Cynthia M. Nolen is a Board Certified Polarity Practitioner (BCPP) with the American Polarity Therapy Association (APTA), globally connected to the International Polarity Education Alliance (IPEA). Polarity Therapy is an innovative therapeutic modality designed to restore balance and harmony to the various energy systems of the body. The practitioner guides the client through kinesthetic awareness, gentle touch and massage, exercise, nutrition and self-awareness. A Polarity Therapist facilitates a dynamic approach using reflective listening skills. The client is encouraged to discover the connection between physical, mental, and emotional symptoms and resultant pain, stress, and disease.

Cynthia Nolan has found that her work as a Polarity Therapist is greatly enhanced through the use of flower essences. Many of Cynthia’s’ clients come through referral from other health professionals. Chiropractors recommend those clients whose continual adjustments do not seem to help or hold. Psychotherapists have discovered that polarity treatments allow a client to progress more quickly through their issues by releasing emotions stuck in the body.

"Flowers hold a power so much deeper than we ever imagine, unless we dedicate study to them. They carry a vibratory life pattern that can work within the human energy field. That life force is carried in each flower essence." — Cynthia Nolan

How Flower Essences Are Incorporated
into a Polarity Session

Cynthia introduces her work to each client by explaining how Polarity Therapy is designed to achieve energetic and elemental balance through enhancing awareness—a goal that is unique within bodywork modalities. As each session develops, a particular part of the body is brought into focus (for example, a prior injury or trauma, where pain, constriction, or other difficulty resides). A compassionate process of questions and answers helps the client reveal submerged emotional experiences. Within this context, flower essences (and at times, essential oils) are energetically introduced. As the essences are gently placed on the skin, such as on the top of the hand, the client experiences a profound emotional shift, allowing the body to drop into a relaxed and receptive healing state. Cynthia notes that the procedure of testing flower essences with the client in this manner is a remarkable process of discovery: “…if the essence is not the right one, there is not an emotional shift. We try again until we find the one that provides that shift.”

As the essences are gently placed on the skin, such as on the top of the hand, the client experiences a profound emotional shift, allowing the body to drop into a relaxed and receptive healing state.

Extending the Session:
Flower Essences for Personal Use

Cynthia employs both dosage bottles and misting bottles for her clients’ home use between sessions.

Dosage bottles are used according to the standard dosage of four drops, four times a day for four weeks either orally or on the skin. When the client returns, Cynthia checks for progress and shifts. She recommends a new combination if more change or a clearer response is needed.

The misting bottle is also a beneficial alternative way of using the essences. Cynthia instructs the client to spray the mist into the room being used (bedroom, office, living room etc). Then the client breathes deeply and mindfully into the mist.

Most clients typically comment, “Yes, there has been some change. I do feel better when I’m using flower essences.” She guides her clients toward regular, rhythmic, and sustained use so that deeper changes can occur. Clients then are able to look back and realize that certain emotions that seemed major just months ago are now very manageable. Through this incremental process, Cynthia can continue to uncover and address further aspects of physical and emotional discomfort in clients’ lives.

Below, Cynthia shares summaries of several typical cases involving Polarity and Flower Essence Therapy. All names have been changed to preserve the privacy of her clients.

Clients are able to look back and realize that certain emotions that seemed major just months ago are now very manageable.

Regaining Vital Force and Spiritual Alignment
After the Death of a Spouse

Anna is a 94-year-old woman who first saw Cynthia as a client three months after her husband died. Anna reported in her initial session, “I’m just tired, having trouble remembering things, and I just feel 'off.'”

Cynthia had an advantage of knowing Anna for over 20 years. Upon arriving for her initial session, Cynthia observed that Anna was not her usual self. Previously always a bright and happy woman, Anna did not convey her typical vital energy and zest for life. Anna and her spouse had been married for over 70 years, had been very close and had enjoyed a wonderful life together. It was as though she had lost a part of herself when her husband died.

Cynthia suggested Anna work with a grief psychotherapist. Cynthia has observed that grief is multifaceted and time layered. There is a kind of grief when a loved one is in transition and another kind once they pass. Also, the grief that occurs immediately after a death is very different from its development a few months or years later.

The strategy in the polarity sessions and in the use of flower essences was to help Anna regain vital life force, spiritual alignment, and renewed inner light.

Buttercup Ranunculus occidentalis Buttercup helped Anna rekindle her inner radiance and self-esteem after her husband’s death.

The following flower essences helped Anna:

• Morning Glory – to reawaken the vital force and help restore life rhythms.
• Purple Monkeyflower – to restore calm and clarity supporting trust on a spiritual level.
• Rosemary – bringing her to full presence mentally and physically.
• Buttercup – for radiant inner light helping her regain her flame, after her husband’s departure.
• Lavender essential oil – for an added calming effect.

Over the course of 18 months, the flower essence combination was adjusted. Each time Cynthia saw her, Anna would say she felt better. Cynthia observed that the integrated approach of Flower Essence Therapy and Polarity Therapy with grief counseling created a powerful healing outcome.

Reforming Social Bonds Following Retirement

At age 66, Peter decided to retire from his life work as the senior minister of a large church. He discovered that the church’s retirement policy did not allow him to engage in many former relationships and social opportunities. As a very popular and outgoing minister, Peter found this new situation very difficult. Further adding to his stress were the many needs of his two parents in their late 90s, especially the difficult relationship with his father.

Baby Blue Eyes Nemophila menziesii Baby Blue Eyes was an important flower for Peter in learning to understand the challenges he faced with his elderly father.

The following flowers helped Peter navigate this challenging phase:

• Forget-Me-Not – to realize that his nourishing social relationships as a minister could prevail in a new form and that the essential heart connection would endure
• Baby Blue Eyes – for emotional understanding and acceptance of his elderly father, and to reach into higher aspects of soul support
• Beech – to stimulate tolerance and acceptance, especially seeing the good in social relationships, despite new challenges and obstacles

An essential oil spray formula was also used to help with grounding and stabilization as Peter developed his post-retirement lifestyle.

Coping with Personal and Professional Trauma
and Moving Forward

Marilyn is a 43-year-old woman with a demanding career advising graduate students at a large university. She was born with facial distortions and endured over a dozen surgeries as a baby and young child. Marilyn was referred to Cynthia through a psychotherapist. Marilyn stated, “Throughout my entire life, I have always felt ugly. I feel that my students and colleagues are always looking at me with disgust.” Cynthia responded, “They look at you because they respect you. You have so much knowledge, and you support people so well. They’re looking at you with admiration.” But this was not something Marilyn could internalize.

Marilyn also suffered significant stress from a complicated and strained relationship with her parents, especially following the shocking suicide of her younger sister. “It turned the whole family upside down,” commented Cynthia. “Instead of drawing the family closer, it tore them apart.”

Marilyn’s work formula was intended to help her come to terms with core feelings of unworthiness and low self-esteem. The work formula included:

• Pretty Face – to allow her innate inner radiance to shine, realizing her own unique beauty
• Self-Heal – to bring physical and soul wholeness following her numerous facial surgeries
• Gentian –for confidence, perseverance in moving forward in her career despite the personal setback from her sister’s suicide.
  
• Calendula – to encourage her warm healing essence, kind words, and social connection to others in her workplace

Pretty Face Triteleia ixioides Marilyn benefited from Pretty Face to shift her feeling of being physically unattractive by learning to socially project her internal worth and beauty.

The home formula featured:

• Poison Oak – to stay emotionally open with the entire family despite hostility and trauma
• Pink Yarrow – to help recognize and enact appropriate emotional boundaries
• Red Chestnut – for inner peace and trust for the unfoldment of life events: also transforming personal worry and anxiety into healthy compassion and care for others
• Pink Monkeyflower – for emotional openness, and the honesty of taking emotional risks, especially speaking directly with family and parents about her sister’s death
• Love-Lies-Bleeding – to move beyond the personal anguish, shock and grief of her sister’s suicide
• Star of Bethlehem – to soothe and transform her personal family trauma and provide spiritual realignment and integration

During this time, Marilyn found a new career opportunity within a different university department. Her new position is more ideally fitted to her core life goals. Overall, she feels better about herself and her family situation. Though she still has some difficulty with her parents, she’s learning who she is and how to set healthy boundaries.

Companion Animals Are Mirrors of the Human Soul:
Helping Marilyn’s German Shepherd Dog

Cynthia provides flower essences for animals that are experiencing many of the same life changes and challenges as their caretakers. Marilyn, whose case is described above, had a 12-year-old German Shepherd named Buddy who had difficulty walking and other challenges related to aging, although he was still happy to be Marilyn’s companion. Buddy’s formula was prepared in a dropper bottle, and Marilyn administered the formula by putting the drops on her hand and then making gentle contact with Buddy.

Gentian Gentianella amarella Both Marilyn and Buddy (her companion German Shepherd Dog) received Gentian to address discouragement and rally new forces of perseverance.

Several of the flowers chosen mirrored their mutual life together and were also used for Marilyn.

• Love-Lies-Bleeding – to move beyond personal pain
• Gentian –for confidence and perseverance in moving forward despite setbacks; this worked for Marilyn in regard to her sister’s suicide and when Buddy had setbacks in health.
  
• Aspen – especially for courage dealing with the unknown.
• Angelica – for protection and guidance.
• Angel’s Trumpet – for letting go when he was ready to move on to the spiritual world

Reassessing Personal and Professional Priorities

Sandra is a 68-year-old woman, who is the department head scientist for AIDS research within a large university. Her work is demanding and multi-faceted. She had hoped to work until age 70 but has recently learned she requires knee replacement surgery. She feels called to expand into a new role and life purpose as a grandmother, with two daughters expecting their first babies.

The work formula included:

• Indian Pink – for centering and focus, especially during stressful times
• Hornbeam – to help regain enthusiasm and to understand her energy and motivation for work responsibilities
• Madia – for precise thinking and concentration, to enhance clear focus at work
• Mountain Pennyroyal – encouraging clarity of thought and psychic cohesion, during high stress and socially challenging situations with colleagues

Indian Pink Silene laciniata ssp. californica Sandra was helped by Indian Pink to navigate workplace stress and to bring focus for her many executive responsibilities.

The home formula included:

• Mimulus – for courage to face new health choices as her chronic knee pain persisted
• Oak – for accepting her physical limitations
• Pink Monkeyflower – to engage openly and honestly with her children without “covering” or denying her inmost feelings

With the help of flower essences, Sandra was able to clearly re-assess and re-align her personal and career choices. She decided to retire earlier than her original 70-year goal and is enjoying spending quality time with her expanding family.

About Cynthia M. Nolen

Cynthia’s practice, Caring Hands Massage & Bodywork, LLC , is located in Madison, Wisconsin. She also maintains a small practice in San Juan, Texas where she has a winter home. Cynthia has a bachelor’s degree in psychology, a certificate in Elementary and Middle School Education from the University of Wisconsin-Parkside; and a master's degree in Communication and Media Arts from Indiana State University. She began her career as a video production professional in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, including working as the Director of Instructional Program Development for Wisconsin Public Radio and Television. Following diverse training in the healing arts, Cynthia has taught classes for many years at various schools in ethics, business, bodywork modalities, energy work, Flower Essence Therapy, essential oil therapy and Polarity Therapy. Cynthia lives with her husband, Paul Abramson, and their two feisty felines, Thelma and Louise. Cynthia can be reached at cynthia.caringhands@gmail.com .