New Year's brings a moment of relief from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. The start of the year is a time to reflect on your body and mind. If you're feeling unwell for some reason, why not try a more natural approach this year, using the power of plants? We spoke with lifestyle coordinator Yoko Yamafuji about natural therapies that harness the energy of plants.

We visited Heights, the shop she runs, located in a vintage apartment in Aoyama. Sunlight streams in through the large windows, creating a comfortable space. Heights is an appointment-only lifestyle shop that embodies Yamafuji's long-held dream of a store like this. It offers organic skincare items, miscellaneous goods, and food. She also selects flower essences, a form of natural therapy she discovered during her time as head of retail at a British organic brand. Through personal counseling, she draws out the voices of each visitor's mind and body and recommends flower essences and skincare items tailored to their condition.


■What are flower essences?

Flower remedies are natural therapies that use the energy (chi/vibrations) of plants to affect the mind and body. Flower essences are an essential item in flower remedies. To extract these flower essences, first float the plants in water and expose them to sunlight, transferring the plant's energy (chi/vibrations) to the water. This mother tincture is then dissolved in brandy and preserved, which is called a flower essence. You can use one flower essence or combine several. You can add a few drops to water and drink it, apply it directly to the body, or put it in a spray mist and spray it on.

Yamafuji's visitors include busy women, beginners interested in flower essences, and surprisingly, many men. I provide one-on-one counseling to each client, uncovering their current needs based on their everyday lifestyle and values, and introducing them to personally blended flower essences and essential oils. Using the energy of plants, I bring awareness to underlying mental and physical fatigue.

Next time, I'll explain "flower remedies and flower essences." What's the difference between these and the commonly heard terms "essential oils" and "homeopathy"?

[Profile]
Yoko Yamafuji / Lifestyle Coordinator
Working under the theme of "feel good," she works in brand consulting, organic product planning and development, and fragrance blending. After serving as director of the Minami-Aoyama lifestyle shop "Fetish," she launched "YORK." She opened Heights in Minami-Aoyama, where she continues to work today.

Reference: Neal's Yard Flower Essence Lesson (Kawade Shobo Shinsho)