Tag Archives: lavender

TRAINING

Posted on January 5, 2010 | 8 Comments

I have started a training/diet program that will run all through January. It is brilliant and I am really happy with it. Only thing is that I was so stiff and sore for the first 3 days I could hardly move. Still I kept training, doing the programs as scheduled. What was interesting was that the more I moved the better I felt, even though I was still in pain. I mean; walking down the stairs or sitting on the loo became major obstacles to be hurdled only with ample preparation, not to mention bending down…OUCH! My muscles seem to be growing so quickly (and painfully) that I have the feeling they are trying to burst through my skin to do their super-power-thing. Well, you get the picture. To combat this I made (of course) a blend of essential oils to rub on my poor suffering muscles (they actually even hurt to the touch!).

The saving blend:

  • Lavender (lavandula augustifolia) 15 dr.
  • Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) 15 dr.
  • Black Pepper (piper nigrum) 15 dr.
  • Marjoram (origanum majorana) 15 dr.

Blended in 30ml of vegetable oil. This is a very strong blend, normally these amounts of essential oils would be diluted in 60ml veg. oil. Always test strong dosages first on the inside of your arm, leave 12-24 hours to make sure you don’t get a negative reaction. I am not very sensitive, so I can use this dilution which is about 6%.

I apply this blend to all the sore areas; chest, thighs back and front, knees and bum 3-4 times daily. Now that the soreness is passing, I will use it less and probably change to another blend to back-up my training. I will tell you about that later.

The biggest point in this whole 30-day meltdown-program is motivation. Every day I need to plan my meals and training (4x 15-20min sessions/day). When I was so sore I was really low on motivation, but then I brought out that gorgeous little red number I haven’t been able to wear since I quit smoking and BOOM – motivation kicks into over-drive. :-)

Oh yes, if you are interested in this fantastic program check it out on the link below. Here you can also download (for free!) a sample of the Elimination Diet that I use. Remember diet is not only about weight, it is about health.

http://www.daxmoy-pts.co.uk/

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SWINE FLU & AROMATHERAPY

Posted on December 2, 2009 | Leave a comment

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.

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TOOTHACHE, STRESS & ESSENTIAL OILS

Posted on September 3, 2009 | Leave a comment

toothacheA few posts back, I told you about my friend with dental pain after an operation. Well, she has been administering the oils without any change. The oils helped against the pain and kept her spirits up but she was still in a bad way. Finally she went to see the dentist again who told her there was nothing wrong, no infection but still he gave her antibiotics. Of course she took the antibiotics which didn’t help at all.

This lady has been through quite difficult times lately with dental surgery and other major acute surgery. She has had her fair share of bad news and worries and I think she is so run down that her body just can’t cope with more. This last surgery was just one to many. I am going with her to see the dentist since he tends to brush her off, but I doubt there is anything that can be done except perhaps repeating the surgical procedure – Bad idea.

I have made her a new essential oil blend to start using today. This is anti-inflammatory and emotionally relieving and calming. What I am aiming for is to ease the obvious inflammation, reduce the stress and get her in a better emotional balance so the body can be allowed to heal.

helichrysum_italicum

THE BLEND:

  • 20 drops essential oil of Helichrysum or Immortelle (Helichrysum italicum)
  • 20 drops essential oil of Wild Chamomile (Anthemis mixta)
  • 20 drops essential oil of Lavender Alpine (Lavandula augustifolia)

USAGE:

  • 1 drop on a moist q-tip and dab on operation site, to be repeated as often as necessary.
  • 5 drops in 10ml (2 teaspoon) of vegetable oil to be massaged on cheek, neck and shoulders 3-5 times / day during the acute stage, then continuously 2 times / day for the next 3 weeks.
  • 10 drops in 5 ml (1 teaspoon) of vegetable oil to be applied to the operation site.

During the acute stage; 1-3 days this could be administered as often as possible. After that the dosages should be brought down to half. This lady has very sensitive skin, therefore I have lowered the amount of essential oil in the massage oil. Normally I would, at this acute stage, use double the amount of drops; 10 drops to 10ml of veg. oil. This blend might even be too strong for her, then we will have to dilute it further.

All of these essential oils are mild on the skin, so there should be no problem. They are soothing, healing, anti-inflammatory and calming in nature. This makes a very nice blend.

chamomile

Essential oils of Helichrysum and Chamomile are rather expensive. But if you really want to get maximum effect, you need to be prepared to pay the price. These oils go very far and when a person is so weakened as this lady has become over time, you really need to bring out the best stuff to go deep enough to heal.

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AROMATHERAPY TRICKS FOR EVERY DAY

Posted on August 16, 2009 | 1 Comment

OilDropThere are plenty of stuff for which you can use essential oils in a very easy way. First of all I need to point out: Essential oils should never be used undiluted on skin, so don’t try these tips with any other oils than those I tell you about. Make sure to keep them away from eyes, so wash your hands when you have been touching essential oils. (don’t want to accidentally rub them in your eyes – that really hurts and can cause severe problems.)

Do not use essential oils on children unless you have first spoken to an aromatherapist.

Make sure the materials you have are good quality, otherwise you will not get the results you want.

There are 3 oils which can be used undiluted on skin for specific problems; Lavender (Lavandula augustifolia), Tea tree (Melaleuca alternifolia) and Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus). Vegetable oils for mixing the essential oils in should always be cold-pressed.

vegetable oils

  • Fresh small wounds and bi-stings: 1-2 drops of Lavender directly on the area. Cover with a band-aid or compress. Or put 1 drop on the band-aid and put on.  Warning: If this process is repeated too often, or during some time there is a risk that the wound grows bigger. Lavender is an essential oil, and they are very strong. This is a one-time acute treatment. After that Lavender must be diluted in vegetable oil or cream for ointment: 5 dr. of lavender to 1 tablespoon (15 ml) oil/cream.
  • Burns: Cool the area with cold water and Aloe Vera, put 1-2 drops of Lavender on the burn and cover with ice-bag until heat is gone. When cooled down, use an ointment of 5 dr. Lavender in 1 tablespoon Aloe Vera gel. Tips: Make sure you have an Aloe Vera plant in your house. When needed, you cut a piece of the leaf and rub the gel onto the wound. Aloe plants are hardy and easy to keep.

aloe-vera-plant

  • Sunburn: Rub Aloe Vera (fresh or gel) onto the burn and let it dry. Then anoint with 5 dr Lavender in 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil.
  • Infected small wounds with pus: One drop of Tea tree on a band-aid or compress. Leave it on the wound for min. one day. If still infected with pus, repeat the treatment. Tea tree is amazing at “pulling out” the pus from a wound. Once the pus is gone, use a lavender ointment for healing.
  • Acne: Dilute Tea tree in water; 2-5 drops to 1 tablespoon (15 ml). Shake and use cotton-wool to wash the face with the tea-tree-water. This can be done as often as you wish during the day. Note: Do not use pure tea tree since it will irritate the skin and worsen the condition. When acutely infected pus-filled acne, dab on pure tea tree with the help of a moist q-tip.
  • Colds, sore throat: Gurgle with Tea tree or Eucalyptus; 2 drops in some tepid water. Gurgle at least 1 min. Repeat 3 times/day. When acute stage up to 5 times/day. Rub lavender oil into the base of your skull. Rub 1 drop neat eucalyptus oil into the sole of each foot 2-3 times/day. Use Eucalyptus as an inhalation to clear airways. ( 3 drops in a basin of hot water, cover head and basin with a towel and breath deeply, keep eyes closed. NOTE: Not for asthma sufferers) Make an ointment of 2-5 drops Eucalyptus in vegetable oil or cream and rub on chest, throat and upper back.
  • Headaches: Lavender and/or Eucalyptus rubbed into the base of the skull and the temples.
  • Tiredness: Eucalyptus on a tissue for inhalation or as a room-scent.

herbal-inhalation

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WILD VS ORGANIC – LAVENDER

Posted on August 10, 2009 | 1 Comment

Lavenderfield

Cultivated lavender

Essential oils for aromatherapy come from three different sources; wild, traditional cultivation or organic/bio. There is quite a debate going on about which oils are the best. At the end of the day, the growing format is only one of the things that ascertain how good the oil will be. As I said before, other factors such as harvesting, distillation, transportation and storage will play its role as well.

  • Traditional cultivation: Most herbs are grown this way. Usually in aromatherapy there is a demand for natural fertilizers and a minimum of pesticides. This is possible when it comes to growing herbs, since they have a built-in repellent-system. (essential oils) The plants are normally all the same in chemical make-up sometimes even genetically so.
  • Organic or bio cultivation: No pesticides are used and only natural fertilizers. Weeds are controlled manually. The yield can be slightly smaller so the price is often higher. Again, the plants are more or less identical in chemical make-up.
  • Wild: The plants are not cultivated at all, they are harvested in the wild where they normally grow. The chemical differences between the plants can vary and the plants are not identical. They are much harder to harvest, since the harvester needs to move over a large area to collect them. The plants are smaller than their cultivated cousins.

Wild lavenderWild lavender

My absolute favorites are the oils from wild plants, they hold the very essence of their origins. They are organic from nature, they are not genetically identical and in some ways they have more of an intrinsic power. When I still lived in the forest I always preferred to harvest my herbs wild from the forest. The ones I couldn’t find wild, I cultivated as “wildly” as possible on my farm.

LavenderGarden lavender

Some years ago I went to France, Provence, to study herbs and distillation methods etc. One day was spent harvesting wild lavender. This is incredibly hard work; August in Provence means relentless hot sun and dry, dusty air. (the soil is so dry as to turn to dust) We were given huge sacks which was tied over the shoulders (it was bigger than me), and a moon-shaped small “scythe” or “lavender knife” (I don’t know what it is called, see picture below). The final goal for the day was to each harvest 25kg of lavender. (This is for beginners such as myself) Wearing sturdy shoes, even sturdier gloves and a hat we set off up the hillside. You always start cutting from below, as it is easier to harvest going uphill. Wild lavender grows in tufts here and there that are rather small and hard to cut. You grab a handful of lavender-stems and cut the top 1/3′rd of the plant, then throw it over your shoulder into the sack as you climb for the next bush. Hard work indeed, and 25 kg is an enormous amount. At the end of my kilos, both my hands were sore, my whole body was aching and my head was spinning as if I had downed a bottle of wine!

Lavender harvest knife

Lavender knife (if anybody knows what it is called, please tell me)

dried-lavender_12118

Dried lavender on market in Provence

Finally: The best lavender grows on high altitudes. Wild lavender is often called “Alpine lavender” since it grows higher up on the mountain; 8 000-15 000 meters above sea-level. The bushes are smaller and carries less flowers the higher up on the mountain you come, which makes harvesting a real chore.The nicest lavender I ever met is a high-altitude lavender, lavandula augustifolia. It has an energy so high and pure that its scent truly carries the song of the angels. This is the only lavender I ever used for my children. The high-altitude wild lavender oil will always be more expensive than other lavender oils, but remember;

“You get what you pay for”.

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FRAGRANCES & FEELINGS

Posted on August 5, 2009 | 2 Comments

MonardaThere are so many different ways to use essential oils, depending on what result or effect you are looking for. When it comes to mood-enhancing, this will happen whatever way you use the oils, since they enter your system. Even if you have lost your sense of smell, the oils will have an effect on your moods and feelings.

Important: If you are sensitive, always use lower doses. You can also test the oil by rubbing a drop of essential oil mixed in vegetable oil onto the inside of your arm. If it itches or turns red, lower the dosage even more or avoid that essential oil/blend. Don’t ever use pure essential oils on your skin. Our sense of smell gets quickly used to a new scent and we don’t smell it anymore. This might make some people use higher doses than necessary. If you are not sure about the scent – leave the room, breath some fresh air and come back.

  • Room fragrance: You can use an electrical aroma-fan which diffuses the oils without heating them – this is the best way to disperse oils in a space, especially to clear the air from bacteria. Aroma-burners use a tea-candle (heat) to disperse the essential oils, this is excellent for fragrance and mood-enhancing. Aroma-stone is an electrical appliance that disperse the oil with the help of heat without using a candle, better to use in childrens room or such. When heated, the oils loose some of their antiseptic qualities, so they are not as effective in, for example, a sick-room.

Tips: If you don’t have an appliance you can drop your essential oil onto a tissue or cotton-ball and lodge by the radiator – make sure there is no risk of fire. Or you can use a bowl of hot water in which you drop your oil.

Dosages: In a small to medium room or a childs room use 2-4 drops. Do not refill more often than once an hour, especially in childrens room where you would also use fewer drops. In a large room you can use up to 10 drops. Bathrooms are easily scented by dropping a drop of essential oil in the wash-basin and rinse it out with warm water. Some people use scented pot-pourri, you can easily scent it with essential oils instead of synthetic fragrance. There are plenty of ways to use essential oils as air-fresheners, room scents etc. Use your imagination and enjoy.

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  • Baths: Pure essential oils are irritating to the skin and mucous membranes so you need to mix them in something since they do not disperse in water. You can mix them in vegetable oil, unscented soap or body-lotion. You can also use cream (like Cleopatra). Soap, lotion and creme will mix the oils with the water – just swish around – vegetable oil will lie on the surface. If you want bubble-bath use the soap! Always add the essential oils when bath is ready.

Dosages: 5-10 drops of essential oils in a carrier. For children 2-5 drops in a carrier. If bathing a child in a smaller bath, use only 1-2 drops in a carrier. For babies; avoid essential oils unless a certified aromatherapist has given you advice.

  • Skin-care: Essential oils are wonderful for skin-care. You can mix essential oils in any un-perfumed lotion, soap, shampoo, conditioner or creme. Try using as natural products as possible to maximize the effect of the essential oils.

Dosages: 10-20 drops of essential oil to 100 ml of lotion, soap, shampoo, conditioner. 2-5 drops of essential oil to 50 ml of face-cream.

Tips: Always start with the lower dosage; it is easy to add more if you like. This way you can control the strength of the scent.

ESSENTIAL OILS (following oils are very useful for emotional imbalances. They are not too expensive and blend well with each-other. They are a good start for aromatherapy.)

  • Lavender (lavandula officinalis, lavandula augustifolia) Wonderful calming and relaxing oil. It is a very good oil for skin-care; dry skin, acne, irritations etc. Helps heal small wounds and burns. Excellent after-sun if burned, use with Aloe Vera gel. If you have problems falling asleep, lavender can help you. Take a lavender-bath before bed or use it as a room-fragrance. (Tips: put one drop on the front of you pj’s or by your pillow when you go to bed.) When there is stress, worry, anxiousness or fear; lavender is calming to the mind. Place a few drops on a tissue and inhale from it. Lavender is a wonderful oil for children; skin, fretfulness, problems sleeping. Wonderful for childrens baths and room-scenting. OBS: use low dosage on children – max 2 drops for sleep – higher doses tend to have the opposite effect.
  • Orange (citrus sinensis) Uplifting to the spirit and safe to use also for children. It brings sunshine into our souls. If really low and unhappy, orange is wonderful to use. It is a versatile skin-care oil especially for oily skin and acne.  OBS: orange essential oil is sensitive to oxidation and stays good only about 6 months. If the oil is cloudy, don’t use it. Once it is oxidized, it becomes a skin-irritant.
  • Rosewood (aniba roseodora) Calming and strengthening in character it is a wonderful oil that is safe to use also for children. It helps when there is insecurity and depression, anxiety and mood-swings. Excellent skin-care oil especially for dry, mature skin and acne.
  • Bee Balm (monarda fistulosa) Tonic, up-lifting and releasing for the emotions and spirit. Balances when there is slight hysteria. Useful for oily skin.
  • Geranium (pelargonium graveolens) Balancing oil  which is highly useful when there are mood-swings, irritation and PMT.  Good general skin-care oil balancing for most skin-types.
  • Frankincense (boswellia carterii) Relaxes and deepens the breathing. Good when there is anxiety and stress. Opens the mind to meditation and quietens inner chatter. Good for oily skin, mature skin and acne.
  • Ylang-Ylang (cananga odorata var. genuina) Euphoric in nature, this oil lifts the spirit and creates a sense of euphoria. Do not use when concentration is needed. For some people it can help when there is a problem with falling asleep – especially when the reason is mental worries. It is extremely helpful when there is anger. In skin-care it is especially  useful with oily skin and acne. OBS: The scent is very strong and can, in higher doses, give head-ache and/or nausea. Use with care.

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ESSENTIAL OIL QUALITY – part 4

Posted on June 16, 2009 | Leave a comment

Modified Chemical PictureThere are  methods with which to change, increase or replace essential oils.

  • Synthesizing: Chemically recreating the aroma in a laboratory. Then you have an essence, not an essential oil. In my earlier entries I have spoken of the synergy in an essential oil and how important it is when we are using it for therapeutic/pleasurable reasons. A synthetic essence is nothing but an aroma. As far as making you feel better, it is only because the aroma is pleasurable…it stays in the nose. Synthetic aromas are often  sweet and slightly overpowering.
  • Cutting: Mixing a more expensive essential oil with other, cheaper, essential oils, or synthetic aromatics,  to create larger amounts of oil for economic purposes. Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)will sometimes be mixed with Lavandin (Lavandula fragrans). Lemonbalm (Melissa officinalis) will be mixed with Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus). These oils are of course useless for aromatherapeutic use.
  • Standardizing: In industry (perfumery/toiletries/foods/pharmaceutical) the oils always need to be exactly the same, which they by nature are not, and this system was created to ensure a homogeneous aroma every year: The main 1 or 2 chemicals present in the essential oil are usually the ones that give the overall aroma.  When the proportion between them stays the same, the aroma will stay the same. Therefore certain standards are given to essential oils which decrees the percentage of the main constituents within the essential oil. If the percentage is too high, some is taken out. If the percentage is too low, some will be added.  Sometimes synthetics might be added, but mostly isolated chemical-extractions are used. Sometimes chemicals are extracted from the oil and used as they are, an example is Menthol that is extracted fromPeppermint (Mentha piperita). A much standardized oil is Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) where the main constituent is  cineol (60-85%).  The commercial standardization is 98% cineol.

All plants do not contain essential oils. A wide misunderstanding is that everything that has a scent has an essential oil, this is not so.

Apple, Lily of the Valley, Lilac, Peach, Strawberry….the list is long…DO NOT CONTAIN ESSENTIAL OILS. These are all synthetic aromas created chemically in a laboratory. They will do nothing but smell.

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ESSENTIAL OIL QUALITY – part 1 -background

Posted on June 4, 2009 | Leave a comment


Quality is the most important aspect when using essential oils. All the wonderful effects the oils have will only happen when there is a high quality pure essential oil.
To understand why this is even an issue, you need to understand the world of scents; how they are used and where they come from. The largest users of essential oils are the food-industry and perfume/toiletries industry. These industries need consistency more than quality, the oils need to be the same year after year to fit the “recipe”. Such conformation is not possible since essential oils are natural; it would be like expecting a wine to be exactly the same every year. Living stuff will chemically vary depending on soil, weather conditions, fertilizer and harvesting methods/time. Like with wines, if you harvest the same plant in exactly the same way and the same time every year, you will still get a different yield; both in chemistry and bulk.

Essential oils are complex mixtures of different chemicals. The balance between these chemicals is what gives an oil its specific character. Each essential oil has one or two main chemicals that make up the biggest percentage of the oil, for example; linalol in lavender, menthol in peppermint, cineol in eucalyptus. Aside from these there are many, many other chemicals that make up one oil; In rose there are 3-400 identified chemicals and almost as many that are, to this day, unidentified. No matter how small the amounts of chemicals might be, they are part of the whole and very important for the quality and effects of the essential oils. Each essential oil has its own synergy.
In nature these different chemicals are used as messengers. Each molecule has its own signature and “message”. For a human being we need as little as 8 molecules to react to the “message” of a scent. We need about 30-40 molecules to consciously notice the scent. This is why the essential oils are so powerful; they are communicating with every cell in the body – for which a minute amount of molecules are necessary. To make a comparison:
Pheromones – there are alarm pheromones, food trail pheromones, sex pheromones, and many others that affect behavior or physiology. We have all heard about them, still the term “pheromone” was introduced by Peter Karlson and Martin Lüscher in as late as 1959. (wikipedia)
Essential oils and Pheromones work much in the same way. Actually many pheromones are made up from the same molecules as essential oils.

When you smell a full good quality essential oil it is like magic, the scent is limitless. The way to smell an oil is thus:
Keep the bottle or tissue a few cm from your nose and inhale deeply 2 or 3 times. Essential oils are volatile and will very easily enter your olfactory system. Compare an essential oil to a synthetic oil and feel the difference.

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ESSENTIAL OILS AND EMOTION

Posted on June 4, 2009 | 3 Comments

essential-oilEssential oils are wonderful mood-enhancers. I have many clients experiencing depression and anxiety from stress. While stress takes time to balance, the emotions involved can quite readily be helped with essential oils.
Usually the scents/blends I use for people are chosen specifically for them and then used in a massage. This way the system is programmed for relaxation from this specific blend. I have found this to be an effective way to “open the door” for further work with stress. An overloaded system and/or brain can not assimilate information…this is one of the reasons the downward-spiral of stress is so debilitating; handling stress comes from knowledge and conscious choices. You learn to handle stress, it doesn’t just happen.

When stressed or depressed we are very bad at helping ourselves. Even if we know how to do it, we don’t manage to do it. Everything is too much, and nothing feels very important anymore. The only thing we feel we can do is close our eyes and hope for it all to go away.

This is where the brilliance of essential oils come in: It is actually enough to open the bottle and inhale deeply from it to feel some release. When I say inhale, I mean inhale. Take a deep breath and bring the scent of the oil as deep into yourself as you can. Close your eyes while doing it, and feel what happens to you.
This is the simplest and most basic way of using an essential oil for mood-enhancement. You can also put a few (3-5) drops on a tissue or handkerchief and carry it around with you for use during the day. Since essential oils are volatile, you might need to refresh the oil after a few hours.

The choice of oil is individual. It is all about what you feel. Smell essential oils and see what they do to you. Remember that your system usually can handle only about 5 different oils at a time, then it is suffused. Go outside, breath some fresh air and then you can smell some more. This, of course, is highly individual.

ESSENTIAL OILS:

Woody oils are grounding and strengthening:
Cedar (cedrus atlantica) Warming and calming.
Cypress (cupressus sempervirens) Strengthening and balancing.
Rosewood (aniba rosaeodora) Balancing, relaxing and uplifting

Resinous oils are protective and warming:
Frankincense (boswellia carterii) Uplifting, deepens breathing, meditation.
Myrrh (commiphora myrrha) Warming and emotionally healing.
Benzoin (styrax benzoin) Warming, euphoric, calming, protecting.

Floral oils are calming uplifting and emotionally releasing:
Geranium (pelargonium graveolens) Very balancing when there is also anger, frustration or irritation.
Lavender (lavandula officinalis / augustifolia) Wonderfully calming when there are also sleeping-problems.
Ylang-Ylang (cananga odorata) Uplifting, euphoric and very good where there is anger. (High doses can give head-ache and/or nausea)

Citrus oils are uplifting and refreshing. They also blend well with the above-mentioned oils. Citrus oils carry sun-energy and this can be helpful during the wintermonths.
Orange (citrus sinensis) Sweet, uplifting.
Lemon (citrus limon) Refreshing, clears the mind
Mandarin (citrus reticulata) Sweet, helps the inner child.

Another great oil when there is sluggishness, tiredness (physical & emotional):
Rosemary (rosmarinus officinalis) Uplifting, clears the mind, stimulating.

Orange blossomNote: Essential oils are not drugs. They work with the body. If your system is exhausted and you need to sleep, even the most stimulating oil will not keep you alert.
Also note that if depression is severe it is good to bring in some stimulating oils (citrus, rosemary) since the more calming oils can enhance depression in higher doses.

QUALITY: Buy good quality oils. If the oil is of an inferior quality, you will not have the benefits. Essential oils are natural, they have life-energy. If they are handled and stored wrongly they will lose their properties. E.O are quite costly but they go a long way. Always look for the latin name on the label, this way you are sure that you get the real thing. (There are many different cedars, for example, and one of them is slightly toxic to the system.)
The label should also say 100% pure essential oil.

WARNING: Essential oils are highly concentrated and can be irritating to the skin and mucous membranes. Do not use them internally, do not use neat on skin, keep away from eyes, children and pets.

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