Change Your Focus in 3 Seconds

change ahead - if you want....

change ahead – if you want….

It’s easy to get bogged down in the little bumps of life.

It’s easy to be influenced by negativity in the world.

It’s easy to allow chronic patterns to drive your life.

But is it easy to change your focus, and change the way you see things?

Sometimes. Sometimes we choose to stay in the lower energetic vibrations of emotions because we know them. It feels familiar and it’s easier than to question why we are continuing on a path that doesn’t feel quite right.

sneakily borrowed from biodagar.com

why question?

If you feel somewhat driven to change your focus in any way, it is actually quite easy with essential oils.

You don’t need to have a lot of oils to choose from.

You don’t even need to make a blend for your body, or a blend for the house, or a mist for your personal space.

It’s as simple as opening a bottle of oil and taking a big whiff.

sniffing bottle of oil

sniffing bottle of oil

A long deep whiff through your nose will transport the little molecules of oil through the nasal epithelium into various parts of the brain. Within 3 seconds your brilliant brain will have locked in a scent recognition, stimulated a memory from the past (or future or another dimension) and stimulated other parts of the brain to secrete hormones and also even effect your nervous system.

If that’s not a change of focus I don’t know what is! And all this is done without your conscious mind even needing to be put into gear.

Just one whiff!

Here’s a little snippet from my soon to be released book “Revelation – How to use Essential Oils to Reveal Your Destiny”. I’ve just chosen a few oils as an example of progression:

Sniff This Go from this To this
Mandarin Feeling unhappy Feeling happier
Sandalwood Disconnected Embracing your spirit
Myrrh Lack Abundance
Rose Unloved Appreciated by someone
Cedarwood Virginian Disliking your job Finding what you love to do
Marjoram Freaking out/stressed More relaxed
Juniper Not knowing how to change your circumstance Creating an affirmation to help you get there
Tea Tree Feeling toxic emotionally Cleansing your aura
Neroli Feeling old and that time is running out Connecting to your immortality
Lavender Weak and scattered Strength and health

Do it! Have a whiff today!

You don’t even need to use my guide – just grab ANY bottle of oil and sniff for at least 3 seconds.

The results will be subtle yet powerful. I guarantee it!

Nurture yourself now

Nurture yourself now with essential oils

Remember, treat yourself first then everyone will benefit.

 

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Clarity and Focus with Essential Oils

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

Amazon USA      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as a Kindle and Paperback


Clarity and Focus with Essential Oils

wake up your mind with a whiff of oil

wake up your mind with a whiff of oil

There are lots of fantastic essential oils to use to help stimulate your mind, clear your mind, help retain facts and generally work towards greater focus.

Who would need these oils?

A student studying for an exam or writing an essay, an executive working on a quote or proposal, a team leader implementing training or even a mother needed a bit of clarity before putting the kids in the car and driving to the shops.

How do oils help?

Some essential oils are classified as being “cephalic” meaning relating to the head. Most oils however, when you breathe them in through your nose, will always have a direct effect on the brain and other flow on effects throughout the body, for example, stimulating hormones to be produced, or working on the nervous system.

How to use oils for focus and clarity

The best way to employ essential oils to stimulate your mind is to smell them. You can do that by

  • opening the bottle of an oil and taking a huge whiff
  • putting a few drops of your oil onto a makeup pad or handkerchief and, once again, take a huge whiff
  • make a mist with water and mist around you – then breathe in through your nose
  • place oils in a classic oil burner with a candle or an electric vapouriser and keep it going while you require the help
  • boil the kettle, put a few drops of oil into a cup, pour on boiling water and breathe in through your nose – this is a mini steam usually used for sinus congestion but it doesn’t have to be limited to this

Do you see now, the most important thing is to SMELL the oil?

a simple hairdressing mist bottle will do the trick for your amazing essential oil mist

a simple hairdressing mist bottle will do the trick for your amazing essential oil mist

What oils are the best?

1. Rosemary

This is the oil of remembering. Rosemary for remembering, that’s all you need to remember about this oil – hehehehe-  (also see my article on rosemary and remembering)

2. Basil

Basil is a very strong oil and will really wake you up if you sniff it straight from the bottle. This is a classic cephalic oil to awaken your mind. Next time you make a pesto (see my article) notice how refreshed you feel after smelling all the beautiful leaves.

Take a deep whiff of a lemon (pic via marieclaire.com)

Take a deep whiff of a lemon (pic via marieclaire.com)

3. Lemon

Lemon is an oil that can be used for so many things. If you don’t have any you could just use some lemon peel, squeeze it onto your fingers and place the oils around the base of your nose. Delicious, sweet and refreshing. For all things lemon read this.

4. Peppermint

Peppermint is great for a headache – (see my story on hangovers), as it’s very cooling. You could always have a strong mint instead and see how that works. Ensure it’s a natural as possible with real peppermint oil in it. Breathe in through your nose while the mint is in your mouth!

5. Tea Tree

This wonderful oil is not only for cuts and cleaning! Its therapeutic properties lend it to clearing and releasing toxicity. So if you are weighed down with heavy thoughts or there are too many things going on in your mind, try tea tree for cleansing negativity and allowing space for the important things-  (also see my article on tea tree oils)

So when you need clarity and focus – take a big whiff of a stimulating essential oil.

 

copyright suzannerbanks 2013

Christmas Essential Oil Blends

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

Amazon USA      Booktopia AU      Amazon UK

and many other stores worldwide as a Kindle and Paperback


Christmas Essential Oil Blends

The North and the South

The North and the South

Christmas may be famous for snowflakes and reindeer, but believe it or not people it’s a HOT Christmas for some. And oh how we love to go to the beach and do summery things at Christmas in Australia. I’ve created a few blends for you according to your place in the world

Here are some great essential oil recipes for scenting your space on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

Southern Hemisphere

sneakily borrowed from silver-mg.com

sneakily borrowed from silver-mg.com

 

I’m thinking citrus and a little spice. Maybe even some indigenous trees.

All blends are for a vapouriser or “oil burner”.

Buzz Off – a blend for an outdoor celebration, to keep away the little biters

Lemongrass       10 drops

Lavender            10 drops

Peppermint         5 drops

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Chill –  a cooling and relaxing blend

Lemon               10 drops

Tea Tree              5 drops

Petitgrain           10 drops

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Aaahhhhh Summer! – sparkly and fun

Lime                  10 drops

Orange               10 drops

Cinnamon            5 drops

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Northern Hemisphere

All I Want for Christmas .....

All I Want for Christmas …..

 

I’m thinking herbs and spice.

All blends are for a vapouriser or “oil burner”.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

White Christmas – a classic Christmas scene

Rosemary             5 drops

Orange               12 drops

Nutmeg                5 drops

Myrrh                    3 drops

——————————————————————————————————————————————

All I want for Christmas is Mariah Carey – a fun, uplifting blend

Cinnamon            10 drops

Peru Balsam        10 drops

Mandarin               5 drops

—————————————————————————————————————————————–

Mulled Wine – warm and lovely

Marjoram           5 drops

Clove                 5 drops

Lavender           5 drops

Bergamot         10 drops

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

Get scenting! I’d love to hear what blends you are making for Christmas. And if you don’t celebrate Christmas, what blends are you creating right now?

Remember to use your intention when you are placing the oils in your vapouriser. What mood do you want to create? How do you want yourself and your guests to feel? See my article about intention.

copryright SR Banks

All the Australian Melaleucas

tea tree

tea tree

Many people know of the amazing properties of Tea Tree oil – Melalueca alternifolia. It’s fresh, it’s clean and it smells like the bush. The Australian bushland, that is. It is known for its powerful “anti’s” –

* anti-bacterial

* anti-fungal

* anti-viral

* anti-septic

Yep its powerful stuff and has been used by indigenous Australians as medicine and in smoking ceremonies for thousands of years (at the very least). It can be used topically for acne, fungal infections, cuts and abrasions. It is fantastic as an addition to your cleaning regime – just add a few drops to your cleaning products or go totally natural and use it on it’s own with some bi-carb soda or salt. Chuck a few drops straight onto the kitchen benches. This will not only disinfect the bench, and the cloth you are using but will also energetically and scentually make the kitchen beautiful!

But did you know there are some other types of melalueca that are lovely to use and have milder, softer fragrances?

Rosalina – Melalueca ericifolia

is much softer and sweeter than conventional tea tree, and is sometimes referred to as Lavender Tea Tree. It’s a good description and although it doesn’t really smell like lavender, it is gentle and has warm honey overtones. It has a high linalool content which is found in high quantities in lavender. I love to use this oil with kids, and in oil blends during treatments that require a formula to help the client get rid of negativity quickly.

Rosalina

Rosalina

Niaouli – Melalueca quinquinervia

this one has some lavender hints – more than Rosalina, but is also a bit citrusy and has a high content of 1,8 cineole which is found in eucalyptus, and limonene (guess where that is also found)? It is called the broad-leaved paperbark and the trees can grow quite large. Niaouli is also produced from Melalueca viridiflora and I can’t seem to find much information on whether both trees are used in the distillation, or only one tree and some information I have is incorrect. There is a Melalueca quinquinervia LN chemotype, which is called Nerolina as it has a high content of nerolidol. As I also mention below – they are all melaluecas and have similar properties.

Niaouli

Niaouli

Cajeput – Melalueca cajeputi

more spicy and “camphorous” than common tea tree, it’s great as an expectorant like eucalyptus. When you look at these pictures here, you can see that they are all very similar in their look as a plant, and are actually similar in their therapeutic properties. There are of course slight variations in scent and in chemical make-up, and cajeput could be a little too sensitising for use all over the body. I tend to use rosalina a lot more in body oil blends.

Cajeput

Cajeput

I love to use tea tree in oil vapourisers to purify the air and to help flush away bad vibes, stale energy – to help clear the way for new and exciting things!

So there you have it – some great Australian essentials oils to add to your library of scent. Go on, be adventurous.

Remember to treat yourself first, and everyone will benefit.

Oils for Meditation

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

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!

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.