Anxiety is a prevalent emotion currently, as in a matter of weeks, we have found our normal routines dramatically altered, businesses shuttered, finances strained, and even the way we shop for groceries a different experience. Self-care becomes vital in times like these, as stress is not only detrimental to our feeling of well-being, but suppresses our immune system, lowering our body’s ability to fight infection. How can aromatherapy and the use of essential oils help us in this difficult period?
Continue reading Essential Oils for Anxiety ReliefCategory: Stress Management
Products to Support Immunity and General Wellness
Some products we make may be of particular use during this viral pandemic, due to the content of anti-viral oils. Or, perhaps your hands feel the effects of so much hand washing! Our hand soap and balms may be the perfect solution for dry skin relief. Below are a few products that are particularly relevant at this time:
Pure Essential Oils
Essential oils can be used in diffusion, inhaled directly, applied to the body directly in lotions, oils, and salves; or added to the bath or used in the shower. Essential oils, with some exceptions, should always be diluted with respect to their potency. These pure plant oils provide emotional support, pain relief, and have anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties, as well as many other properties that support physical and mental well-being.
Continue reading Products to Support Immunity and General WellnessAn Intro to Reiki
Life can be stressful. It is often jam packed with family, work and other necessary activities. Sometimes you need a break for self-care and restoring balance in your life. Reiki is a “time-out” just for you. It is a non-invasive, gentle energy recharge. All living beings have life force energy. Good health and well being occur when your energy is flowing openly and freely. Reiki practioners simply channel your own energy to assist in opening any blockages within the body’s chakras.
Reiki sessions at New Moon last 60 minutes. Clients will complete an intake form and discuss any concerns prior to the session. During the actual session, the client will rest comfortably on a massage table with shoes removed. Clients are fully clothed during the session, which can be hands on with light touch, or hands slightly above the client’s body. Peaceful and soothing music will accentuate the environment and the Reiki practioner will work silently until the end of the session.
Recipients of Reiki may feel warmth or tingling during the session. Some feel no particular sensation but a deep relaxation, stress reduction and well-being. It is not uncommon for some clients to fall asleep! If this happens the benefits of Reiki will still occur. Occasionally clients will experience an emotional release during or following a Reiki session. This is a normal response as your blocked chakras have no opened and are filled with energy. Your own energetic body is in control of the amount of energy during a Reiki session, therefore regular appointments are encouraged.
When the energy in your body becomes blocked or weakened the onset of physical and emotional imbalances may occur. Reiki is a spiritual healing art that works by channeling positive energy into your body. Reiki practioners place their hands on the affected areas of your body that may need a boost. Your body then takes in the energy where it is needed the most. All Reiki is set with the intention to send the energy for the greatest and highest good of the recipient.
Research studies have documented decreased blood pressure, heart rate and stress hormones in addition to increasing the immune system strength due to the effects of relaxation. Multiple scientific studies have long proven the short and long-term effects stress has on your body. Several cellular changes occur within your body during a stress response. Certain hormones are released to protect the body and aid in its survival. When the body is exposed to these hormones for extended periods, cellular damage, inflammation and the onset of disease may begin. Reiki is a method to increase the relaxation response and decrease stress levels. This assists in your own body’s ability to repair cellular damage and heal itself. Just as cells migrate to heal a broken bone or to clot bleeding, relaxation and reduction of stress helps cells respond to the relaxation and stress reduction. Reiki is an effective tool in the process of finding and maintaining balance within your mind, body and spirit.
Reiki sessions can have physical, emotional and mental health benefits. Relaxation, stress reduction, pain management assistance, and reducing anxiety and depression are just some of those benefits. Self-care is an important practice in maintaining the hectic work life balance. Anyone suffering from stress, burnout or tension should consider a Reiki session. It can be an adjunct in your goal of good health and wellness. Call New Moon today to schedule your next Reiki appointment.
Submitted by Carolyn Engleson
BSN, RN, HBN-BC; Reiki Master Practitioner
Essential Oils to Ease Holiday Stress
Essential oils can be remarkably effective stress relievers. These concentrated plant extracts promote deeper breathing, stimulate the limbic system of the brain, and calm the nervous system. Essential oils can be utilized in a number of ways to ease stress: Added to a warm bath, mixed with carrier oil and massaged into the skin, applied in small drops to the feet and scalp, or diffused into the air. Knowing the oil’s properties and indications will make the application one chooses in aromatherapy the most effective.
Frankincense is an ancient oil associated with Christmas and sacred rituals. The oil has a complex aroma with notes of balsam and citrus, considered a base note in perfumery, and has many medicinal properties: antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, regenerative, and analgesic. Diffusing the oil combats airborne cold and flu germs, and will be appreciated by anyone suffering from any lung or sinus condition. Frankincense is also used for pain relief in topical applications.
A light, uplifting oil, orange is a great choice to disperse winter blues, which some experience more acutely during the holidays. Orange blends well with frankincense, and is also antiseptic, has expectorant properties for lung and sinus congestion, and benefits the digestion. It is a great oil to use in massage, as it eases fluid retention and reduces the appearance of cellulite.
Have a fake tree but love the smell of a real one? Fir needle oil can add the olfactory ambiance of a real tree when diffused, and help open the sinuses, combat germs and viruses, and relax the nerves. Mixed with carrier oils, it is also effective for relieving muscle and joint pain.
Submitted by Holly Dunbar, LMT, Herbalist
Aromatherapy for Anti-Stress Support
What are essential oils? What exactly is aromatherapy? We are bombarded with the phrase plastered on everything from air fresheners to scented candles, yet most products advertised as such have nothing to do with this legitimate healing art. Aromatherapy is the application of pure plant oils, called essential oils, to positively affect the health of the mind and body. Essential oils are highly concentrated substances extracted always from plants, and depending on the oil used, can have relaxing or energizing effects. Topical applications will utilize their various virtues on the physical self and these properties include: anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial, immune enhancing properties, and cell regenerating effects. Continue reading Aromatherapy for Anti-Stress Support
Easing Winter Blues with Essential Oils
Spring is just around the corner, but the month of March has a way of stretching itself out like a lazy cat that doesn’t want to relinquish its cozy spot. The first day of spring is official on the 20th of March, with the Spring Equinox, but the warmth and growth we associate with spring doesn’t make itself readily apparent until April. Essential oils, which are highly concentrated plant extracts, are a natural choice for banishing the last of the winter blues, as what could be more effective than smelling and applying the essence of plants just as the world outside is breaking its dormancy? Continue reading Easing Winter Blues with Essential Oils
Natural Preparations for the Flu Season
As the flu season approaches, especially this year with predictions that it may be wide-spread, it is wise to do everything in one’s power to prevent getting sick. Besides the common sense good hygienic practices, enlisting the help of essential oils, herbs, and stress reduction will greatly reduce the odds of getting sick. Part 1 of this article will focus on the anti-viral properties of essential plant oils, followed by next months feature on stress reduction and adaptogenic and anti-viral herbs. Continue reading Natural Preparations for the Flu Season
The Surprising Benefits of Seated Massage
You may have seen them in airports, at the mall, a health fair perhaps. A person kneeling on an ergonomically correct chair of sorts, their face partially concealed by a face rest, and a therapist behind them in a lunge position kneading, digging in their thumbs, or lightly pounding on the client’s back. It may have looked a little strange, or even painful at times as you see the therapist use their elbow to get at a particularly troublesome spot. Chances are, the client in that strange looking chair is smiling and relaxed, and reaping some long lasting benefits from a brief massage session. Continue reading The Surprising Benefits of Seated Massage