|
The
Benefits Of Lavender Aromatherapy
Lavender
is considered the most useful of all essential oils.
Lavender is known to help relieve headaches, insomnia,
tension and stress. Its therapeutic properties have
been well chronicled all over the world.
Originally an inhabitant of the Mediterranean countries,
this perennial herb has long been recognized for its
exotic perfume and medicinal properties. Used in past
by the ancient Romans for its healing and antiseptic
qualities, the name itself comes from the Latin "lavare"
or "to wash". Tibetans still make an edible lavender
butter to use as part of a traditional treatment for
nervous disorders. Today, the essential oil of lavender
is widely used across Europe and North America for
a number of illness and medical problems.
Lavender is just a beautiful herb in your garden.
It has gray-green, pointing leaves that grow in a
bushy, spreading manner. It is crowned with tall spikes
of beautiful pale violet flowers during summer. As
an ornamental flower, lavender is unique, sporting
exotic fragrance, beauty and a rich harvest of sweet
smelling blooms. Old English Lavender, a popular inhabitant
of a cottage garden, can grow up to two to three feet
high, producing fragrant grayish leaves and blue/purple
flowers. The more compact variety Hidcote, has darker
blue flowers, grows to around a foot high and is very
pretty in any flower or herb garden. The easiest way
to propagate lavender is to cut softwood cuttings
in the spring. However, as lavender benefits from
a light pruning in early autumn, these clippings make
excellent new plants too, as long as you protect them
from frosts and winter bite.
With its flowery fragrance Lavender is the most versatile
and useful oil. If you are a newbie to essential oils,
you may need to start here by using lavender oil.
Called the "Swiss army knife of essential oils", because
of its versatility, lavender is very soothing to sun
burnt skin and is used to cleanse cuts and skin irritations.
Essential oil of lavender is used in aromatherapy
practices to get rid of depression, fight tiredness
and get relaxation. It has strong disinfectant properties
and was even used on the wars to prevent infection
and relieve pain. A drop of lavender oil mixed with
a teaspoon of carrier oil, such as grape seed and
massaged into the temples and back of the neck will
drive away headaches. Mixed with any massage oil,
it also helps relieve the pain of arthritis or aching
muscles. Occasionally, just a small cotton ball with
droplets of lavender near your pillow can help you
drift off to a deep sleep.
Lavender essential oil can help reduce anger and frustration,
while improving your self esteem. Lavender is found
to elicit the emotion of happiness. Lavender has a
property of calming and sedating effects. You can
also use lavender, by scenting a relaxing and antiseptic
bath by slowly adding lavender droplets and letting
the bath water run over it as it fills the bath. Fresh
lavender flowers are excellent for bath too.
Dried lavender is a tool to experience the sheer aromatic
properties in a relaxed ambience. To dry your lavender,
strip the leaves or the just opening flowers from
the stalk and spread out in a warm place, before using
in pot pourris to fragrance your rooms. Around your
home, dried lavender stalks can be burned like incense
sticks or burned on the fire for their wonderful fragrance.
About
the Author
Find
more great aromatherapy information at http://www.essentialaromatherapy.co.uk
|