Victoria H. Edwards - 25 Aromatherapy Blends for De-Stressing

Excerpted from The Aromatherapy Companion, by Victoria Edwards

adapted from Naturally Healthy Hair, by Mary Beth Janssen (Storey Books, 1999)

We now know that stress either causes or exacerbates a large percentage of all disease. Not only heart attacks, strokes, and immune system breakdowns but also almost every disease known has been linked to stressful toxins in our lives. How does this link work? Well, stress causes our body to release toxins. Toxinsthose that our bodies produce when under duress as well as those that come from the food we eat and the environment that surrounds uscompromise our well-being. Work-family conflicts, financial pressures, and simply never having enough time are just a few of the many stressors we face every day.

The biological changes that take place in relation to perceived threats are called the stress response. Our bodies can adjust for and counteract the mild forms of stress that we encounter. In fact, stress can be good if we know how to use it to make things happen positively. Pressure can make us face up to challenges with extraordinary skill and fortitude. However, in the case of extreme, unusual, or long-lasting stressemotional, physical, or chemicalour stress response and the ensuing control mechanisms can be quite overwhelming and harmful.

In prehistoric times, if a caveman out and about doing his hunting came upon a saber-toothed tiger, the alarm and fear that this created would begin the complex reaction called the fight-or-flight response, in which adrenaline and other stress-related hormones surge from the adrenal glands into the bloodstream. This response is designed to counteract perceived danger by setting in motion the bodys resources for immediate physical activity. Our cavemans blood pressure would increase; his heart rate would rise; his immune system would be suppressed; his bloods clotting ability would increase; and his liver would dump stored glucose into his bloodstream, dramatically increasing blood sugar levels. Hed become superaware and feel quite strong. Our caveman would now be poised to put up a fight or run for his life. After surviving this ordeal, hed need a period of time to recover before being faced with further danger. Having this downtime to recoup is the desirable way to handle stress.

Today, our bodies operate the same way. Times of stress produce the same biological and chemical responses, including the production of adrenaline. This adrenaline initially gives the body an energy boost. However, in large or frequent dosages, it can also make us feel anxious and nervous. It can create insomnia, depression, fatigue, headaches, digestive upsets, and downright irritability.

It is in facing unrelenting stress, as many of us do these days, that the possibility exists for the stress reaction to keep on humming along even after the fight-or-flight response has worn off. At this stage the adrenals secrete other hormones, such as cortisol and other corticosteroids, that, while necessary when the body is faced with emotional crises, can have very detrimental effects on our health if not controlled. They may increase the risk of a host of significant disease processes, including diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. These hormones also have immune systemdepressing properties, which can set up conditions for a continuous string of maladies to take hold, from the common cold to allergies, gastrointestinal problems, and much more. In essence, if we cant manage the stress in our life, we are working our adrenal glands to exhaustion. In addition, this overload of hormones in the bloodstream overloads the kidneys and creates an internal buildup of toxins.

The Stress Epidemic

Stress can be defined as the inability to cope with a threat, real or implied, to our well-being, which results in a series of responses and adaptations by our minds and bodies. Approximately 80 percent of visits to doctors are related to mind-body stress. The World Health Organization describes stress as a worldwide epidemic.

from the Wellness Councils of America

My first profound experience with aromatherapy occurred while treating a terrible sunburnmy own. I was in pain and had already tried various sunburn remedies, but nothing helped. When a blend of herbs and oils quickly brought soothing relief, it got my attention. I began to inquire into the properties of various oils and to explore their many possible applications.

Then at the age of 34 I contracted an infectious liver disease. It was a very frightening experience. I was severely ill, and my health remained fragile for many months after I had recovered from the most acute stage of the illness. It was during my recovery that I learned to trust in the profound healing power of essential oils. My liver had become so compromised during my illness that my body rejected food and medicines. Im convinced that the essential oils I used during that time restored my liver to its full function.

There are so many different ways to use aromatherapy in your own life. Essential oils can be applied directly to the skin as part of a massage, reflexology, or meridian treatment. They can be dispersed in a bath, inhaled, or diffused into the atmosphere of a room. Specific oils affect specific systems throughout the body. You can target these various systems if you know how to select an essential oil for its properties, and how to select an effective and efficient means of delivery in each case.

EFFECTIVE APPLICATION TECHNIQUES FOR PARTICULAR BODY SYSTEMS

One of the miracles of aromatherapy is its absolute simplicity. Just a whiff of the right oil can adjust your attitude, clarify your thinking, steady your resolve, even ease your pain. Im rarely without a small vial containing some blend to help me through the day. Lavender is often in my pocket for brief inhalations whenever stress is beating me down. A whiff of lemon invariably clears my head and refreshes my thought processes. Inhalations are a practical way to incorporate aromatherapy into your day.

JET LAG INHALATION

5 drops geranium essential oil

5 drops bay laurel essential oil

5 drops lavender essential oil

Combine the oils in a small glass vial with a tight stopper.

To use: Carry a vial in your pocket or purse while traveling. Sniff periodically throughout the day to forestall the exhaustion and brain fog of jet lag.

STRESS-BUSTER #1

Stress wreaks havoc on the immune system. This blend will help give it a healthy boost.

5 drops niaouli essential oil

5 drops ravensara essential oil

Combine the oils in a small glass vial with a tight stopper.

To use: Carry a vial in your pocket or purse and sniff periodically.

STRESS-BUSTER #2

This is a very calming blend.

5 drops lavender essential oil

2 drops Roman chamomile essential oil

34 drops ylang-ylang essential oil

Combine the oils in a small glass vial with a tight stopper.