Simple Aromatherapy for Depression or Colds---How-to's

Simple Aromatherapy for Depression or Colds---How To’s   

  *Use care with essential oils---never ingest without the advice of an Aromatherapist or qualified health care practitioner, and never use essential oils without first diluting in a base oil or liquid. Essential oils are powerfully concentrated and should be used with respect!

It always amazes me how powerfully healing plants are. When I was in school studying Aromatherapy, the most amazing thing I learned was how amazing their healing qualities were. Though plants have been used for healing for thousands of years, the term "aromatherapy" was first coined by René-Maurice Gattefossé, a French chemist, in 1935. He discovered the healing properties of essential oils—particularly lavender oil—after using it to treat a burn on his hand. He was working with perfume oils and burned his hand severely one day.  By accident he dipped his hand into a container of lavender essential oil.  He noticed that the oil helped prevent infection and promoted rapid healing, which led him to further study the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

 Plants hold remarkable healing properties—physically, emotionally, and even spiritually. Many herbs and flowers contain natural compounds that support well-being, from soothing inflammation to calming the mind. Some, like chamomile and lavender, are prized for their relaxation benefits, while others, like ginger and turmeric, are known for their powerful anti-inflammatory effects.

Beyond their medicinal properties, plants also foster connection and tranquility. Just being in nature—breathing in the fresh scent of rosemary or tending to a thriving herb garden—can be deeply therapeutic. If you are gardening, you probably already experience this firsthand with planting flowers or shrubs and vertical gardening, blending function with creativity.

Aromatherapy restores balance and health to the body and mind. How?  Well, you create essential oils by taking plant material and then you extract and capture the natural essence, scent, and beneficial properties of various types of plants in concentrated form.  Basically, you are using healing herbs and just using the concentrated healing compounds in an easy to apply and use form.  Typically, essential oils are made through steam distillation or by cold pressing.  Then the essential oils are bottled and ready for use.  Two most common ailments that can be benefitted through using essential oils are depression and colds or flu.  By using self-massage or inhalation you can easily treat yourself naturally and regain some balance in your body and life.

SELF MASSAGE:

 When there is no one to give you a massage, you can do it yourself. Here are easy ways to use

 aromatherapy in your massage.  First, dilute essential oils into a base, cold-pressed oil. Use sweet almond, safflower, or olive. Use 20 essential oil drops to 1 cup carrier oil. Add 1 capsule of vitamin E squeezed in to preserve. Close tightly and shake to disperse. Place some oil in the hands and rub together.

DEPRESSION

Here are some essential oils you can use to combat depression.

• Roman chamomile
• Clary sage
• Ginger
• Lavender
• Rose
• Sandalwood
• Ylang-Ylang

            Use those essential oils or a combination of them to treat your Depression using self-massage:

Hold hands vertically. Place pads of middle three fingers of each hand on your brow between eyes. Applying light pressure, move your hands apart across the brow to the corners of each eye. Apply gently circular pressure around the hollows on the outside of each eye bone. Use fourth finger only to stroke delicately under the eyes back toward the nose. Return to the forehead and repeat movement. Take care not to let the oil get in the eyes.

COLDS AND FLU

These are essential oils for colds and flu. 

• Black pepper
• Cedarwood
• Eucalyptus
• Geranium
• Lavender
• Lemon verbena
• Peppermint
• Rosemary
• Tea tree

For chest congestion using self-massage: Place palm flat on chest, use firm pressure, make large clockwise circles. Using finger pads to apply pressure, continue up the neck and behind the ears.

 INHALATIONS:

 For immediate relief of congestion or depression add 6-8 drops to tissue, inhale 3 times every half hour until relief is found.  Add 3-4 drops to basin of boiling water. Lean over basin covering

head with towel and inhale deeply several times.

Or for depression or cold and flu, use a simmering potpourri pot and add 6-8 drops to water to scent a room.  Another simple way to achieve your healing goal is to use 6-8 drops essential oil to cotton ball and place under the pillow at night.

And there it is.  It can’t be simpler than that.  Once you try it, you will begin to be drawn into all the other areas of healing that can transform your life.  It is a lifelong endeavor, to learn about the healing qualities of plants.  It is one journey that will never be fully accomplished in one lifetime, but it is a fun trip all along the way.