~ Lavender ‘N Chocolate ~

Enhancing our well being with aromatherapy, and finding the highest quality of essential oils to maintain physical, emotional, and spiritual balance is essential. Those who know me can attest to my love of the scent, and many beneficial uses of my favourite herb, lavender.

Lavender Highland is an evergreen, woody shrub that grows about 3 feet high. It has pale green narrow leaves, and beautiful violet-blue flowers. The entire plant is highly aromatic. Lavendula Vera is also known as Lavendula Officinalis, and Lavendula Angustifolia. All these names indicate a true lavender. The essential oil from a true lavender is prized for its ester content. Esters provide a relaxing quality with a sweet aroma.

The best Lavender in the world, with the highest ester content, comes from the high-mountain region of Provence, France. This is Oshadhi’s Highland Lavender. No other Lavender compares to its exquisite aroma and unsurpassed therapeutic qualites for skin care, first aid, and stress.

Having been a curious blogger for a couple of years or so now, I can really appreciate a wonderful blog when I find one. Of course anyone who truly knows me understands my love for art and all things beautiful. When my little S and I got our newest digital camera, we went totally picture snappin’ crazy! We love to take pictures everywhere we go. And we love taking shots of the most beautiful places; those found in nature. It never ceases to amaze me how much a picture can say about something most people take for granted, or do not even notice at all. I know of a fellow blogger who has a site with the most spectacular and lovely photos I have ever had the pleasure to view. Jordan McClements has definately earned my respect with his admirable talent as a photographer, and I am most happy to share this gift with whomever wanders through my own little part of the blogoshpere.

The image of the blue dragonfly above in this post is courtesy of Jordan, and he was generous enough to share. It truly captures my imagination, as I simply love dragonflies, those most magical of creatures which seem to visit me in many places along my path. The enchanting river shot, also one of Jordan’s works of art, reminds me of my favourite places to explore, as my little S and I are always looking for a great spot to soak up the beauty and sounds of nature. I can almost hear, feel, and smell the wonderful scents as captured in this beautiful photo. You can view these little beauties in their original form, as Jordan has a site called IrishViews.com, where you will find over a thousand beautiful and creative photos. If you are anything like me, you will most certainly find pleasure in viewing Jordan’s lovely photographs. Being Irish myself, these images have definately served to fire up my innate curiosity, imagination, and dream of visiting the lands of my ancestors to explore these wonders in person. Thank you Jordan… Enjoy!

Until recently, I thought I had discovered the finest arts in maintaining good health and fitness for my body, as well as my mind and spirit. I have studied the self-defense arts, as well as a bit of Tai Chi, and Yoga. I have always been healthy, and did not realize that perhaps a very important piece of the puzzle to staying youthful and dis-ease free, may still be missing.

Well then, my daughter knows how I love discovering new/old arts that are proven to bring about health and healing. She was concerned with how much trouble I was having sleeping at night, and how ill I had been off and on in recent years. So a few weeks ago she found a great book at the Library called ‘Qigong for Healing and Relaxation’ written by Michael Tse.

I was pretty phyched and excited once I began to read about this amazing healing art. The chinese people have been practicing these arts for many thousands of years, and I have experienced this wisdom many times throughout my life. So I decided to study Michael’s work and practice these movements. I am thoroughly amazed!! Not only am I sleeping better at night, yet I have a lot more energy to accomplish my daily tasks; I even have plenty of energy left over to have fun!

Qigong is pronounced “chee-gong”, and Qi means vital energy; Gong means work. So Qigong is an exercise that works on our vital energy, which is our life force. We cannot survive without our life force. With Qigong, we may play an important part in our own healing and in bringing our bodies back into harmony with nature.

I would strongly recommend this gentle and beautiful art to anyone, no matter your state of health. If nothing else, you will be pleasantly suprised at how graceful and balanced you will feel by taking a few moments of your day to spend gathering vital Qi and nourishing your body from the inside out.

I will soon be writing an update on my results, as I am still in the beginning stages of discovering the limitless value of this lovely art.

There is so much focus on women and natural skincare, yet we musn’t forget the masculine beings who dwell alongside us. Men need tender loving care as well, and this includes paying careful attention to the delicate skin on a mans neck and face. Essential oils can help reduce the unpleasant experience of razor burn, a result of a fast morning shave. Small red dots on the face and neck, and flaky and sore skin may also be aggravated or compounded by acne. Avoid using aftershaves containing alcohol and other strong chemical products.

Here are a few recipes I wanted to share with those interested…

Aftershave Aroma
* 10 drops Lavender
* 8 drops Tea Tree
* 2 oz distilled water
Combine ingredients in a spray bottle and shake mixture well before
each application.

Morning Bliss
* 6 drops Cedarwood
* 3 drops Pine Needle
* 4 drops Grapefruit
* 3 drops Lavender
* 2 oz Massage Lotion
Combine and mix in a bottle. Apply after shaving.

Nourishing Face Cream
* 4 drops Tea Tree
* 4 drops Lavender
* 3 drops Myrrh
* 4 Tbs of Massage Lotion or your favorite skin cream
Apply sparingly, morning and night.

Note: As always, be certain you are not allergic to any ingredients listed above, using your own good judgement or that of your natural health care provider.

I am finding so many uses for honey. It is much, much more than a nutritious sweet and I am amazed that so many have overlooked this delicious and natural remedy. I will touch upon this subject in more detail really soon, but for now I would like to share a great little recipe for a honey bath…

Honey is very nourishing to the skin. Mix 3-5 drops of essential oil in 2 Tbs of honey and pour the mixture into the bathtub. For a relaxing evening bath, use oils like Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Sandalwood, Geranium, Lavender or Orange.

Now just relax and enjoy!

Hmmm… let’s talk about Chocolate! Life on this planet would just not be the same if there was no chocolate. When they say chocolate is the food of the Goddess, I simply have to agree.

Did you know chocolate is good for you?

The flavonoids in chocolate that laboratory studies demonstrate to have powerful antioxidant effects are called flavanols and procyanidins. These two compounds come from the flavonoid “family” that includes resveratrol, found in grape juice, and EGCG, found in green tea. When people consume these substances in chocolate and cocoa, the antioxidant status of their blood increases.

This rise in antioxidant levels helps protect us from damage to the heart and blood vessels, while it also guards our DNA from damage that can lead to cancer.

In addition, the flavanols and procyanidins in chocolate improve the function and flow of blood vessels and help control inflammation.

The antioxidants in chocolate have generated a lot of interest because studies show that these compounds are more powerful antioxidants than EGCG in tea, which is a strong antioxidant.

A cup of hot or cold cocoa may sound like a health drink loaded with antioxidants, but almost all cocoa drink mixes contain cocoa treated with alkali (also called Dutch cocoa) to produce a darker, richer taste. Unfortunately, this process drastically reduces flavonoid content.

Unless you find a chocolate mix made with untreated cocoa, start with plain cocoa (not Dutch) and add your own sweetener and milk to make a flavonoid-rich cup.

Surprisingly, the fat content of chocolate is not a reason to avoid it. Technically, chocolate contains saturated fat, but the particular type of saturated fat – stearic acid – is unique because it does not raise blood cholesterol.

Studies show that neither dark or milk chocolate is a cholesterol concern in moderate amounts. But keep in mind that other ingredients added to some chocolate candies can change their nutrition impact.

Most importantly chocolate is absolutely delicious and it makes one feel oh, so good!

I am not even going to hesitate to satisfy my chocolate urges with that special chocolate treat. And remember, that a rich, dark chocolate is good for any occasion, or just because! Feel free to indulge to your hearts content! You might have to work out a bit more, yet it is totally worth it, from my point of view. So go right ahead and indulge… mmmmm.

Satisfy your chocolate urges with this valuable resource…

Visit Dan’s Chocolates.. and Flower’s too!

Let us talk about the delicious scent of Lavender (Lavandula Angustifolia). I use the oil as well as the flowers. I like to burn the dried flowers to cleanse the rooms in my home and to bring in good, sweet energy. I also like to crumble the flowers into a steaming tub of hot water for a soothing foot bath… what a delight!! Truly, it is no small wonder that this Magical plant is such a favourite in my home as well as using it to scent my body. As I have always associated this intoxicating scent with all that is wild and pure in Mother Earths garden, I will be most happy to share a bit more about this most extraordinary gift of Nature.

Lavender and its Magical Properties…

You all know the pretty plant that is Lavender, but did you know that Lavender has magical properties? Well, maybe not quite fully certified magical, but close. Lavender essential oil is my absolute favourite essential oil. It has so many uses that it is always necessary to have it on hand. Not only does it smell absolutely lovely, it has important curative powers. Here are just some of the ways that one may use Lavender essential oil.

Burns or scalds ~
This works best if applied neat (undiluted) to the area affected by the burn or scald. The skin should be intact, use your judgment. It takes away the pain quickly and the skin heals with almost no sign of damage. This includes sunburns. If you are sensitive to the oil in its pure form, dilute it accordingly in a small clean spray bottle with water. This is quite soothing and refreshing.

Acne ~
Your adolescent will love you for this remedy. Because lavender oil is antibacterial, it destroys pimples and the associated bacteria quickly and easily. Apply it neat as soon as you feel a pimple developing and the pimple is banished shortly. If you didn’t catch it in time, it makes pimples come to a head faster and it helps with the swelling and redness.

Sleep and relaxation ~
Just a drop or 2 to a cotton ball or tissue placed beneath the pillowcase under your head at night makes you sleep more soundly and more quickly. Lavender has amazing relaxation properties that will leave you refreshed in the morning.

Migraines or Headaches ~
Apply a drop to your temples or the back of your neck and massage into the skin. This helps with both tension headaches as well as migraines. For some people with migraines, the smell may be too strong during the acute stage of a migraine. During this time you can apply the lavender oil to the muscled area between your thumb and forefinger on the backside of your hand (both hands). This is an acupressure point associated with headaches.

Insect repellent and Insect bites ~
Just like citronella, lavender has the ability to ward off mosquitos and flies. Additionally, it can help calm the itching of an insect bite. I can really attest to this one as I am the world’s number one mosquito attractor.

** A word of caution! Those with sensitive skin cannot always tolerate direct application of lavender oil to the skin. If that is the case for you, you can dilute the oil with a carrier oil such as almond oil or jojoba oil. European made essential oils are the best for now unless you know the source that you are getting the oil from is organically grown. Europe has standards for the production of essential oils; the United States does not. Because of the extreme concentration of essential oils, they should always be organically grown. As always, be wise and use your own best judgement!

Some days we are especially reminded of what is most important to us in this earthly Life. Seeing the headlines reporting on the deadly storms bombarding the coastlines and islands in their paths makes me want to hold my loved ones close and thank the goddess for all our blessings. Keeping our family and friends in our hearts, thoughts and deeds are the most important aspects of living. We are rich in many ways, which have nothing to do with money, clothes and fancy cars. My little S presents the greatest of challenges in parenthood, yet she brings such Joy to my heart. She can try my patience to the very limits (and I am a VERY patient person most days), yet she has a special gift of Wisdom in which mere glimpses are emerging.

She gifted me a tiny plaque for my birthday which now has a place of honor on my desk to remind me of why my little ones are so very important to me. It says…

“Life is not measured by the number of breaths you take, but by the moments that take your breath away”

This is true in so many ways! It amazes me to watch my family grow, and develop into fine human beings. As the matriarch of this family, I stand in a place of honor. From babyhood to adulthood, I have experienced many ups and downs, yet the good far surpasses the bad. I have raised my children without a partner, yet I feel so accomplished when I see the goodness and values I am instilling within my children and their children as well. There is no greater reward than knowing these beings will carry on all that is good inside me to future generations.

As Family and Nature represent that which is dearest to me, I chose the picture above to show clearly that which takes my breath away. To watch my little one growing into a beautiful young Lady, inside and out, takes my breath away. When my little S looks at me with her big brown eyes and says ‘I Love You Mama’, her words enter my heart and take my breath away. What more can a Lady ask for?