From Ayurvedic point of view Lavender is the perfect oil that is suitable for any person. And I truly believe that no medicine cabinet or pantry should go without it.

Lavender has been used continuously for centuries to enhance food and for health as dried flowers, herbed oils, and essential oils. People were using Lavender from washing linens to soothing teas, from hiding under the corset of beautiful ladies for a pleasant smell to healing wounds of a soldier.

It is important to say that among various species of Lavender only Lavandula officinalis (other names: Lavandula angustifora, Lavandula vera) can be used therapeutically. Therapeutic Lavender is not cheap and is the most often adulterated oil. There are more than 30 different types of Lavender oils for sale. Not all of them are of a therapeutic and organic grade. Some species of Lavender contain too much ketones and are too toxic to be used in aromatherapy. Buy your lavender only from the reputable sources.

Medicinal properties of Lavender:

• Analgetic (arthritis/rheumatism, muscle pain, bruises)
• Antibacterial (according to some research it is effective against: diphtheria, pneumonia, acute sinusitis, otitis media, meningitis, sepsis, septic arthritis, endocarditis, peritonitis, pericarditis, cellulitis, brain abscess, urinary tract infections, E. coli, septicemia, ankylosing spondylitis, Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus, salmonella, staphylococcus, streptococcus, gastrointestinal illness to name a few)
• Antifungal (candida, nail infection, chlamydia, tinea capitis)
• Anti-inflammatory (eczema, insect bites, sinusitis, cystitis, bruises, spraines, acne, otitis)
• Antiseptic (acne, bronchial secretions, cystitis, otitis, skin infection, influenza, sinusitis, tuberculosis)
• Antispasmodic (cramps, coughing)
• Balancing (nervous system)
• Calming, sedative (headaches, migranes, anxiety, insomnia, sleep problems)
• Cardiotonic  (tachycardia)
• Carminative (flatulence, colic)
• Cicatrizant (burns, scars, varicose ulcers, wounds)
• Emmenagogic (scanty periods)
• Hypotensor (hypertension)

At this point you might feel completely overwhelmed.

Not to worry. Follow these simple rules to be on the safe side:

• Always consult doctor if you have any serious problems. Never self-diagnose or self-medicate.
• Never drink essential oils.
• Never put essential oils in your eyes, nose, or on private parts.
• Only use essential oils from the reputable sources

The following are a few suggestions on how safely use lavender for your family.

• Insect repellent:

o   Add few drops to a skin lotion, apply just before your daily walk in the park

o   Put a few drops on your hands, rub together, than rub your body just before going out

o   While traveling, put a drop on your bed and a drop on the pillow

Note: for outdoor use you will need to reapply essential oil every few hours.

• Insect bites – apply one drop and rub in.
• Burns – apply one drop immediately, do not rub if the blister appears. For the bigger burns: soak gauze and gently cover the injured place, and go to the hospital.
• Skin rushes – apply a few drops, gently rub. Contact the doctor if the rushes persist and no improvements show in the next day or two.
• Small cuts – apply 1-2 drops. It will disinfect, ease the pain and help with healing.
• Cough, cold, flu, sinus infection – diffuse the oil in the room for a couple of hours or as long as you want. 20 drops to 1 cup of water.
• Ear infection – 1 drop of Lavender massage around the ear. 1 drop of Lavender (can be mixed with 1 drop of Chamomile) on the cotton ball, place a cotton ball into the ear. Must be applied to both ears even when the pain affects only one.
• Insomnia – diffuse the oil in the room during the night. 20 drops to 1 cup of water. Puts restless babies to sleep like a charm.
• Headache – 1 drop of lavender (can be mixed with 1 drop of Peppermint) applied around the hairline.
• Muscle pain, arthritis, back pain – ease the pain by applying 1-2 drops of Lavender directly to the affected area.
• Depression, anxiety, mood swings – diffuse the oil in the room for a couple of hours or as long as you want. 20 drops to 1 cup of water.
• Ice-cream – yummy.  Only use therapeutic or food grade oil for it. Instead of vanilla flavoring add 1 drop of Lavender oil for 2 cups of ice-cream mixture before putting it in the ice-cream maker. It adds unforgettable flavor.

A word about diffusers: Only use cold diffusers (ionic diffusers) because heat destroys therapeutic properties of essential oils.

Suggested sources of good quality essential oils:

Young Living: https://www.youngliving.org/harmony66

Tisserand: http://www.tisserandusa.com/

admin, Reiki http://www.surchange.com/437/lavender-the-wonder-oil/

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Instead of drinking sugary drinks or flavored water with man-made chemicals, give your essential oils a try.  You’ll be surprised how yummy they can make that boring old water and the citrus oils have naturally occuring molecules that have been shown to stop cancer growth!  Yup, I’m serious!

Citrus oils contain a molecule called d-Limonene, which has been proven in many studies to stop the growth of new cancer cells.  Simply by adding a few drops of citrus essential oils to your water, you are ingesting this healthy molecule and supporting your health – and they taste so good too!

• Grapefruit Essential Oil contains 68-92% d-Limonene
• Orange Essential Oil contains 85-90% d-Limonene
• Lemon Essential Oil contains 55-75% d-Limonene
• Tangerine Essential Oil Contains 65-80% d-Limonene

When you are adding oils to your water make sure you are using either a glass, ceramic or stainless steal container.  Don’t use plastic because the oils can break down the plastic, which you will then be drinking – yuck!

Add a drop or two of the oil first, then add your water.  It helps to mix up the oil in the water that way.  Enjoy!

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Essential Oils that might assist in reducing hemorrhages: Rosewood, Labdanum, Myrrh, Cypress, Lavender, Geranium, Rose, Sandalwood, Helichrysum

Essential Oils that might assist in contracting blood vessels: Chamomile, Cypress, Rose

Essential Oils that might ease stress: Lavender, Melissa (diffusion only), Frankincense, Labdanum, Neroli (diffusion only), Bergamot (diffusion only), Coriander, Cypress, Helichrysum, Chamomile, Geranium, Scots Pine, Ravensara, Rose, Sandalwood, Valerian, Spikenard, Basil, Patcholi

Safety Rules:

• Never apply essential oils to the skin without the advice from qualified professional
• Keep oils out of the reach of children, the mentally challenged and pets.
• Keep away from the eyes. If you get essential oils in the eyes, rinse immediately with milk followed by vegetable oil and water.
• Keep oils away from open flame.
• Store in a cool, dark place.
• Always blend essential oils with a carrier oil, cream, water, or other base before using.
• Never use perfume oils instead of essential oils

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Gin Brunssen

Ayurveda is a 5,000 (yes, five thousand) year old life science and wellness tradition. Ayu – means life, Veda means science.

“The philosophy of Ayurveda is simple: we all, without exceptions, have the birthright to be healthy. Nobody should ever have less than a vibrant healthy life.” – explains Gin Brunssen, BS, LMBT, the founder of Ayurvedic Bodywork Center in Raleigh, NC.

Talking to an Ayurveda practitioner is sometimes absolutely puzzling for a first comer. As somebody once put it: “You come with a health problem, answer questions for an hour, and leave with the shopping list and a schedule”.

Ayurveda is a lifestyle in which appropriate food, regular exercises, and massages keep your body in the best working condition.

Gin is trained in Ayurvedic and Neuromuscular massage, Myofascial Release, Deep Tissue, Pregnancy massage, and Rossiter Technique.

She never dreamed of becoming a massage therapist or learning about Ayurveda. She earned her Bachelor of Science in the field of Human Development and Family Studies in 1999 and for a while worked with children and teenagers with special needs. But the stress level was too high and Gin started to think about changing career.

The desire of helping people made her choose a career in massage therapy. After graduating from the massage school in 2002 she spent a year working at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in California learning Ayurveda.

It is easy to describe Ayurvedic massage as luxurious, detoxifying and total bliss. These ancient techniques use a lot of warmed herbalized oils and friction strokes to rejuvenate the tissues of the body, and induce the elimination of toxins.

“We choose different oils for different clients based on age honored traditions of Ayurveda. There are three body mind constitutions. First we seek to determine if imbalance exists within these constitutions. By applying oil and massage technique appropriate for a person’s constitution we correct imbalance and assist the body in healing itself.” – explains Gin Brunssen.

Ayurvedic Bodywork Center offers a wide selection of ancient Ayurvedic massage sessions from Gandharva (accompanied by the meditative sounds of the crystal bowl) and Marma therapy to Swedana, an herbal steam treatment.

Gin Brunssen, BS, LMBT is available for questions at:
(919) 609-3368

For more information about Ayurvedic Massage or to book your appointment online:
Ayurvedic Bodywork Center: http://www.ayubwc.com/treatments.html
3402 Hillsborough Street, Suite 106
Raleigh, NC, 27607

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3. Essential Oil: How to choose – Part II

Alzheimer’s:

• Juniper – promotes nerve function
• Frankincense – helps with anxiety, fear, and anger
• Vitex – promotes nerve function (reduced symptoms of Parkinson’s in animals by 89%)
• Helichrysum – the Royalty of all essential oils helps almost with any neurological disease.

Anxiety/Depression/Stress:

• Frankincense – one of the chemicals in this oil forces the lung to take deeper breath, so increasing the filling of peace,
• Melissa  – was used in Europe for centuries against depression and anxiety

Also helpful: onycha, palmarose, petitgraine, pine, rose, sandalwood, spearmint, spruce, spikenard (yes, the one that was used on Jesus before the last supper), , tangerine, vetiver, and ylang ylang.

Nervous System Support:
Angelica, cedarwood, chamomile, frankincense, ginger, hyssop, lavender, myrrh, nutmeg, black pepper, peppermint, sandalwood, spruce, blue tansy, tarragon, valerian, vetiver.

Immune Support:
Cinnamon, cistus, clove, cumin, frankincense, galbanum, laurel, ledum, lemon, lime, mountain savory, myrrh, nutmeg, orange, oregano, ravensara, sage, tangerine, Idaho tansy, thyme, yarrow.

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Marina Lando, MS, RM, 1059 CRP

Expectant mothers were always looking for safer alternatives than pharmaceuticals to help them cope with pregnancy challenges.

These essential oils are frequently used by British midwifes to assist ladies during pregnancy:

* Headaches – eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, chamomile
* Insomnia – diffuse lavender, bergamot, lemon, ylang-ylang, rose
* Mood swings and baby blues – diffuse neroli, ylang-ylang, cypress, lavender, lemon, grapefruit, rose
* Nausea – diffuse melissa, chamomile, peppermint, lemon, ginger

Labor:

* Jasmine – stimulates contractions and speeds uterus contraction after the delivery,
* Frankincense – calming,
* Lemon – uplifting,
* Lavender – calming,
* Rose – uplifting and calming,
* Clary sage – stimulates contractions and assists labor

Essential Oils to avoid during pregnancy:

Ginger (in the last month of pregnancy), myrrh, juniper, German chamomile, cajuput, basil, marjoram, rosemary, clary sage, vetiver.

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Dr. Leavitt; Picture courtesy of HTC

Know the warning signs:

* Are there changes in behavior?

- Has their appearance changed in clothing, weight, behavior

- Are there changes in sleep patterns, eating patterns

- Loss of interest in friends

- Is there an inability to concentrate?

* Is there a preoccupation with themes of death and dying?
* Are prized possessions being given away?
* Has there been an element of grief or recent loss: death, divorce, separation, broken relationship (especially for teens), a change in personal status?
* Are there changes in personality: sad, withdrawn, irritable, anxious, tired, indecisive?
* Is there a lack of concern for their safety, efforts to hurt themselves?

Be aware that the greatest risk of suicide is as the depression begins to lift.

* Do not leave a person at high risk alone, not for a moment.
* Remove means for harm: Make guns and pills inaccessible.

Work towards Resilience:

- Strong family support and cohesion
- Peer support & close social networks
- Religious beliefs that discourage suicide
- Develop adaptive coping & problem solving skills
- Improve self esteem, sense of purpose

Tips are courtesy of:
Dr. Leavitt
Health Touch Chiropractic
(919) 720-3000
http://www.raleighhealthtouch.com/

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Marina Lando, MS, RM, 1059 CRP

Single oils:

* Bergamot – uplifting
* Chamomile for relaxation
* Clary sage – natural antidepressant
* Dalmatian Sage – balancing and uplifting
* Frankincense – balancing, natural antidepressant
* Geranium – balancing
* Grapefruit, mandarin, sweet orange, lemon – uplifting
* Jasmine – emotionally warming and uplifting, natural antidepressant
* Melissa – natural antidepressant
* Neroli – natural antidepressant
* Peppermint – uplifting
* Rose – calming, uplifting, natural antidepressant
* Rosemary – uplifting
* Rovensara – balancing
* Sweet thyme – relaxing
* Tea-Tree – uplifting
* Ylang ylang – sedative

Blends:

* Mix lavender, marjoram and clary sage to ease anxiety.
* Blend grapefruit and ylang ylang for a lift.
* Blend bergamot (uplifting) with vetiver (known in India as oil of tranquility) and rose

More advice:

“Lavender plant is the best. You can carry a piece of it in your pocket and smell it when you’re stressed. Also Lavender Oil drops mixed in with any Lavender spray. I spray my pillows and myself with it!!”, – suggested Rachel Lynne

Or

“Cook something with lemon and basil then take a nice calming bath with lavender and eucalyptus”,- wrote Kasey Marie

So what to choose? It is simple. Trust your senses. Choose the smell you like most and enjoy your life.

Contributors:Marina Lando, Heather Thomas, Angela Jane Adams, Farida Moolla, Rachel Lynne, Kelly Finbow, Ewa Majchrzak, Kasey Marie, Renee Zepeda, Barbara-Lynn Freed, Cherie Tice. Farida Moolla, Jam Chang

More info:

Join the group or read recent posts
Purchase therapeutic grade essential oils

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2. Anxiety and Depression: a simple change might save the day
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Marina Lando, MS, RM, 1059 CRP

Once upon a time practitioner found a REAL deal on Rose essential oil.

Oh, boy WHAT a deal! … The oil developed slight, tiny-winy, insignificant glitch in a few months, but it was not very important. No honestly, do you see any problem if Rose oil smells like a fish?

In aromatherapy quality, integrity and potency of essential oil is a paramount.

Many expansive oils are faked by blending cheaper one together. They are also diluted with base oils to make bigger profit. The smell might be similar, but therapeutic properties are very different. Cheaper oils might also cause irritation and photo-sensitivity.

The distillation process is also very important: essential oils must be distilled from organic material under very low temperatures without use of harsh solvents.

How to find a reputable supplier?

The simplest way is to ask your favorite aromatherapy practitioner about his/her favorite brand.

Or you can follow these easy rules:

1. If all essential oils are approximately of the same price – it is a fake.
2. If essential oils sold in clear bottles (not dark brown or blue) – it is a fake. Light kills essential oil.
3. If it is too good to be true – it is a fake.
4. If it is too cheap – it is a fake.
5. If it is sold in plastic bottles – it is a big fake.
6. If all bottles are the same size – it is a fake.

Local (Raleigh/Durham, NC) businesses where you can have an aromatherapy session and get advice about essential oils:
Harmony Life – Raindrop, Reiki and Aromatherapy sessions
Ayurvedic Bodywork Center – Ayurvedic massage
Healthy Steps – Raindrop
Aromatherapy Celebrations - Spiritual Healing with essential oils

For more info on aromatherapy:
Aromatherapy Facebook page
Purchase therapeutic grade essential oils

Related posts:

1. Essential Oils: How to choose – Part I
2. Aromatherapy: What it is and what it is not
3. Effective Prevention of Swine Flu (H1N1) with Essential Oils.

Marina Lando, MS, RM, 1059 CRP

There is a lot of confusion about the quality of essential oils.

So to simplify your life you need to know that….

Essential oils can be of:
1. Food grade
2. Perfume grade
3. Therapeutic grade

The production of food and perfume grade is focused on keeping the smell/taste constant from year to year and from batch to batch. It is a little tricky: essential oils as wines are different from harvest to harvest. Unfortunately, some of the health benefits are lost due to production process.

Therapeutic grade essential oils produced under lower temperatures from organic plants without the use of harsh solvents. They are more expansive, because the process is less “efficient”.

So which one you have to use?

The answer is simple:
1. If you want to make food with essential oils and do not intend to get any therapeutic result besides pleasant taste and smell, go with “food grade”. As usually these oils have a label that says “food grade” – it means they are safe to consume in small quantities.
2. If you just into creating your own perfumes or air freshener go with perfume grades.
3. If you are looking for therapeutic results – find a local aromatherapy practitioner. She/he already made all the research, fell in love with some reputable company, uses oils that produce results and will choose essential oils that will work for your particular case.

To learn more read Part II

Local (Raleigh/Durham, NC) businesses where you can have an aromatherapy session and get advice about essential oils:
Harmony Life – Raindrop, Reiki and Aromatherapy sessions
Ayurvedic Bodywork Center – Ayurvedic massage
Healthy Steps – Raindrop
Aromatherapy Celebrations - Spiritual Healing with essential oils

For more info on aromatherapy:
Aromatherapy Facebook page
Purchase therapeutic grade essential oils

Related posts:

1. Essential Oil: How to choose – Part II
2. Effective Prevention of Swine Flu (H1N1) with Essential Oils.
3. Aromatherapy: What it is and what it is not