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So now I am finally going to address this latest hysteria. I have been watching the development and the debates with raised eyebrows, wondering what all the drama was about. I also watched two of my children having the swine flu, and I must say I don’t get the fuss. It is an influenza, that’s all. There are other flues that hit a lot harder and kill a lot more people. I am now suspected of having it – the swine-flu; I have an insistent cough, sore throat,  muscle-ache and tiredness. I am told that I must not see people and that I am for the coming days a pariah to society – a walking killing-machine! I have seldom felt this healthy when I was sick. I had the bird-flu some years ago – now that’s what I call sick! That was the last time I was sick, so maybe I just pick up animal-diseases? I do not believe in vaccines, and I outright refuse the N1H1 vaccine. I believe that if you live according to health, you can handle disease such as flues. Besides which, I read a report that one of the side-effects (very small % mind you, but I wouldn’t want to be that %) is irreversible respiratory muscle collapse. On top of which, the company that has created this vaccine (and markets it after a less than minimum trial period) has been granted relief from all responsibility if there are negative side-effects – no law-suits for them! Now why would this be done? I leave it to you to figure it out. Please comment if you wish.

Today I would like to share with you my aromatherapy usage during this illness. It all started with a slight tickling discomfort in my throat that I recognized as that of an infection in the brewing. I quickly started my gargle-routine with 2 dr. of Tea Tree (melaleuca alternifolia) in luke-warm water. I did this morning and night for the first day, a bit more often for the second day and realized on the third day that I had been lazy and nonchalant in my self-treatment (being busy enjoying myself instead). So the third day I increased the gurgling to every 2nd hour. I also massaged a blend of oils on my throat: Red thyme (thymus vulgaris), Benzoin (styrax benzoin), Lemon (citrus limon) and Niaouli (melaleuca viridiflora) = 6 dr of each in 20ml vegetable oil. This blend is very soothing to an infected respiratory system. During the night I would wake up from coughing (3 times during the night); then I took 1 dr of Eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus) straight; I put the drop on the back of my hand and lick it, washing it down with some water. This gave me wonderful, instant relief during my 12 hour sleep.

I have an aroma-fan in which I diffuse oils of; Eucalyptus (eucalyptus globulus), Cloves (eugenia aromatica) and Lavender (lavandula augustifolia). These oils are calming, anti-bacterial and cleansing in nature. The scent of cloves reminds me of Christmas so it does double duty as season-enhancer.

For my achy muscles I use a blend of Marjoram (origanum majorana), Black-pepper (piper nigrum) and Roman Chamomile (chamaemelum nobile) = 10 dr of each in 30ml vegetable oil. I use it in the morning and before bed at night.

As an all-round “pick-me-up” I use Orange (citrus sinensis) for the warm, light and happy feeling it induces.

I eat plenty of garlic, vegetables and fruit. I drink masses of water and herbal teas such as mint, fennel, chamomile, rose-hip and green tea. I rest a lot, read a lot, study texts I didn’t have the peace to study earlier and I use this time to focus myself on how I want to live my life. Except for this really irritating cough, I can’t say I am suffering.

During the 16:th to 18:th centuries the art of distilling plants had grown to become an every-day matter. Every mansion had its own distillery and the pharmacies of the time distilled essential oils for medicinal purposes. The doctor would make out a recipe, and the pharmacies would blend the medicines.

In this time herbal medicine grew immensely with the founding of the Royal Society in Britain, the plant classifications by Linnaeus and the great herbals by, amongst others, Culpeper, Gerard and Parkinson. By the end of the 18:th century, essential oils were widely used in medicine alongside herbs, essential oils being the strongest form of medicine in existence.

The late 19:th and early 20:th century saw the flourishing of chemistry as a discipline. As plant cures and essential oils could be synthesized in a laboratory – the cures both stronger and faster in action, essential oils began to lose their place in the pharmacopoeiae.

In the early 1900’s a French chemist, René-Maurice Gattefossé – the father of aromatherapy, rediscovered the effectiveness of essential oils when he after a severe burn dipped his hand in pure lavender-oil and noted the speed of recovery; the pain was instantly subdued, there was no infection nor scarring. This made him devote himself to the study of esssential oils. He discovered that the oils could penetrate the skin to access the blood-stream and chemically interact with the chemistry of the body. In 1937 he published the book “L’aromathérapie” that became the first textbook on essential oils.

Dr. Jean Valnet followed in Gattefossé’s footsteps. He was an army-doctor during WW2. As antibiotics were hard to come by in wartime, he used essential oils with great success. After the war he opened a clinic where he success-fully used essential oils for both physical and psychological healing. Much of his work was based on the antiseptic properties of essential oils. In 1964 Dr Valnet published a book; “Aromathérapie se soigner par les essences de plantes”.

At this stage aromatherapy began popping up all over Europe; Italian doctors Gatti and Cojola start researching the psychological effects of essential oils in the 20:s; In the 70:s their work was followed up by Professor Paolo Rovesti at the University of Milan.

Mme Maury, an Austrian cosmetologist, introduced the idea of massage combined with essential oils in the 50:s. Not being a doctor, she was looking for other ways of administering the essential oils. By blending – or diluting – them with vegetable oil, the resulting blend was milder and could be used directly on the skin without irritating it. Most of her clients were healthy women that wanted beauty-treatments and the results of the aromatherapy was astounding; not only did it make the skin look better, it also had other effects such as relief from rheumathic pain, stronger libido, better and deeper sleep and an overall mood-enhancing effect. In the early 60:s Mme Maury opened her first clinic in London where she also held workshops and training. Some well-known names trained for her in the late 70:s; Robert Tisserand, Shirley Price and Patricia Davis are some of them.

The final break-through for aromatherapy as a valued alternative health practice came in the late 80:s and early 90:s when it finally became a recognized profession in many countries. In Britain and Sweden the training is state-supported and sometimes subsidized.

You should read the ingredients of your baby’’s skincare products very carefully to avoid certain ingredients that are potentially harmful. This includes shampoos, lotions, bath soaps and creams. Some of these ingredients may even be contained in “natural” products.

Here’’s a handy list of synthetic ingredients to avoid in baby’’s products:

* Alcohol: This harsh additive can make body tissues more vulnerable to carcinogens. Special note: Check your mouthwash to make sure it doesn”t contain alcohol; if it does, throw it out and purchase a brand that doesn”t. This is one of the number one ways that toddlers are poisoned in the household.

* Alpha hydroxyl acid: This removes the skin’’s protective barrier, which can result in long-term skin damage.

* Animal fat, or tallow: Lye and animal fats and lye are found in many bar soaps, which can be a breed bacteria.

* Collagen: This is an insoluble protein derived from animal skins. The protein is too large to actually penetrate the skin, therefore it forms a filmy layer that can suffocate the skin.

* Diethanolamine, or DEA: This is a crystalline alcohol that is often used as a solvent, emulsifier, emollient and detergent; it is a common ingredient in skin lotions. DEA can irritate the skin and mucous membranes. It also reacts in products that also contain nitrates to form potentially carcinogenic nitrosamines. You should also avoid triethanolamine, TEA, and monoethanolamine, or MEA.

* Elastin of high molecular weight: Like collagen, this is derived from animal sources and can suffocate the skin.

* Glycerin: Unless the air humidity is above 65 percent, glycerin draws moisture from the lower layers of the skin and retains it on the surface; this has the effect of drying skin from the inside out. But glycerin is completely harmless in toothpaste given the mouth’’s natural moisture.

* Kaolin: This is a fine white clay that is actually used to produce porcelain. It suffocates and weakens the skin.

* Lanolin: This substance is extracted from wool; it is often contained in lotions.

* Lye: Lye is a highly concentrated solution of sodium hydroxide or potassium hydroxide. It is often mixed with animal fats to produce bar soap, which can corrode and dry skin.

* Mineral oil: This is a petroleum derivative. It forms an oily film over skin to retain moisture, but traps toxins and wastes; this suffocates normal skin respiration.

* Petrolatum: Like mineral oil, this is also petroleum-based and likewise keeps oxygen out of the skin.

* Propylene glycol: This form of mineral oil is also found in automatic brake fluid, hydraulic fluid, and industrial antifreeze! Would you want to rub those on your baby? Propylene glycol is a strong skin irritant; it can also cause liver abnormalities and kidney damage.

* Sodium lauryl sulfate, or SLS: This is a harsh detergent used in garage floor cleaners, engine degreasers and auto cleaning products! SLS can prevent your baby’’s eyes from properly developing. It’’s also a common skin irritant. It’’s also rapidly absorbed by the eyes, brain, heart, and liver; it can also slow healing and cause cataracts in adults.

* Sodium laureth sulfate, or SLES: This is an alcohol form of SLS; it is slightly less irritating but more drying. SLS and SLES can react with other ingredients to cause potentially carcinogenic formations of nitrates and dioxins. A large amount of nitrates can enter the blood stream during one shampooing.

* Talc: This soft gray-green mineral can be harmful if inhaled; it is recognized as a potential carcinogen.

(Source; www.thefreelibrary.com)

There is always hopeI have quite a few children that come to me for different reasons, ranging in age from babies to adolescents, usually they are between 5 and 16 years old. There are plenty of reasons why a child / adolescent would need to see a therapist not least because of stress. Growing up is not so easy and there are so many different signals and pressures in a child’s life to make it confusing. At different points in life we need different back-ups – I am one.

When a child comes to me I usually have some information from parents and/or teachers beforehand so I have some vague idea of what is going on. When the child comes I ask questions and talk to him/her to get an idea of what is going on. Usually information comes through words or posture that even surprises the parents. Children are very clear and easy to read, but you need to watch carefully.  Once I have a good connection with the child and she/he is feeling safe and calm, I choose a range of essential oils for testing.

girl smelling flower

I let the child smell one oil at a time, paying close attention to visible and invisible signals from the child as well as preference; like / don’t like. Usually we end up with 3-4 oils that I then blend in a base of vegetable oil. What is really interesting is that the oils usually confirm or strengthen my  diagnosis of the child, sometimes a child’s choice of an oil gives me invaluable and extra information about what she/he is working on. The blend is of course very different scent-wise from individual essential oils, but the child always lights up when he/she smells his/her blended scent.

Massage child

At this point the parents need to get into the action. Children connect very deeply with a person who makes them feel safe and good and “seen”. This is why I never massage smaller children; they must not connect with me, but with their parents/care-takers. So I teach the parents to massage; when, where and how. I always give the oil-blend to the child when they leave, it enhances the feeling of being capable and positive which kick-starts the healing-process: The child feels that he/she has the power to change things. Another session is always booked for follow-up after 3 weeks time.

I have been able to positively help every child that ever came to me. If there are “problems” such as dyslexia, ADD etc we work around them, diminishing the idea of a problem and building up the idea of a challenge. A positive outlook on things changes a lot, but a child needs help with this, sometimes even the whole family.

There are always solutions

Asklepios

The Greek God of healing was called Asklepios and his attribute is a staff around which a snake curls. The Asklepios-staff remains to this day a symbol of medicine and healing.

When the Roman Empire fell, so did a lot of the knowledge about herbs and aromatic substances. What was left moved into the cloisters of Europe. Plants were grown and cultivated in the gardens of the monasteries, monks, and later nuns,  made medicinal potions, wines, vinegars, liquors, infusions and other herbal extractions.

distillation

The art and knowledge of distillation was rediscovered by the Persian physician Avicenna (Abu Ali Ibn Sina, 980-1037) who had a passion for roses. He published his book “Canon of Medicine” in the 11:th century, which remained a standard work until the mid-sixteenth century. The Arabs were great explorers and colonizers and were responsible for introducing many new herbs and spices from the East, such as ginger and pepper amongst others. They created their main medical training center in Italy to which monks and nuns were sent from all of Europe. One of these nuns, Hildegard von Bingen (1098-1179) wrote the much known herbal “Physica“. Her work is still referred to today.

hildegard von bingen

During the Plague or Black Death, it turned out that the glove-makers and perfumers seemed less susceptible to contamination, both these groups worked on a daily basis with essential oils. This knowledge was used by thieves who doused themselves in an aromatic vinegar to be able to rob the corpses. The essential oils used were: Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis), Camphor (cinnamomum camphora), Lavender (lavandula augustifolia), Nutmeg (myristica fragrans), Sage (salvia officinalis) and Cinnamon (cinnamomum ceylanicum). These were mixed with pure garlic in vinegar.

The doctors wore full-fitting leather-robes and gloves, over their heads and faces the “bird-mask” was worn. The mask was doused with amber, nutmeg, cinnamon and other herbs, oils and spices, and they washed themselves twice daily with aromatic vinegars. Though this seemed to work well enough not to get contaminated, once the disease kicked in there was no cure or help.

plague doctor

In 1492 Columbus landed in what he thought was East Indies, but in reality was the Bahamas. This opened a channel for new plants and plant-matter from The Americas, such as Coca leaves that were chewed by the Incas, and balsams of Canada and Peru. These plants now entered the European pharmacopoeia.

cocaleaves

Coca leaves

Erythroxylon Coca

before and after

actually it is the other way around in the before and after…just loved the picture

Now almost 22 months have passed since I quit smoking. I feel a lot better and like I am finally on the other side of the tunnel – healing as it were. About a month ago I felt up-building healing processes start. My body is getting more shapely and I am – oh so slowly – loosing body-fat (the swelling sensation). My energy-levels are up and I am getting really fit. I stopped the heavy-duty training I did with my trainer and have started creating my own programs with the help of diverse training-gurus around the world.

My digestive-system is almost back to normal, which is like such a high! My diet has changed since I noticed that certain foods don’t fit me. It is not always so easy, since one of the foods is bread and I love bread! But I eat with care and then it’s okay. I detox every month which always makes me feel really good and free.

spices / medicines

I am still waiting to loose the extra body-fat, but even in a bigger size I am looking great! I am so proud of myself for doing this, for finding the strength and the motivation to go through it, this in itself has given me a huge boost in self-confidence. I am also very grateful to myself for finally quitting smoking – the hardest, most awful and painful thing I have ever done. And I have grown as a person and therapist. All that I learned on this journey is invaluable knowledge on many levels; self-assurance, nutrition, exercise, toxicology, physiology and psychology. Everything is a learning experience.

Zen

China

Essential oil and scent history is really the history of plants and herbal medicine, since they are a part of it.

All ancient cultures used aromatic substances and herbs for cooking, healing, scenting and praying. The earliest written herbal text is the “Pen Tsao” (Great Herbal – still in print) which was compiled by Shen Nung, an emperor, during the time of 1 000 to 700 B.C. In this work is listed more than 350 medicinal plants and remedies. Another great and ancient work of plants and medicine is the “Yellow Emperors Classic of Internal Medicine” also still in print. Acupuncture was already used at this time and has since then spread all over the world, growing in popularity.

Aromatic substances also played an important role in the lives of the Sumerians who lived along the rivers of Eufrat and Tigris ca 4 000 B.C. They left inscriptions showing the use of herbs for healing. The Babylonians and Assyrians left inscriptions of their laws among which there are instructions for the use of plants and spices in medicine. In Persia a clay-vessel was found that is believed to be a crude form of distillation-apparatus. It is dated to 2 500 B.C. Similar vessels are still used in the area for distillation purposes.

In India the medicine of Ayur Veda has existed in written form since 1 000 B.C. Ayur Veda has become an increasingly popular form of alternative medicine and can today be found all over the world.

ayurveda

In ancient Rome and Greece medicine developed into a science. Hippocrates (468-377 B.C), known as the father of medicine compiled scripts known as “Corpus Hippocraticum”. Pedanius Dioscorides wrote the classic “De Materia Medica” in year 60 A.D. This work became the standard basic for medicine during the next 1 500 years. During this time the practice of medicine slowly started to divide into 2 routes;

  • Empirical; Seeing the body and mind as a whole, interacting unit. Knowledge comes from experience and studies.
  • Scientific; Seeing the body as a machine that can be repaired.  Knowledge comes from studying parts in isolation.

Medicine

SOFT DRINKS

http://health.yahoo.com/experts/drmao/20270/what-soft-drinks-are-doing-to-your-body/

Source: health.yahoo.com
Soda, pop, cola, soft drink — whatever you call it, it is one of the worst beverages that you could be drinking for your health.

incenseThe history of essential oils is exciting, romantic and mind-boggling. The stories are everywhere; the whole bible is full of allusions to essential oils. What makes it so exciting is that this part of history is continuously here and now. Each time I smell an oil, I am smelling the whole stretch of history…I am actually part of it, and what the oil does to me, it has done to every person since the dawn of time! And knowing the oils gives me insight to why some oils were used in specific situations. Mind-boggling!

The word Perfume is derived from the Latin per fumum, meaning through smoke. Early man found that certain herbs gave a rich-scenting and healing smoke when placed on the fire. These plants were, naturally, special gifts from the Gods. Bad smells, such as rot and decay, were dangerous to health, so early man learned, by using the sense of smell, what was good and what was bad. I believe these early learnings have become part of a human hereditary trait; every person recognizes the smell of rot and bacteria infestation, even if they never smelled it before.

Queen Hatsheput templeEGYPT:

The Egyptians are the best-known when it comes to the use of aromatic substances. There are ample records on papyrus-rolls dating back to 1700 B.C of how they were used. Wealthy people wore perfumed wax-cones on their heads to melt during the day and infuse them in scent. (We need to remember that these times were stinky. People and their waste is smelly business.) The whole embalming-process was done with essential oils, resins and other scented substances. The process could take up to 6 months and would cost a fortune. This was done for royalty and very wealthy individuals. The “quickie-embalmings” for the not-so-wealthy would take as little as a day. When Tutankhamons grave was opened in the 1920:s (after being sealed for more than 2000 years) small pots were found with solidified scented matter, with the scent still discernible to the nose. Analysis showed it to be wax infused with Frankincense (boswellia carterii) and Myrrh (commiphora myrrha)

The Egyptian temples were in fact laboratories for the priests who were the connectors to God. Only the priests had the knowledge of how to create medicines and holy potions. There are records of medicine for hay-fever, youth-elixirs, and potions to prevent pregnancy. Each hour of the day had a special perfume. In Heliopolis, the city of the Sun-God Ra, Frankincense was burned at sunrise, Myrrh (commiphora myrrha) at noon and Kyphi at sunset. Kyphi is one of the first documented perfumes in history. There are 16 ingredients of which 12 are identified: Calmus, Cassia, Cinnamon, Cyperus, Frankincense, Hina, Juniper, Mastic, Myrrh, Saffron, Spikenard and Turpentine.

Kyphi

Each God had its own scent and the statues in the temples were anointed every day. Osiris had Marjoram (origanum majorana) and Ra had Frankincense.

Scented herbs, spices, flowers, barks, woods and resins were imported from Malaysia, China and India. Frankincense resin came from the Arabic peninsula. The resin comes from a small desert-tree and is to this day collected by nomadic tribes. At the time only  certain tribes knew where to find it and how to get it, and this made Frankincense a very valuable substance, even more valuable than gold.

frankincense resin

WATER – a response

WaterI had a request to write more on the topic “water as a medium” so I have spent a couple of days in research trying to find something to interest the person who asked.  I might not always agree with everything I find, but I do believe in information and that every-one makes their own decision in what to believe. Everything interests me and with time all my questions are usually answered. Nobody in the entire world has all the answers and I think that keeping an open mind is the way forward. I do not speak of religion ever, nor do I speak from religious belief. I speak of a global community, of humanity – whatever religious beliefs there might be. On a cellular level we are all the same. :-)

“The cell is immortal. It is merely the fluid in which it floats which degenerates. Renew this fluid at intervals, give the cell something on which to feed and, so far as we know, the pulsation of life may go on forever…” When cells’ health is compromised because the fluid surrounding them is not conducive for life because of various causes including high acidity etc., they either mutate or die. Once the cell death rate exceeds the birth rate, any individual’s body experiences accelerated aging. Among the many factors that affect aging, diet is the most important, and the foundation of a good diet is water. The Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2003 was given to Peter Agre and Roderick MacKinnon for pioneering discoveries concerning water and ion channels of cells, the mechanism that explains how water flows from and into cells. These discoveries contributed to fundamental chemical knowledge of how cells function.” ( By Jaime Zaragoza, “Water for thought”) For the whole article, check out this link:

http://www.whatthebleep.com/herald10/health.shtml)

This, I believe, is the basic idea of water as a medium. Since water is the single most important life-keeping substance for us as living beings, wouldn’t it make sense that the quality of the water is important? We all know that we get sick, and even die, from polluted water. But what if the water is polluted in a different way? In a way that can’t be measured?….Yet. I have a friend who at one point started praying to her food and drink before she took it; her health improved immensely, she seemed to rejuvenate and grow younger, stronger and fitter. Of course the quality of her nutrition is the best, and she lives her life in accordance to health.

watercrystal after prayerDr. Masaru Emoto

Considering that water is the single largest part of our bodies make-up, responsible for cellular communication and health, wouldn’t it make sense to believe that our thought-patterns integrate with our bodies? If we constantly think negatively about ourselves, are we poisoning ourselves? Returning to the photos of water crystals by Dr. Masaru Emoto:

emoto water-crystal hatewater crystal “hate”

Emoto-Water-Crystal-for-Global-Love-Day-07water crystal “love”

Much discussion surrounds the work of Dr. Masuru Emoto. The scientific world – rightly – state that his work is not scientific, but also that it can not be refuted.

“As published on the website of the Institute of Noetic Sciences on May 25, 2004, Mr. Nash states that the team “did not find sufficient evidence to refute or accept Emoto’s hypothesis that thought influences water crystalformation.”


Quartz_CrystalCrystal water is often used to promote health; You place a crystal in a jug of spring- or filtered- water and leave it overnight. This will promote health to all living; yourself, your animals and your plants. I made an experiment many years ago; I divided a plant in two parts, planting them in separate pots and setting them side by side in a window. One of the plants was given crystal water, the other spring water from our private well. There was a clear difference in how quickly they healed and grew, the crystal-water plant being much stronger all along.

Homeopathy (Dr. Samuel Hahnemann 1796) is created on the principal of water as a medium.  The more you potentize (dilute) it, the more powerful it gets. (The idea of the smallest part of the body – the cell) Homeopathy has never been accepted by the scientific world, but stays to this day a much-used and constantly growing form of alternative medicine. In Germany homeopathic remedies are sold in pharmacies.

As I said before; I do not allow science alone to dictate what I should believe. I love science and I love when a belief becomes scientific fact. But belief is the key, the vital point that make things happen. Poor is the world without belief. And maybe, yes maybe, it is all make-believe…who cares? Why should that even be important – if it works?

Now to something funny apropos diet:cartoon ekorre

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