~ Lavender ‘N Chocolate ~

What a perfect day! 80 degrees, and it feels simply lovely. The kids finally get a chance to try out their new squirt guns, and I get to enjoy my fledgling garden. Hmmm… new ideas keep popping up on how to manage our garden space. We want to focus on growing some herbs and veggies, but we love to add lots of colour to our little world as well. So our very own little paradise is about to emerge in full bloom!

One thing is for certain… we will be gathering our own lavender this year! I am excited to grow our own lavender, as well as some sweet culinary herbs. How rewarding it will feel to utilize that which we nurtured in our very own garden space!

Well then, although we worked out with my oldest daughter at her gym, I believe I would like to head out into the wonderfully perfect weather we are having for some Qigong. Time to gather some of the energy in which we expended, yes?

I do hope everyone is enjoying each moment in their space on this planet as much as I am.

This has been a very busy start to a new year for me. I homeschool my daughter, the youngest of my four offspring, 3 of which are adults. We are busy going over her academic materials so she can get through her mandatory testing of the 5th grade. As I work from home, I am free to do as I please with my time, yet I have 5 grandchildren ranging from 5 weeks to 8 years old. The newborn, her 3 year old brother, and their parents live with my youngest daughter and I, so as most parents (and grandparents) can imagine, we have a very busy little hive around here!

Since I am proactive, and love to play with the little ones, I tend to push myself pretty hard at times. Life is just too short to waste any of these precious moments, and I strongly feel it is important to make the most of our time as it flows by. Erego, I do get a bit overwhelmed at times (yes, the unthinkable happens to me too, and my family is usually at a loss when I turn myself off and go into self-pamper mode, but they’ll survive!).

So, what do I do to relax? Well, like I have mentioned before, I love to do my Qigong and gather Life Force Energy to keep myself in balance. I also place a bit of lavender under my pillow to get the wonderful benefits of the healing energies lavender carries. It is good to have a nice sachet of lavender handy for a moment in our day when we need to give our senses a bit of a reprieve as well.

Yet the most beneficial thing a busy woman (or man) can do for our bodies as well as our senses, is to take a nice, soothing, long hot bath! Hands down, this is the best way to really relax and let our busy bodies and minds have a chance to find that place of peace which brings us back into perfect balance. Masada Bath Salts, Relaxing Lavender, Dead Sea Mineral is a special treat I found to pamper myself in a way that gives me complete privacy in my quiet time. No one dares enter my space during bath time, so I am certain to get that which I need to keep me sane.

Life on this planet throws a lot of stuff our way (and it is not all peaches and cream), and as the Matriarch of my family, I need to keep myself in top shape to allow me to handle any situation that comes my way with a clear mind, sharp senses, and a whole lot of wisdom! Give me a few precious moments to myself, and I am good to go! So here I go to run that delicious hot bath and thank the heavens for me time!

This is a friendly reminder to take the time to pamper yourself. If you are always busy, even if you don’t have such a big and active family as I do, then you too need a bit of self indulgence to balance out the hectic moments Life throws your way. So do yourself a big favour and go run a really hot bath, throw in some of your favourite scents and salts in and enjoy!

What a great feeling it is to have spent over 46 years on this planet, and I feel as energetic as I did as a child! Truly I have more energy than most of my entire family, and I seem to slide by with less symptoms, of any virus that runs through our household. And my hair and skin are both absolutely gorgeous!

So, one might as what do I owe this awesome virtue of such fine health, beauty, and wellness?

Honestly, I truly must admit it is a combination of things. A positive attitude is a prime factor. I gather and store energy in the form of my Qigong routine each and every day, some days more intense than others. This storing of Life Energy known as Chi, is vital for our health from the inside out. And I love the amazingly abundant amount of ways to enjoy my favourite fruit and veggies! From snacks, to delicious meals and lip smacking desserts, there is a whole world of natural foods to keep my body healthy and happy.

I have found that since I actively cut out most of the non-foods being circulated as real food, I am regaining that healthy and vital glow of my youth. People are noticing, and I smile to think how wonderful it feels to be taking such good care of this body that takes me on so many great adventures! In fact, as a young grandmother, I am often mistaken for the mother of my littlest grand daughter! Everywhere I go, I love to spread this wonderful energy to people I encounter, as I strongly feel the goodness I give to others will serve to lighten the moods of many… just like a friendly chain smile!!

I especially love to start each day with a sweet and nutritious fruity drink, smoothie, or delightful concoction. It just feels right, and I feel so much lighter from my head to my toes! Body odors nearly disappear when we eat food full of Life Energy and natural goodness, as opposed to dead or non foods meant to fill our bellies while clogging our cells with nasties. My breath is a fresh breeze of strawberries, mangoes and pineapple, which is much sweeter for kissing my little ones, no doubt!!

Although I am guilty of the occasional splurge of my favourite chocolate cake, or other such sinful sidetrip off my natural fruit and veggie path, I am always certain to balance everything out in a way that my body is happy, healthy, and fine!

Hmmm… I was sitting here thinking what it is that I am missing in this moment. Ding! A bell went off in my newly energized brain (20 mins of Qigong tends to open up our minds as well as our bodies), and I realized I have been stuck indoors for too long! Time to go outside and absorb two of the most important elements our body and spirits need… fresh air and sunshine!

Did you know that it is vitally essential for our good health (and sane minds) to get a healthy dose of fresh air and sunshine at least once a day if possible? Sunshine is loaded full of goodness (as long as we do not overdo it), which actually feeds our bodies energy. The same goes for fresh air. If we are caring for our bodies properly, then we are gathering this vital energy to fill our bodies with that which can fight dis-ease and all the free radicals which bombard us on a daily basis. Of course fresh water is up there right next to sunshine as far as vital energy goes, so we must be sure to get plenty of natures purest form of energy which flows forth most generously.

I must say, I am feeling as healthy at 46, as I have ever felt in my entire life. Feeling young, vibrant, and alive is such a natural high, and I am ever so grateful for the teachings I have absorbed throughout my life to be in the healthy state of being I am in at this moment. So please… take my example to heart and get out there and enjoy plenty of fresh air and sunshine!

Pills and potions are promoted and taken with too little thought of the end result. I firmly believe that regular exercise, a healthy lifestyle, and natural products are the best long-term strategy for staying healthy. High cholesterol and stress are two factors that can lead to heart and circulation problems.

Let’s take a look at a few natural strategies and options for creating a healthy atmosphere within our bodies, and giving us a priceless sense of well being.

Aromatic Foot Bath to Support Healthy Circulation

4 drops Wild Rosemary
2 drops Geranium
2 drops Eucalyptus
1 Tbs Mixing Oil

Bowl with cold water…

Add the mixture into the bowl, put feet in, and soak for 5 to 10 minutes. Colder water may increase circulation by causing local stimulation.

Feeling Pressure?

4 drops Lavender
2 drops Ylang Ylang
2 drops Clary Sage

Put the drops on the tissue and inhale a few times. You can also add the mixture to 2 Tbs of Massage Lotion and gently massage the chest and back.

Tonic to Support Healthy Veins

6 drops Cypress
1 drop Lemon
1 drop Bergamot
2 cups cold water

In a small bowl, add the oils to the water. Swish a soft fabric in the bowl. Gently apply fabric to legs.

For relaxation, you may wish to try a sedating massage using Neroli, Lavender, or Ylang Ylang.

Enjoy!

**Special Note – As always, use good sense and be very certain of your allergies. Always consult your health care provider or naturapathic before using any new herbal treatment.

As a new year begins, we tend to look at our lives to see where we have been, and where we wish to go. It is always my goal to encourage natural health amongst my family and friends, and personally I am always learning new and exciting ways to accomplish my own goals. In creating a healthy balance I truly enjoy sharing that which I feel brings good feelings of inner peace and tranquility. That which gives us a sense of wellbeing and courage as we move forth through difficult times is a blessing to treasure.

Combating the Winter Blues through Scent

Winter is a time when we enjoy the safe and warm comfort of staying inside our homes. It is the time of year when we may start to feel lethargic, depressed, or irritable. Even though winter brings special holidays that make us want to feel festive and optimistic and you can feel spring coming, we become affected by the lack of sunshine in our lives. To combat the winter blues, we love to surround ourselves with pleasant scents. Essential oils may bring balance to our hearts and peace to our minds. They may help to cleanse, release, and balance our thoughts. Let the aromatherapy shine.

Scent has a great effect on our emotions. Scientists are increasingly interested in the connection between fragrance and memory triggers in the limbic brain. They are also researching pheromones – fragrant substances that may influence physical attraction. Personal attraction or aversion is influenced by odor. Without the ability to smell, there would be very little attraction. Our body has special glands that produce a very personal perfume that changes according to our mood or state of health. Fragrance may create well-being or discomfort. If you have difficulty adapting to a new situation, or letting go of the past, a new fragrance may help create a fresh mood. It may help you change your attitude or find a new positive reaction. A pure essential oil will not create an aggressive feeling; rather it will have a positive, balancing effect.

We each have our own personal reaction to every scent. Smells, moods, and short and long-term memories are all stored in the limbic part of our brain. Dangerous or negative odors set our subconscious in the awareness stage. Positive smells like our babies’ skin or our mothers’ fragrance will bring a pleasant reminder of a positive experience for decades.

Our Ancestors knew the Power of Aromatherapy

Helping our body and psyche with scent has a history stretching back for many centuries. The very beginning of the practice of medicine has been connected with mythical rituals, magic, or religion. We may say that the history of scent began with incense burners and has continued through experience with aromas and essential oils up to the present day. The methods of treatment were based on philosophical ideas that looked at a direct connection between man and nature. In ancient civilizations, medicinal herbs were evaluated by their taste and smell.

An interesting example from the history of essential oils is thyme. The name “Thyme” is derived from the Greek word Thymiama (incense) and means courage, health, or sacrifice. It was a sign of high respect in ancient Greece to say to someone that he “smells of thyme”. Roman soldiers often added thyme to their baths to give themselves strength, health, and courage.

Rosemary played an important part in the Roman tradition of eliminating evil spirits. In the Middle Ages, it was a part of Hungarian water, a distillate of rosemary, lavender, and turpentine. According to alchemistic understanding, this was the first water of life. Many preserving properties were attributed to Carmelite water, a distillate of lemon balm, clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon.

The seductive power of scent has always been known. The sense of smell may help create love and desire. Smell influences us much more than we think. The natural scent of flowers, essential oils, and compositions in the form of perfume, are more than just a pleasant smell. They can promote relaxation, sensuality, or spiritual depth. According to research on flowers by P. Jellinek, “esters of phenylacetic acids, fatty aldehydes, and alcohols are responsible for the aphrodisiac effect of various flower scents (jasmine, neroli).”

Essential Oils to Balance out our busy Lifestyles

Extensive studies by occupational psychologists have shown that lemon or rosemary scent may help with concentration, nutmeg may reduce stress, and lavender, interestingly, promotes a desire to buy things. Large Japanese companies are using scent throughout their employees’ workstations to help improve their performance – lemon in the morning for pick-me-up feelings, rose at lunch time for relaxation, and wood scents in the evening for stimulation and refreshment.

Another interesting discussion would focus on stress levels in our civilization. More and more studies are being done to prove that essential oils interact well with the receptors of the psychosomatic network and they may, in a soft and gentle way, restore harmony in our systems. This is especially essential to help people balance out the fast pace in the modern world of technology.

Aromatherapy is using the knowledge of the effect of scents on the body and mind. With the help of the purest essential oils we may influence our stage of mood or form of somatic anomalies. Compared with synthetic products, aromatherapy has a much higher risk-free profile. Nature provides all that we need, and the amazing and near magical powers of these scents are gifs that we should be aware of so we can utilize them to our greatest advantage. Caring for the Earth and her treasures should be high on our list of priorities as we step forth on our Paths with care and love for all which surrounds us.

Note – Information and statements regarding Aromatherapy have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease. Contact your Health Care provider or Naturapathic immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem, or may be prone to an allergic reaction.

This has been an incredible year for me. I have had my fair share of ups and downs, but I can honestly say there has been many good teachings and my Life is in Balance. I have learned much and taken my earthly experience to a whole new level.

Having begun a new journey into great health and energy, something I have always paid particular interest to throughout my life, I feel so alive! My thanks in this go to my daughter and her good thoughts which brought me Qigong. The Universe just seems to open up a path to what we need, and most times we just need to learn how to ask. My energy level is so high that I am able to keep up with a clan full of children and grandchildren, as well as the furry four legged friends who dwell in our home. Most days I am the one still moving, when everyone else is taking a break. I am never exhausted, and I sleep better than I have in YEARS! What a wonderful feeling it is to be alive!!

Although everything cannot be totally perfect, I feel as if my life is entering a gentle, peaceful, and happy stage. The world around us is in turmoil, yet I am ready to face what each moment brings with courage, fortitude, and the grace my spirit brings forth. We have much to be thankful for, and while I am warm and dry (my family sheltered during the cold season), and we are provided that which keeps our bodies strong and healthy, well then everything is as it should be.

I wish to send out much Love and good thoughts for all the spirits dwelling on this planet as the New Year opens up a new Journey. May you all be filled with the wonder of Life, the good health of a natural lifestyle, and may you enjoy the warmth and comraderie of true friends to help Light your Path as you move forward into the year of 2009.

Enjoy!

Teri
~

A gentle and tender touch is essential in passing along our feelings of love to those who are dear to us. Adults are fond of massage, so you may be certain that babies respond with pleasure to the soothing touch through gentle massage. This will help create a foundation which is secure, loving and giving as well. Let us consider the tremendous value and everlasting benefits in caring for our babies in this way. I have always loved touching and kissing my babies, and they have never gone without feeling my love and care.

Baby massage – helps circulation and enhances body function, however the most important factor is providing you and your baby with very enjoyable moments and memories. It is natural for a mother to give a massage and natural for a baby to receive it. The most suitable oils for babies are Lavender and Roman chamomile. Both oils will help with most aspects of your baby’s problems. Massage may help calm an over-active child and can help promote healthy sleep, ease stomach problems, prevent diaper rash, and soften skin. Use 2 to 3 drops of essential oils in a small cup of warm mixing oil.

Studies are showing that massaged babies are more alert, sleep better, gain weight faster, and look happier. Use this knowledge to spend more memorable and quality time with your precious one.

Hmmm… have you ever considered what makes oranges so special besides their vitamin C content, and delightfully delicious taste? We always have a fairly large supply of fresh oranges on hand in our house, being a favourite. I have always known these luscious, lovely little fruits bring more to us humble beings than meets the eye. What I didn’t know, was what a treasure we have in such a simple fruit. Now I have a bit of history, traditions, and scientific studies to back up my inner sense of this jewel of a fruit. Let’s explore the lovely scents and taste of the orange.

Nature’s Jewel

Orange (Citrus sinensis) – Orange is a small tree with shiny oval leaves, fragrant white flowers, and sweet, very nutritious fruits. It yields orange essential oil from its fruit, neroli oil (one of the main constituents of Eau-de-Cologne) from its flower, and petitgrain oil from its leaves. The orange is native to China and India, however it is cultivated today in many warm climates in the USA, Europe, Mexico, or Brazil.

The orange’s main chemical components are 90% Limonene, while the remaining 10% is made up of odorous constituents such as citral, citronellal, auraptenol and acids. The essential oil is located within the small sacks in the outer part of the skin. If you pinch the skin close to the candle flame, the released oil will burn producing tiny stars. The flash point for orange essential oil is 75 degrees Fahrenheit (23C).

Oranges symbolize innocence and fertility. In Chinese medicine, it was used to help with colds, coughs, and appetite problems. Traditionally it has been used as a tonic and as a support for the digestion system. It may influence one’s mood, create positive and happy feelings, and awaken activity. Orange oil will help you brighten gloomy feelings, dark thoughts and stressful situations. The oil is very beneficial and soothing for dry, irritated, and non-cystic acne prone skin. It has great regenerating properties and is valuable for mature skin. It may stimulate the lymphatic fluid, and it is a very good choice in massage procedure for helping swollen tissue.

Orange oil is a good source of vitamin C. It’s a good idea to add essential oil into a diffuser at times of flu or colds. It may help relieve tiredness, promote energy, and support the immune system.

Orange was also traditionally used to help the digestion system, alleviate occasional bloating or pressure, and prevent nausea associated with motion.

Use essential oil in combination with your daily skin care products and as an essential part of inhalation to help regulate your psyche and mood. If you use it as a necessary part of your massage procedure, you can aid digestion and help the muscular systems.

Lavender is a versatile and much underused herb for cooking. In today’s up market restaurants and bistros, fresh edible flowers are making a comeback as enhancements to both the flavour and appearance of food.

Try adding a few to your Herbes de Provence mixture – you’ll be amazed at the subtle yet extraordinary difference Lavender will make.

As a member of the same family as many of our most popular herbs, it is not surprising that lavender is edible and that its use in food preparation is also returning. Flowers and leaves can be used fresh or dried, and both buds and stems can be used dried. Lavender is a member of the mint family and is close to rosemary, sage, and thyme. It is best used with fennel, oregano, rosemary, thyme, sage, and savory.

English Lavender (L. angustifolia in general and Munstead/Hidcote varieties, in particular when freshly picked) have the sweetest fragrance of all the lavenders and is the one most commonly used in cooking. The uses of lavender are limited only by your imagination. Lavender has a sweet, floral flavor, with lemon and citrus notes. The potency of the lavender flowers increases with drying. In cooking, use 1/3 the quantity of dried flowers to fresh. The key to cooking with lavender is to experiment; start out with a small amount of flowers, and add more as you go.

NOTE: Adding too much lavender to your recipe can be like eating perfume and will make your dish bitter. Because of the strong flavour of lavender, the secret is that a little goes a long way.

The lavender flowers add a beautiful colour to salads. Lavender can also be substituted for rosemary in many bread recipes. The flowers can be put in sugar and sealed tightly for a couple of weeks then the sugar can be substituted for ordinary sugar for a cake, buns or custards. Grind the lavender in a herb or coffee grinder or mash it with mortar and pestle.

The spikes and leaves of lavender can be used in most dishes in place of rosemary in most recipes. Use the spikes or stems for making fruit or shrimp kebabs.

Flowers look beautiful and taste good too in a glass of champagne, with chocolate cake, or as a garnish for sorbets or ice creams. Lavender lends itself to savoury dishes also, from hearty stews to wine-reduced sauces. Diminutive blooms add a mysterious scent to custards, flans or sorbets.

IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ: Do NOT eat flowers from florists, nurseries or garden centers or do so at your own risk. In many cases these flowers have been treated with pesticides, not labeled for food crops. Edible Lavender has been tested for microbial activity and is almost always greyish blue, not the bright blue of the dried Lavender bunches you see in florists which have usually had their colour augmented (dyed in other words) Such dyed Lavender is not suitable for ingestion.

Note – Information and statements regarding Aromatherapy have not been evaluated by the FDA and are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any health condition or disease. Contact your Health Care provider or Naturapathic immediately if you suspect that you have a medical problem, or may be prone to an allergic reaction.