Iritating critters

Aromatherapy can also help out with those irritating flying critters that buzz in your ears and up your nose. They absolutely HATE citrus. So if you get out your burner and put in a citrus oil - lemon for best results and set it burning, watch the critters head for the doors and the windows.

I'm here

We I haven't had much to say in this blog for a while. Now I'm going on to be a mobile aromatherapist. Have most of the things from th shop and it's all fairly portable. Just waiting for the phone to ring!

The lousy cold

I'll start off being honest. Aromatherapy can (on occasion with luck) stop the development of a cold, if you have a warm bath with Tea Tree and Eucalyptus. Failing that you're stuck with the usual symptoms. Aromatherapy can help. Eucalyptus is useful for a stuffy nose as is peppermint. You can get a mixture to gargle with, but for that I would have to recommend you visit an aromatherapist. If you're having trouble sleeping, again trey good old lavender. I have a hot whiskey toddy, but I can't recommend that you drink! Over all a cold is just the pits and you can manage the symptoms, but that's about it.

Sensible sheep

The content of my latest painting ish!

Pain

Just come out of hospital having had a wisdom truth with a cyst on it removed and several other teeth. For some reason thought it woulnt hurt but it was like being hit in the face with a bat, so not much to say. Did anyone look up Vermeer.?

Zen

I'm quite heavily into Zen Buddhism, have been since I used to do martial arts, when I got involved in eastern philosophy. Before you stop reading because you aren't into religion let me stop you, Zen isn't a religion, it's a philosophy and you don't even need to take any notice of the philosophy to benefit.   I'm going to chat a little about meditation.


This isn't as esoteric as some would have you believe. It's basically emptying your mind of clutter. Pause now and see what's going on in your mind. I bet it's like Central Station up their. This is fair enough and quite normal. Thing is if you can calm this clutter, even just for a few minutes each day you will feel more relaxed and capable of dealing with things.


There are many forms of meditation, but the most straightforward is counting your breath. Take a comfortable seat and make sure you won't be disturbed. Let the central station clatter then start counting your out breaths. Count up to four then start at one again and if your mind wanders, which it will, jst gently bring it back, try not to get frustrated, it is after all a difficult thing you are trying to do.


Alternatively, as we use our phones for everything else, so there is an app for guided meditation and if you find one that works for you then use that. If Zen is one thing it is open to change and can bring fantastic peace. Good luck with your practise.

Vermeer

Just a quick note. Searcc out the work of Vermeer (I love his work) ans see how often he uses a very similar model and the light is usually coming from the left of the subject

Clove oil

This one is quite an important one to me. It is the oil to use if you have toothache. Pour some onto a piece of cotton wool and put it against the sore area. Eventually you'll have to swallow and the clove will fill your mouth, tasting pretty bad and making you want to spit it out. Try to avoid this and leave the oil covered cotton wool in your mouth. I once mixed eucalyptus with clove and made the whole side of my face numb! PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS WITHOUT MEDICAL SUPERVISION. But clove can give you a bit of a break.


You can also get wheat pillows that go in the microwave. They're designed for muscle pain, but if you put one against the area of the pain on the outside of your face it can give some relief. If you can bear it slosh your mouth out, as any sugar caught in the sore tooth will make it ten times worse.

Orange

Orange oil is a beautifully tangy and uplifting oil. It's good if you're feeling a bit down or lethargic. If you burn it in the house it is a good frageriser and deodorant. 

One thing to be careful of though is that you must avoid sunbathing after using orange. This is because it increases the effects of the sun and you are more likely to burn.

You will also find orange an effective fly repellant either in the house or when it comes round to barbecue time...I can't wait...the smell of coals and charring food!

Art

Relaxation. This post kind of overlaps my art blog, but it's more about making yourself feel good. You may think an art gallery isn't the place for you, but you'never know unless you give it a try. I go to themgallery and sit, soaking up the atmosphere and everytime I see the same pictures I spot something new. The stories behind the paintings may even be quite harrowing, but just feel the piece. I bet you'll want to go back more and more. There  are also some wonderful gallery apps that collect together paintings from national galleries and you can look whenever you feel like it. The other good thinhbis the apps are free- just search for art gallery,

Lavender

Lavender is an oil that anyone who is even vaguely interested in aromatherapy ought to have in their cupboard. It is one of the safest oils and one of the only ones recommended to be applied directly to the skin without being diluted (please carry out the test as described previously though).

Lavender has a lot of uses. It is antiseptic, so can be applied to closed wounds, especially cat scratches as it gets rid of that irritating stinging pain that follows a scratch. It is also beneficial to burns and reduces the pain and increases the healing time.

Mentally it can have two effects, depending on the dosage. A small amount will help you sleep while a large amount will keep you awake, so take care not to use too much if you want a good night's sleep. For sleeping a good way to use it is to put a little on a tissue and tuck it under your pillow.

It has a lovely flowery smell and is relatively inexpensive, so I would advise you to get some for your medicine cabinet, especially cat lovers who get that accidental scratch now and then. (I have six and always put some lavender or tea tree on a scratch). Even my father is a convert to these two oils.

Clary Sage

It's a while since I promised to write about some more oils. My apologies for that...

Clary Sage is a fantastic oil if you're feeling low. Its woody, tangy smell is very warm. It does take some getting used to but it's worthwhile. 

It will lift your mood and in high doses is lightly narcotic, so take care especially as overdoing it will probably give you a headache.

Again, like most oils it can be burned in a vaporizer or hot surface or you can take a warm bath with about 8 drops in. Your muscles will relax more than you could think. Again like any oil put a little on part of your body such as the inside of your elbow, just to make sure you don't have any negative reaction and keep it away from your eyes. Another word of warning if you are having an alcoholic drink take care because Clary Sage can enhance the effects of alcohol. I hope you get something out of this and hopefully I'll be back soon with more oils. Enjoy..

Glad it helped

Thank you for getting in touch and leaving such positive feedback. I hope the remedies work well for you and you find my future ramblings of interest...Tony