Natural Body Guru

I’ve mentioned many times that aromatherapy has been around since ancient times and people have used aromatic fragrances in many ways. Using the aromatic fragrances of essential oils stimulates nerves in your nose that can influence and benefit mind, body and soul. These scents come from different parts of flowers, plants and bark. Each scent has a purpose in aromatherapy and can treat different conditions in our bodies, including medical conditions. Don’t use synthetics as essential oils. Only use 100% pure and naturally grown essential oils. This week we’ll talk about some uses of the most familiar essential oils.

Eucalyptus and Pine

Eucalyptus and pine essential oils are good for treating fatigue. They work because they minimize drowsiness and irritability which often cause tiredness and lethargy. Blending these two scents can help you think clearly and stay alert all day. Eucalyptus is anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibiotic, diuretic, analgesic and deodorizing. It has also been research proven to have antiviral properties. Pine has many of these same properties and the synergistic blend of these two essential oils can help you with many respiratory problems such as asthma, bronchitis, coughs or sore throat.

Influenza is caused by many different viruses. If you have symptoms involving fever, tiredness, coughs, colds, muscular pain and exhaustion you may have influenza. The flu needs to be treated quickly and the aim should be to raise your immunity levels to fight the virus. Several essential oils can help you fight a viral infection like the flu.

If you feel shivery and cold and think you could be coming down with a cold, take a warm bath and add 5  drops of tea tree, 2 drops of lavender ad 2 drops of thyme. Swish the oils around and relax in the bath for 10 to 15 minutes. When you get out, massage your whole body with a mixture of 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil containing 2 drops tea tree and 3 drops of eucalyptus, then go to bed.

Before going to bed, spray or diffuse your rooms with thyme and lavender. Drink plenty of liquids but also make a special tea by mixing 1 drop of clove and 2 drops lavender essential oil and then putting 1 drop of this blend into a cup of  hot water with a teaspoon of honey. Sip this drink slowly.

Pregnancy can bring an overabundance of minor problems such as backache, swollen feet and legs, heartburn, indigestion and insomnia. Some women just feel aggravated in general because they are unable to easily do their normal routine with a swollen belly in the way. If you feel this way during pregnancy, you need some TLC. Here is an extraordinary preparation that you can have your spouse or friend massage into your back regularly during pregnancy that will ease your physical problems and at the same time, lift your spirits. Use any rose you can afford (it can be very expensive) or you can substitute the rose with geranium.

Pregnancy Pick-Me-Up Massage Oil

• Rose
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Chamomile Roman

Use some or all of these oils in equal proportions to a total of 30 drops per 2 tablespoons of a carrier oil such as liquid shea oil or sweet almond oil. During pregnancy many women feel tired after working all day. Essential oils can make your swollen legs and aching back feel much better. Pregnant women should only use 2 – 4 drops of essential oil in a bath. Choose your favorite oil from the list above or combine 1 drop each of geranium and lavender.

I usually drink a glass of water before I go to bed and last night when I drank it, I suddenly got the hiccups. I’ve had hiccups before but usually when I get them, I just do it a few times and then it stops. They would not stop last night and I couldn’t go to sleep. I got back up and tried to think about which essential oils could help me get rid of those annoying hiccups.

I had a choice of chamomile, lavender, lemon or fennel but I found my chamomile first. I’ve told people to do this for hiccups before but I never had an occasion to try it on myself. I put 1 drop of chamomile essential oil in a brown paper bag and held it over my nose and mouth.  I breathed in deeply and slowly through my nose about 10 times. I’m sure you can do it longer if necessary but that was plenty for me. When I took the bag off my nose and mouth, the hiccups were gone. The next time you or someone you know have the hiccups, try this aromatherapy treatment.

If you are one to get them often, keep your basic essential oil kit supplied with the oils that help alleviate headaches. Since headaches develop for a variety of reasons, here is a short list of different types of headaches and the best essential oils to use to ease them.

For general headaches that develop for no apparent reason, blend 3 drops of lavender and 1 drop of peppermint in 1 drop of liquid shea oil. Use this blend to massage around the temples, the base of the skull, and along the hairline.

If you have eaten the wrong foods and develop a gastric headache, mix 1 drop of peppermint oil with 1 teaspoon of honey, dissolve them in a glass of warm water and sip slowly. Combine 1 drop of rosemary, 2 drops of peppermint, and 1 drop of lavender to massage the back of the neck.  This combination can also be dropped on a tissue to inhale.

For a nervous or tension headache, use the same treatment as for the general headache but use 3 drops of lavender and 1 drop of chamomile instead of the general headache oils. In addition, you can massage the upper abdomen in a clockwise direction with 1 drop of geranium, 2 drops lemon, and 3 drops lavender diluted in a teaspoon of carrier oil.

Hay fever, also called allergic rhinitis, causes cold-like signs and symptoms, such as a runny nose, itchy eyes, congestion, sneezing and sinus pressure. But unlike a cold, hay fever is not caused by a virus.Treat your hay fever with aromatherapy essential oils in the following manner.

Put 1 drop each of chamomile and lemon essential oils onto a tissue and inhale. You can carry the tissue with you to work or shopping etc. You can also add the following blend to your bath water:

• 2 drops chamomile
• 2 drops lemon
• 1 drop lavender

Massage your neck, chest and back with 2 drops chamomile, 1 drop geranium and 1 drop lemon diluted in a teaspoon of liquid shea oil or your favorite carrier oil. Experiment with these treatments to see which benefits you the most. I use all three methods when my allergies kick up.

Bad breath or halitosis is often caused by something other than the breath itself. It could come from digestive problems, gum disease, or you could just have bad breath in general. Essential oils can help you no matter which problem is causing your bad breath.

DIGESTIVE PROBLEMS

• 2 drops peppermint
• 2 drops lemon

GUM DISEASE

• 2 drops tea tree
• 2 drops thyme

GENERAL

• 4 drops lavender

Dilute the 4 drops of essential oil in 1 teaspoon of brandy and then put it in a tumbler of warm water and use the mixture as a mouthwash. Do not swallow this concoction, it is not a cocktail!

Do you spit blood when you brush your teeth? You may have gingivitis, a common and mild form of gum disease (periodontal disease) that causes irritation, redness and inflammation of your gingiva, the part of your gum around the base of your teeth. It’s important to take gingivitis seriously and treat it promptly. Gingivitis is possibly the cause of more tooth loss than tooth decay.

For an at home aromatherapy treatment of gingivitis, you can prepare the  mouthwash below and mix it into a glass of warm water. Swish well around in the mouth but do not swallow.

• 3 drops thyme
• 2 drops eucalyptus
• 3 drops chamomile
• 3 drops peppermint

Dilute this blend in 1 teaspoon of brandy and follow the instructions above. You can also mix 3 drops of chamomile and 2 drops of lavender into 1 tablespoon of aloe vera gel and smooth a little over your gums.

Diverticulosis may be caused by unhealthy nutritional habits. Mine was caused by my habit of eating popcorn and sunflower seeds on an empty stomach. The hulls and seeds got caught in my intestines and caused me a lot of pain. I can still eat foods with tiny seeds but I’m more careful about it now. So very few strawberryies, raspberries, blackberries and sesame seeds are in my diet. The pain, flatulence, inflammation, and discomfort of diverticulosis are greatly reduced by using the right essential oils but you must also examine your nutritional habits to make sure there is no recurrence of the problem.

Massage the following essential oils diluted in 1 teaspoon of liquid shea oil over your abdomen twice a day:

• 2 drops peppermint
• 1 drop chamomile
• 3 drops rosemary
• 1 drop clove

You can also mix 1 drop of peppermint essential oil with a teaspoon of honey and dilute it in a cup of hot water. Sip this drink slowly to help ease your diverticulosis syptoms.

I always seem to write blogs about whatever is going on with me at the time. Right now I have a nasty cold with a hacking cough. If you have a dry cough (no mucus being formed) you can mix 2 drops of eucalyptus with 2 drops of lemon oil in 2 tablespoons of honey.  Take 1 teaspoon of this at a time diluted in a glass of warm water. Sip this mixture slowly to calm your dry cough.

You can also massage your back and chest with 3 drops of eucalyptus and 2 drops of thyme diluted in 1 teaspoon of sweet almond oil. If you prefer the steam inhalation method, use 3 drops of lavender in a bowl of steaming water. Cover your head with a towel and breath the steam for 5 minutes.

If you have mucus with your cough like I do, you can use the same treatments above however, use this blend in the 2 tablespoons of honey: 2 drops of eucalyptus, 1 drop of thyme and 1 drop of tea tree. Only add 1 teaspoon of the honey blend at a time diluted in a glass of warm water.