Aromatherapy to combat stress

AROMATHERAPY is one of the branches of Alternative Medicine. Aromatherapy if spilt into two words, Aroma means Scent and Therapy means Treatment.
It is a science involving treatment through scent. Aromatherapy is practiced through oils which are extracted from grasses, seeds, roots, stems, bark, leaves, flowers, fruits of the plants by distillation. The oils substances are such that it changes readily from solid or liquid to a vapour form. These are also known as essential oils.

Essential Oils

Essential oil is having the odour or flavour of the plant from which it has been extracted and they don’t leave a mark on your body. Fragrance oils and Essential oils are different. Essential Oils are extracted from various components of the real plants which offer remedial benefits where as fragrance oils are produced by adding artificial chemicals which do not have any remedial benefits. Any of the essential oils can be used individually or in combination to one another for therapeutic purposes.

History

Origins of Aromatherapy date back to more than 6000 years. Earlier the process started by burning substances that produces a fragrant odour when burned, extracting woods for oils for the purposes of medical therapies where they stimulate olfactory sensations.

A French chemist by the name of Rene-Maurice Gattefosse sloganeered the term ‘Aromatherapy’ in 1920. During one of his experiment he burned his hand. He put his hand into a vat of pure lavender in desperate effort to stop the unbearable pain. During next few days he observed that his burn had healed without getting any infection or marks on his hand. This discovery leads him to research the medicinal properties of essential oils.

Uses and Precautions

1) Lavender:
Uses: Burns, Acne, Wounds, Sores, Anxiety, Dandruff.
Precautions: It should not be used during early stages of pregnancy.

2) Lemon:
Uses: Headaches, Sore Throat, Constipation, Cold Sores, Insect Bites
Precautions: It should not be inhaled directly. Sunlight exposure
should be avoided.

3) Orange:
Uses: Insomnia, Nervous Tension, Respiratory Conditions, Stress
Precautions: It should not be used during pregnancy as it has
antispasmodic properties.

4) Rose:
Uses: Aging skin, Depression, Sensitive skin, Dry skin, Headache,
Broken Veins, PMS Symptoms.
Precautions: It should not be used during pregnancy as it has
antispasmodic properties.

5) Rosemary:
Uses: Oily skin, Fatigue, Wounds, Colds, Rheumatism, Digestive
Problems.
Precautions: It should not be used during pregnancy as it has antispasmodic properties.


6) Sandalwood:
Uses: Urinary Infections, Water Retention, Immune System Booster, Sore Throat, Impotence.
Precautions: It should not be used during pregnancy as it has antispasmodic properties.

Synopsis

Aromatherapy is the art of healing physical, mental as well as emotional well being through essentials oils which are extracted from aromatic plants. Aromatherapy believes that treating only the symptoms won’t solve the problem but it should go to the root cause of the problem. Aromatherapy is one of the holistic approach to treat an ailment and it work wonders when mind and body are in tune with each other while taking the treatment.

Certain oils cannot be used during certain health conditions and if used it can cause graves consequences. Therefore, it should be understood that Aromatherapy treatment should be started only on the advice of a professional.

Stress-management Tools

Apply these Stress-management Tools to your life



These tools help you reduce your stress and adopt a healthy lifestyle. Use them to benefit from them.

Make these tools a part of your life by doing the following:
· Ask yourself this question – Am I getting enough sleep?
Make sure you are, you will feel more energetic and alive. Proper sleep will improve concentration and make you more effective at work.

· Go on regular vacations to keep yourself refreshed and alert. Make sure you make good use of vacation time each year. If you haven’t gone on a vacation in a long time, you could be feeling run-down or depressed. Go ahead and book a nice vacation to relax you. Make sure you don’t carry your cell phone or laptop or anything that is likely to disturb or interrupt your vacation time. Just relax.

· Do something that you enjoy doing; something that helps you relax. Make sure you set aside time for rest during weekdays.

· Give a thought to your intake. Do you smoke, drink alcohol or consume too much caffeine? Do you need to improve your eating habits? If your answer to these questions is yes, please do so.

· Get regular exercise. First do a medical checkup and start with your exercise. You could join a gym or a sports club. Start with a fitness regimen or a sport that you enjoy doing.

· Take care to see that you live and work in pleasant environments and your life is organized well. If you are unhappy, consider moving your job or home.

· Make a list of the stresses you experience currently. Try to locate people in your network who could help you out. Seek their assistance wherever appropriate.

· Socialize with friends and co-workers. If people within your network need help, make appropriate time to assist them.

· Adopt and make time for techniques that you find useful for relaxing such as meditation, imagery and self-hypnosis. If you are currently facing stressful situations, practice your chosen technique everyday.

· Try using a relaxation tape and judge how effective it is for you.

Instant Stress Relief

Did you know that there is an intimate connection between your breathing process and your mind? Lets say, for example, if you are agitated over something, your breathing gets disturbed. Likewise, if you hold your breath for a long time, your mind gets agitated. This means that you are able to gain control over your mind to some extent by learning breathing techniques.

Pranayam or breathing exercises offer great benefits. Practising pranayama regularly helps you develop a calm and steady mind, more self-control with strong will-power, and a sound judgement. It can actually extend life and enhance perception in the long run.

When I am stressed out, I use this one good simple exercise that gives me instant stress relief.

Be sure to try this out when you need instant relaxation
-Keep the thumb of your right hand over your right nostril and exhale through your left nostril.
Then take in a deep breath (inhale) through your left nostril. -Immediately place the ring finger of your right hand on the left nostril and exhale through the right nostril.
-Then inhale through the right nostril while keeping ring finger still on left nostril.
Place thumb of right hand back on your right nostril and exhale through left nostril again.
This completes 1 cycle. Repeat whole process again to complete such 10 cycles. Always remember that you should exhale longer than you have inhaled.

This should relax you mentally as well as help you physically. You can even do this twice a day if possible or whenever you feel stressed out. You will feel much better instantly.

Quotations

INSPIRATIONAL QUOTES

"You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying about the future."
~ Author Unknown - submitted by E. Blau

"Your present circumstances don't determine where you can go; they merely determine where you start."
- Nido Qubein


THOUGHT PROVOKING QUOTES

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters, compared to what lies within us.
- Oliver Wendell Holmes

Every exit is an entrance somewhere else.
- Tom Stoppard

When you get to the end of your rope; tie a knot and hang on
- Franklin .D. Roosevelt

The illiterates of the future are not those who can't read or write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and re-learn.
- Alvin Toffler

If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you've always got.
- Ed Foreman

The highest reward for a person's toil is not what they get for it, but what they become by it.
- John Rushkin

The greatest discovery of our generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
- William James

Experience is not what happens to you; it is what you do with whathappens to you.
- A. Huxley

If you deliberately plan to be less than you are capable of being, then I warn you that you will be deeply unhappy for the rest of your life.
- Abraham Maslow


QUOTES TO CHALLENGE YOU

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather in a lack of will.- Vincent T. Lombardi

There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you like;only scarcity of resolve.
-Wayne Dyer

The toughest part of getting to the top of the ladder is getting through the crowd at the bottom.
– Unknown

It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult.
– Seneca


QUOTES ON MARRIAGE..........In a lighter vein

A good marriage is like a casserole, only those responsible for it really know what goes in it.

A wedding is a funeral where you smell your own flowers.
- Eddie Cantor (Kid Millions, 1934)

I was reading a book...'the history of glue' - I couldn't put it down.
- Tim Vine

The light at the end of the tunnel has been turned off due to budget cuts.
- Steven Wright

They say the best exercise takes place in the bedroom. I believe it, because that's where I get the most resistance.
- Jeff Shaw

Dark were those days, without your sight. When I was in darkness, you gave me light. You gave me strength 2 make life bright. Thank you so much PHILIPS TUBELIGHT HAVE A NICE DAY AHEAD...

A breather

A breather is my personal blog with inspirational quotes and things to do when you want to have a breather…. A fresh new look at perspectives…. Things you want to do when you take a break to refresh yourself.... to get you back on track from the routine hectic pace of life….to prepare you to do things with a positive mindset.
-This is what you need for your breaktime-