Welcome in the Year of the Water Dragon with Essential Oils

January 23 issued in the Chinese New Year - the year of the Water Dragon.  The Chinese Zodiac consists of 12 animals signs and the sign of the Dragon is the fifth one. According to one source I checked:

The key to the Dragon personality is that Dragons are the free spirits of the Zodiac. Conformation is a Dragon's curse. Rules and regulations are made for other people. Restrictions blow out the creative spark that is ready to flame into life. Dragons must be free and uninhibited. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. An extroverted bundle of energy, gifted and utterly irrepressible, everything Dragons do is on a grand scale - big ideas, ornate gestures, extreme ambitions. However, this behavior is natural and isn't meant for show. Because they are confident, fearless in the face of challenge, they are almost inevitably successful. Dragons usually make it to the top. However, Dragon people be aware of their natures. Too much enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. Even though they are willing to aid when necessary, their pride can often impede them from accepting the same kind of help from others. Dragons' generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but they can be rather solitary people at heart. A Dragon's self-sufficiency can mean that he or she has no need for close bonds with other people.

Another source says that:

The year of the Dragon is the year for great deeds, innovative ideas and big projects. In particular for people dealing with finances. This will be advantageous time to begin new projects in business and social level. The Year of the Dragon will bring in excitement and a big ups and downs in our lives. Dragon gives happiness and success to all good and honest people. Also, those who have great talent. 2012 Year of the Dragon is favorable for the establishment of family as well as the birth of a healthy and smart children. This is a period where we should be bold and not humble.

Here are the oils I considered using in my special  blend for the Year of the Water Dragon 2012.

Benzoin - for courage and to dispel any fear or negativity.
Black Pepper - enhances the desire to get on with new projects.
Clove Bud - gives one the courage to move forward and make changes.
Ginger- gives courage and helps one tap into the abundance of life.
Marjoram - imparts courage and self-confidence and enhances the probability of attracting love, happiness, health and wealth.
Orange - promotes courage and self-confidence and helps to attract fortune and good luck.

What blend you will come up for your Year of the Water Dragon 2012 Blend?

Some traditions around Chinese New Year.
Days before the New Year, every family thoroughly cleans their home hoping to sweep away all the ill-fortune there may have been in the family to make way for the wishful in-coming good luck. People also give their doors and window-panes a new coat of paint, often in red. They decorate the doors and windows with paper-cuts and couplets with the very popular themes of "happiness", "wealth", "longevity" and "satisfactory marriage with more children". Paintings of the same themes are put up in the house. In the past, various kinds of food were placed at the altar of ancestors.

On the eve of the New Year all the members of the family come together to celebrate in a feast. After their meal the whole family will sit up having fun playing cards, or board games, or watching TV programs dedicated to the occasion. The tradition is that every light will be kept on all night. At midnight, fireworks and firecrackers will light up the night. Early the next morning, children will receive cash wrapped up in red paper packages from their parents. The family will then set out to greet relatives and neighbors. This is a time for reconciliation and old grudges are easily set aside. The end of the New Year season is marked by the Lantern Festival.

Workshops
Any of the workshops listed can be taught by request either at my location or yours. If you see a workshop you'd like to take why not get a couple of friends together and arrange a workshop to suit you.

Reiki Workshops 
Reiki Level II Workshop (1 Day)
This workshop is scheduled for January 29, 2012 New Start Time - 9.30 am
(Prerequisite Reiki Level I)
* Second degree attunement
* Second degree symbols
* Distance Healing techniques
* Additional Japanese techniques
Cost : CDN$150.00 plus HST
If you are interested in joining us please call Natural Comfort Wellness Centre 604-943-7222 to book your space.

Always available:

• The self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses.  When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Is 2012 the year you take a formal aromatherapy course?  If it is I believe you would be very happy with the courses offered by the West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy.
• Aromatherapy Caddy Chemistry Home Study Course
• E-Books and DVD
• Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons
• Infant Massage
• Subtle Aromatherapy
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac
• The Hawkins Protocol Book
• Aroma Massage DVD

Colds and Flu

Sitting here looking at my window I'm watching the first 'real' snowfall of the season. Over the last couple of days we've had a bit of snow overnight, but today is the first time its really covered the ground and looks serious about continuing on through the day. It is interesting how our perspective influences the way we view things. Here on the West Coast we mostly experience relatively mild weather so the snow I'm looking at is enough to close some facilities and schools, while if I was living somewhere in the Prairies this snowfall would probably be considered to be nothing more than a hiccup. Just another reminder to me as to how intrinsic one's own perspective is and the importance of trying to keep in mind that my perspective is not always the same as someone else.

Over the past week or two I keep running into people who have had or who are battling a cold and/or cough, so I thought revisiting an aromatic approach to handling this might be helpful right now. Last October I blogged about Sniffles and shared the Onion tip. I also linked to a number of previous blogs on colds in this entry.  In addition there is the blog on Flu Viruses and Essential Oil  and the article on Aromatherapy and the Common Cold in the Articles Archive that might be helpful.

It is always important to keep one's immune system protected and particularly at a time of year when there are lots of viruses and germs floating around.  Our essential oils are great for this and whether you are diffusing them in your home, spraying with a spritzer, or inhaling a personal inhaler you are protecting yourself with these aromatic gifts.

As you will see if you follow the links in this blog, many of the oils can be helpful and today I thought that I'd share Rosemary Caddy's Blend for the Common Cold from her book The Essential Blending Guide.

2 parts Atlas Cedarwood (Cedrus atlantica) - clears muccous and recommended for bronchitis.  It belongs to the Pinaceae family which is generally known for aiding respiratory conditions and is highly antiseptic.
1 part Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus globulus) - clears nasal passages, reduces temperature and is excellent for all colds.
1 par Peppermint (Mentha piperita) - lowers fever, is a good expectorant and generally helps mental fatigue.
When blended together in this way the chemical profile of this synergy includes 17.2% ketones; 27.6% sesquiterpenes; 20.8% oxides; and 26.5% alcohols. The ketones and oxides help with the congestion, the alcohols make the blend high antiseptic and the sesquiterpenes are calming.

She recommends adding 12 drops of the synergy to 30ml of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier of your choice).  Massage chest, neck and upper back areas morning and night.  Place 2 - 4 drops of the synergy on a tissue in foil and pop it in your pocket so you can inhale the vapours from the tissue at regular intervals during the day.

Reiki Level II Workshop (1 Day)
This workshop is scheduled for January 29, 2012
(Prerequisite Reiki Level I)
* Second degree attunement
* Second degree symbols
* Distance Healing techniques
* Additional Japanese techniques
Cost : CDN$150.00 plus HST
If you are interested in joining us please call Natural Comfort Wellness Centre 604-943-7222 to book your space.

Always available:

• The self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses.  When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Is 2012 the year you take a formal aromatherapy course?  If it is I believe you would be very happy with the courses offered by the West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy.
• Aromatherapy Caddy Chemistry Home Study Course
• E-Books and DVD
• Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons
• Infant Massage
• Subtle Aromatherapy
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac
• The Hawkins Protocol Book
• Aroma Massage DVD

Leg Cramps

As many people are still sticking to their New Year's Resolution of working out more, I thought that I'd look at another condition that often comes up when people work out - Leg Cramps.

Most muscle spasms and cramps are involuntary contractions of a muscle. A serious muscle spasm doesn't release on its own and requires manual stretching to help relax and lengthen the shortened muscle. Spasms and cramps can be mild or extremely painful. While they can happen to any skeletal muscle, they are most common in the legs and feet and muscles that cross two joints (the calf muscle, for example). Cramps can involve part of a muscle or all the muscles in a group and the most commonly affected muscle groups are:

• Back of lower leg / calf (gastrocnemius).
• Back of thigh (hamstrings).
• Front of thigh (quadriceps).
• Feet, hands, arms, abdomen

Muscle cramps range in intensity from a slight twitch or tic to severe pain. A cramped muscle can feel rock-hard and last a few seconds to several minutes or longer. It is not uncommon for cramps to ease up and then return several times before they go away entirely.

The exact cause of muscle cramps is still unknown, but the most common theories include:

• Altered neuromuscular control
• Dehydration
• Electrolyte depletion
• Poor conditioning
• Muscle fatigue

While cramps can go away on their own it helps to:

• Stop the activity that caused the cramp.
• Gently stretch and massage the cramping muscle.
• Hold the joint in a stretched position until the cramp stops.
• Drink plenty of water
• Increase salt intake

When I have woken up with leg cramps, I found that drinking lots of water, taking a lick of salt and walking, as well as I can, all help to relieve the cramp and stretch it out.  As my own leg cramps always seem to have been the result of dehydration, I make sure that I increase my water intake and have enough salt in my diet.

Certainly if they occur when one is working out, one should make sure that one warms up the muscles and stretches before getting straight into the exercise routine.

Massage and baths with essential oil synergies is really helpful.  Many of the oils can be helpful and today I thought that I'd share Rosemary Caddy's Blend for Cramp from her book The Essential Blending Guide.

3 parts Sweet Marjoram (Origanum majorana) - analgesic, antispasmodic, balancing and calming.  It helps circulation and is vasodilatory.
2 parts Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) - antispasmodic and revitalising offering help for anxiety and stress.
2 parts German Chamomile (Matricaria recutica) - antispasmodic.  It calms the system down and helps with back pain and any muscular spasms.
She recommends adding 12 drops of the synergy to 30ml of Sweet Almond Oil (or carrier of your choice).  Massage gently around the muscle area as soon as the cramp has subsided.  Before going to bed at night massage the whole leg upwards with the synergy.  Also massage it into the feet and make sure that your feet are warm.

Reiki Level II Workshop (1 Day)
This workshop is scheduled for January 29, 2012
(Prerequisite Reiki Level I)
* Second degree attunement
* Second degree symbols
* Distance Healing techniques
* Additional Japanese techniques
Cost : CDN$150.00 plus HST
If you are interested in joining us please call Natural Comfort Wellness Centre 604-943-7222 to book your space.

Always available:

• The self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses.  When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Is 2012 the year you take a formal aromatherapy course?  If it is I believe you would be very happy with the courses offered by the West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy.
• Aromatherapy Caddy Chemistry Home Study Course
• E-Books and DVD
• Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons
• Infant Massage
• Subtle Aromatherapy
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac
• The Hawkins Protocol Book
• Aroma Massage DVD

Working Out and Sprains

Starting a new exercise program is often a New Year's resolution people make.  While it is wonderful to get the body moving, sometimes we try to move forward quicker than we should.  Perhaps we don't warm up enough before we get started, or we try to do more than our bodies are ready for, or sometimes accidents just happen.  Whatever the cause, muscles can be over-strained and in some cases sprains and tears can occur.  Depending on the severity, it might be wise to see your primary care giver but I always like to make essential oils a part of my own healing program.

You will find an article on an Essential Oil Protocol for Sprains in the Articles Archive of the website.
As I say in this article:

In order to give the body a chance to heal itself, movement of the joint should be restricted and think RICE for sprains (R = Rest, I = Ice, C = Compression and immobilization, E = Elevate the area).

Rest — avoid any activities that cause pain or swelling.
Ice — apply cold compresses immediately to the area but avoid the direct contact of ice on the skin.
Compression — apply bandages firmly, but not tightly to the area.
Elevation — raise the sprained body part above the level of the heart, especially at night while sleeping. 

Essential oils can be very effective for sprains when used in compresses.
Fill a bowl with ice-cold water to which is added 4 – 6 drops of essential oil or essential oil blend. Use a clean cotton cloth as a compress and soak this in the essential oil ice water, then wring out and place on the injured area. As the compress warms up repeat this several times. This will help to start the cooling process. After this apply an ice bag on the injured area for up to 20 minutes. Continue with compresses until the swelling comes down. By the next day you might want to alternate with hot and cold compresses as this will encourage the blood to circulate to the injured area, which will help to speed up the healing process.

When creating your blend look for oils with analgesic properties, as well as something that will help with the swelling and bruising that usually occurs with sprains.  The essential oil blends can be added to compresses, creams, lotions, oils and gels and there are four blends to get you started in the article.

Some Essential Oils to consider include:
Chamomile, German - Good for reducing pain and inflammation, particularly on the skin.
Chamomile, Roman - Good for reducing pain and inflammation.  It has relaxant properties.  It also has calming effects.
Clove - has analgesic and antispasmodic properties.
Cypress - has diuretic and anti-inflammatory effects and is helpful with swelling.
Eucalyptus - has analgesic properties
Geranium - can have a calming, analgesic, soothing effect on nerve pain.
Ginger - has anti-inflammatory, warming and analgesic properties.
Helichrysum - a very good anti-inflammatory oil which has wound-healing properties.  In my experience, one of the very best oils around for bruising and an excellent addition to any synergy for sprains.
Lavender - Often thought of as first-aid in a bottle, it can have a local analgesic and anesthetic effect.
Marjoram - has relaxing and antispasmodic properties.
Nutmeg - has analgesic and warming properties.
Pine -  has diuretic and anti-inflammatory properties.
Peppermint - has cooling properties that lead to a temporary numbing and analgesic effect.  Also increases dermal circulation.
Rosemary - increases circulation to the muscles and creates warmth.  it is very useful in blends for muscular aches and pains.
Vetiver - has very relaxing properties and helps reduce the tension.

I have mini profiles on these oils in the Articles Archives and have also blogged around the benefits of many of them. All the blog posts are available and can be found through the drop down box or through the search function.

Reiki Level II Workshop (1 Day)
This workshop is scheduled for January 29, 2012
(Prerequisite Reiki Level I)
* Second degree attunement
* Second degree symbols
* Distance Healing techniques
* Additional Japanese techniques
Cost : CDN$150.00 plus HST
If you are interested in joining us please call Natural Comfort Wellness Centre 604-943-7222 to book your space.

Always available:

• The self-directed home study Aromatherapy Courses.  When you are ready they are only a click away, a click that will lead you into a world filled with information, self-growth and delight! Is 2012 the year you take a formal aromatherapy course?  If it is I believe you would be very happy with the courses offered by the West Coast Institute of Aromatherapy.
• Aromatherapy Caddy Chemistry Home Study Course
• E-Books and DVD
• Aromatic Gifts for All Ages and All Seasons
• Infant Massage
• Subtle Aromatherapy
• Aromatic Lords and Ladies of the Zodiac
• The Hawkins Protocol Book
• Aroma Massage DVD