If you are shaking in your boots, then it’s time for a nip of courage! 10 points to anyone who knows what Simpsons episodes I am referencing in that last sentence. But seriously, Valor is one of my favorite essential oil blends, and one that I use often. It helps when I am feeling fragile, and it helps when I need to get my work done. I use it in the diffuser when I am working from home, and I use it on my body for a reminder that I am whole and present. Valor is one of those blends that just seems to be solid. [Read more…]
Essential Oils 101: Valor
Posted on July 15, 2014 Written by Leave a Comment
Essential Oils 101: Frankincense
Posted on June 20, 2014 Written by 7 Comments
If you think of frankincense, chances are you’ll think of one thing first: the birth story of Christ. I know, I did it too. But frankincense is more than a small detail in a Bible story. It’s a powerful oil that has tremendous medicinal value, to the point of being more valuable than gold during some stretches of history.
Frankincense is one of the oldest and most powerful essential oils you can find. It’s not wonder it’s one of the oils I suggest to start with when you begin to build your homemade medicine cabinet. I like to call my essential oils, herbs, and other kitchen witch items my “Real Medicine Cabinet”. After all, these oils are made from real plants, barks, peels, seeds, roots, and so forth. These oils are brimming with qualities made to help our bodies.
Essential Oils 101: PanAway for Pain and Inflammation
Posted on June 11, 2014 Written by 3 Comments
I am, yet again, amazed by the power unlocked within a bottle of essential oils. And this time it’s got a little bit of danger, because PanAway is the only one of the Basic Ten Oils that comes with a protective cap. Are you intrigued yet? Let’s find out what this baby can do…
Essential Oils 101: What Are Essential Oils?
Posted on June 7, 2014 Written by 2 Comments
Essential oils are fragrant, volatile liquids that live within shrubs, trees, flowers, roots, bushes, seeds, and peels. They are the essence of a plant, and therefore essential. This essential aspect is where you find the healing properties unique to each tree and flower and root. These natural liquids are aromatic and therapeutic to the body.
Just take a walk through a field of peppermint or lavender and try not to feel something happening to your senses and well-being. Think about the last time you walked through a forest and breathed in the crisp scent of pine. These essential oils are not only the essence of the organism, but are essential for you.
Pure essential oils are clean and absorb easily into the skin. These powerful botanical extracts are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, and give support to the immune system. These aromatic compounds are unadulterated, and each have unique properties. Some essential oils are crystal clear and thin, while others are more viscous and take on brilliant green or deep blue hues from their parent plant. As you strive for lifelong wellness, essential oils are a key component to natural living and building what I like to call my “homemade medicine cabinet”. [Read more…]
How to Heal PTSD and Panic Attacks (and why #YesAllWomen is relevant)
Posted on June 6, 2014 Written by 1 Comment
As an abuse survivor, I know firsthand what it’s like to suffer from PTSD. And as an advocate for traditional real foods and natural medicine, I know firsthand what it’s like to look for safe but effective natural remedies. I’ll be frank: in the middle of a panic attack, I cannot afford to rely on nothing. It’s just plain common sense for me to have a prescription that can help me immediately, whether I know it’s “natural” or not. At least, until I can find a replacement that works as well as a prescription.
I still have lingering effects from the abuse that I grew up surrounded by: panic attacks, hypervigilance, a tendency to dislike loud noises, chronic stress, sleep problems, etc. But the good news is that I find relief in real food and in real homemade natural remedies. I am only learning to use essential oils well this year, and I wish I had started earlier. Because I have found that essential oils work, in some cases, just as well as their over the counter counterparts. For example, Deep Relief works just as well as acetaminophen for me. [Read more…]
Essential Oils 101: Peace and Calming Essential Oil For Allergies and Stress
Posted on May 31, 2014 Written by 7 Comments
I wrote this post on my Facebook page several days ago. I was having a new allergic reaction, and armed with my new essential oils, I thought immediately of their healing power and started to brainstorm my options.
A few minutes ago, I was having a slight allergic reaction to some fresh watermelon. I occasionally react to fresh fruit like pineapple and kiwi when I have higher levels of stress in my life.
With the help of my best friend Shannon, I was able to pinpoint that my body was craving certain essential oils. At first I used Stress Away rolled on to my temples, behind my ears, and the inside of my wrists. Then I used Lavender on my lip, where I was feeling puffy and itchy. Then I smelled Peace and Calming and got a very strong reaction and decided to listen.
So I put Peace and Calming into my diffuser, and also put 5 drops in a small amount of water and took it. Down the hatch! About 5 minutes later, the itching and puffiness are subsiding, and I feel a lot better.
I know it’s not rigorous science. But I also know that essential oils have measurable effects. And I also know that our bodies are smart. We crave for a reason. And if we listen to our bodies, those inner voices become stronger. I’m SO glad I had these oils on hand as part of my “medicine cabinet”.
Essential Oils 101: How to Clean with Purification Essential Oil and Avoid Harsh Chemicals
Posted on May 21, 2014 Written by 3 Comments
This year is my year for essential oils. I have declared it to be so. And I am soaking it up and enjoying every minute!
I have been reading, testing, and trying them out like crazy, and I have completely fallen in love. Some of you might already know a lot about them, so I hope we can all share our knowledge and come up with some great ways to utilize what Mother Nature has given us in the natural world. Essential oils are powerful! [Read more…]
GIVEAWAY: Traditional Medicinals Wellness Tea Kit (Do You Have an Inner Herb Nerd?) — $50 value!
Posted on May 12, 2014 Written by 1 Comment
I know I do. I am totally an herb nerd. Can you relate?
I nerd it up all the time about how much I love my herbs and their healing properties and endless combinations. I let medicine be my food and food be my medicine, and herbal tea blends are a powerful part of my home remedy collection.
And so I have good news! Traditional Medicinals makes some of the best herbal tea around, and they have agreed to give away a Wellness Tea Kit to TWO of my readers. Yay!
It’s simple to enter the giveaway. Let’s see what you need to do to enter!
Banish Pain in 10 Minutes with This One Simple Trick
Posted on April 30, 2014 Written by Leave a Comment
Have you ever gotten stressed out or sick or tense and you got a monster headache so bad that it radiated to your neck and shoulders? And you couldn’t even sit up? It is the worst. As in, bad enough to make you cry.
Honestly, if my headache is bad enough, I resort to over-the-counter medication. And I feel just fine about that, but I always wish that I had something more “natural” to use that would work just as well. The key being that it works just as well.
Well, I finally found it! And I think I am in shock. I have been geeking out about it ever since it worked so crazily well!
So what is it? It’s… [Read more…]
The Headache Cure: Essential Oils (Part Two)
Posted on February 20, 2014 Written by 1 Comment
Headaches can present in a kaleidoscope of ways, and the underlying causes can be even more numerous. There are cluster headaches, tension headaches, migraines, and more, not to mention more rare forms like chronic or exercise headaches, plus secondary headaches that branch out from an underlying condition like an infection, or panic attacks (source). But the variety of possible types and causes can be boiled down to one common root: headaches are painful.
And depending on the type of headache and the underlying cause, you can sometimes find relief with the simplest of natural remedies before you ever have to reach for a bottle of acetaminophen or make a doctor’s appointment. Why go through all that trouble when a simple pinch of salt, capsule of probiotics, or a few drops of essential oil will do the trick? My philosophy is that when faced with an ailment, natural remedies should be the first course of action to consider.
So…let’s look at all the possible natural remedies in five parts! Today’s topic: Essential oils. We will also discuss minerals, body tension release, pain relief, and digestion. [Read more…]
