Miracle of the flower

“If we could see the miracle of a single flower, our whole life would change.”

- Buddha

The scent of jasmine or the sight of roses packs a punch of expression more potent than the words of any romantic poet. There is nothing more enchanting than walking through a valley of flowers and experiencing the sweet scents enchanting our soul. Flowers have always been a part of our lives and have found a place in our imaginations. The symbolism associated with flowers has constantly been used to allude to gods like Venus, Diana and Apollo.

From the symbol of chivalry i.e. Daffodil to the symbol of sensuality i.e. jasmine, we have developed a second language of symbolism through flowers. Flowers are an integral part of most religious ceremonies around the world. They accompany a child in his/her cradle and a dead man to his last destination. The petals when connected together symbolize unity and beauty, but when separated and showered symbolize divine grace and blessing.

Many scientists “turned” philosophers believe that flower essences exert a strong influence on us by manipulating our emotions and attitudes through the electromagnetic fields that surround our bodies. Thus the term “energy machines” has often been used for flowers. Flowers have instant boost on our moods, have positive effect on our happiness and connect us to other people. Conventional medicine believes that if the body is free from disease or infirmity, one can be happy, but alternative therapies believe that mental happiness lead us directly to physical well-being.

Aromatherapy is a new stream of science that uses aroma of flowers and other natural elements for therapeutic purposes. In practice, aromatherapy uses plant and flower oil for a complex mixture of physical, mental, spiritual, and even psychological purposes. By applying the essential oils directly at a specific body part one can start the healing process instantly making it an extremely loved form of therapy. Laboratories around the world publish many lists of flower oils and their uses and benefits almost on a daily basis. One of many such lists has been published by http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk .  The list is as follows:

• Cravings
  to stop yourself from over eating sweet foods try vanilla; the sweet smell will help you to stop that sweet tooth.
• Stress
  to help beat the stress away try jasmine, frankincense, ylang ylang, grapefruit, lavender, sandalwood, geranium, rose, bergamot, benzoin, vetiver, mandarin or roman chamomile.
• Emotional baggage
  Many of us have some baggage trailing behind somewhere, to help put the past back where it belongs juniper berry is meant to work wonders.
• Uplift the spirits
  Jasmine is the oil to help bring out your sunnier side.
• Confidence
  To send your confidence soaring through the roof try a helping hand from bay laurel, bergamot, cypress, grapefruit, jasmine, rosemary or orange.
• Depression
  To lift depression, try these oils to change your mood; may chang, frankincense, lemon, grapefruit, jasmine, clary sage, sandalwood, ylang ylang, geranium, orange, neroli (orange blossom) and helichrysum.
• Insecurity
  these oils will help produce inner security and self-acceptance; frankincense, jasmine, sandalwood, vetiver, cedar wood and bergamot.
• Loneliness
  many of us feel alone at times, these oils will help take that negative feeling away; rose, clary sage, frankincense and helichrysum.
• Happiness
  To help yourself become a happy, vibrant, full of life person, grapefruit, lemon, orange, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang may well do the trick.

What sets aromatherapy apart from the more conventional forms of medicinal practices is the ease with which it can be practiced. The benefits of it can be reaped by just putting a few drops of the oil of your choice on your pillow cover while it secretly works its magic during the night, or by adding a few drops into your bathing water.

Many of us have also seen movies where an eccentrically dressed woman is trying to cure a man of a secret illness in a small village in India or Africa, by using various herbs. This is today called herbal therapy. Although, a very new admission to the school of science it’s getting its share of attention. Unlike aromatherapy, herbal therapy uses all parts of a plant from its roots to berries and even its bark. Despite occupying a position outside the conventional framework herbal medicines and products have become a rage with the world. In Germany alone some 600-700 plant based medicines are available and prescribed by over 70% of the physicians. All this has been achieved due to strict quality control measures and detailed clinical researches.

Thus with all their grace and tranquility flowers and plants act as  divine bands that help up stay connected to all things earthly around us. What sets flowers apart from other aspects of nature has been clearly put forward by Sigmund Freud “flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotion nor conflict”.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

http://www.weightlossresources.co.uk

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Aromatherapy and the Chakras Part 2

In the last article, we began to see how aromatherapy can help balance and realign the various chakras. Here are the other five main chakras and the essential oils best suited to them.

3. Manipura (Solar Plexus Chakra)
The Manipura chakra located in the area of the navel is associated with will and power.
Physical imbalances may include: Problems of the diaphragm, kidneys, respiratory system, hormonal & digestive systems, ulcers and gallstones. Basil is good for the nervous system, intestinal antiseptic and digestion. Bergamot has antidepressant and calming properties and is good for the stomach.

Other Essential oils like carnation, gold chamomile, fennel, Juniper, lavender, sandalwood, Ginger and Lemon  will help to strengthen and keep this center protected, relaxing the body and balancing mood swings.

Oils to relax, balance mood swings, protect the solar plexus and increase confidence such as benzoin, chamomile, clary sage, geranium, jasmine, juniper, lavender, lemon, mandarin, melissa, palmarosa, sage, myrrh, helichrysum, ylang ylang and sandalwood. Collectively these will help balance and heal issues around stress, self esteem, desire, frustration, fear, guilt and doubt.

4. Anahata (Heart Chakra)
The heart chakra is the power house of the human energy system and the center of love and healing.

Physical imbalances include: stroke, angina, arthritis, heart disease, rotator cuff injuries, tendinitis, carpal tunnel, arm and hand pain, chronic restrictions in the upper back and thoracic area. Eucalyptus is an expectorant, anti-infection and a good tonic. Rose has a calming effect, which helps in calming the nerves, headaches and shock.

Marjoram, orange, rose otto, lavender, benzoin, sandalwood and bergamot will help keep the heart area open and receptive to love, and heal the heart. Essential oils that help to balance love of self and others are rose, geranium, palmarosa, neroli, melissa, hyssop, rosewood, chamomile, ylang ylang, galbanum, angelica and jasmine. Other suitable oils for this chakra include sweet orange, frankincense, himalayan cedarwood, heilchrysum and vetiver. These essential oils can help you to balance and heal emotional issues around grief and loss, emotional heaviness, sadness, feelings of despair and depression or anger turned inward, feelings of lack, loss, less than, never having enough or being good enough or not being quite up to the task of your life, feelings of being unloved, unappreciated, unaccepted, disconnected, restricted, or in some way limited and unable to find your niche in the world.

5. Visuddha (Throat Chakra)
The throat chakra is the center of our communication and rules the neck region including the thyroid, throat, trachea, neck vertebrae and mouth.

Physical imbalances may include: headache, neck tension/pain, ringing ear or tinnitus, thyroid conditions, low immunity to colds and flu, chronic infections, allergic reactions, eye problems, rigid attitudes and various phobias.

Chamomile is soothing, calming, anti-inflammatory and anti-infection. Linden blossom has calming and anti-spasmodic properties.

Other essential oils like benzoin, bergamot, blue chamomile, frankincense, hyssop, lavender, and lemon open communication skills and release stuffed unexpressed emotions that may be trapped.

Oils to enhance communication and creativity include blue chamomile, black pepper, eucalyptus, ginger, jasmine, and myrrh. Helichrysum, frankincense, lavendar, ylang ylang,and petitgrain balance and heal issues around repression of one’s thoughts and feelings, not being able, or feeling safe to speak your truth.

6. Ajna (Third Eye/Brow Chakra)
The third-eye chakra located in our forehead, between the eyes is the key to our wisdom, learning and putting things in perspective.

Physical imbalances may include: pituitary glandular disorders and kidney disease.

Use angelica seed, a general tonic, which encourages inspiration and inner focus. Other essential oils like camphor, eucalyptus, jasmine, lemon, rosemary, frankincense, chamomile blue, sandalwood, clary sage, cedarwood and cypress will help balance: both the right and left hemispheres of the brain, stimulating intuitive thinking and releases rigid, judgmental thoughts.

Oils to stimulate intuition and to clarify the mind such as basil, black pepper, carrot seed, clary sage, fennel, ginger, peppermint and rosemary. Also consider lavender, neroli, petitgrain, spikenard, and ylang ylang which aid in achieving balance and help heal obsessive compulsive thoughts and emotions, recurring nightmares, repetitive unconscious patterns of experience, inability to discern the difference between fact and fantasy, feeling of being ‘out of control’, blocks to creativity, imaginative darkness and inability to focus and manifest your dreams.

7. Sahasrara (Crown Chakra)
The Crown Chakra is our connection to our spiritual nature and connects to the central nervous system.

Physical imbalance include: pineal gland disorders, depressive states of mind.

Frankincense will aid in the handling of emotional problems as it is calming and antiseptic as well as an antidepressant. Other essential oils such as myrrh, viola, sandalwood, lavender and spikenard, petitgrain, ylang ylang are also particularly useful in helping issues around memory loss, breakdown of mental faculties for organizing and perceiving material reality, loss of inspiration; and to create balance in these areas in one’s life. Try cedarwood, linden blossom, neroli, and rosewood for opening the mind and dealing with spiritual issues.

*Image Credits : Pictures by Death Poodle, Opacity, wiccked on flickr.

Aromatherapy and The Chakras

Aromatherapy is a form of alternative medicine that uses volatile plant extracts, more commonly known as essential oils, for health purposes.

But what many people aren’t aware of is the effect of aromatherapy on the seven major chakras, the entry gates of the aura.

In previous posts, we’ve covered the influences and imbalances of the chakras, touched on some yoga asanas that will stimulate the chakras and even the effect of color on the chakras. Here we delve into another sensory relationship, the effect of aromatheraphy on the seven chakras. As essential oils are highly concentrated and potent substances, using aromatherapy practices can help one can stimulate the chakras, realigning them and bringing them into balance, relieving stress and any negative symptoms.

Emotionally, essential oils that help to ground you, include cedarwood, rosemary, patchouli and vetiver. Rosewood, frankincense, myrrh, helichrysum, ylang ylang will balance and heal issues around community or family, combating a sense of isolation from the group, the sense of not belonging, frustration, rage and blocked passion; and develop, nurture and stabilize your sense of well-being. They encourage us to feel good about our role in society.

2. Svadisthana (Sacral Chakra)
The second chakra known as the sacral chakra is your sensing power station, connecting you to your feeling sensitivities, creative sensibilities or your inner child.

Related physical imbalances may include: lumbar tension, chronic lower back pain, toxic and infectious conditions, kidney and bladder infections, immune disorders, chronic fatigue, cancer and diabetes. Clary sage is a tonic which helps in menstrual problems. Cardamom with its antiseptic and stimulant properties eases abdominal pain by relieving flatulence.

Ylang ylang has antidepressant, aphrodisiac, calming properties and aids confidence. Jasmine, patchouli, tangerine, bergamot, vanilla, sandalwood, nutmeg, oakmoss, cedarwood and rosewood also help to balance  the male/female energies and draw out the creative essence.

Aphrodisiac oils which include such as jasmine, neroli, rose otto, sandalwood, ylang ylang, and also marjoram are suitable here to assist with impotence or lack of sexual drive.

Other suitable oils for this chakra include: vetiver, myrrh, patchouli, petitigrain, sweet orange, and helichrysum. Strengthen your immune system, disperse negativity and heal issues around self esteem, rejection and victimization, toxic environmental conditions, anxiety, fear and worry.

*Image Credits : Pictures by breezeDebris, A30_Tsitika, Eggybird on flickr