Flower Essence Therapy is an ancient healing discipline that has its oldest known living tradition with the Nyoongah Aboriginal people of the South West of Australia.
Here, in what is now known as the ‘Wildflower State’, people have an oral tradition going back to the last ice age, which includes an understanding of the non-herbal use of flowers. South-East Asia also has a ancient Buddhist tradition of flower essence therapy.
The Western world was re-introduced to flower essence therapy through Dr. Edward Bach in the 1930’s. Since the 1970’s new researchers continued until now there are flower essences produced on every continent.
Today, specific Flower Essence Therapy, using wildflower essences as taught in the government accredited courses of the LiFE Academy, is used in hospitals and natural health clinics, and as an application in psychology and massage therapies.
Vasudeva and Kadambii Barnao both started their exploration into the healing properties of flower essences with the culmination of many previous years experience, knowledge and practice of Yogic sciences and the understanding of the mind/body interrelationship. Before they met each other, they had both been practicing meditation for a long time, which they credit with giving them the intuitive sensitivity and inner quiet to appreciate the subtleties of life and the potentialities of the human mind.
Vasudeva first began to work with researching and producing Australian flower essences in 1977, after he personally experienced the amazing effect of flower essences. In 1977, whilst walking through the Australian bush preoccupied with certain life issues, he noticed a complete change in his state of mind. The experience was very profound and he was inspired to delve into the healing potential of the Australian flowers. He then researched and developed a range of Australian (New South Wales) and New Zealand flower essences. With these essences he found that this healing modality had even more to offer than first thought.
In 1980, he moved from Sydney to Perth, in the heart of Western Australia, known internationally as the ‘Wildflower State’. There he met and married Kadambii and together they dedicated their lives to the research and development of flower essence therapy. Whilst developing the flower essences, Vasudeva and Kadambii started to run education programmes at their Australasian Flower Essence Academy to enable other people to experience and use the healing properties of flower essences effectively.
During the mid eighties, Kadambii’s work with an Aboriginal community led to the discovery of the oldest living tradition of flower essence therapy, that of the Nyoongah people. From the elder, Ken Colbung (bush name Nundjan Djiridjkain) , Vasudeva and Kadambii learned that their research was ratified by the ancient practices of the Nyoongah people. Later they also discovered the ancient Buddhist tradition of flower essence therapy, from Malaysia and Thailand, where temples specialise in flower essence healing.
Through the 80s and 90s they pioneered the research and use of flower essences through acu-points and meridians, intensifying the healing effects of the flower essences and extending the application techniques of flower essence therapy. The Barnao’s LiFE Academy has full and part-time government accredited courses from Certificate IV to Advanced Diploma which can then lead to a bachelor of health science at University level education. These unique courses in Holistic Counselling and Mind-Body Medicine and Flower Essence Therapy include Western Sciences integrated with traditional world views of Aboriginal, Yogic and Ancient Chinese Medicine.