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TOPIC: "De-Stress with Essential Oils"
What is stress?
Stress is a fact of everyday life and we all need a certain amount to stimulate us and add excitement to our lives.
Too much stress, however, can have a seriously damaging effect on your physical and emotional well being as some of the following signs show.
Physical signs of stress
Tension headaches and migraines
Insomnia
Bowel problems (irritable bowel syndrome)
Lack of energy
Stiff, aching limbs
Menstrual problems
Loss of libido
High blood pressure
Emotional signs of stress
Depression
Lack of concentration
Being withdrawn
Panic attacks
Disorientation
Irritability
Nervousness/anxiety
Low self esteem
What is Aromatherapy?
Aromatherapy uses essential oils to enhance our daily lives through our sense of smell and through absorption of the oils by our skin or by inhalation. Your sense of smell can have a profound effect on your mood, well-being and
behavior which makes aromatherapy a wonderful and effective way of counteracting the effects of stress. Here’s several different ways it can be used.
Massage
An aromatherapy massage is a naturally relaxing form of massage which soothes the nerves and creates a feeling of relaxation and well being. Try to have a professional massage at least once a month for the best effect. Failing that, get a friend or your partner to give you a massage. Use 6 drops of essential oil in 15 ml of a carrier oil such as sweet almond or grapeseed.
In the Bath
After a tiring day, an aromatic bath can be a wonderful rejuvenator. Run your bath first making sure that the water is not too hot, then add 6 - 8 drops of your chosen essential oils and agitate the water to evenly distribute the oils. Relax for at least 10 minutes, breathing deeply to absorb the therapeutic power of the essential oils. The whole house will benefit from the relaxing fragrance.
Tissue inhalation
One or two drops of essential oil on a tissue can be used for inhalation for many different problems, such as anxiety, depression, headaches, colds, nausea or just as “pick me up” when feeling tired. For insomnia, put 2 drops of lavender essential oil on a cotton wool pad and put this in the corner of your pillowcase to aid a good night’s sleep.
While You Vacuum
Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to the filter in your vacuum and take your normally mundane vacuuming experience to a new level.
Make a Spritzer
You can easily make up a body spritzer so you can get a refreshing lift any time of the night or day. Get a 200-ml spray bottle, put in 10 ml vodka (this acts to disperse the oil) and 6 drops of essential oil, top up with still mineral water. Make a spritzer full of your
favorite essential oil for a room deodorizer, too. Spray it on curtains, couch cusheons, silk flowers, on the back of your office chair, wherever you need a lift.
Room Fragrances
Using a diffuser or burner can influence the atmosphere in a room. There are several types of burners now available. When using a burner with a night light, make sure that this is not left unattended. Fill the top of the burner three-quarters full with warm water and add 6 drops of your chosen oil.
Make sure you use only pure essential oils rather than the bottles
labeled as room fragrance oils because these often contain synthetic and often toxic fragrances which obviously won’t have the therapeutic effect of essential oils and they can also smell quite harsh. Candles can also be used to fragrance a room. Light a candle, wait until a pool of wax has formed, then blow out the candle and add a drop of essential oil to the wax, re-light the candle. Be careful not to drip oil onto a burning candle as essential oils are very volatile.
Essential oils for de-stressing
Essential oils have a wonderful ability to help us with a multitude of stress-related disorders. Here’s a list of the 10 most useful anti-stress essential oils:
Bergamot
Citrus bergamia has a refreshing and uplifting effect which helps with depression and anxiety. It blends well with lavender, chamomile, neroli, geranium, rose and sandalwood.
Chamomile
Anthemis nobilis (Roman chamomile) has a soothing effect on nervous tension, insomnia and stress-related conditions (remember chamomile tea?). It blends well with geranium, lavender, rose, neroli, bergamot and clary sage.
Clary sage
Salvia sclarea is useful in depression, migraine, nervous tension, pre-menstrual tension and stress-related conditions. It blends well with lavender, geranium and sandalwood.
Frankincense
Boswellia carterii is a warming and calming oil which has been used in many religions to aid prayer and meditation. It blends well with citrus oils, as well as geranium and lavender.
Geranium
Pelargonium graveolens is well-known as a hormone-balancing oil for pre-menstrual tension, as well as in nervous tension and all stress-related conditions. It blends well with bergamot, lavender, clary sage, neroli, rose and sandalwood.
Lavender
Lavendula angustifolia Lavenderis the most useful essential oil to buy as it has such a calming, yet uplifting effect. It can be used in the bath after a hard day to de-stress you or to help you sleep if you take a bath about half an hour before going to bed. It blends well with most other oils. Lavender oil also has useful disinfectant properties.
Neroli - Orange Blossom
Citrus aurantium var. bigaradia is an excellent oil for anxiety, depression, nervous tension and any problems of an emotional nature. However, it’s quite expensive, although a little does go a long way. You can buy this oil already blended in a carrier oil such as sweet almond and this can then be used either in the bath, for massage, or a little can be rubbed onto pulse points or on the temples. Neroli blends well with
most other oils.
Rose otto
Rosa damascena is a useful oil for depression and nervous tension because of its instant uplifting effect. Like neroli, it’s very expensive and can be bought ready blended with a carrier oil. It blends well with bergamot, chamomile, frankincense, geranium, lavender, neroli, sandalwood and ylang ylang.
Sandalwood
Santalum album with its woody smell, is another useful oil for all stress-related conditions. It blends well with most other oils.
Ylang ylang
Cananga odorata is another exotic oil which has an immediate uplifting effect and is useful for calming palpitations. It blends well with chamomile, clary sage, lavender, neroli, rose and sandalwood.
Where can you find essential oils? Try your local health food store or the “healthy” section of your local supermarket and start lowering your daily stress.
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