Meet me in the Shower

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

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

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

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

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

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.

The Loveliness of Lemons

Hello natural beauties!

I love lemons because they are an adaptable fruit. Seemingly originating from Asia around the start of the common era, they were probably used in some form or another before then. Anyway they’ve been around for ages (literally) and my friend connects them to his medieval past life. Once he came to my house with a gift of oranges and I returned his gift with some organic lemons off Mum’s lemon tree (see pic). He said “oooooo that’s so medieval”.

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Buy my 100% natural and organic botanical perfumes, and paperback book here: suzannerbanks.com.au

Digital downloads of my book Revelation! Reveal your Destiny with Essentials Oils:

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Mum’s lemon tree with the washing hanging on it

 

Lemon juice can be used in all types of cooking; on salads, in baking, jams and marmalades, as a drink and whenever you can think of lemon flavour.

You can use the juice as a bleach to remove stains from clothing, as a cleaner mixed with bi-carb soda, as a disinfectant on kitchen benches and the list goes on.

When Martha Stewart was on Oprah she lamented the one thing she missed in the big house, was lemons, as she drinks black tea with lemon everyday. I’ll never forget that, it stuck in my mind. She would be ingesting some of the juice which is alkalising, and some of the essential oil which can act as a digestive aid as well as adding flavour. Just like Bergamot is used as a flavour agent Earl Grey tea.

Sunny lemons

Obviously lemon essential oil comes from the rind, and is a sparkly, light fantastically scented oil. I call it a happiness oil. How can you not smile when you take a huge whiff of the oil. It can make your mouth water too.

Lemon essential oil can be used for muscle fatigue among many things. I remember when studying, a massage therapist told me she used lemon juice in olive oil for sore muscles. You’d smell like a salad dressing but I love the simplicity of it. Thousands of years ago basic remedies like this were the only things available for sickness.

Lemon essential oil is an uplifting oil with a sweet innocence about it, but don’t be fooled – it has a solid place in modern aromatherapy.

lemon

Some aromatherapists and scientific data claim lemon oil is good for:

  • stimulating the action of white blood cells
  • killing bacteria in the gut
  • soothing and lessening varicose veins
  • tonifying the circulatory system and aiding high blood pressure
  • helping the body shed excess fluids
  • decreasing cellulite
  • improving concentration
  • easing rheumatic pain & gout pain
  • stopping the flow of blood with cuts and abrasions

…… and the list continues.

All hail the lemon as a stalwart of modern living!

Lemon essential oil is like a treat for our crazy world. Enjoy the simple things in life with this gift from nature.