" patterns, with examples that help us understand these personality parts better. It's a great way to envision some of the characteristics of the Bach flowers that we cover comprehensively in the course.

🌼 Full show notes and transcript on the Flower Essence Podcast website.

❤️ Like this episode? Help us out by clicking the like button on the platform you're listening with or watching this, and subscribing to our channel on iTunes, Spotify, or YouTube.

🌸 The Flower Essence Podcast is hosted by Rochana Felde and Kathleen Aspenns of The School for Flower Essence Studies, and additionally supported by our wonderful patrons and listeners like you.

LEARN MORE ✿ The Flower Essence Podcast: Get the show notes and transcript ✿ Patreon: Support our work and keep this podcast ad-free ✿ The School for Flower Essence Studies: We have courses for everyone, from the beginner to advanced practitioner. Get the free Flower Essence Quickstart, join our Live Community Chats, and become a member of our community.

🌸🌼💕🌻🌺

© 2025 The School for Flower Essence Studies. All rights reserved. Content from the Flower Essence Podcast is protected under copyright law.

Legal Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed by guests on the Flower Essence Podcast are solely those of the guest and do not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of Rochana Felde, Kathleen Aspenns or the Flower Essence Podcast. All content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered professional advice. Please consult with your own health care practitioner regarding any medical information discussed by the hosts and guests on the Flower Essence Podcast.