Monthly Archives: November 2012

Buzz Off – The Tribe has Spoken!

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It looks serene but….

It looks serene but it’s a jungle out there! It’s like being in the TV show “Survivor” 24/7!

I live less than 10 minutes from the city of Sydney, but I may as well be living in the swamp. In fact I feel a bit like Tammy Tyree who lived in the Mississippi swamps. Just call me Tammy. I am a bit cut-off from civilisation as I can’t talk on my mobile phone inside the house  – so it’s freeze out the back in winter when making a call or fend off the mosies in summer! A few years ago a neighbour told me my suburb was actually reclaimed swamp/wetlands and that there is a huge water table underneath us. Sydney actually has lots of underground water which would explain all the insect, especially mosquitoes and cockroaches. My other neighbour has frogs but I’ve unsuccessfully tried for years to get tadpoles. I gave up with my pond but I’m serenaded all summer with the croaking from next door.

So anyway……. for years my friends have baulked at sitting outside in the beautiful garden  because the mosquitoes are vicious. They are so big a friend once said “the mosie that followed me down the hall needs its own bedroom”. I have always made my own insect repellent in a mist bottle, but it has never been enough. Last year I got a few torches to burn citronella oil and that really helped. It’s the flame and smoke that keeps those little biters at bay. Add the topical application of some essential oils and a little bit of peace can be found in my backyard.

torch with a flame keeps those biters at bay

I now have a mosquito net over my bed because they are so bad at night it’s like a form of torture.

aaahhhhh peace at last

I have given up on the mist and gone for pure essential oils. After much trial and error I have found the best oils to keep away the insects are (in any combination):

Lemongrass

Citronella

Basil

Peppermint

Lavender

Clove

Thyme

and any oil that has a pungent aroma. No sweet pretty oils can be used, it will only attract them! Lavish these oils all over you especially around the ankles, neck and ears and anywhere where your flesh is exposed!

Of course having a gin and tonic will help as the quinine is supposed to be a malaria preventative, in case you get bitten by a mosie with the virus.  Ok, well it’s probably not strong enough in the tonic we now drink, but my when my father was in the British Army, serving in Africa, they were given salt and quinine tablets. Salt for replenishing minerals and quinine against malaria. Interesting eh?

Essential oils, a G & T, a mosquito net and a Survivor-like torch is my recipe for getting through summer in Sydney. When I quench the flame at the end of the evening I silently say “the tribe has spoken”, and retire inside.

Oils for Meditation

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aaahhh meditation!

Meditation is a wonderful thing, and doesn’t really need any added help. It’s about being, not doing. It’s about connecting and detaching. So do we need essential oils to help our meditation practice? Probably not, but sometimes it adds anchoring to the ritual and helps some relax into the process. When you vapourise oils in a classic “oil burner” with a candle, the flame acts as an agent of transformation.

I love this oil burner from pagethirtythree.com

My choices for meditation oils are:

Lavender – I use lavender for everything! It is as warming as it is cooling, It is calming and nurturing, It is centering and grounding, and brings together your energy. It is a well-known oil for relaxation due to its high ‘linalool” content. A few deep breaths of lavender at the start of your meditation will help you zone in to yourself quite quickly. My motto is “If in doubt, use lavender”.

Frankincense – oh ye olde magic of frankincense! It starts out as a resin from the tree and is then steam distilled to make the oil. It is the oil of breathing deeply and has its roots in spiritual and religious practices. By breathing deeply and expanding your lungs, more oxygen can flow into your body. The combination of increased oxygen and the natural feeling of relaxation when you take a deep breath, adds up to a very peaceful vibration. It is in this state we can connect with our higher selves, and essentially “God”. It is almost used in churches as a scent to induce a type of hypnotic trance.
For a quite peaceful meditation use frankincense oil.

Rose – the ‘queen’ of oils, it is an oil of self nurturing and self-love. Rose can be used for everything from heat exhaustion to cuts and wounds. The scent is divine and when you are in the presence of pure rose oil you wont be able to escape is enveloping nature. I think of rose crystal quartz when I use this oil too, the love crystal. Shakti Gawain talks about “pink bubbles of love” in her revolutionary book from 1978 “Creative Visualization”. Pink, oil of rose, and rose quartz go hand in hand – I often surround myself with the energy of rose quartz, and rose oil, when I feel I need a bit of help and kindness. Use rose oil in your meditation to give yourself a feeling of security, softness and love so you can open to the messages of the universe.

unpolished rose quartz borrowed from angelreikihealing.com

So many oils can be used for the practice of meditation just be guided by your intuition and your personal fragrance preferences. You don’t even need to vapourise the oils you could just put a drop on your upper lip (patch test for sensitivity first).

Some more relaxing oils for meditation are:

orange, bergamot, petitgrain, lemon balm, neroli,

Some expansive oils:

pine, cypress, fir, tea tree, basil

The most important thing is to set some time aside to meditate – and that can be so hard in our busy daily lives! The oil is the icing on the cake.

Meditate, and the whole world will benefit.

10 Great Reasons to use Essential Oils

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There’s a 10 in there somewhere

1. They are from a natural source and have a distinctive scent

Essential oils come from a natural source and you can detect a deepness in their scent that can never be replicated.

2. Essential Oils can set a Mood

When you use essential oil in your home or space, their chemical structures positively effect your emotions and those who enter you’re scented zone. This doesn’t happen with GLADE or other chemical, synthetic fragrances.

3. Oils can support your life journey

Your spirit will be uplifted when you use essential oils to conjure change in your life. This is not about the emotions, it’s about acknowledging your soul with heavenly scents from nature.

4. Essential oils are great for First Aid

Essential oils are great for first aid. Lavender is #1 and Tea Tree is #2. When in doubt use lavender as it has anti-inflammatory and cell regenerating properties. Tea Tree is more

sneakily borrowed from jigzone.com

sneakily borrowed from jigzone.com

anti-bacterial.

 

 

5. Use them in your cleaning/cleansing regime

Add essential oils to your cleaning products to leave your home beautifully, naturally scented while removing bacteria and inviting new beginnings.

6. Use oils for a great sleep

Induce and enhance sleep with chamomile, lavender, lemon balm and even orange. The best way to do this is to vapourise the oils in the bedroom. This is great for calming kids down in the evening.

7. They can nurture your skin

Add a drop or two to your moisturiser to stimulate cell growth and leave a wonderful, natural calm energy.

8. Essential oil will make you the envy of your friends

Everyone will notice when you wear essential oils as a perfume or body oil. They have far reaching effects, they are quite magical and a little goes a long way.

9. Essential oils have a medicinal history

When you use an essential oil you are connecting to the history of the plant through the ages. Most oils and the plants they come from, are the original medicines. Using these plants as medicines, early man was connected to Earth as a life giver.

sneakily borrowed from scientificillustration.tumblr.com

10. Essential oils can help you create

Essential oils will help you tap into your creative force by working through your brain and affecting how you see the world. They use their subtle power to weave your subconscious mind into your everyday life. The results can be amazing!

Lemongrass! An oil for all seasons

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sneakily borrowed from candlemaking.com.au

Just look at the pic above. Lemongrass appears to be a substantial, almost “meaty” root. The essential oil of lemongrass definitely has a substantial scent, and I would dare say is one of the more popular oils. In general, men like the deep gutsy scent, women adore the verve and vitality and kids and pets resonate with it’s fresh yet syrupy energy.

Lemongrass is a great oil for energising and creating energy where there is lack. In cooking lemongrass gives a zingy, lemony bite to a dish. I often use the oil with clients when they are lacklustre. It’s like the giddy-up oil. The get-going oil.

Lemongrass is great for summer to ward off insects – just put some drops straight onto your skin to keep away the mosquitoes.

Lemongrass is great for winter as it helps to start you up on a cold morning.

Lemongrass is fantastic for spring to clear away the cobwebs of winter.

Lemongrass is wonderful for autumn as a mood enhancer when you realise summer is coming to an end.

The main active ingredient in lemongrass is citral. Then there’s lots of other little helpers including geraniol, limonene and nerol. Can you guess what other oils these belong too? If you said geranium, lemon and neroli you are right. These molecular structures are found in other oils too. Each essential oil has its own character that is created by different chemical consituents but it’s hard to pinpoint the magic. It’s all about the old adage “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts”. This refers to the energetic presence an entity has. You can break down a plant into scientific measurements, but its the synergistic combination of all the little molecules that makes it unique. With essential oils, their uniqueness is their scent.

The scent of lemongrass can been described as lemony, herbaceous & strong. A little goes a long way. It’s a very tropical scent and is grown in hot areas in Asia and Africa. Perfect for bringing the warmth of the tropics into your life.

Try a few drops in the shower for an awakening steam treatment.

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Geranium rules my ‘hood!

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Geranium in the back lane

I love geranium essential oil. I love rose-geranium essential oil too. It’s flowery, it’s a little bit girly and it has a vibration of happiness and cheeriness. I just walked around the block and took a few pics of the lovely, brightly coloured flower. It loves the sun and so do I.

Geranium essential oil is great for skincare and I often use it in my face creams.

Geranium around the corner

These pictures of geranium may not necessarily reflect the exact geranium plants that the oils are distilled from but there is definitely an aroma when you squish up a leaf and smell it (after you’ve asked the plant’s permission of course!).

Geranium bourbon, originally from the Reunion Islands is considered the best geranium for skincare in Aromatherapy, but I’m not even sure if it is produced here anymore. The first plantings for production came from the island which was originally called “Bourbon”. It is the pelargonium graveolens plant that produces this oil. Rose geranium is produced from a cross of two different geranium plants – pelargonium cv rose.

I often use Rose geranium for scenting a space and in personal mists, and geranium bourbon for skincare creams and old blends for the body.

Geranium in my street

Some aromatherapy teachings claim geranium is a great balancing oil for the emotions as it’s main active ingredients geraniol and citronellol, work on the frontal and adrenal cortex of the brain. So basically, it’s a happy oil. You don’t need to be a genius to know that. Just take a huge whiff straight from the bottle and smile!

Try these combo’s:

Oil Blend to nourish your body:

“Oh Lady!”

3 teaspoons carrier oil like almond, grapeseed, jojoba

Geranium bourbon   3 drops

Orange                    3 drops

Patchouli                 1 drop

In an oil vapouriser to scent your space:

“Life is Grand”

Rose geranium         8 drops

Spearmint               8 drops

Mandarin              10 drops

 

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

Remember with Rosemary – Lest We Forget

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We remember Ken with rosemary

I was at the funeral of my ex-partner’s Dad the other day. He was a war veteran and the service was in the chapel of a beautiful retirement village for old soldiers. The service was a simple family affair with tears and laughter.

As people were arriving the chaplain said to my friend, “there’s a rosemary bush out there. would you like me to pull some off the tree, and then all the family can have a sprig to lay on the coffin?” I piped up and said yes.

At that moment I took the picture above, and silently said to myself “remember with rosemary”. I’m not sure if it happens in any other country but we celebrate our soldiers, war veterans and give thanks to those who have given themselves selflessly. We do it with with rosemary.

I’ve always loved the way such on old herb has made it through to modern times. I’ve always loved that it’s made it through the ages with it divine purpose intact. Rosemary is used to stimulate the brain. Always recommended for study, rosemary can help you remember things.

So when the ANZACs (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) and other soldiers from Australia who have fought in wars, commemorate the fallen in marches and ceremonies, it is common to wear a sprig of rosemary on the lapel. To remember. To stimulate the mind and create an anchor to the scent. So the next time rosemary is smelt, the memories of those who have gone before us, will bring them right back into our minds again.

I just loved that we were given a sprig of Rosemary for Ken’s farewell. The Last Post was played and the beautiful stanza from Laurence Binyon’s poem “For The Fallen” was read. It is synonymous with Australian and New Zealand Remembrance days:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.
Lest we forget.
So to connect with a love one who has passed, remember a person or animal that has lived before you, or to connect with a time in history or your own past life…….
flowering rosemary

flowering rosemary

Use rosemary.
Remember with rosemary.

Coconut – The Truth About the Scent

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sneakily borrowed from africanhairblog.com HINT: the oil is good for hair

So do you love your coconut soap? Your coconut body moisturiser? Do you love your coconut sunscreen? How about your coconut lip balm?

There’s no doubt about it, coconut is a magic fruit. Is it a fruit? No, apparently it’s a drupe! Find out more about the drupe.

Anyway, it’s amazing. The world of nutrition and natural therapies is quickly spreading the word about coconut. The western world is a bit behind the times as Harry Belafonte, in the sixties, sang;

‘Coco got a lot of iron

make you strong like a lion”

sneakily borrowed from last.fm where you can listen to the smooth sound of Harry

“Coconut Woman” was written in 1957 by Harry Belafonte and Irving Burgle. Some say it’s not about coconut, but about cocoa (chocolate). I’m not sure about that because the song talks about “coconut water” with “rum”. I digress. Let’s get back to coconut.

Coconut water and coconut oil are the two buzz products of the drupe. I eat coconut oil by the teaspoon and it’s oily and delicious. Even though it’s classified as a saturated fat it has so many health benefits which can include;

– Helping to lower cholesterol

– Converting easily and quickly to energy so it’s not stored as fat

– Helping to  boost metabolism and immunity

– Softening hair and skin when used as a moisturiser

– Helping to lower resistance to insulin – great for type 2 diabetes

– Good for cooking as it has a high flash point so it maintains its goodness in the cooking process for longer than other oils

And now the scent! Pure coconut oil is fantastic for nurturing your hair and skin, and it has a soft, natural scent that we automatically connect to tropical islands with coconut palms waving in the wind. Unfortunately a lot of coconut scented products use an artificial fragrance to intensify the scent. Even if your product has coconut oil in it, it could also have “fragrance”. For those on the natural path, beware. I remember using Reef Oil in the 80’s as a sun tan lotion. It has a long list of ingredients, the last being fragrance, artificial of course. And this is what a lot of people think that real coconut smells like in a personal care product.

NEWSFLASH

It doesn’t.

If you are serious about simplifying your life and using as many natural items as possible then always check your “coconut” soap, or lip balm, or moisturiser to see what is listed. Chances are if it says “fragrance” it’s synthetic.

If you don’t care whether your product is natural or not then it doesn’t really matter. “Fragrance” away until your heart’s content.

Long live the coconut!

Attention All mothers – Have a Massage!

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To all my beautiful mothers out there – look after yourself – have a massage! Relieve stress and relax your muscles, unwind and release all those thoughts – thank yourself for the impressive job you’re doing bringing up the next generation of leaders.

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Please check out my new book REVELATION! – Reveal Your Destiny with Essential Oils

Barnes & Noble      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as an ebook and paperback

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Give yourself a moment away from the tasks at hand

Give yourself a moment away from the tasks at hand

 

I gave an old friend an aromatherapy treatment today. When I do a treatment I like to take my time, have a chat, and relax into it.

I always formulate a special oil blend for each client.  I choose oils based on the answers to various questions. I want to know what’s happening for them on the day, as far as their general health is concerned. I ask about their body and how it’s feeling, their emotions, what’s happening in their life and click into their vibration. It doesn’t have to be a long process and in fact can just take a minute or two with the right questions.

My friend and I used to work together in a restaurant in the nineties called The Wharf Restaurant. It was at the end of the pier that The Sydney Theatre Company calls home. All of us that worked there still remain friends, even though we may only see each other from time to time. We call ourselves “Wharfies”. And actually another Wharfie paid for the massage today for my friend – isn’t that lovely?

My Wharfie today studied massage and herbs when I studied aromatherapy so we are connected through natural therapies too. She is a mum of two beautiful children and rarely takes time out for herself. As I was doing the treatment I thought about mothers everywhere who do so much for their families, and who often place themselves last. Some of these women are single mothers, some have male partners and some have female partners, so the situation is different for everyone.  However, often the one thing mothers have in common is lack of personal time, and nurturing. They nurture everyone else, rarely themselves.

get your energy singing and dancing -

get your energy singing and dancing pic via healingthemindandbody.com

 

A massage is a wonderful thing for a mother. Simply the time alone can be just as good as having the treatment. Allowing and receiving nurturing is extremely important to stimulate the flow of energy throughout the body and the etheric body. Finding a balance between giving and receiving is necessary in all aspects of life. It’s the yin and yang, hot and cold, up and down, light and dark. We need both to show us delicate design of the universe. Adding essential oils to the mix amplifies the treatment and creates an aromatic moment that is sheer bliss.

50 ml bespoke body oil made by me

50 ml bespoke body oil made by me

 

When I make the individualised formula for my client, I add my intention to the mix. Intention will gently steer the oil blend to work in harmony with me, and the body on the massage table. And of course the physical stress release of a massage is amazing and rejuvenating!

Mothers – have a massage.

Partners – buy your love a massage as a gift to return the nurturing you receive.

Remember, treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Cavewoman smells Caveman – Let’s get back to Nature

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sneakily borrowed from cinemareto.com

Back in the caveman days and the times of early man, scent was incredibly important. The sense of smell was pure, heightened and could mean the difference between life and death. Subtle scent was just as important as the mental recognition of smells. Pheromones, hormones and other ‘mones (hehehehe) would have been detected by the ancient part of the brain and translated to information instantly. Cavewoman may have been in the presence of a caveman, and instantly thought “oh yeah he seems alright” (or something like that). This instant chemical signal was inbuilt to stimulate the procreation of humanity. Thank goodness because we may not be here today without this incredible design.

The ancient part of the brain still exists in us today and it’s called the Limbic System. This system comes into play when you smell something and are immediately connected to a past time in your life, a person or an event. In NLP it’s called anchoring and it would have happened without you even being aware of it. Scent is powerful, carries messages and helps us connect to a more simple way of life.

Scent is information. Just like touching something and knowing it’s smooth, rough, hot or cold. Like looking at something and assimilating the view, the colours and shapes. Like hearing a song and loving or hating it. Like tasting a food and smiling and laughing because it tastes so, so, so good! It’s all data we take in to make sense of the world.

Unfortunately over the past 100 years we have moved from natural scents into a world that is so bombarded with chemicals, synthetic fragrances and contrived perfumes in cleaning products, personal care products and everything in between. I went to the supermarket the other day to buy degradable garbage bags. Every product except for the one I bought had infused fragrances. There was lemon, vanilla, fresh forest, or something ridiculous like that, and a couple of others. I said “really?” out loud. No wonder we are suffering from cancer, diabetes, MS, autism and anything else you can think of. Harsh chemicals are

E V E R Y W H E R E!

Come on people I know you are with me here. Lets get back to basics. Chuck some lemon juice in the rinse cycle if you want your clothes to smell lemony fresh. Wipe down the kitchen bench with a drop or two of eucalyptus oil, or rub an orange peel over it. Boil some rosemary leaves in water for a beautiful anti bacterial solution for wiping down surfaces and objects. Get with the natural programme – use the bounty of nature.

You will become more sensitive to false scent and become more highly attuned to the vibration of the universe.

Resonate with purity, and we can all rise to the next level of evolution together!

Meet me in the Shower

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Hot steamy shower with essential oils

A fast, easy way to brighten up your day is to take something (or someone you love) into the shower with you. Or both. When I say ‘meet me in the shower”, I really mean, take my hints about aromatherapy into the shower with you.

So that could be really disappointing for some, and an absolute relief for others.

Steaming with essentials oil in the shower gives your entire being a blast of positivity.

Mentally

A few drops of essential oil will literally and figuratively open your mind. When the oils mix with the steam and are inhaled by you, the little molecules of scent will connect with receptors in your nasal cavity, the information being transported through different parts of your brain to effect change in hormonal glands, and in turn your feelings.

They will also open up your nose, your facial sinuses, and make you feel alive!

The best oils to wake you up will be peppermint, eucalyptus, rosemary, lemon, lemongrass and tea tree (among many, really).

Spiritually

Essential oils have a bewitching nature that will surround and envelope you with their presence. It’s like a scented meditation and will set the mood of inspiration for the entire day. To be inspired is to be in spirit. To acknowledge your spirit via the fractal nature of essential oils will connect you to the beauty of the universe.

Physically

I did a weekend workshop many years ago with In Essence, an Australian company founded by two sisters. Their recipe for showering with essential oils was to put 6 drops of oils in a 200 ml bottle, shake as you go and pour the water onto your body with the addition of a skin brush. Although I don’t do that everyday, occasionally it can be a real wake-up zinger! I prefer to use a body oil blend after the shower as its softer and more nourishing.

When you do your essential oil steam you will need to cover the shower drain with a plug or a wash cloth, and simply drop some oils into the bottom of the shower recess. Depending on what oils you use, about 6 drops will be plenty.

It’s easy and effective!

Remember to treat yourself first, then everyone will benefit.