Heather and the art of listening

Heather and the art of listening

by Linda Crider —

Dr. Edward Bach relied heavily on his keen awareness of human nature when he put together his 38 flower-remedy healing system during the early part of the 20th century. While attending social events, or just making regular visits to the local pub, he would quietly observe those around him. His sincere interest and curiosity about human nature led him to categorize the various personalities based on human behavior.

One of the things he noticed was that there were some people who were loners by choice and others who suffered from loneliness, unaware of why they were treated like social pariahs. For these well-meaning but emotionally starved individuals, Bach included the essence of Heather.

Self-awareness is a gift that not everyone possesses. It is not always easy to see yourself in the same light that others do. Heather people are often unaware of their tendency to chatter extensively on their favorite topic — themselves. Others quickly tire of the incessant monologue and will escape as soon as the first opportunity presents itself.

We all have times when we need to vent to friends and family; however, when Heather individuals are sad or under the weather, they call everyone who will listen and subject them to a long-winded list of their ailments and problems. They never seem to realize that perhaps their listeners may have some troubles themselves that they wish to share but cannot get a word in edgewise.

At social functions, Heather types latch on to whomever they can corner, babbling incessantly, while often detaining their listener by grabbing onto a sleeve or an arm. Inevitably, the time comes when others purposefully avoid them. These people do not understand why they are left without a much-needed audience.

When friends and family stop listening to them, they begin to talk to strangers. If Dr. Bach were alive today, he would likely agree that Heather types would be drawn to social-media sites where they could share the details of their everyday life with the world.

Taking the essence of Heather will benefit chatterboxes of all ages and species. Children who dominate the conversation and seem to need more individual attention than most will give parents and teachers a much-needed break with regular use of this remedy. Dogs that bark constantly, cats that meow or “talk” persistently and birds that are especially chirpy could use a few drops of Heather in their food or water bowls.

The old vaudeville quip, “But enough about me. How about you? What do you think about me?” provides comedic insight into someone in the negative Heather state. Fortunately, a remedy exists to encourage these folks to realize that other people may have something to say and/or problems they may want to discuss. Taking Heather allows those in need to cultivate the art of listening, compassion and empathy.

Linda Crider, BFRP, has been a promoter and educator of botanical healing practices for 15 years. She specializes in flower essence therapy and is a Bach Foundation registered practitioner and founder of Blooming Vibrations, LLC. 602-774-2382 or bloomingvibrations.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 32, Number 2, April/May 2013.