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How to Use Essential Oils: Cocoa Bean
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How to Use Essential Oils: Cocoa Bean
Ylang Ylang-Did You Know?
Did you know Ylang Ylang is the oil of the Inner Child? Ylang Ylang has a strong effect on the heart. It also is a powerful means for releasing emotional, distressing, or disturbing experiences from the past. Ylang Ylang also helps people let go of bottled up emotions such as sadness and anger.
Ylang Ylang is a tall tropical tree that grows up to 65 feet high with large delicate flowers that come in shades of yellow, mauve, or pink. The yellow flowers are preferred for the extraction of the essential oil, which is steam distilled from the freshly picked flowers. It is indigenous to tropical Asia, but the most prized oil comes from Madagascar and the Comoro Islands.
Ylang Ylang means “flower of flowers” or “fragrance of all fragrances.” This fragrance is traditionally used in aromatherapy to sharpen the senses and for various other purposes. For these reasons, the flowers are spread on the beds of the newly married in Indonesia. Ylang Ylang is used to calm breathing, it may help high blood pressure, and also treats impotence (frigidity). Interestingly enough the original wild flowers had no fragrance. The fragrance we know today came from cloning.
Spikenard-Did You Know?
Did you know Spikenard is the oil of gratitude? Spikenard encourages true appreciation for life. It addresses repeated patterns of ingratitude, where a person sees themselves as a person whom criticism or abuse may be directed, or a victim of their life circumstances. It encourages individuals to let go and find appreciation for all of life’s experiences.
Spikenard is grown in Nepal, China, and India. For centuries the oil has been used as a perfume, as a medicine, and in religious ceremonies from Europe to India. In the bible It was offered on the specialized incense altar in the time when the Tabernacle was located in the First and Second Jerusalem Temples. Several references to Spikenard, were made in both the Old and the New Testament.
Spikenard was one of the early aromatics used by the Egyptians and is mentioned frequently throughout the bible. The powdered root of Spikenard is also mentioned in some Islamic traditions as the fruit which Adam ate in Paradise, which God had forbidden him to eat. It was traditionally used to anoint people of high honor due to its healing properties, and is considered to have spiritual applications for blessing and protection.
Spikenard has a long list of therapeutic uses in clinical aromatherapy and is considered non-toxic, non-irritant, and non-sensitizing. It is also used to season foods in Medieval European cuisine.The health benefits of Spikenard Essential Oil can be attributed to its properties as a deodorant, laxative, and a sedative in nature.
Rosemary-Did You Know?
Did you know rosemary assists in the development of true knowledge and true intelligence? Rosemary is the essential oil of knowledge and transition. It challenges people to look deeper than they normally would, and ask more soul searching questions so they may receive more inspired answers. Rosemary also aids in times of transition and change, such as adjusting to a new house, school, or a relationship.
Rosemary is actually a bush perennial that grows in abundance in the Mediterranean area (Spain, Italy, Portugal, Southern France, Greece and North Africa as well as in isolated areas of Turkey, Lebanon and Egypt). It is one of the most common aromatic wild plants of the Mediterranean landscape, especially in rocky limestone hillsides adjoining the seaside.
Rosemary was relocated to England by the Romans in the eighth century, primarily in the southern part of the country. Rosemary branches were placed on the floors of medieval homes to combat diseases during the “black plague.” Because of the fragrance the plant gives off, it was a used as an incense. It was introduced to the New World by early immigrants, but in the northern regions they must be protected in the winter months.
Rosemary is an aromatic, evergreen shrub whose leaves are frequently used to flavor foods such as stuffings and roast lamb, pork, chicken, and turkey. When you add rosemary to spaghetti sauce it will bring out the flavor of other ingredients. It is a very nice addition to tomato-based soups, stews, and sauces. Along with its culinary applications, Rosemary has many health benefits.
Rosemary supports healthy digestion and helps soothe sore muscles and joints. Long revered by healers, rosemary was considered sacred by the ancient Greek, Roman, Egyptian, and Hebrew cultures. Rosemary’s herbaceous and energizing scent is frequently used in aromatherapy to combat nervous tension, fatigue, and has antioxidant properties.
Palmarosa-Did You Know?
Did you know Palmarosa is The Oil of Growth and Maturity? Palmarosa can help people to grow and develop physically as well as emotionally. Just like the fast growing Palmarosa grass, this oil can speed up a persons emotional growth process. It is extremely helpful for children as well as adults that are trapped emotionally at a younger age developmentally.
Palmarosa is a wild growing, green and straw-colored grass, with long slender stems, terminal flowering tops and fragrant grassy leaves. It has been traditionally used in India and West Africa to flavor foods and cure meats. People have also used it for decades to make cosmetics, soaps, and perfumes. It has been used for centuries to dilute the more expensive Rose oil. It has a delightful, rosy scent with a hint of lemon, wintergreen and maple leaf.
Palmarosa oil moisturizes the skin and regenerates cells as well as enhances anti-aging functions. It is also antibacterial and aids in digestion of food. In addition, it calms the nerves, treats colds and flu, removes scars, relieves muscle pains and strains, and treats cuts and wounds by preventing infection.
Palmarosa oil has a strong scent, so use sparingly. Calms emotions,warming to the body, and helps relax tight muscles. Lessens pain, and could be useful for treatment for anorexia nervosa. It helps when treating a sluggish appetite. Palmarosa oil brings inner peace, balancing, and is refreshing, and soothing. Is great for skin care, and is safe for all skin types and great for moisturizing the skin and hair.
Palmarosa oil can be used in carrier oil for massages, and to treat fungal infections topically. It can be used to treat wounds topically without dilution. It can be used in aromatherapy to help with anxiety and fatigue. For another alternative, it can be inhaled to kill intestinal infections. Pregnant women should first seek expert advice before use.
Hawaiian Sandalwood-Did You Know?
Did you know of the two dozen or so species of Santalum that are known, the Hawaiian islands are home to four of them? it takes over 50 years for a sandalwood tree to mature enough to get a high quality essential oil. After the arrival of Europeans to the islands, they became aware that sandalwood occurred quite widely on the Hawaiian Islands. They were also aware that the demand for sandalwood from southern Asia did not satisfy the market.
200 years ago Sandalwood was the number one trade from the Hawaiian islands. Their trees were among the most prized in all the world and were in great demand. The Hawaiian king, King Kamehameha, sent seven ships to China bearing Sandalwood. (It has been estimated that about 6,000 trees had to be harvested to fill a ship). The Chinese were offended by this, and wanted to come collect the Sandalwood themselves.
Later the ships returned to Hawaii. When the Chinese arrived in Hawaii to collect the Sandalwood, King Kamehameha was likewise highly offended at their actions and set fire to the seven ships bearing all the Sandalwood. Not only that, but he ordered the Sandalwood forests to be cut down and burned, and the ground was seeded with thick grass that prevented the Sandalwood from returning. Since then, Sandalwood from Hawaii basically ceased to exist, until now.
Hawaiian sandalwood essential oil delivers a variety of benefits, including smoothing skin and enhancing moods. With thousands of years of documented use, this oil has a high value to many users. Hawaiian Sandalwood has a rich, sweet, woody aroma that instills calmness and well-being, making it a perfect oil to incorporate into massage or aromatherapy.
Sandalwood is very soothing and nourishing to the skin, making it highly sought after in body and skin care products. Hawaiian Sandalwood can reduce the appearance of scars, blemishes, and stretch marks while providing an overall youthful-looking complexion. In addition to being soothing and nourishing to the skin, Hawaiian Sandalwood provides these same effects to the mind, helping to reduce stress and tension and promote emotional well-being.
Cypress-Did You Know?
Did you know Cypress is the oil of motion and flow? Cypress teaches our spirit how to let go of the past by going with the flow of life. Cypress gives support to people by helping them throw aside their worries and let go of control allowing them to enjoy the excitement that comes from being alive, and being fully in the present.
Mediterranean Cypress has been widely cultivated as an ornamental tree for millennia away from its native range, mainly throughout the whole Mediterranean region, and in other areas with similar hot, dry summers and mild, rainy winters. Natural forest stands of the species mainly occur in the western part of the Mediterranean region of Turkey.
It is also known for its very durable, scented wood, used most famously for the doors of St Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican City, Rome. The Mediterranean Cypress is also known as the “drama tree” because of its tendency to bend with even the slightest of breezes.
Cypress oil is known to mankind since ancient times and has been used in many traditional medicines. Aromatherapy has been another important usage of this essential oil which has been a common practice for a long time. It is also known for the cross on which Jesus was crucified was made from the wood of cypress tree.
The oil from the cypress tree assists with clear breathing. Promotes healthy respiratory function. Soothes tight, tense muscles. Supports localized blood flow. Beneficial for oily skin conditions. It has a grounding, yet stimulating effect on the emotions, making it a popular oil to diffuse during times of transition or loss.
How to Use Essential Oils: Cocoa Bean
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