by T. M. D'illon

Paul Wyman, CMT, was a massage therapy teacher who had been in private practice for a number of years. He is a proponent of using flower essences topically, and has achieved "impressive healing results" in the reduction of scar tissue pain, TMJ, and arthritis.

He believes undiluted drops directly from the stock bottle work the best, and he chooses essences by muscle testing.

"I used Star of Bethlehem on an enormous scar on the torso of a Vietnam veteran," he reported. "By applying the drops topically, the scar tissue went from being tight, white, painful and restrictive of motion, to a full range of motion with no pain. The scar itself was reduced to about half its previous size. I did not use massage, or any other therapy. I can't prove it, but I believe the essence dissolved the scar tissue. It was absolutely astonishing. I kept a photographic record of the case."

He cites cases of clients with bursitis and arthritis who, after receiving a few drops of Holly, Zinnia and/or Spinach essences, discovered joints had loosened up and much of the pain had gone.

Wyman also uses the Self-Heal Creme with these clients. "The arthritis clients I work on find it extremely helpful. I have them put a few drops of an essence in the cream and rub it into the joints. Any time there is a need for skin involvement with an energy disturbance I always use Self Heal Creme ."

He notes that clients who are taking anti-depressant drugs do not seem to receive the positive effects of flower essences. "I have a few patients who are on fairly high doses of anti-depressants who have been unable to perceive much effect from essences. I think the drugs have a blanketing effect which profoundly blocks the energy movements." 

The first flower essence Wyman used topically was Agrimony , for chronic TMJ. He put a few drops on the TMJ area, and the next day the client threw away the Bite Guard she had been using for 20 years.

"It made sense that her TMJ would be helped by Agrimony because of the profile of the essence; someone who is always smiling, trying to show a cheerful side of themselves, but not willing to show any other feelings. If one is smiling all the time, the jaw would be the place where tension would manifest itself," Wyman said.

He often sends clients home with an essence to continue the treatment orally. He calls Star of Bethlehem "an astonishing remedy for topical application, because it releases cellular memory. Much of what happens occurs physically, and then is kept in the memory. We hold so much shock in our bodies from experiences; and it can get trapped there. At times it seems all roads lead to Star of Bethlehem."

It was Wyman's father who got him started using flower essences. "My father is a homeopath and has been using essences since the early 1960s. I grew up in a house full of flower essences, and we used them a great deal."

Paul Wyman, CMT, is a native of England and has lived in the USA since 1991. Trained at the Brian Utting School of Massage Therapy in Seattle, he also served as a member of the faculty in 1994-95. In 1996, he began teaching workshops in flower essence therapy to bodyworkers. Today he works as an executive coach and leadership development consultant. Visit his website.