From these negative feelings arise many problems; circulatory, emotional, sleep-disorders, appetite and digestion. Sometimes seniors deteriorate very quickly in a home; the older we get, the more loath we become to leave our familiar – and therefor safe – surroundings and when this safety is taken away the world falls apart. When there is also mental confusion, a move at this time in life can become a huge trauma.

AROMATHERAPY:

I have done some work in retirement homes using essential oils and the results are amazing! By using carefully blended oils in proper dosages a lot can be done. Together with massage they work wonders on stressed individuals. Massage can be as simple as stroking somebody’s hand, bringing peace to the person. There is no need for massage-training, all that is needed is care. Scents in diffusers also help with emotional balance and a stress-free environment.  Anxiety, fear, stress, confusion, depression, anger….all schoolbook examples on areas where essential oils are helpful.

• Emotional disorders: Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), Orange (Citrus sinensis), Geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), Frankincense (Boswellia carterii), Rosewood (Aniba rosaeodora), Petit grain (Citrus aurantium), Bergamott (Citrus bergamia), Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata). When severe: Neroli (Citrus aurantium ssp. amara var pumilla), Rose (Rosa damascena), Melissa (Melissa officinalis).  Massage, diffusion.
• Sleeping disorders: Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), Bitter orange (Citrus aurantium), Ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata). Massage, diffusion.
• Stimulating appetite: Lemon (Citrus limon), Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis). Diffusion 20 min. before mealtimes.
• Mental stimulation: Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), Lemon (Citrus limon), Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus), Peppermint (Mentha piperita)

Seniors are frail in many ways, not least physically. Always contact a professional aromatherapist before using essential oils.

There is always an original cause for dis-ease, no matter how far in the past it might be. For any profound healing to take place, the original cause needs to be found and dealt with and no matter what the symptoms look like, it is not enough to make them “go away”. For each symptom that we make “go away” there will be another taking its place. Sometimes the symptoms mask the cause and hide it behind layers of problems and misunderstandings, shielding it from being reached.

Original cause is usually something painful, something we don’t want to remember or re-live, so we bury it, unconsciously, and as long as it is not resolved, it will cause dis-ease and imbalance within us. We will believe ourselves unlucky and unable to attain happiness, constantly being aware of the negative side of everything that happens to us. It becomes a state of mind and we feel exposed, vulnerable and victimized.

Original cause may be something that at the time was profoundly hurtful or scary, but in the light of today turns out to be very small and when it is revealed we are surprised at how deeply we were impacted. There are no measures for what is large or small trauma; the only measure is the impact it has on the person. Suffering is personal and can not be judged. Once original cause is found and dealt with, the symptoms are alleviated. Finding original cause is much like peeling an onion, the more it is buried, the more layers need to be gone through. During this time profound healing takes place – step by step.

Original cause is also present when there is disease or illness, sometimes subtle and sometimes dramatic. It might have been extreme stress, high pressure or an accident. A physical trauma may be resolved by intervention but the risk is that the emotional trauma stays. Over time the trauma deepens and one day there is distress or disease within the body system. We are entities made up of body, mind and emotion; when there is trauma to one part, all the others will feel the impact and any part might show symptoms of the trauma – there is no separation. All trauma creates fear and fear makes itself known in many different ways.

To start a process you need to realize there is a problem. Trust me, EVERYBODY hangs on to something and the first step is to find out what this is. Think about what recurring thoughts you have about stuff; “my mother didn’t love me”, “I am sick”, “It won’t work”, “I can’t do it”, “I need it”, “I deserve it”, “If not for …I would be fine”, “I don’t have”…. Sounds familiar? I thought so.

• Look at what areas in your life are not functioning, where you procrastinate, what you are afraid of.
• Break it down by asking WHY, for each answer ask why again.The why’s will take you through the different layers to the original problem or belief.
• Write it down.
• Pro & Con: How would your life change if you let go?
• Then look at HOW you can change it. Find somebody who can back you up.

As a starting exercise, try this: The next time you are in a hurry (read stressed) and get caught in a traffic-jam, let it go; Sit back, turn on some nice music, breath deeply and congratulate yourself on this little moment of peace. Letting go is not only an emotional or mental sensation, it is also physical; there is an actual feeling of warmth and unraveling in the pit of your stomach, a sensation of space around your being. We all know this feeling of release. Remember that time you did something scary? Like jumping off the 3 meter board into the water? That amazing sensation of release once you get past the fear and actually jump. This is how it feels, no matter what you are releasing, this instant moment of trust and freedom.

Every time we allow the fears from our past to stop us, we suffer pangs of regrets – always ending up thinking about how it would have been if we had “done it anyway”. Regrets are debilitating in energy, it never ever moves forward, but keeps us forever caught in the web of the past.

Remember: “The horse is dead, let it go!”

(picture from “The Independent”)

Part of motivation is actually stress; that’s what gives the “kick” to get going. The “good” stress as it is called. But what happens when that “good” stress swamps you? Everything falls apart and instead of giving a kick to get going, it either paralyzes you into either non-action or makes you inefficient. Problem is, we seldom notice it happening, one day our heart is just not in it. And when we are stressed, seriously stressed, how do we find the motivation to deal with it? The very nature of stress is the complete opposite of motivation. It is fine to talk about stress-management and techniques – I do it all the time – but I have also realized that this is not always the solution, since motivation is lacking. We need to learn about stress and our own reactions to it to be able to handle it; nip it in the bud, as it were.

Many years ago I had a break-down from stress and of course I didn’t see it coming; I was having the time of my life and things were going well. Being much in demand, I kept adding to my agenda indiscriminately…does it sound familiar? One day I crashed and everything fell apart. I emptied my agenda and just tried to make it through the days. Even though I was a therapist and had all the know-how to handle my own situation, I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I didn’t do “all the stuff” to help myself, even though I consciously knew I should. Over time I taught myself to deal with it. This was before stress had become a serious issue, and there was not much help to be found…I just had to figure it out.

When stress is breaking us down we don’t breath, meditate, exercise, eat properly and so on. Even though we know this is what we should be doing we seem to be incapable of doing it, so we take another cup of coffee and force ourselves to push harder to “get on with it” without any motivation for it at all. When the head-aches, back-pains and stomach-pains set in we reach for the pain-killers.

So how do we break this bad circle? How on earth do we find the motivation to deal with our stress? Especially when it seems that the world is caving in on us. This is the inner stress; the invisible enemy that doesn’t really show on the outside, the night-time demons; the angst, fear, sleeplessness, churning thoughts, night-mares, depression and hopelessness. Stress-management starts here; in realizing what you are feeling, when and why. Only then can you start doing something about it. Stress always creates angst and we find ourselves battling invisible fears. The reason I call it “the night-time demons” is because it always happens at night, when we are not occupied. At night they become larger than life, tearing us apart and in day-time we run faster than ourselves to keep these “demons” at bay. This creates a state of chaos in our emotional systems, and we can see no solutions. But there are always solutions.

Start slow, this takes time:

• Every time the “demon” kicks in, get out of bed, turn on the light and look at it: The first question is: “what can I do about it right now?” The answer is usually “NOTHING.”
• Drink a cup of tea, don’t lie in bed tossing and turning, this exacerbates the angst. Better to realize that you are not going to sleep anyway and do something instead; Write lists; what can I do tomorrow? The next day? Maybe I can talk to my boss, teacher, banker and ask for advice. This is a creative process and it helps your mind to relax.
• Change one thing to the positive; like exchanging coffee for herbal tea, take a short walk or pay attention to your breathing. Do this at least once a day. Just one little thing that is manageable. Over time you add to it.
• Cut something out, give yourself a break; Find one thing that you do every day that is not absolutely necessary and cut it out. Again, over time, add to it. One thing at a time.
• Write yourself into your agenda; Your time to do nothing or do something you want. When in stress we have the feeling that we need to explain or excuse ourselves; you are accountable to nobody but yourself. If your agenda is booked, you say no to other stuff…this goes for your time as well. Nobody has the right to question why you are busy, it is nobody’s business but your own.
• ASK FOR HELP! I can’t stress this enough. We all need a helping hand sometimes, and there are always people who are prepared to help us when we need it. You are not alone.
• CRY (if you need/want to); it helps to balance us within when we are “poisoned” by our own stress-hormones. But don’t feel sorry for yourself, remember; you put yourself here in the first place.
• SAY NO! Don’t add anything to your schedule unless it is for your personal self. You are busy healing yourself; make no mistake about it – this is work.

It is all about self-respect. If you do not respect yourself, how are you going to respect anybody else? You will end up resenting the people around you – even your closest ones. It’s like in the airplanes; First you put on your oxygen-mask, then you help others. So get that oxygen-mask on!

This article is very long, and I read it all. The killing of women for “honor” is something we know about, it happens all over the world – even in the well-to-do western world. In the article crimes against women are listed; they are all to do with sexuality (even imagined) and freedom of choice. I ponder over this relentless need to control women – what is it really about; power? control? fear? Probably all of them.

Many years ago I met an African man who told me about his tribe; the children all carried their names from their mothers (… son of …) because, as he said, the mother is the only real guarantee to where you come from. There are also other tribes in Africa who condone honor-killings and female circumcision – where lies the difference between, sometimes, neighbouring tribes and why?

Female circumcision is another human rights crime. Again, what is it really about? And most of all; where does this blood-lust come from? This has nothing to do with religion, that is only an excuse.

For the first session I did a full-body massage with the oils of Hyssop (hyssopus officinalis) and Melissa, lemon-balm (melissa officinalis). We talked about belief-systems. She had learned to believe that she will get worse by the year and finally die from her disease. Every time she got a “wave” she expected the worst. I told her that there is no known cure for MS and yes, she will probably get worse. But she does have a life and after so many years she is still doing fine, so why not believe the best? She liked the idea and went home with that and an oil-blend for her skin and emotional state: Lemon grass (cymbopogon citratus) and Rosewood (aniba rosaeodora).

Next session after 2 weeks, I had done some research and used Cistus (cistus labdanum), Bay leaf (laurus nobilis) and Black spruce (picea mariana) for a full-body massage. She loved the blend and brought a bottle home to use on her shoulders, arms and feet. She reported feeling wonderful since the last massage; seeing an improvement in balance and skin.

Next session, 3 weeks later, she was low on arrival. She was in a “wave” and feeling very bad. Her balance had worsened, her mobility was down and she was depressed. I gave her a full-body massage with Clary sage (salvia sclarea), Roman Chamomile (chamameleum nobile) and Geranium (pelargonium graveolens). During the massage I worked on relaxing her stiff joints and suddenly she had full mobility in her arms – for the first time in many years. She was deeply relaxed and felt very good. As she got off the table, her balance was better, she could move her arms over her head and her back was straighter. I gave her stretching exercises to do every day to keep and improve mobility even more.

We talked then of belief again: How she actually didn’t have all the problems she thought; she was more mobile and better balanced than she believed. But all her adult life she has been told that this would happen to her and, being a good girl, she “obeyed”. This again points to the connection body & mind and how it is impossible to separate the two. The lady didn’t get worse after her last “wave”, because at this point she found out that she was stronger than she thought. She still has to fight fear and despair every day, but now she has a belief that she can also have a fulfilling life, and this change in outlook has gained her so much ground in physical healing as well as emotional.

Every cure for disease that exists today came from somewhere. There was a time when these diseases could not be cured, when the belief-system said “you will die”. Today people survive and live with all kinds of diseases that don’t have cures; cancer, aids, hepatitis C… I believe it can be done. I believe you need to be honest about a persons condition and not give false hopes, but show them that miracles (albeit small) happen all the time; point out the miracles, the positive and the results will be better. This is such a vital part of healing, I can’t believe it is overlooked. But maybe that is the job of people like me, who can afford to give the time a client needs. Maybe it is time to integrate us alternative therapists in the medical system.

One of the biggest fears in society is about money and economy; to not have enough. Upon this fear one of the biggest institutions in society is built; the banking-system, the great ruler of wealth. But look what happened; the banking-system crashed and actually not that much changed for most people. They still go to work, collect their pay-check, pay their bills… The monster was slayed, and the expected crisis to every last person didn’t materialize. And now, a couple of years later, there is already talk about a rising of the economical system…this crash was apparently quite easy to “heal”.

So what happens when we are ruled by fear: We stop taking chances, stop dreaming, stop changing, stop advancing. We stay in our place and hope that nothing bad will happen to us. We are afraid to lose our belongings, status and security and we are totally prepared to close down our creative inner sources to stay in the illusion of safety. Fear breeds jealousy; towards the people who have more, or the ones that follow their dreams and, most of all, towards those who keep their freedom and joy.

So let’s strip away fear; its like the onion, layer upon layer of excuses, programming and ideas: Start with the obvious fear and question yourself through the layers: For each question there is an answer that needs to be questioned, until you reach the very core where release will be your prize. You will learn so much about yourself and you will start seeing possibilities like never before. You can do anything you like, usually the only thing stopping you is – fear. So go for it; start questioning yourself.

FEARLESS:

A lady asked me a very important question; “How do I know that I am on the right track?” (the “right track” being whatever you are undertaking at the time.)

Yes, isn’t that always the question? how do I know? We want clear-cut answers all the time; a sort of step-by-step blueprint to life. That would be so easy and we would never need to worry or bother about much – but this is not the point. The point is to learn, experience and understand a bigger picture…the bigger picture being the Self. Everything we undertake comes to a point where it meets with adversity, sometimes over and over again, but who-ever said it would be easy? If something is difficult, chances are that we abandon it…never reaping the rewards of reaching our goals. Look at the video above…all successes that started out in a struggle to reach their goals. If we are not prepared to fight for what we want, the risk is that we will never have it.

Set-backs are learning processes, not defeat.

There is no way of knowing exactly if you are on the right track. Usually the question itself spells out fear and disbelief. Since we know that this is a programmed response to anything new, we need to step away from the negative thought-patterns and look from another view-point. There are some key-points:

• Is it joyful and exciting?
• Do you believe in it?
• Are you getting some results, even though they might be small?
• When you meditate, can you clearly visualize your goal?
• Does it give a meaning to you?
• What are you prepared to give up?

Why would this not be the “right way”? Because it is about you? Do you believe it would be okay for somebody else? Do you put less belief in yourself than in your environment? and if that is the case…Why? Maybe this is the biggest problem of all; our lack of self-esteem.

Everything starts in the Self, it is the birth-place of reality.

So:

• Be good to yourself
• Meditate and breath
• Visualize and make it as real as possible – if you want to achieve, you’ve got to believe.
• Talk to somebody who will support you
• Keep a diary, write down your goals and wishes
• Always see set-backs as something to learn from
• Show people who you are, don’t wait for them to tell you.

And now for a little laugh…

]]> http://annadannfelt.com/2009/10/13/how-do-i-know/feed/ 0 anna dannfelt self-esteem http://annadannfelt.com/2009/10/05/creative-forces/ http://annadannfelt.com/2009/10/05/creative-forces/#comments Mon, 05 Oct 2009 09:30:05 +0000 Body & Mind Balance http://annadannfelt.wordpress.com/?p=423 Continue reading →]]> How do we create our lives / world? And with what motive or emotion? Do we create from fear or lust?

There is great talk and worry around the idea of 21 Dec 2012…according to the Mayan calendar. A lot of people believe this to be Armageddon (again) and that Earth will be wiped out, including, of course, humanity. If you take a look at the Mayan calendar system it clearly shows a cyclic belief; when something ends, something else begins. Maybe their belief is that this just starts all over, OR that this is the time for the next calendar revision since a new time is coming?

The Mayans aren’t the only culture speaking of 2012 as a special year, also Nostradamus speculated about this particular year.  “The book of revelation” in the Bible is dusted off to present another view of these tidings: All what we know will fall apart, creating turmoil and suffering – only to be followed by a new dawning of consciousness, bringing Love and Truth.

So back to my original question: I believe thoughts are creative, that thoughts are vibrational and attractive in nature. Thoughts are movement and movement is creation. So with what kind of thought-patterns do we create our lives?

Most of us are programmed to fear; poverty, hunger, death, disease, pain, heart-ache, failure…on and on. From this basic programming we create our lives…to survive but nothing else. This is why we as humanity are falling apart, destroying our world and each-other. The biggest and most powerful of all creations from fear is money and the banking system…isn’t it interesting that is seems to be falling apart…  The biggest fear to mankind is to not have enough. Well, there is enough, plenty enough for everybody.

I believe this is the time of Creative Change; The beginning of a new belief-system, the heightening of awareness. It is time to create the world from lust instead of fear. Fear is believing the world is going under in 2012, Lust is believing in a world-change in 2012. This said, people might still die, there might be pestilence and raging storms…I don’t know. But if there are, they will be the result of creating from fear. Something always has to go to make place for the new – Death and Birth.

A Constant Cycle of Creation

When I first meet an individual I make a connection; I touch, feel, talk and watch, and I gather what information there is. Sometimes there is only that which I can pick up from the animal. Once I have an idea of what is going on, I make a choice of oils that I offer the animal to smell. The animal is free to come and go as it pleases. By watching its reaction to the oils I know which ones to use in treatment. I never ever force the oils on an animal, it always has the choice to accept it or not.

In the summer of 2000 I had, on a field, 2 mares with their foals and one mother-less older foal. One night they were badly chased by unknowns who managed to catch the mother-less foal and beat her  badly.  I then put them on a smaller field closer to the house to keep them safe and under supervision. I saw the leader mare and the hurt foal eating from a bush that normally no horses touched so I looked it up; this bush contained low levels of a slightly hallucinogenic substance. These two individuals were the ones most traumatized by the attack and they were the only ones eating from the bush…getting high, I suppose, to handle the trauma.

Since then I always plant herbs in the fields; mints, sage, chamomile and others. The horses usually never eat them, so it is also a good way to keep check of the horses; if the plants are eaten, I know something is going on. This way the horses are given a chance to heal themselves of minor stuff.

In the picture is the dog of a friend, she is large and sweet and totally afraid of everything, she doesn’t even know how to play; when I tried she got so scared she ran away to hide. I used rose-oil on her to help her relax and she became calm and cuddly…just from sniffing the oil from my hand. I love my work!!!