Aromatherapy - Ten Essential Oils to have on hand!

Ten Essential Oils You’ll Want To Use
And Why!



Aromatherapy literally means
“to treat with aroma through inhalation.”
Although there are other applications for Aromatherapy, if you would like to be proactive about your health and wellness,
and particularly the state of your emotions, then diffusing essential oils is the most practical and effective way to enjoy their benefits!

Why inhale essential oils in the first place? Because essential oils affect the brain and the brain affects the rest of us! Essential oils, naturally, have the ability to help us by bringing about a feeling of calmness or alertness. They can stimulate appetite or a feeling of being full. They can help us feel romantic, grounded, and empowered. They bring back memories and help release trauma. In short, essential oils affect the way we feel and the way we feel affects everything!

In fact, essential oils are being studied for their effects on stress, blood pressure and cortisol levels, among many other things! See a link to two published studies here!


Below is a list of 10 pleasant-smelling essential oils to diffuse and enjoy!

Cassia
This essential oil is antibacterial, antiviral and anti-fungal, making it a wonderful oil to have in your breathing space when people are coughing all around you. And it smells a little like Christmas Candy!

Clary Sage
This essential oil is believed to be beneficial for hormone balance, insomnia, and other symptoms of PMS. You may find it calms you, making it a wonderful oil to diffuse during stressful [and hormone-upset] times!

Cedarwood
An essential oil high in sesquiterpenes which means it can affect the emotion centre of the brain. It also encourages the pineal gland to release melatonin which fosters deep sleep. Breathe in this oil during times of congestion, coughs, and bronchitis.

Frankincense
Diffuse this fragrant oil when you would like to increases spiritual awareness and stay focused while you are meditating. Breathing in Frankincense may also improve your attitude and elevate your spirits!

Geranium
Another great essential oil for stress. While it calms and balances you, it may help to release negative memories. Diffusing this oil may bring you to a higher level of well-being emotionally so you feel more peaceful and optimistic.

German Chamomile
Diffuse this essential oil for a “breath of calm” in a busy day! German Chamomile may help you to dispel anger and steady your feelings bringing you back to a clear, calm state of mind, helping you to feel better emotionally and to sleep well.

Lavender
This wonderful essential oil is well known for its calming, relaxing and balancing effect on the emotions. These properties make it a good oil to diffuse when you are dealing with nervous tension, high blood pressure or depression. Diffuse this in the bedroom for a good nights rest.

Lemongrass
This essential oil is fun to diffuse because it is said it helps to make one more intuitive. It is also purifying and a natural insect repellent. Diffuse it to stay awake and feel less irritable!

Ylang Ylang
This relaxing fragrance balances male-female energies. It seems to give you what you need to come into balance. It brings your energy up if it is low and helps to calm you if you need grounding! It also has aphrodisiac properties. Think: calm, balance, confidence, peace, joy.

Peppermint
This fresh cool-scented essential oil is known as “The Happy Oil”. If you are on a weight-reduction diet, you may like to know that Peppermint has been studied for its ability to affect the brain’s satiety center; the part of the brain that makes us feel full after we’ve eaten enough! It’s also good for headaches, focusing, and depression and can help clear the sinuses!

These comments are not meant to replace conventional medical treatment.

References:
Essential Oils Integrative Medical Guide by D. Gary Young
Aromatherapy for Common Ailments by Shirley Price
Aromatherapy For Dummies (I couldn’t resist!)


©2007 Terra Cotta Pendants About the author: Lori Gosselin has been studying and sharing information about essential oils since 1997. She has witnessed many profound changes in people when they begin diffusing essential oils into their everyday lives. Together with her family she started Terra Cotta Pendants in 2003. Terra Cotta Pendants, the “diffusers you wear”, allow you to experience the desired benefits of a chosen oil, via inhalation, effectively and effortlessly throughout your day.

Brain Training

Brain Health Blog

Working memory training changes the brain

By Gregory Kellett, a cognitive neuroscience researcher at SFSU and science writer for Lumos Labs .

It seems that working memory training may work by physically altering the brain. Stockholm Brain Institute researchers put healthy people through working memory exercises for 35 minutes per day over a period of 5 weeks. Changes in dopamine receptor density were measured with positron emission tomography (PET) before and after the training.

Following working memory training, they found:

• An increase in the density of dopamine receptors.
• An improvement in working memory performance.

The neurotransmitter dopamine plays a central role in working memory. This research implies that improving working memory performance through several weeks of training might work by increasing the quantity of dopamine receptors in the brain

Time to try a little Brain Training....!

Reference:www.lumosity.com/blog/working-memory-training-changes-the-brain/

What is Aromatherapy?

Aromatherapy is the therapeutic use of aromatic plant extracts or essential oils. These oils and extracts have a wide variety of uses, such as in bath salts, massage oils and even fragrances, which can be therapeutic to the mind, body and soul.

The pure essence of a plant, otherwise known as essential oils, provides physical and psychological benefits when used correctly and safely. These benefits can come from both inhalation and physical application.

There are a wide variety of aromatherapy products to choose from and each serves a different purpose. For example, lavender has a calming effect, while oils from the family of mint – such as peppermint and spearmint – offer a stimulating effect.

These oils can be found in numerous vehicles, such as soaps, air fresheners, candles, and massage oils.

Benefits of Aromatherapy

The benefits of the essential oil aromas can be noticed almost immediately. Inhaling the fragrance of essential oils stimulates the brain to trigger a chemical reaction, like releasing serotonin, due to the neurotransmitters firing at a certain level.

The lungs also get a much needed boost from the naturally occurring chemicals in the fragrances, offering a therapeutic benefit. For instance, the diffusion of eucalyptus oil can help break up congestion.

Essential oils that are applied topically can be absorbed into the blood stream and aid in health, beauty and certain hygiene conditions.

How To Use Aromatherapy

These oils should never be applied directly to the skin in an undiluted form. Carrier oils, such as cold pressed vegetable oils, are used to dilute the concentrated essential oils and add moisturizing ingredients to help with absorption.

Aromatherapy is a great alternative to some traditional medicines and treatments. By going the natural route, you avoid some of the negative side effects of pharmaceuticals, while at the same time providing additional benefits.

Many health food stores carry essential oils and have knowledgeable staff that is more than willing to explain different uses. Classes and seminars are also sometimes available in your local area. Search for them online or ask your local health food store.

Here are a few items you can use to get started on your path to effective aromatherapy:

1. Essential oils. These oils can be found at health food stores and online. Pick out your favorites or ones that are known to have the effect you’re looking for.

• Don’t be afraid to combine two or more oils for a new scent and a dual effect.

2. Diffusers. There are numerous ways to allow essential oils to get into the air.

• Cold air diffusers use the motion in the room to help diffuse the essential oil.

• Hot air diffusion is usually done by steam or a gentle warming of the oils.

3. Misting bottle. Misting bottles are a great way to spread the essential oil without having to use a diffuser.

• They fit conveniently into your purse or pocket and can provide a quick spritz of essential oils as needed.

Of course, there are many other items you can use for aromatherapy, but these three would be a great place to start if you’re looking for some natural help to common issues or if you just like the way they smell.

Remember to use essential oils sparingly! They’re concentrated and usually just a few drops will go a long way.

It’s easy, therapeutic, and fun to use the effects of aromatherapy. Give it a try!

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The effects of mood on the immune system

The effects of mood on the immune system - http://www.researchingmeditation.org/
The direct impact of negative thoughts and emotions on immunological function seems to be reasonably well documented and, since many Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI) phenomena seem to be mediated by negative affect, rather than situational “stress”, strategies that directly modify this factor may manifest greater benefits. While relaxation orientated meditation most likely acts to reduce the impact of stress...
Read more...


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7 ways to optimise your brain....

Seven Ways To Optimize Your Brain and Your Life

By Dr. Daniel G. Amen

The brain is a three-pound supercomputer. It is the command and control center running your life. It is involved in absolutely everything you do. Your brain determines how you think, how you feel, how you act, and how well you get along with other people. Your brain even determines the kind of person you are. It determines how thoughtful you are; how polite or how rude you are. It determines how well you think on your feet, and it is involved with how well you do at work and with your family. Your brain also influences your emotional well being and how well you do with the opposite sex.

Your brain is more complicated than any computer we can imagine. Did you know that you have one hundred billion nerve cells in your brain, and every nerve cell has many connections to other nerve cells? In fact, your brain has more connections in it than there are stars in the universe! Optimizing your brain's function is essential to being the best you can be, whether at work, in leisure, or in your relationships.

From his work as a clinical neuroscientist, psychiatrist, and brain-imaging expert, there are 7 ways to enhance the functioning of your own brain and enhance your life.

1. Protect Your Brain

"....Current brain imaging research has shown that many chemicals are toxic to brain function. Alcohol, drugs of abuse, nicotine, much caffeine, and many medications decrease blood flow to the brain. When blood flow is decreased the brain cannot work efficiently....."

read more...

2. Feed Your Brain

3. Kill the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts) That Invade Your Brain

4. Work Your Brain

5. Make Love For Your Brain

6. Develop A "Concert State" For Your Brain

7. Treat Brain Problems Early

read more...www.creativityatwork.com/articles

Change your brain, change your life! 1-8 Principles

Daniel Amen, M.D., one of the world's foremost authorities on the brain, has news for you: 1. your brain is involved in everything you do —> learn to care for it properly, and you will be smarter, healthier, and happier in as little as 15 days!

You probably run, lift weights, or do yoga to keep your body in great shape; you put on sunscreen and lotions to protect your skin; you might have already given up smoking because you know it causes Lung cancer...but chances are you simply ignore your brain and trust it to do its job. People unknowingly endanger or injure their brains, stress them by working at a frenzied pace and not getting enough sleep, pollute them with caffeine, alcohol, and drugs, and deprive them of proper nutrients. Brain dysfunction is the number one reason people fail at school, work, and relationships. The brain is the organ of learning, working, and loving; it's the supercomputer that runs our lives.

It's very simple: when our brains work right, we work right—and when our brains have trouble, we have trouble in our lives.

Clinical neuroscientist and psychiatrist Dr.Amen uses nuclear brain imaging to diagnose and treat behavioral problems. He explains how the brain works, what happens when things go wrong, and how to optimize brain function.