The Healing Power of Rose Petals & When and How to Use Them
A gentle confession before we begin…
Before we dive into the deep, ancient and heart-opening medicine of the rose, I want to share something a little playful and very human.
Roses are my choice of healing, energetically, spiritually and ceremonially. But when it comes to my aesthetic favourites, the flowers that bring me the most visual joy, it’s actually sunflowers and tulips.
Sunflowers remind me of Van Gogh, devotion, madness, brilliance and the courage to keep turning towards the light even when the world feels heavy and I align and am in love with his unfolding story. They symbolise loyalty, solar energy, vitality and an almost childlike optimism. Tulips, on the other hand, represent simplicity, rebirth and grace… a reminder that beauty doesn’t need to shout to be powerful. Historically, tulips have symbolised perfect love and new beginnings, and there is something quietly elegant about their form that soothes my nervous system. The pastels and he grace and then, how they flop!
And yet… when it comes to healing work, ceremony, sound, cacao and the heart… I always return to the rose.
Because the rose doesn’t just look beautiful. The rose works.
The rose as ancient medicine
Roses have been revered across cultures for thousands of years, not simply as symbols of romance, but as powerful allies for emotional, spiritual and energetic healing.
In ancient Persia, rose water was considered a sacred medicine for the heart and mind. In Ayurveda, rose is used to cool excess heat, soothe the nervous system and balance emotions. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, rose helps move stagnant qi, particularly in the heart and liver, supporting emotional flow.
Energetically, rose is deeply connected to the heart chakra (Anahata). It teaches us how to soften without collapsing, how to open without losing boundaries, and how to love without self-abandonment.
This is why rose works so beautifully in:
- Sound baths
- Cacao ceremonies
- Women’s circles
- Breathwork and meditation
- Trauma-informed healing spaces
At I AM BEING, rose is often woven subtly into ceremonies not to overwhelm, but to gently invite the heart to feel safe enough to open. Be that the physical forms or my crystals themselves.
The frequency of rose: why it works so well with sound baths
Sound baths work by entraining the nervous system, guiding brainwaves into slower, more receptive states where healing can occur. Rose works in a similar but complementary way.
Rose has one of the highest vibrational frequencies of any plant medicine. When paired with sound such as gongs, alchemy bowls, chimes and voice it supports:
- Emotional release without overwhelm
- Grief processing and heart repair
- Nervous system regulation
- Self-compassion and softness
- Deeper embodiment during sound journeys
In sound baths held in London with I AM BEING, rose petals or rose water are often used as a sensory anchor visual, scent or touch that brings participants back into the body when the mind drifts.
Sound opens the space and Rose helps and supports holding it.
Rose and cacao: heart medicine meets heart medicine
Ceremonial cacao is a heart opener. Rose is a heart healer.
Together, they create a container that allows participants to access emotional truth with gentleness rather than force.
When rose is paired with cacao:
- The heart opens more slowly and safely
- Emotional insights feel nurturing rather than confronting
- Participants often report feelings of being held, supported and loved
- The integration after the ceremony is softer and more grounded
This is why rose is often included in cacao ceremonies in London whether through petals, rose water, scent or intention.
Cacao asks, “What is true?”
Rose responds, “You are safe to feel it.”
Ways to work with rose petals after a ceremony
One of the most beautiful things about roses is that their medicine doesn’t end when the ceremony does. If you’ve attended a sound bath or cacao ceremony and taken rose petals home, or if you simply have roses from your home or a vase, there are many ways to continue the healing. Below are gentle, accessible practices you can use to honour the rose and extend its energy into daily life.
1. Making rose water (simple ceremonial method)
Rose water is one of the most ancient and versatile ways to work with rose medicine.
What you’ll need:
- Fresh or dried organic rose petals (ensure they are pesticide-free)
- Filtered water
- A saucepan with a lid
- A clean glass jar or bottle
Method:
- Gently rinse the rose petals.
- Place them in a saucepan and cover with just enough filtered water so they are submerged.
- Bring the water to a very gentle simmer (do not boil).
- Cover with a lid and allow to simmer for 20–30 minutes until the water takes on the colour and scent of the roses.
- Turn off the heat and allow to cool completely.
- Strain the petals and pour the rose water into a clean glass container.
- Store in the fridge and use within 1–2 weeks.
How to use rose water:
- Spritz on the face to calm the nervous system
- Use before meditation or breathwork
- Add to bath water
- Lightly mist your space before a sound bath at home
- Place a few drops on the wrists or heart space
Energetically, rose water carries the essence of emotional softness and self-love.
2. Rose petal bath ritual
Bathing with rose petals is an ancient ritual of heart restoration.
Simply scatter fresh or dried rose petals into a warm bath and set an intention such as:
“I allow my heart to soften. I release what no longer needs to be carried.”
This practice is especially powerful after:
- A cacao ceremony
- Emotional release
- A sound bath
- Times of grief or transition
You may wish to add:
- A handful of Epsom or Himalayan salts (I now make my own!)
- A candle (I make these too!)
- Soft music or silence (this, is on you!)
Let the petals float, sink and soften just as you are invited to do.
3. Drying rose petals for future use
Drying rose petals allows you to preserve their medicine long after the flowers themselves have passed.
How to dry rose petals:
- Gently remove petals from the flower.
- Lay them flat on a clean cloth or tray.
- Keep them in a warm, dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Turn them every day for even drying.
- Once fully dry, store in a glass jar.
Dried rose petals can be used for:
- Home sound bath rituals
- Altar offerings
- Journaling rituals
- Herbal blends (non-ingestive unless properly guided)
- Ceremony reminders
4. Using rose petals in crafts and keepsakes
Rose petals hold memory. This makes them beautiful for creative integration.
Ideas include:
- Adding dried petals to handmade candles
- Creating ceremonial sachets for sleep or meditation
- Pressing petals into journals or art pieces
- Including them in handmade bath salts
Crafting with rose petals allows healing to move from the emotional into the creative body, helping integration happen naturally.
Rose as a teacher: softness is strength
One of the greatest teachings of the rose is that softness is not weakness.
The rose has thorns. It knows boundaries. It blooms anyway.
In sound baths and cacao ceremonies held with I AM BEING in London, rose medicine reminds us that healing doesn’t need to be dramatic or painful to be profound. Sometimes, the deepest shifts happen when we allow ourselves to be held by sound, by plant allies, by community.
Bringing rose energy into everyday life
You don’t need a full ceremony to work with rose.
You can:
- Place a single petal on your bedside table
- Use rose water before a stressful meeting
- Add dried petals to a morning intention
- Simply notice roses when you pass them on the street
Each small interaction is a conversation with the heart.
While sunflowers and tulips may bring me visual joy, reminding me of art, optimism and simplicity, the rose will always be my healer.
It is the flower I return to when the heart needs tending, when sound needs grounding, and when cacao opens spaces that require gentleness.
In a world that often rushes healing, rose reminds us to slow down.
To feel. To soften. And to remember that love, especially self-love, is a practice.
Being,
Gizelle Renee Xx
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