Mimulus for courage

Mimulus for courage

Mimulus is the remedy for timid, nervous individuals. These are folks who are easily embarrassed, sometimes stammer and, as a rule, avoid social occasions or situations where they might become the center of attention.

by Linda Crider — 

Unlike most of his medical colleagues, Dr. Edward Bach perceived correlations between human personalities and the illnesses they manifested. Disillusioned with the medical practices of his day, Bach was prompted to create his 38 flower remedy system based on close examination of human behavior. In the early stages of this process, he distinguished several different personality categories. One of the first of these he identified as the Mimulus type.

Bach spent many hours simply observing nature and was sensitive to the clues plants provided as signs of their healing properties. He noticed that the delicate Mimulus flower shared certain characteristics with people who tended to be shy, tremulous and rather fragile themselves. After a period of trial and error, he concluded that the essence of this flower contained the emotional healing power to help these folks gain the courage they seemed to lack.

Mimulus is the remedy for timid, nervous individuals. These are folks who are easily embarrassed, sometimes stammer and, as a rule, avoid social occasions or situations where they might become the center of attention.

They may be overly sensitive to outside stimuli, such as bright lights and crowded places. Bach added that “they quietly and secretly bear their dread; they do not speak of it to others.”

This remedy is also recommended for animals that exhibit similar behavior, and they can be as easy to spot as their human counterparts. They often appear fearful or shy, such as reclusive dogs or skittish cats that are easily startled by loud noises or other environmental stimuli.

Mimulus is also for those who experience any kind of identifiable fear, whether it is phobic or passing. Unlike the essence of Aspen, which is the remedy for vague, nameless fear, Mimulus is for the kind of uneasiness that you can put your finger on.

This includes mild issues, ranging from a person who fears airline travel or flying insects to a horse that is frightened by thunderstorms. Bach emphasized that such acute but passing fears create blockages to the joy that is our birthright.

In the case of both humans and animals, taking any flower essence will not change the nature of the individual or the inherent tendencies of a particular breed of animal. Mimulus will not turn a timid dog into a pompous show animal or a reclusive person into the life of the party.

The subtle movement of flower essence therapy helps to gently restore balance and harmony. Shy types who dread the outside world will instead become less tentative and more sociable. Taking Mimulus can instill a degree of courage, as well as the ability to realistically deal with any fears that threaten the enjoyment of everyday life.

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. bloomingvibrations.com or 602-774-2382.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 33, Number 1, February/March 2014.