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.

*************************************************************************************************************

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

**************************************************************************************************************

 

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.

Slipped, Tripped and Fell in Love

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Love

“Slipped, tripped and fell in love”, sings the beautiful Ann Peebles on her 1971 hit. You can listen to Ann’s soulful voice here.

Anne Peebles

Anne Peebles

But this isn’t really about Ann Peebles. It’s about love. Everyone wants to know about love potions, essential oils for love and how to get someone’s attention with scent.

Essential oil blending can be a fun way to experiment with natural perfumes and put you in the driver’s seat of your life. So does a love potion really work? Sure, of course it does but there’s a subtle trick.

The best way to make a love potion work is to create it for yourself. Have you heard of the exercise to write down all the qualities of what you want in a partner? When you’ve made your list, your job now, is to embody those qualities, to attract someone of the same vibration. What I’m saying is contrary to what you’d expect a spell to do. When you make a spell or practice other magic like that, you are engaging intention and alchemy to manipulate others. When making an aromatherapy love potion, even if it is your intention to attract another, the energy of the potion will be different. When you create it for yourself, you empower yourself, you don’t disempower someone else. You are supporting and nurturing your self, and sending your intention out into the ether with a positive spin.

Essential oils are carriers of the truth, they cannot lie. When you mix the essence of yourself with the essence of a flower or plant you will concoct a synergistic formula based in love and truth. Wait and see what happens.

Here are a some recipes to invite love and passion into your life:

1) “Law of Attraction”

To attract a life partner try a body oil blend using 3 teaspoons of carrier oil. Then add

Sandalwood  2 drops

Rosewood      2 drops

Orange           3 drops

Coat your body in this luscious formula before you go out to a social event.

2) “Mesmerise”

To attract a fun, intimate connection with another, try anointing your wrists, heart chakra and throat chakra in a combo of these oils:

Patchouli     1 drop

Jasmine       3 drops (this is assuming your jasmine oil is in a 3% blend with jojoba. If you have pure jasmine just use one drop).

Mandarin     1 drop

Just place each drop into a saucer or little ramekin, stir with your little finger and anoint yourself. MMMMMMMMMM. Delicious!

3) “Barry White is in the House”

If you are having a get together at your house, vapourise these oils in a classic oil burner with a candle:

Bergamot    5 drops

Palmarosa   5 drops

Ylang Ylang 5 drops

Don’t be scared to use any oil, just add your heartfelt intention when you blend, and all will be revealed to you.

Remember to treat yourself first, and everyone else will benefit.

Dont Read This

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sneakily borrowed from clkr.com

Don’t read this if you want to know how I see the world, and how we can all help ourselves and each other move to the next level.

Can you feel it? There’s a buzz in the air. Sometimes its positive and sometimes its negative, but undoubtedly, there’s a level of tangible electricity.

Everyone I talk to has a different opinion on the state of the world, but there is one common thread and that is that there is something changing. You’re right. There are a lot of things changing, and they have been for many years but now we are seeing the visible signs. The easiest accessible sign is the internet and the way it has changed our lives. We can connect with someone on the opposite side of the world without having to know them. We can do this through breakthroughs in  technology and the fact that this technology is available to more and more people on Earth. We can topple governments and create change at a grassroots level like never before. It is quite amazing. I know I’m giving away my age here but I remember talking on the phone to friends as a kid and saying how amazing it would be, to be able to see the person you were talking too on a screen. It was futuristic and very sci-fi. The future is here and if you think time is going fast now, it will only appear to be going faster as we expand in the space-time continuum.

Essential oils represent a link to our past, but a beacon for the future in the way that they are very simple healers. Healers of our collective psyche and healers of our individual worlds.

Don’t keep reading if you don’t want to know my secret to the evolution of human consciousness.

There is so much sickness, war and horror on Earth, you would think by now we could all leave that behind. It’s really archaic and very un-evolved. Financial institutions have started their rocky downfall  – it is one great sign that we are dissolving the old structures to rebuild a way of life that is inclusive, loving and positive. Exclusivity isn’t enduring. Love and inclusion are.

Don’t keep reading this if you don’t want to discover my simplistic (and naive) formula for our rise to the next level.

It’s time to reach out to your fellow earth dwellers, on a one-to-one basis, exchange information and love. We don’t need to be controlled by hierarchies of terror. Just love. And that’s what you are doing now if you are reading this, writing your own blog, interacting on Twitter or Facebook, or going out into your community in the flesh.

I said to a friend the other day “In a few years, maybe lifetimes, the economies of the world will be filled with individuals, exchanging information and products, on a basic level, one-to-one. The individual needs will be met by the other individuals on Earth. The world as we know it now, will cease to exist, and we will have jumped to the next level.”

If everyone just had a drop of lavender oil each day, it might come faster.

A drop of lavender goodness

One drop of lavender could save the world.

Smiley Face Essential Oils

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sneakily borrowed from cartoonlogodesigns.com

Smiley faces and emoticons have come a long way. There are lots of versions but in essence, they are simple, cute and can make you feel good.

When Deepak Chopra was in Australia last year he talked about the power of emoticons. In his inimitable style, he is collaborating with Gallup, the company that conducts market research – The Gallup Polls. They have been collecting data on the positive ramifications and ripples stemming from emoticons and the smiley face. Basically you can spread happiness, joy and positivity by simply sending someone an emoticon via text message. You don’t even need to say anything, or write anything else. They speak for themselves. It’s like sending good vibes.

Essential oils are similar in the way they can inspire happiness, joy and a feeling of simplicity in your life. Wouldn’t it be great if we could send scent through our computers and phones? It will happen one day and I’m envious in advance! Until then here’s a few recipe for smiles:

*** It’s important to hold your intention when making your blend, so your energy can align with your thoughts, and transfer to your oils. Infuse your intention in the positive form eg “it’s another day, I’m so happy to be alive” rather than “I hate that guy at work he better stay away from me today”.

MIST

In a 100ml mist bottle with water add

Geranium  10 drops

Orange      20 drops

Spearmint  15 drops

Shake and mist. Breathe and release any tension. Fantastic to mist around kids.

STEAM

For a Smiley Face shower, cover the drain and add a few drops of Mandarin to the cascading water. Inhale. Smile.

DROP

To anoint yourself with a beautiful balm of happiness, try a drop or two Melissa (the oil) on your wrists. Gently inhale during the day for a sense of calm and softness.

SNIFF

Take a huge whiff of lime oil straight from the bottle, when you need to adjust your attitude.

sneakily borrowed from clkr.com

BODY OIL
A body oil blend recipe could look something like this;

3 teaspoons of almond oil

Grapefruit    5 drops

Bergamot    1 drop

CLEANING

If you are cleaning the house, add some lemongrass to water to mop floors or clean surfaces in any room of the house. Cleaning with essential oils is another great way to have an aromatherapy treatment while you are going about your day.

Remember, treat yourself first, and everyone will benefit.

Clear Your Mind, Make Pesto

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Sneakily borrowed from addme.net

I’ve got a brilliant idea. Make dinner and have an aromatherapy treatment all at the same time. My choice for today is pesto. This classic Italian dish is made with fresh basil. Sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum) is the kind used for pesto and essential oil, although there are many types. It comes from the same family as thyme, lavender, oregano, marjoram, peppermint and spearmint.

Sneakily borrowed from thepoofairy.com (hehehehe)

So what can basil, and essential oil of basil do for you?

Sharp and spicy, basil helps clear the head and open avenues of expression. It is a very powerful clearing oil, particularly effective when used in a vapouriser as an inhalation, or when you are cooking!

It is used for mental and physical fatigue and its anti-spasmodic properties make it ideal for treating menstrual problems and digestive disorders.

* Sinus congestion, asthma and bronchitis are all soothed by basil.

* Fever can be treated effectively with basil.

* In the middle ages it was prescribed for melancholy and depression.

Basil takes its name from the latin ’Basileum’ meaning royal.  It is also considered a holy plant of India used in Ayurveda and dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna. This Indian basil is a different plant and is called tulsi. There are some great tulsi teas on the market – they don’t taste like the sweet basil, just a soft lovely herb.

I love the fact that this modest little herb with a big presence has been around for ages. Literally ages. The old herbs of healers and witches alike are still here because they work. Food is medicine, and always has been.

Fantastic. Get cooking. Click here for a really easy and authentic pesto recipe.

Remember, treat yourself first, than everyone else benefits!

Aromatherapy Body Oil – It’s as Easy as 1 2 3

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What’s as easy as 1, 2, 3?

Nourishing your body with an oil blend every day. I know it does kinda sound a little bit hard, but you can start simply and build your skills.

sneakily borrowed from briscoes.co.cz

What You Will Need To Get Started

1 or more bottles of essential oil

carrier oil (almond oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil or anything else you can think of or that’s in your cupboard)

a teaspoon

a saucer or little ramekin

How to make a Blend for Your body

Put 7 drops of essential oil into your container

Pour in 3 teaspoons of carrier oil

That’s it. Mix it with your little finger (any finger really). Now go ahead and coat your body with your delicious formula.

your easy, beautiful body oil blend

I have used oil all over my body for many, many years and it’s kept my skin looking and feeling fantastic. Once I’ve had a shower and moisturise with an oil blend, I just put on a robe for about 10 minutes before dressing. This allows time for the oil to soak in and any excess to be absorbed into your robe. In that time I have breakfast or do whatever I’m doing to start the day.

For some people this is too time consuming. Others don’t like oil but prefer a cream. I understand every one’s preferences are different but to me there’s nothing more beautiful than starting the day with a formula you have made just for yourself that’s totally natural. No preservatives, no artificial fragrances or waxes, no cream that’s been made in massive vats full of yucky synthetics.

Just oils.

Simple.

If you are just starting out you could try buying one new oil each month or every 2 weeks. As your library grows you will increase the amount of combinations you can create and as the time passes you will feel more comfortable with mixing. As a beginner it’s easy to make mistakes but if you just mix a little at a time then the wastage is minimized.

The next step is to find lovely glass bottles from a supplier – just have a look on the Internet, there are lots available. You must know how many mls your bottle is and then you’ll know how many drops of essential oils to put in. If you are in the USA and are not metric (!) you’ll have to convert these ratios:

10 mls carrier oil add 5 drops

20 mls carrier oil add 10 drops

25 mls carrier oil add 12 drops

30 mls carrier oil add 15 drops

40 mls carrier oil add 20 drops

50 mls carrier oil add 25 drops

100mls carrier oil add 50 drops

200 mls carrier oil add 100 drops.

******Always put the essential oil drops in first so they can have a get together, gel, mélange and synchronise before you add the carrier oil.

Voila. You are creating your day with Aromatherapy. It’s easy as 1,2,3.