Alternative Healing Today

Bringing Into The Light Oils Used In Aromatherapy

Mendoza — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 07:38:00 +0000

When you drop by aromatherapy or natural health and beauty stores, you are faced with choosing among the many ingredients you may employ to achieve a holistic treatment. Some of the items you may encounter include essential oils, carrier oils, fragrance oils and infused oils. Already confused? Read on to differentiate one from the other, and get to know each one's uses.

Essential Oils

You might be surprised, but the so-called essential oils are not oily to the touch at all. Most of them are clear, but some come in amber or yellowish color, such as orange and lemon grass essential oils.

Essential oils are distilled, usually by steam or water, from various parts of the source plant such as leaves, stems, petals, roots and other parts. They are highly concentrated and contain no artificial fragrances. When applied to the skin or inhaled, the composition and scent of these oils can provide many physical and psychological benefits.

They are often sold in small bottles and can greatly vary in price, depending on the rarity of the plant, the amount of oil produced by the plant and other standards. Because they are in pure form, essential oils are often diluted with carrier oils prior to usage.

Carrier Oils

Since essential oils are very much concentrated and may cause severe irritations and other reactions in some people, carrier oils are used to dilute them. Carrier oils are derived from the fatty portions of the plant, such as the seeds, nuts and kernels. Sometimes called vegetable oils, each one of them carries different therapeutic benefits, depending on what is being sought.

Carrier oils got scents of their own, although they may not be as strong as those from essential oils. Some of the natural lotions, body creams, massage oils, bath oils and other skin care products are made from carrier or vegetable oils. The choice of carrier oils where essential oils are added to can make a difference in the properties, effects, color, scent and shelf life of the final product.

Fragrance Oils

While essential oils are natural because they are made of the distilled essences of the plants where they came from, fragrance oils, on the other hand, are artificial scents - they contain artificial substances and are diluted with carrier oils. You might have also encountered items like perfume oils or potpourri oils, but they are basically just the same as fragrance oils, considering how they were made.

Unfortunately, fragrance oils do not carry the same therapeutic benefits offered by essential oils. Many scented cosmetics, candles, skin-care products like lotions and soaps, and others only contain fragrance oils or other synthetically-made fragrances. You have to read the labels carefully if you intend to use only natural ingredients in achieving relaxation and holistic caring.

Infused Oils

Infused oils are simply carrier oils infused with herbs. They are especially intended for certain plants that simply do not have much essential oils in them, or when it is virtually impossible to find essential oils extracted from those plants.

The good thing about using infused oils in aromatherapy than just plain carrier oils is that the combined therapeutic benefits of the carrier oils and the herbs infused into them are achieved. Infused oils are generally oily to the touch, depending on the consistency of the carrier oils used.

Unlike essential oils, infused oils can go rancid over time, just like carrier oils.

Household Uses For Essential Oils

Mendoza — Fri, 12 Mar 2010 03:06:00 +0000

Like it or not, homes can be full of bad smells, germs, and dirt. The first products people usually turn to are strong chemical solutions. These aren't particularly healthy, and can have unpleasant odors of their own. Perhaps a better type of product to reach for is essential oils. Essential oils can be used for many different household problems. Tea tree and lavender oils are considered to be highly effective anti-bacterial essential oils. A few drops of either can be added to water to rinse any area you want to disinfect.

These can include sinks, countertops, and bathrooms. You can make an antiseptic spray by putting the water with essential oils in it into a spray bottle. Spray it around bathrooms, kitchens, and sickrooms.

Sometimes, you don't mind so much using the chemical cleaners. You just want a fresher, more natural smell to linger when you finish. If this is the case, you can make a rinse to use following regular cleaning. To make the rinse, add four drops of any essential oils you like to a pint of water. Then, simply rinse the area with this after you have cleaned. You can use essential oils like pine, lavender, wintergreen, rosemary, orange, or any others you like.

If you want to make the air in your home smell fresh and sweet, simmer fruit peels or any essential oils in water on the stove. Keep it at a gentle heat. The scent will permeate the whole house.

You may have seen scented toilet paper rollers for sale in your local store. You can use the same idea only make it better with essential oils. Put a few drops of essential oils on the cardboard tube that holds the toilet paper. Every time it's spun, a fresh aroma will be released.

You can easily make a homemade carpet cleaner if you have a few essential oils. You need rosewood oil, eucalyptus oil, and lavender oil. Or, if you like, use any other combination of essential oils. You mix this with baking soda or cornstarch. Sprinkle the mixture on the carpet and vacuum fifteen minutes later. Commercial floor cleaning product makers are aware that lemon and orange oils are excellent for cleaning. There are many products out there that use them. If you have essential oils of lemon and orange, you can mix them with some hot water and soap. You will have the same thing-minus any chemicals.

Dryer sheets all seem to have the same unnatural trying-to-be-fresh smell. You can make your own equivalent of dryer sheets using essential oils. Take a small towel and put a few drops of your favorite essential oils on it. Put it in the dryer with your clothes. Tea tree essential oil helps to get rid of mold in the household. Lemon oil can be used as a disinfectant. Eucalyptus oil can be added to the laundry when you are washing bedding. This will help to control dust mites.

Essential oils have a place in the household that is both practical and aesthetic. They can make your home clean on a molecular level and pleasant to your sense of smell. The more you use essential oils, the more they will become a part of your home life.

Herbal Cancer Cure

Mendoza — Thu, 11 Mar 2010 18:00:38 +0000

Many people rely on herbs for the reason that they are said to "boost" the immune system. Herbs, such as astralagus, dong quai, Echinacea, and Asian ginseng can supposedly fortify the body's immunological defense against future or existing cancer.

There have been significant advances in cancer research that point to certain herbs as potential herbal cancer cures. Results of these studies indicate that traditional Chinese herbal cancer cures like shiitake or maitake mushrooms, mistletoe, extracts of the Venus flytrap, and various botanical therapies may help in treating certain forms of cancer. However, there is little scientific evidence to be found concerning this claim and until more is known about this, we cannot completely rely on them.

Iscador (Mistletoe Extract) - Herbal Cancer Cure

Iscador is a derivative of an extract from the mistletoe plant (Viscum album L.). The mistletoe is a semi-parasitic plant that thrives on the branches and barks of several tree species, including oak, pine, fir, elm and apple. Since the ancient times, it has been used to treat a variety of human ailments.

The first person to think of the mistletoe as a potential herbal cancer cure was Rudolf Steiner, the founder of Anthroposophy. Only the European species of this plant is used to treat cancer. Extracts of this herb have been shown to kill cancer cells and stimulate the immune system according to many laboratory studies. In some studies, this herbal cancer cure has been reported to reduce the size of tumor and thus improve the quality of life and survival of some cancer patients. Accordingly, the effects of this herbal cancer cure are attributed to three active constituents which are lectins, alkaloids, and viscotoxins.

Saw Palmetto - Herbal Cancer Cure

Saw Palmetto, or Serenoa repens, is a low-growing palm indigenous to the Southeastern United States. It is the berries of the saw palmetto that are used for medicinal purposes, especially in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). This plant is said to be anti-inflammatory, which is its main property on which its use as an herbal cancer cure is based. One interesting observation however is that saw palmetto berries do not seem to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate gland. Rather, this plant only goes so far as relieving the symptoms associated with BPH, which includes frequent urination.

All studies that were conducted on saw palmetto as a potential herbal cancer cure show that extracts from the berries are effective for both subjective and objective measurements of the prostatic enlargement. Other studies also show that the extract selectively acts on dihydrotestoserone receptors in the prostate and in this way, inhibits the hormone from binding to them and minimizes the stimulation of cell growth.

Would You Want To Get Into Massage Therapy

Mendoza — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 05:57:00 +0000

Becoming a massage therapist is a big decision to make. Because the industry is already being regulated, a career in massage therapy is harder to get into. You need training and sometimes licensure in order to work in a particular clinic. This is especially true if you are aiming for those top of the line clinics that really pay well. One of the decisions that you have to make before getting into the field is what kind of massages will you be specializing in. Like the medical field, massage therapists have specializations.

There are various kinds of massages that are being done in clinics. Some are simple enough and only requires a specific set of strokes. Others are more technical and involve pressing certain pressure points in the body and using oils that are not usually used in the practice. Examples of these are acupressure and aromatherapy. Before you get into the massage therapy business, know first what you are comfortable doing. If you study one massage and then realize that you are not for it, you will be wasting money and time on your training. Before you plunge in, know first what you want.

Below are some of the things that can help you clarify what you really want to do.

1. Western against Eastern

Although there are a lot of different kinds of massages, they are divided into just two big groups- Eastern and Western. Ask yourself, are you more comfortable doing the more traditional medical model that is often the characteristic of western massages or are you more for the eastern types that makes use of essential oils and pressure points?

2. Medical against Relaxation

The various kinds of Massage therapies may also be divided into either massages for relaxation or massage therapy for medical purposes. If you feel that you only want something simple as providing relaxation, then training is easier for this group. All you need to learn are specific strokes that will help your client relax their muscles. However, if you feel that you want to make a career out of it that is similar to a medical doctor, then you are better off training in the medical area of massages. Here you will study subjects such as anatomy, physiology, physical therapy and a lot of other science subjects.

3. Spas against nursing homes

The clients that you will be servicing will also help you determine the kind of massage therapy specialty you would like to take. For instance, it you foresee yourself working at a spa or a resort, your clients will primarily be those who just want a bit of relaxation. On the other hand, if you like to work in a nursing home or in a hospital setting, then you may want to get into something that is more medical in nature. Although relaxation may be easier to do, the pay for the other is much more competitive so you may also want to consider that when making your decision.

4. how hard can you do the massage

Another consideration in choosing your specialty is whether you can take on the massaging itself. Remember that massages for relaxation is softer and more relaxed compared to those being done for people who have problems with their muscles and their bones. Also, when dealing with medical clients, you also need to be more precise with your massages.

Homoeopathic Case Taking And Prescription

Mendoza — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 17:29:00 +0000

Cure by a homeopathic medicine is rapid ,gentle and permanent if correct remedy in suitable dose is given. Just giving one drug for one disease (specific drugs)may not give good result. To come to a correct remedial diagnosis we should have the symptomatology of the person. It is the total symptoms of a person which includes mental generals, physical generals, particular symptoms etc.

All signs and symptoms (mental&physical)of the person is taken in detail. Knowledge about past illness,family history of diseases,food & bowel habits,notable causes,relation to climatic changes and constitution etc are noted down in a systematic order.

Mental symptoms:

Example: fear,anxiety,depression,anger,jealousy and etc.

Physical symptoms:

Example: Body makeup, appetite, thirst, desires, aversions, bowels, urination, sleep, taste, nature of smell, discharges any abnormal sensations like pain, burning, climatic changes, thermal relations, and etc.

Peculiar uncommon symptoms:

This is the specialty of homeopathic system of medicine. For the selection of a suitable remedy these symptoms are very important. common symptoms which are seen almost in all patients are least important. This is the reason for giving different medicines to different individuals suffering from same disease. Example: Five people suffering from typhoid may get five different remedies because of changes of individual symptoms.

Particular/local signs & symptoms:

This include signs &symptoms related to body parts &organs.

Example: Part affected, any swelling, discoloration etc.

Systemic examination:-

Different systems are examined in a systematic order. (Respiratory system ,digestive system,nervous system,cardio vascular system and etc. )Vital signs

Pulse,blood pressure,temperature,respiratory rate etc are checked here.

General physical examination:

Here body parts are examined from head to foot to find out any changes.

provisional disease diagnosis; Here probable diseases are diagnosed. In homeopathy disease diagnosis is not that much important for the selection of a remedy,but needed for general management and to know the prognosis.

Investigations : This includes lab investigations and other methods to find out any other major illnesses.

Final disease diagnosis:

After doing all investigations the disease is diagnosed.

Remedial diagnosis:

This is the most important part as far as homeopathy is concerned. For this the selected symptoms are arranged in a systematic order on the basis of importance. Symptoms are analyzed to find out the importance of each symptom for the selection of a remedy. Remedies are selected on the basis of similarity.

Suitable remedies are diagnosed by a process called repertorisation. Here books called repertories are used. Repertory is the index of symptoms of materia medica(books which contain the symptoms of drugs). Nowadays computer software are used for repertorisalion. By this process we will get the remedies covering maximum important symptom of the patient.

Amoung this group of remedies the most suitable remedy is selected by referring various books and considering the life space investigation of the patient. The selected medicine is given in suitable potency & dose.

Anti Miasmatic Treatment:

The root cause of disease is miasms which should be eradicated using suitable anti miasmatic drugs. Every drug can eradicate the miasm if there is symptom similarity. There are anti psoric drugs,anti syphilitic drugs and anti sycotic drugs. After diagnosing the miasm suitable anti miasmatic drug has to be given to complete the cure.

Get Aromatherapy Training and Become an Expert in this Field

Mendoza — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:00:26 +0000

There are many places where you can get accredited in aromatherapy training. These programs will allow you to have a diploma in aromatherapy in a year or less and can be found across the country. Take some time to look in to your neighborhood before deciding if you need to have to travel a great distance to get your aromatherapy training.

Healing through Aromatherapy

While each aromatherapy training program is different, they should each teach you everything that is critical for you to know in order for you to be able to become a Professional Aromatherapist. The aim here is to teach how aromatherapy is a complete healing art, meaning that you will be taught to take a holistic approach to aromatherapy.

In this approach, you will also be taught how aromatherapy is complementary to a person's primary healthcare. However, you will learn that whenever you make traditional healing a major focus in your life you will be a lot healthier. Of course, this is something that you will then want to continue to teach your clients after you have graduated from an accredited aromatherapy training program.

Some of the other things that you will learn through your training include:

You will gain a lot of theoretical knowledge about aromatherapy, which will guide you to help your clients learn while also including your intuitive and practical skills to guide them toward a healthier lifestyle.

You will learn how a sound scientific perspective works hand-in-hand with the time-honored principles of aromatherapy.

You will learn to choose the most appropriate essential oils for a wide range of ailments and minor conditions. Your focus will then move from your client's symptoms to addressing the underlying imbalances that lie at the root of any health problem.

60 Essential Oils and beyond

So, as you can see, there are a lot of things that go into aromatherapy training as someone is teaching you how to use aromatherapy in your personal and professional life. This person will continuously be looking to you for help because you are the one with the "wisdom." You are the one that knows all of the aforementioned information, plus you also know the biology and chemistry of essential oils, as well as their safe application. Since there are more than 60 essential oils, you need to make sure your training covers all of them and everything else mentioned above.

Herbal hot packs

Mendoza — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 10:45:04 +0000

Herbal hot packs are used for a number of purposes but mostly to relieve back pain, neck pain, eye strain and to give other forms of relaxation to tired and aching muscles. You can use either commercial herbal hot packs or your own prepared herbal hot packs. Commercial herbal packs could cost anywhere between $18 and 35 per herbal pack. The beauty of the commercial herbal hot packs is that they are reusable and can be reheated a number of times of times without losing their effectiveness. And the ingredients of these commercial herbal packs are entirely organic. On the other hand, making your own herbal hot packs especially if you have your own botanical garden can be a good alternative. All you need to do is assemble different herbs freshly picked from your garden. Herbal hot packs use all kinds of fillers where certain amounts of herbs are added. Fillers for herbal hot packs could be wheat or rice, husks of grains, buckwheat husks, cattails seeds, lavender and other herbs. You can change these herbs once it has lost its effect.

Specifically, herbal hot packs usually contain the following ingredients:

For the base content: rice and lavender, buckwheat husks, popping corn, other grains, peas or beans and cherry pits. For the herbal content: lavender which is for relaxation, catnip as sleep aid, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus for congestion, garlic for severe congestion, yucca to treat inflammation and other herbal ingredients.

Herbal hot packs are particularly effective if used to relax. To heat herbal hot pack, place the pack in the microwave oven for as little time as possible, usually less as a minute depending on the size of the pack. Herbs will lose their effectiveness if heated for a long time especially the mints. The same herbal heat pack can be put in the freezer and used as a cold herbal pack to treat inflammation. You can use the herb catnip as effective herbal hot packs or pillows for relaxation and to relieve congestion. Just hang the plants up to dry, put them into an old pillowslip and use them as a pillow to aid sleep.

Herbal hot packs are generally used to treat and are effective for the following symptoms:

o General muscle fatigue
o Sciatic nerve
o Back pain
o Arthritic and rheumatic pain
o Tight, still muscles
o Sinus headaches, backaches, joint discomfort or inflammation
o Warming muscle before exercising
o Muscle spasms in neck or upper back
o Ease pain of migraines and TMJ problems

Basic Uses And Benefits Of Aromatherapy

Mendoza — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 11:08:00 +0000

If you haven't taken advantage of the benefits that you can gain from aromatherapy, it is never too late to start learning so that you can apply what you have discovered in the process. You may have already heard of the concept. Although these days, there are many ways of relaxation and healing techniques that are being introduced, this one remains to be popular because this is easy to follow, plus the fact that this won't cost you much.

The process utilizes botanical oils. These are extracts and essences from sources such as herbs, trees and flowers. The type of essences that you have to use in order to benefit from such source depends on what you want to cure and your reasons for undergoing the procedure.

Tracing the Roots

This procedure can be traced back in the 1920s when Rene-Maurice Gattefosse, a French chemist, coined the term after witnessing how the lavender oil can cure skin burns. Now this has become a branch of herbal medicine that applies the medicinal properties of the oils and essences from various herbs and plants. And the idea is now being applied in most countries around the world, especially in parts of Europe and North America.

The approach is popularly used at spas and holistic treatments. This is also being integrated on products used for relaxation purposes such as candles and different essences of massage oils. Through time, many people are discovering the effectiveness of the process. For most of its users, this has become an integral part of their lives as it can alleviate pains, fatigue and stress.

How Does It Work?

There are many things that essential oils can do to one's body. It has the following effects depending on the type of oils used and its sources. The effects range from being tranquilizing, antiviral, anti-bacterial, adrenal stimulating and other pharmacological end result.

The matter is simple. You inhale the essential oil. Through your nasal cavity, its molecules enter your system. When it's already inside your body, the limbic system in your brain gets stimulated. Such system is responsible for your emotions and memories. It is also directly associated with parts of your body that controls heart rate, your breathing and blood pressure. This is also connected with the hypothalamus, adrenals and your pituitary gland.

The oils help in maintaining the balance between your physiology and emotions. Such oils are extracted from different parts of the sources such as the leaves, flowers, branches, roots and even flowers and buds. The processes involved in creating this include stem and water distillation, cold pressing and steam distillation. You must be cautious in using the matter. You must take note that it can be harmful if you will take the matter orally. If this must be done, you must seek the help of a professional to carry out the process.

The Basic Uses

This method is known to relax one's body and lessen tensions and stress. This has also been popular to treat different conditions such as bruises and burns, allergies, insect bites, headache, colds, flu, menopause, sprains, joint pains and a lot more. This can also help you regain your strength and energy and help you sleep if you feel restless or if you are suffering from insomnia.

As more and more people discover the marvels that aromatherapy can bring, this method will surely go a long way and its popularity will never cease to exist.

Healthy Food Choices

Mendoza — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 12:15:09 +0000

Eating healthy is something we all would like to do, although it can be hard. In order to eat healthy, you must first make the right food choices. Eating healthy is all about what you eat, which makes the choices very crucial to your results.

Grains
You should consume 6 ounces of grains per day. To do this, you can eat 3 ounces of whole grain cereals, breads, rice, crackers, or pasta. You can get an ounce of grains in a single slice of bread, or 1 cut of cereal.

Vegetables
These should be varied, as you should eat 2 1/2 cups of them each day. You should start eating more of the dark vegetables, such as broccili and spinach. Carrots and sweet potatoes are good as well. You should also eat more dry beans such as peas, pinto beans, and even kidney beans.

Fruits
Fruits are very important. You should try to eat 2 cups of them each day. Focus on eating a variety, such as fresh, frozen, canned, or even dried fruit. You can drink fruit juices as well, although you should use moderation when doing so.

Milk
Milk is your calcium rich friend. For adults, 3 cups is the ideal goal. For kids 2 - 8, 2 cups is where you want to be. When choosing milk products or yogurt, you should go for fat-free or low-fat. Those of you who don't like milk or can't have it, should go for lactose free products or other sources of calcium such as fortified foods and beverages.

Meat and beans
Eating 5 ounces a day is the ideal goal, as you should go lean with your protein. When eating meat, always bake it, grill it, or broil it, as this will prevent grease from adding to the equation. You should vary your protein as well, with more fish, beans, peas, and nuts.

When cooking your food, you should also limit solid fats such as butter, margarine, shortening, and lard. These foods may add flavor to your dishes, although they can also help raise your cholesterol as well. Therefore, you should try to add these foods and any foods that happen to contain them.

To help keep your saturated fat, trans fat, and sodium low, you can check the nutrition facts label. This label can be found on the food package and will tell you all the information you need to know about the food item.

By picking your foods wisely and watching what you eat, you'll help control your lifestyle. Exercise is great as well, as it goes along perfect with a healthy eating lifestyle. No matter what your age may be, eating healthy will help you keep your active lifestyle for years and years - even help you and your health in the long run as well.

Individual Hypnosis May Help You Overcome Shyness

Mendoza — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 20:37:00 +0000

Some people find it difficult to start a conversation with someone they have never met. It is not because they don't have anything to say but the fear of the other person rejecting them. Fortunately, you can "seize the day" with a little help from a hypnotist that will make you overcome shyness through individual hypnosis.

But what is individual hypnosis? Basically, the hypnotist enters the mind of the patient and makes some changes in their subconscious. In this case, this will make the person feel at ease socializing with other people and make more friends.

Aside from meeting a hypnotist to do the work, you can also do it yourself through self-hypnosis. The only difference is that you will be doing is by yourself while listening to a recorded tape or CD.

To do this, you have to be willing to do whatever it takes to improve what you are right now which is the preparation stage of hypnosis.

When you are ready, you put on the tape and then sit on a chair or lie down and then follow the instructions. Just be careful that you don't get too comfortable otherwise you will fall asleep.

One thing you have to do when you practice self-hypnosis is to control your breathing pattern. If there is noise around or you feel an itch, acknowledge that it is there but block it out and then focus your attention on the recording.

Eventually you will go into the deepening stage of hypnosis where you begin to address the issues of shyness. This is likely caused by bad experiences and you have to let them go and realize that such an experience could be different when you meet other people.

You have to learn to be optimistic also about the future and then slowly return to reality remembering everything you experienced throughout the session.

For people who find it difficult to do this on their own, they can always turn to a hypnotist. This person will guide them throughout the entire session and also wake up having the same feeling of positive energy all around them.

The challenge now is to meet people and then see how well they are able to react to them. If the person is able to have a conversation, then obviously there is an improvement. If the person does not have the guts yet, well you probably need a few more sessions to have the courage to change for the better.

Individual hypnosis can do a lot for a person and in some cases may not have a profound effect on them. If this has not worked well for you, don't give up because there are other means to overcome shyness.

When you undergo individual or self hypnosis, you have done your share to improve who you are as a person. Will this change the outcome when you meet people? It depends who you meet because some people are friendly while others are not when you meet them up close.

If this is the case, the problem is not with you. The problem is with them and they have to realize that before they can get the same sort of counseling which you went through to also be able to socialize with other individuals.