BCAOA_BCAPA_proceedi.. - Canadian Alliance Of

Spring Continuing Education Day

An Introduction to “Cosmo-Therapy” —Gayle Cooke 5

Creative Packaging —Jennifer Roberts 11

Five Element Theory —Dr. Bonnie Robinson. (TCM) 13

Essential Oil Resources Workshop

Acute Aromatic Care—Bob and Rhiannon Harris 15

Fall Continuing Education Day

ADD—Tecia Ryan 22

Chapter Meetings

Migraines 30

Blue Cypress 33

Stress Related Skin Conditions 34

Litsea cubeba 35

Diverticular Disease Hyssop 36

Hyssop 37

Acute Respiratory Conditions 38

Ravensara aromatica 40

Eucalyptus Varieties 28

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 25

Fibromyalgia 24

Herbs: A Vital Part of Life—Klaus Ferlow 21

Contents

PROCEEDINGS 2001 Page 3

The opinions expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of the editor, B.C.A.P.A., its

directors or members. Information provided is not intended to replace professional medical

advice. B.C.A.P.A., its directors and members cannot be held responsible for the misuse of

essential oils or any other therapeutic methods presented herein.

Page 4 PROCEEDINGS 2001 PROCEEDINGS 2001

Healing Through The Senses

By Gayle Cooke,Uncommon ScentsAromatherapy®

Dr. Dietrich Guembel on thefocus of Cosmo-Therapy

"The focus of our therapy is verydifferent from the general view of allthe other therapies: we would like tohave the clients treating themselveswith the help of our Cosmo-Decoder(or by different ways) for finding outtheir own resononance to a certaincolor, tone, essence and gemstone ,which also indicates their demand of acertain vibration to energize specificorgans and organ systems. So the self-engagement of the clients to evoket h e i r s e l f - c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n dresponsibility for their holistic care isour main target. We follow the angels‘motto:

"DO NOT FIGHT ILLNESS –S T R E N G T H E N H E A L T H "Dr. Dietrich Guembel

Dear BCAPA Colleagues!

Thank you for listening to Gayle’sreport on Cosmo-Therapy which sherepresents for us in Canada.

Essential oils are gained by distillation,that means by fire and water. Thissymbolizes the evolution of man andour personal growth: we will get theessence of life by fusing the fire of the

spirit with the water of the body in ourheart.

As we change our mind,

It could change our life.

As we open our heart,

We will change the world.

Love & light to all of you

Dietrich Guembel,Alsace, France, March 2001

COSMO-THERAPY

If you touch with your hands thatwhich you love,

if you savor what you are tasting,

if you smell what stimulates you,

if you listen to what moves you,

if you look at what delights you, justbecause you like it in a treatment onyourself, you tune your body for yourentire being…

A being who wants to be united inresonance with you through theharmonics of Cosmo-Therapy.

D. Guembel, January 25, 2000

Introduction

I was privileged to be among the 10students in Vancouver ’s f i rstgraduating class of Dr. DietrichGuembel’s Herbal Essence & Cosmo-Therapy Seminar held in October,1997. Internationally recognized forhis groundbreaking work Principles ofHolistic Therapy with Herbal Essences(Haug, 1984), Dr. Guembel, a biologistby training, successfully integrates ascientific and a spiritual approach to

healing with aromatherapy. He teachesCosmo-Therapy ® throughout Europe,North America & Asia, as well asbeing a featured speaker at scientific,medical & aromatherapy symposiumssuch as Chicago’s Light and SoundConference co-sponsored by theChicago Medical Society in June, 2000.

The Relationship Between Man andPlant

Throughout the early 1980’s, Dr.Guembel’s research and developmentof plant-based skin care products andhis investigations into ecological-biological relationships led him tooutline his Herbal Essence Therapy.T h r o u g h p h y s i o l o g i c a lcomparisons of plants and man, Dr.Guembel established the relationshipbetween the two organisms, which hecalled organic resonance. Thecorrelation, simply put, is as follows:

(See Table 1)

Dr. Guembel assigned thirteen essentialoils and Aquaroms (floral waters) toaddress physical imbalances in eacharea. While Herbal Essence Therapyprovided a key to using Aromatherapyeffectively in its own right, hecontinued his search for more completeanswers to holistic healing.

The Foundations of Cosmo-Therapy®

His creative experiences with poetry,art and music led Dr. Guembel toexplore the relationship and effects ofcolours, tones and gemstones on thehuman being. He developed a programof Healing through the Senses which hecalled Cosmo-Therapy®, stating that

Page 5

Spring Continuing Education DayAn Introduction to Cosmo-Therapy® Dr. Guembel

Table 1

Part of the Plant Part of the Body Part of the Skin

Flowers & Fruits → The Head → Epidermis

Leaves → Upper Body → Dermis (Coriumor Cutis)

Roots → Lower Body → Subcutaneous Tissue


Healing Through The Senses

By Gayle Cooke,Uncommon ScentsAromatherapy®

Dr. Dietrich Guembel on thefocus of Cosmo-Therapy

"The focus of our therapy is verydifferent from the general view of allthe other therapies: we would like tohave the clients treating themselveswith the help of our Cosmo-Decoder(or by different ways) for finding outtheir own resononance to a certaincolor, tone, essence and gemstone ,which also indicates their demand of acertain vibration to energize specificorgans and organ systems. So the self-engagement of the clients to evoket h e i r s e l f - c o n s c i o u s n e s s a n dresponsibility for their holistic care isour main target. We follow the angels‘motto:

"DO NOT FIGHT ILLNESS –S T R E N G T H E N H E A L T H "Dr. Dietrich Guembel

Dear BCAPA Colleagues!

Thank you for listening to Gayle’sreport on Cosmo-Therapy which sherepresents for us in Canada.

Essential oils are gained by distillation,that means by fire and water. Thissymbolizes the evolution of man andour personal growth: we will get theessence of life by fusing the fire of the

spirit with the water of the body in ourheart.

As we change our mind,

It could change our life.

As we open our heart,

We will change the world.

Love & light to all of you

Dietrich Guembel,Alsace, France, March 2001

COSMO-THERAPY

If you touch with your hands thatwhich you love,

if you savor what you are tasting,

if you smell what stimulates you,

if you listen to what moves you,

if you look at what delights you, justbecause you like it in a treatment onyourself, you tune your body for yourentire being…

A being who wants to be united inresonance with you through theharmonics of Cosmo-Therapy.

D. Guembel, January 25, 2000

Introduction

I was privileged to be among the 10students in Vancouver ’s f i rstgraduating class of Dr. DietrichGuembel’s Herbal Essence & Cosmo-Therapy Seminar held in October,1997. Internationally recognized forhis groundbreaking work Principles ofHolistic Therapy with Herbal Essences(Haug, 1984), Dr. Guembel, a biologistby training, successfully integrates ascientific and a spiritual approach to

healing with aromatherapy. He teachesCosmo-Therapy ® throughout Europe,North America & Asia, as well asbeing a featured speaker at scientific,medical & aromatherapy symposiumssuch as Chicago’s Light and SoundConference co-sponsored by theChicago Medical Society in June, 2000.

The Relationship Between Man andPlant

Throughout the early 1980’s, Dr.Guembel’s research and developmentof plant-based skin care products andhis investigations into ecological-biological relationships led him tooutline his Herbal Essence Therapy.T h r o u g h p h y s i o l o g i c a lcomparisons of plants and man, Dr.Guembel established the relationshipbetween the two organisms, which hecalled organic resonance. Thecorrelation, simply put, is as follows:

(See Table 1)

Dr. Guembel assigned thirteen essentialoils and Aquaroms (floral waters) toaddress physical imbalances in eacharea. While Herbal Essence Therapyprovided a key to using Aromatherapyeffectively in its own right, hecontinued his search for more completeanswers to holistic healing.

The Foundations of Cosmo-Therapy®

His creative experiences with poetry,art and music led Dr. Guembel toexplore the relationship and effects ofcolours, tones and gemstones on thehuman being. He developed a programof Healing through the Senses which hecalled Cosmo-Therapy®, stating that

Page 5


Table 1

Part of the Plant Part of the Body Part of the Skin

Flowers & Fruits → The Head → Epidermis

Leaves → Upper Body → Dermis (Coriumor Cutis)

Roots → Lower Body → Subcutaneous Tissue

the sensory organs are the links whichconnect the inner spiritual world withthe outer physical world. Cosmo-Therapy® uses the senses as thepathway to restore physical, emotional,mental and spiritual harmony.

This revolutionary holistic treatment isbased on the stimulation of all senseorgans with energetic herbal essences,colours, tones and precious gemstones.Negative thoughts, pessimistic ideasand bad feelings create disharmony,depression and disease (“dis-ease”),rendering us “out of tune” like a badlyplayed instrument. Cosmo-Therapy®opens a door for “self-tuning“ andprovides an opportunity to harmonizewith our Self & our surroundings. Theprinciples of this unique holistic sensetreatment which creates balance, self-confidence & contentment are outlinedin the soon to be released Englishtranslation of the original GermanHeilen durch die Sinne: die Cosmo-Therapie (Haug, 1998) (Healingthrough the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy®)

The Cosmo-Therapy® treatment

The 30-minute treatment starts byhaving the client make a spontaneouschoice from a circle of 13 colourscalled the Cosmo-Decoder. A colour ischosen for the moment and is repeatedfor each treatment. Each colourcorresponds to a special tone, preciousgemstone and energetic essence. Theclient detects their deficiency for acertain vibration and energy by

preferring a certain color therebytreating him/herself rather than beingmanipulated by the therapist. If thearoma is accepted, dry inhalation on atissue is begun and 10-12 drops of thecorresponding Aquarom are added to 8oz. of pure drinking water. Threesenses have now been activated: sight(through colour), smell & taste. Next,the client reclines on a massage tablewhere a colour lamp is fitted with theappropriate colour filter. The chosencolour shines over the client’s face for15-20 minutes, after which the personis exposed to the complementary colourfor 30-45 seconds. While the clientreceives the colour light bath, the senseof touch is activated by holding thecorresponding gemstone in the lefthand while throughout the treatment,the therapist sounds the appropriatetone on a crystal bowl or chime.During the treatment, the energies andvibrations received from the chosenessence, tone, color and preciousgemstone activate the correspondingdormant energy within. This promotesan increased sense of self-confidence,empowerment, personal responsibilityand spiritual development. All clientsreport a feeling of well-being andrelaxation. Some see light and colour,feel an awareness or increase of energy,or experience a profound feeling ofpeace. Clients report these sensationscan linger for up to 2 or 3 days.

Summation

Cosmo-Therapy® is a holistic sensetherapy which restores harmony in thefollowing ways:

The SENSE OF TOUCH isstimulated by holding a PreciousGemstone.

The SENSE OF TASTE bydrinking Floral Waters(AQUAROMS).

The SENSE OF SMELL byinhaling Energetic Herbal Essencesof highest quality.

The SENSE OF HEARING bylistening to the sonorous tones ofBells, Chimes & Crystal Bowls.

The SENSE OF SIGHT byenjoying the luminous colors ofthe Colour Lamp.

The SENSE OF BEING byperceiving the (W)Holistic State.

The SENSE OF HEART bybecoming aware of the Sense ofLife.

Cosmo-Therapy® provided me with away to practise Aromatherapy in a trulyspiritual manner that would have aprofound effect on my clients by

working directly through all theirsenses. I felt the most innovative partof the therapy was in allowing thecl ient to choose the essencethemselves, rather than imposing apractitioner’s prejudices and biases onthe client, in effect, giving the clientresponsibility for their own health andhealing.


A portion of the above aticle appearedin Aroma Scents Journal, CanadianFederation of Aromatherapists, Fall,2000, Issue 3 Vol. 1 and TheAromatherapy Journal, NationalAssociation for Holistic Aromatherapy,Autumn, 2001.

References:

Principles of Holistic Therapy withHerbal Essences – Dr. DietrichGuembel

Healing Through the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy – Dr. Dietrich Guembel

To order contact Dr. VeronicaSauter, Cosmo-Therapy Dr. Guembel,USA by phone (610) 275-3371 oremail [email protected]

The Sense of Sensing

The sense of sensing

will become obvious

in fusing

the outer world with our within

in fusing

spirit and matter

heaven and earth

male and female

giving birth

to a

New World.D.Gümbel, June 2000

Man as Cosmic Octave

By Veronica M.Sauter, PhD.,Cosmo-Therapy®Dr. Guembel, USA

Music is conceived in higher states ofconsciousness and can also invokehigher states of consciousness. Engagea l l s e v e n s e n s o r y o r g a n s

simultaneously and imagine enhancingsuch an inspirational experienceexponentially! Simultaneous multi-sensory stimulation using audiblesound, visible colored light, aromaticoils, aquaroms for taste, and gemstonesfor touch produces heightened states ofawareness, awakening the third eye orsixth sense, and harmonizes theautonomous rhythm of the heart — theseventh sensory organ. Concurrentstimulation of these seven doorways tospirit sharpens physical sensorysensitivity and induces coherency in allof the subtle energy bodies,reestablishing the holistic nature ofman.

Quantum physics holds that all matterconsists of light particles. (recall Dr.Hans Jenny's research in cymatics). Dr.Dietrich Gümbel calls sound "audiblelight" and music as "audible lightcreated by man". It has the formativepower of shaping matter and affectingsubtle energies. He has developed aparadigm for future medicine — amedicine in which our own sevensensory organs play a keynote inorchestrating our harmonics—ourhealth and happiness. Dr. Gümbel'sCosmo-Therapy proves simple inimplementation: its complexity lies inthe divine blueprint.

An individual spontaneously selectsfrom a special decoder the one colorwhich predominates at that moment.Thirteen colors correlate with straightand sharp notes. Based on the researchof the Swiss mathematician, Hans

Cousto, Dr. Gümbel relates the colorsto tones. Further, in his latest work(forthcoming in English) Healingthrough the Senses: Comso-Therapy,translated from the original GermanHei len durch d ie S inne: dieCosmotherapie (Heidelberg, 1997), heoffers the key to the relationshipbetween the physical body's organsystems and the subtle energy body'schakra system. His original scientificinvestigations outlined in the ground-breaking Principles of Holistic Therapywith Herbal Essences (Heidelberg,1984) explored the embryologicalrelationships of plant and man and thedevelopment of the organ systems fromskin layers. Here, he established therole of man (person (L. per sonare ) —"through the sound" — "Word" madeflesh — as the bridge between thecreating world and the created world.The complementary nature of thisformative power is the quintus. And

nowhere else than through the lovinghuman heart can the Hermetic principlebe realized: "As above, so below". Byid en t i f yin g seven v ib r a t io na lfrequencies which he terms "Levels ofCreation", man, perfectly harmonizedlinks Heaven and Earth.

Thanks to his spiritual perspective ofbiological processes, Dr. Gümbel is thefirst to define the heart and the pituitarygland as sensory organs and torecognize all of the sensory organs asgateways to the spirit. Such aperspective transforms a merematerialistic science to a new one — toHolistic Science.

Page 7



the sensory organs are the links whichconnect the inner spiritual world withthe outer physical world. Cosmo-Therapy® uses the senses as thepathway to restore physical, emotional,mental and spiritual harmony.

This revolutionary holistic treatment isbased on the stimulation of all senseorgans with energetic herbal essences,colours, tones and precious gemstones.Negative thoughts, pessimistic ideasand bad feelings create disharmony,depression and disease (“dis-ease”),rendering us “out of tune” like a badlyplayed instrument. Cosmo-Therapy®opens a door for “self-tuning“ andprovides an opportunity to harmonizewith our Self & our surroundings. Theprinciples of this unique holistic sensetreatment which creates balance, self-confidence & contentment are outlinedin the soon to be released Englishtranslation of the original GermanHeilen durch die Sinne: die Cosmo-Therapie (Haug, 1998) (Healingthrough the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy®)

The Cosmo-Therapy® treatment

The 30-minute treatment starts byhaving the client make a spontaneouschoice from a circle of 13 colourscalled the Cosmo-Decoder. A colour ischosen for the moment and is repeatedfor each treatment. Each colourcorresponds to a special tone, preciousgemstone and energetic essence. Theclient detects their deficiency for acertain vibration and energy by

preferring a certain color therebytreating him/herself rather than beingmanipulated by the therapist. If thearoma is accepted, dry inhalation on atissue is begun and 10-12 drops of thecorresponding Aquarom are added to 8oz. of pure drinking water. Threesenses have now been activated: sight(through colour), smell & taste. Next,the client reclines on a massage tablewhere a colour lamp is fitted with theappropriate colour filter. The chosencolour shines over the client’s face for15-20 minutes, after which the personis exposed to the complementary colourfor 30-45 seconds. While the clientreceives the colour light bath, the senseof touch is activated by holding thecorresponding gemstone in the lefthand while throughout the treatment,the therapist sounds the appropriatetone on a crystal bowl or chime.During the treatment, the energies andvibrations received from the chosenessence, tone, color and preciousgemstone activate the correspondingdormant energy within. This promotesan increased sense of self-confidence,empowerment, personal responsibilityand spiritual development. All clientsreport a feeling of well-being andrelaxation. Some see light and colour,feel an awareness or increase of energy,or experience a profound feeling ofpeace. Clients report these sensationscan linger for up to 2 or 3 days.

Summation

Cosmo-Therapy® is a holistic sensetherapy which restores harmony in thefollowing ways:

The SENSE OF TOUCH isstimulated by holding a PreciousGemstone.

The SENSE OF TASTE bydrinking Floral Waters(AQUAROMS).

The SENSE OF SMELL byinhaling Energetic Herbal Essencesof highest quality.

The SENSE OF HEARING bylistening to the sonorous tones ofBells, Chimes & Crystal Bowls.

The SENSE OF SIGHT byenjoying the luminous colors ofthe Colour Lamp.

The SENSE OF BEING byperceiving the (W)Holistic State.

The SENSE OF HEART bybecoming aware of the Sense ofLife.

Cosmo-Therapy® provided me with away to practise Aromatherapy in a trulyspiritual manner that would have aprofound effect on my clients by

working directly through all theirsenses. I felt the most innovative partof the therapy was in allowing thecl ient to choose the essencethemselves, rather than imposing apractitioner’s prejudices and biases onthe client, in effect, giving the clientresponsibility for their own health andhealing.


A portion of the above aticle appearedin Aroma Scents Journal, CanadianFederation of Aromatherapists, Fall,2000, Issue 3 Vol. 1 and TheAromatherapy Journal, NationalAssociation for Holistic Aromatherapy,Autumn, 2001.

References:

Principles of Holistic Therapy withHerbal Essences – Dr. DietrichGuembel

Healing Through the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy – Dr. Dietrich Guembel

To order contact Dr. VeronicaSauter, Cosmo-Therapy Dr. Guembel,USA by phone (610) 275-3371 oremail [email protected]

The Sense of Sensing

The sense of sensing

will become obvious

in fusing

the outer world with our within

in fusing

spirit and matter

heaven and earth

male and female

giving birth

to a

New World.D.Gümbel, June 2000

Man as Cosmic Octave

By Veronica M.Sauter, PhD.,Cosmo-Therapy®Dr. Guembel, USA

Music is conceived in higher states ofconsciousness and can also invokehigher states of consciousness. Engagea l l s e v e n s e n s o r y o r g a n s

simultaneously and imagine enhancingsuch an inspirational experienceexponentially! Simultaneous multi-sensory stimulation using audiblesound, visible colored light, aromaticoils, aquaroms for taste, and gemstonesfor touch produces heightened states ofawareness, awakening the third eye orsixth sense, and harmonizes theautonomous rhythm of the heart — theseventh sensory organ. Concurrentstimulation of these seven doorways tospirit sharpens physical sensorysensitivity and induces coherency in allof the subtle energy bodies,reestablishing the holistic nature ofman.

Quantum physics holds that all matterconsists of light particles. (recall Dr.Hans Jenny's research in cymatics). Dr.Dietrich Gümbel calls sound "audiblelight" and music as "audible lightcreated by man". It has the formativepower of shaping matter and affectingsubtle energies. He has developed aparadigm for future medicine — amedicine in which our own sevensensory organs play a keynote inorchestrating our harmonics—ourhealth and happiness. Dr. Gümbel'sCosmo-Therapy proves simple inimplementation: its complexity lies inthe divine blueprint.

An individual spontaneously selectsfrom a special decoder the one colorwhich predominates at that moment.Thirteen colors correlate with straightand sharp notes. Based on the researchof the Swiss mathematician, Hans

Cousto, Dr. Gümbel relates the colorsto tones. Further, in his latest work(forthcoming in English) Healingthrough the Senses: Comso-Therapy,translated from the original GermanHei len durch d ie S inne: dieCosmotherapie (Heidelberg, 1997), heoffers the key to the relationshipbetween the physical body's organsystems and the subtle energy body'schakra system. His original scientificinvestigations outlined in the ground-breaking Principles of Holistic Therapywith Herbal Essences (Heidelberg,1984) explored the embryologicalrelationships of plant and man and thedevelopment of the organ systems fromskin layers. Here, he established therole of man (person (L. per sonare ) —"through the sound" — "Word" madeflesh — as the bridge between thecreating world and the created world.The complementary nature of thisformative power is the quintus. And

nowhere else than through the lovinghuman heart can the Hermetic principlebe realized: "As above, so below". Byid en t i f yin g seven v ib r a t io na lfrequencies which he terms "Levels ofCreation", man, perfectly harmonizedlinks Heaven and Earth.

Thanks to his spiritual perspective ofbiological processes, Dr. Gümbel is thefirst to define the heart and the pituitarygland as sensory organs and torecognize all of the sensory organs asgateways to the spirit. Such aperspective transforms a merematerialistic science to a new one — toHolistic Science.

Page 7



Holistic Botany

The plant is connected with its roots to the

soil, to the kingdom or minerals.

with its stem to water as basic element for

its own growth,

with its leaves to the air as nourisment

for the kingdom or anicmals

and the spirit of its seeds

ignites the fire of the flowers

in resonance with the awareness of man

connected to God.

D.Gümbel, August 4, 2000

Dr. Dietrich Guembel to teach

"Healing through the Senses"in Bryn Mawr.

By

Veronica M. Sauter, Ph.D., C.N.H.P.

It was two years ago when I first methim. A classmate and good friend fromBarbara Brennan School of Healingasked me to accompany her to an"aromatherapy" class. A Germanexpert would teach Herbal EssenceTherapy, a systematic approach tobalancing the endocrine system. Afterthree days of absorbing the healingmodel he scientifically described, theresurfaced in me the unswervingconviction that this information wascalling to be disseminated.

Dr. Dietrich Gümbel first began hisinvestigations in 1979 throughresearch and development of plant-based skin care products. Hisconclusions about the embryologicalorigins of the skin layers led him todiscover the intricate connection withthe vital organs. In his seminal work,Principles of Holistic Therapy withHerbal Essences (Haug, 1984), the

biologist set forth a revolutionaryconcept of the relationship betweenman and plant. Simply stated, man'shead corresponds to the plant's flower;the upper body to the leaf region; andthe lower body to the root. Essentialoils derived from those plant partsresonate to the organs contained in thecorresponding area of the human body.Thirteen essential oils and Aquaroms(floral waters) form the cornerstone ofHerbal Essence Therapy, born toaddress physical imbalances in thoseareas. Effective in its own right, thiskey to aromatherapy provides only apartial cure for physical ailments. The"man of science" pursued an incessantsearch for more complete answers toholistic healing.

For all his scientific talent, thebiologist's creative gifts flooded hiseveryday life. His six books of poetryand numerous paintings which datefrom the 1970's and 1980's illustrate hisphilosophical nature. Perhaps it is theacute sense of color gleaned from hispost-graduate days as an artist, or hissense of rhythm fine tuned from poeticcomposition and musical interest thatco n t r ib u te s to an in c r ed ib lycomprehensive yet amazingly simpleparadigm. Dr. Gümbel has engineereda method of utilizing the sensoryorgans as vehicles for restoringphysical, emotional, mental andspiritual harmony.

One begins the twenty-minute Cosmo-Therapy session by spontaneouslychoosing one color from a circle of 13specific hues. The one which visually"pops out" vibrationally corresponds toan aroma (one of the 13 essential oilsmentioned earlier), which stimulatesthe sense of smell. If the person likesthe aroma, the therapist sprinkles a fewdrops on an unscented white tissue andadds 12 drops of the correspondingAquarom to 8 oz. of pure water,thereby stimulating the sense of taste.Prior to the session, the person drinks

one half of the liquid, reserving theremainder for the end of the session tocarry the frequencies internally throughthe organs.

Next , the ind ividua l rec l inescomfortably on a massage table whilethe therapist positions over the headarea a high-intensity light equippedwith 13 special color filters. The onecolor selected shines over the person'sface for the entire twenty minutes,strengthening what is strong in aperson; a very brief exposure to thec o m p l e m e n t a r y c o l o r a l s o"strengthens" an area of weakness. Forexample, someone with a heartcondition might choose the color lightpurple (a strong pink color). Itsc o mp l e me n t a r y c o lo r , g r e e n ,corresponds to the heart in a myriad ofcomplementary and alternat ivemedicine modalities. So the briefexposure to green is actually a clue towhat that person is healing—verylikely an issue with "loving", centeringin the heart chakra. In this way, then,Cosmo-Therapy complies with the trueholistic principle: "Don't fight illness.Strengthen health." While the coloredlight is harmonizing through the senseof sight, the therapist generates audiblesound on a crystal bowl and a largechime in the tone which correlates tothe color and aroma selected. Holdingin the left hand the one gemstone of the13 (determined from the Book ofRevelation) corresponding to the otherelements stimulates the sense of touch.

Page 8 PROCEEDINGS 2001


This synchronized stimulation of allfive sensory organs activates what Dr.Gümbel has identified as modern man'ssixth and seventh sensory organs:namely, the pituitary gland and theheart. Restoring balance to theseultimately aids metabolism and heartfunction. Of equal significance is aheightened sense of self-awareness—which, in itself, contributes to long-term well-being. The original Germanversion (entitled Heilen durch dieSinne: die Cosmo-Therapie [Haug,1998]) of this body of teaching hasbeen clearly translated into English asHealing through the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy, and very shortly will be atpress. Dr. Gümbel presented anoverview of his technique in Chicagoin June, 2000 at the Light and SoundConference co-sponsored by theChicago Medical Society.

While the therapy is simple in itspractice, make no mistake. Dr.Gümbel's Cosmo-Therapy is a complexmodel. Therapists are required to studytwo basic levels—six days total—withoptional advanced training in hisCosmo-Therapy Center in Gunsbach(Alsace), France. His residence andteaching center is the former familyhome of Dr. Albert Schwetizer,awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for hisappreciation of reverence for life andfor his decades of missionary work inAfrica.

Duality

We are created from clay and light

As Human and Angel

And we lost ourselves

Seperated in heaven and earth

Longing to find each other again

As Bride and Groom

In a body of matter and light.

Two being – two poles

Unified in one figure like a plant:

The ego – the root

The flower – the Angel

And you, the linking leaf,

Bearing the sweetness o love

By photosynthesis

Creating heavenly earth

And earthy heaven

In one.

D. Guembel, December 14, 2000

Dr. Dietrich Guembel

Founder of Cosmo-Therapy®

Dietrich Guembel was born in 1943 inKönigsberg, East Prussia, today calledKaliningrad, Russia. He studiedbiology and geography at theUniversity of Bonn, Germany. Afterhis state examination he worked as awater ecologist at the Max PlanckInstitute for the limnology department.

In 1975 he earned the doctoral degreeat the University of Giessen, Germany.Over the next five years, he resided in asmall gallery in Nußdorf, Überlingen(Lake Constance) , abandoningscientific studies and turning instead toart and poetry.

Throughout the 1980‘s he returned toscience: his invest igat ions inecological-biological relationships ledhim closer to the polarity of bios (livingworld) and cosmos (spiritual world). Inhis groundbreaking work, Principles ofHolistic Therapy with Herbal Essences(Heidelberg, 1984), he succeeded inoutlining Herbal Essence Therapy, auniversal key for Aromatherapy andtherapeutic Herbal Applications. Hedescribed the Human Being as aunification of bios and cosmose m b o d i e d a s t h e e v o l v i n gBIOCOSMIC MAN.

The pathway to the spiritual worldopened during his immersion in artcontinued to lead him to bridge theabyss between science and spirit.

Page 9PROCEEDINGS 2001


Holistic Botany

The plant is connected with its roots to the

soil, to the kingdom or minerals.

with its stem to water as basic element for

its own growth,

with its leaves to the air as nourisment

for the kingdom or anicmals

and the spirit of its seeds

ignites the fire of the flowers

in resonance with the awareness of man

connected to God.

D.Gümbel, August 4, 2000

Dr. Dietrich Guembel to teach

"Healing through the Senses"in Bryn Mawr.

By

Veronica M. Sauter, Ph.D., C.N.H.P.

It was two years ago when I first methim. A classmate and good friend fromBarbara Brennan School of Healingasked me to accompany her to an"aromatherapy" class. A Germanexpert would teach Herbal EssenceTherapy, a systematic approach tobalancing the endocrine system. Afterthree days of absorbing the healingmodel he scientifically described, theresurfaced in me the unswervingconviction that this information wascalling to be disseminated.

Dr. Dietrich Gümbel first began hisinvestigations in 1979 throughresearch and development of plant-based skin care products. Hisconclusions about the embryologicalorigins of the skin layers led him todiscover the intricate connection withthe vital organs. In his seminal work,Principles of Holistic Therapy withHerbal Essences (Haug, 1984), the

biologist set forth a revolutionaryconcept of the relationship betweenman and plant. Simply stated, man'shead corresponds to the plant's flower;the upper body to the leaf region; andthe lower body to the root. Essentialoils derived from those plant partsresonate to the organs contained in thecorresponding area of the human body.Thirteen essential oils and Aquaroms(floral waters) form the cornerstone ofHerbal Essence Therapy, born toaddress physical imbalances in thoseareas. Effective in its own right, thiskey to aromatherapy provides only apartial cure for physical ailments. The"man of science" pursued an incessantsearch for more complete answers toholistic healing.

For all his scientific talent, thebiologist's creative gifts flooded hiseveryday life. His six books of poetryand numerous paintings which datefrom the 1970's and 1980's illustrate hisphilosophical nature. Perhaps it is theacute sense of color gleaned from hispost-graduate days as an artist, or hissense of rhythm fine tuned from poeticcomposition and musical interest thatco n t r ib u te s to an in c r ed ib lycomprehensive yet amazingly simpleparadigm. Dr. Gümbel has engineereda method of utilizing the sensoryorgans as vehicles for restoringphysical, emotional, mental andspiritual harmony.

One begins the twenty-minute Cosmo-Therapy session by spontaneouslychoosing one color from a circle of 13specific hues. The one which visually"pops out" vibrationally corresponds toan aroma (one of the 13 essential oilsmentioned earlier), which stimulatesthe sense of smell. If the person likesthe aroma, the therapist sprinkles a fewdrops on an unscented white tissue andadds 12 drops of the correspondingAquarom to 8 oz. of pure water,thereby stimulating the sense of taste.Prior to the session, the person drinks

one half of the liquid, reserving theremainder for the end of the session tocarry the frequencies internally throughthe organs.

Next , the ind ividua l rec l inescomfortably on a massage table whilethe therapist positions over the headarea a high-intensity light equippedwith 13 special color filters. The onecolor selected shines over the person'sface for the entire twenty minutes,strengthening what is strong in aperson; a very brief exposure to thec o m p l e m e n t a r y c o l o r a l s o"strengthens" an area of weakness. Forexample, someone with a heartcondition might choose the color lightpurple (a strong pink color). Itsc o mp l e me n t a r y c o lo r , g r e e n ,corresponds to the heart in a myriad ofcomplementary and alternat ivemedicine modalities. So the briefexposure to green is actually a clue towhat that person is healing—verylikely an issue with "loving", centeringin the heart chakra. In this way, then,Cosmo-Therapy complies with the trueholistic principle: "Don't fight illness.Strengthen health." While the coloredlight is harmonizing through the senseof sight, the therapist generates audiblesound on a crystal bowl and a largechime in the tone which correlates tothe color and aroma selected. Holdingin the left hand the one gemstone of the13 (determined from the Book ofRevelation) corresponding to the otherelements stimulates the sense of touch.



This synchronized stimulation of allfive sensory organs activates what Dr.Gümbel has identified as modern man'ssixth and seventh sensory organs:namely, the pituitary gland and theheart. Restoring balance to theseultimately aids metabolism and heartfunction. Of equal significance is aheightened sense of self-awareness—which, in itself, contributes to long-term well-being. The original Germanversion (entitled Heilen durch dieSinne: die Cosmo-Therapie [Haug,1998]) of this body of teaching hasbeen clearly translated into English asHealing through the Senses: Cosmo-Therapy, and very shortly will be atpress. Dr. Gümbel presented anoverview of his technique in Chicagoin June, 2000 at the Light and SoundConference co-sponsored by theChicago Medical Society.

While the therapy is simple in itspractice, make no mistake. Dr.Gümbel's Cosmo-Therapy is a complexmodel. Therapists are required to studytwo basic levels—six days total—withoptional advanced training in hisCosmo-Therapy Center in Gunsbach(Alsace), France. His residence andteaching center is the former familyhome of Dr. Albert Schwetizer,awarded the 1965 Nobel Prize for hisappreciation of reverence for life andfor his decades of missionary work inAfrica.

Duality

We are created from clay and light

As Human and Angel

And we lost ourselves

Seperated in heaven and earth

Longing to find each other again

As Bride and Groom

In a body of matter and light.

Two being – two poles

Unified in one figure like a plant:

The ego – the root

The flower – the Angel

And you, the linking leaf,

Bearing the sweetness o love

By photosynthesis

Creating heavenly earth

And earthy heaven

In one.

D. Guembel, December 14, 2000

Dr. Dietrich Guembel

Founder of Cosmo-Therapy®

Dietrich Guembel was born in 1943 inKönigsberg, East Prussia, today calledKaliningrad, Russia. He studiedbiology and geography at theUniversity of Bonn, Germany. Afterhis state examination he worked as awater ecologist at the Max PlanckInstitute for the limnology department.

In 1975 he earned the doctoral degreeat the University of Giessen, Germany.Over the next five years, he resided in asmall gallery in Nußdorf, Überlingen(Lake Constance) , abandoningscientific studies and turning instead toart and poetry.

Throughout the 1980‘s he returned toscience: his invest igat ions inecological-biological relationships ledhim closer to the polarity of bios (livingworld) and cosmos (spiritual world). Inhis groundbreaking work, Principles ofHolistic Therapy with Herbal Essences(Heidelberg, 1984), he succeeded inoutlining Herbal Essence Therapy, auniversal key for Aromatherapy andtherapeutic Herbal Applications. Hedescribed the Human Being as aunification of bios and cosmose m b o d i e d a s t h e e v o l v i n gBIOCOSMIC MAN.

The pathway to the spiritual worldopened during his immersion in artcontinued to lead him to bridge theabyss between science and spirit.



Through physiological comparisons oftwo such different kinds of organismslike plants and man, he demonstratedconclusively that there is a correlationin the metabolism of flowers, leavesand roots and the three layers of thehuman skin, as well as the three partsof the human body. This physiologicalrelationship he later called organicresonance. He also includes animalsand plants, as he developed a so calledAromatic Plant Care for plants basedon energized herbal essential oils fora g r i c u l t u r e a n d g a r d e n i n g(Aromatherapy from plants for plants).

Investigating the embryologicalevolution and the comparison of all ofthe sensory organs, the pioneeringbiologist traced the development of thepituitary gland and was the first todefine it as the physical ``sixth sense``and the ``sense of being``.

Based on his experience withtreatments with herbal essences, hefurther studied the relationship andeffects of colors, tones and gemstoneson the human being and identifiedthose seven sensory organs as keyorgans for seven vibrational levels andoutlined how they are energeticallyconnected to the chakras and the innerorgans. He stated that the sensoryorgans are the links which connect theinner spiritual world with the outerphysical world.

Similarily, in his latest book Healingthrough the Senses; Cosmo-Therapytranslated from the original German,Heilen durch die Sinne - DieCosmotherapie (Heidelberg, 1998), heis revolutionizing the definition ofscience from a mere materialisticscience to a holistic one.

The key to understanding this is theappreciation of the holistic functioningof the heart as a seventh physical

sensory organ and a spiritual sense-making organ which makes us aware ofthe sense of life. Its sensory function isfeeling and perception which leads usto AWARENESS and LOVE. Heprecisely describes the heart as theembodied sense of life asking us toopen ourselves for the experience ofthe divine which en-lightens us for anew higher dimension in our life onearth.

Dietrich Guembel lives in Alsace,France and teaches Cosmo-Therapyworldwide and develops holisticproducts for all therapeutic professions.He follows the angels motto: "Do notfight illness – strengthen health“ . Thisis the foundation for a new sensiblemedicine, -teaching, -pedagogy, -architecture and finally leads us to asensible living.

Literature:

Dr. Dietrich Guembel. AromatischePflanzen-Pflanzen-Pflege. Munich:Mosaik, 1994.

______. Ganzheitliche Therapie mitHeilkrauter-Essenzen. Heidelberg:Haug, 1994.

______. Heilen durch die Sinne - DieCosmotherapie. Heidelberg, Haug,1998.

ISBN 3-7760-1661-2English edition. Healing through theSenses: Cosmo-Therapy.

______. Wie neugeboren mit

Heilkrauter-Ezzenzen und Farben.Heidelberg: Haug, 1993.

______. Principles of Holistic Therapywith Herbal Essences. Heidelberg:Haug, 1994. 2nd revised and expandededition. ISBN 2-8043-4002-3.

______. COSMO-CALENDAR. F-68140 Gunsbach/France,

13 Water-color paintings by Dr.Dietrich Guembel.

______. 1st German/English edition:1999

Gitta Maallasz -Talking with Angels –ISBN 3085630-505-X

Hans Couto - The Cosmic Octave:Origina of Harmony, Planets, Tones,Colours, The Ppwer of InherentVibrations - ISBN 0-94-795-04-3

Gayle Cooke is owner of Uncommon Scents

Aromatherapy and practices Aromatherapy,

Reiki & Cosmo-Therapy. She provides

general and certification aromatherapy

courses throughout the Lower Mainland.

Website:http://www.uncommonscents.ca



Packaging and Upselling

By

Jennifer Roberts

I come from a retail background.While running my own floral business,Jennifer Roberts Florist, during thedays, I offer full body aromatherapytreatments in the evenings andweekends when I am not teachingOhara School Ikebana.

I wanted to suggest ideas for packagingthat would offer perhaps a slightlydifferent look or idea for a packagingmaterial than would normally be used.

We often have extra oil from atreatment or maybe your client hasasked for a specific oil, balm or lotionfor an ailment, so along with thecontainer this product is going into,instead of writing on a white label andsticking it to the container I found littlecut out paper people of various colours(Michaels the craft store), likegingerbread men. Writing on thisdifferent type of label, you haveenough room to say what it is thatyou have used but also on the body ofthe little person you can put a star or aBand-Aid as to where it will help. Ithen tie a gold thread around the middleof my little person and the bottle andthe paper body stands up.

At Christmas and Valentines I sell afair bit of bath salts and from awonderful supplier, (Torre and Tagus, aVancouver company) I found somegreat looking purple, grey andamber glass containers with frostedglass stoppers; 2 cups of salts fitsnicely. They also carry a set of 3apothecary bottles with glass fittedstoppers. This particular set of 3 bottleshave larger openings and the largerone's opening is large enough to befilled with a bit of natural bark elixir

( David L Jones or Mayhews are acouple of Vancouver suppliers). Otherproducts could be put in a small 10 mlbottle of liquid soap and a small rubberduckie, or maybe some Peppermintfoot lotion and an emery foot board ora star natural pumice stone. Perhapsyou would like to tie the neck withraffia and tie on a flower or a smallsachet of Lavender; all this makes theitem that much more appealing and it isall usable and compatible. Maybe withthe cold season you could tie onto theneck some loose tea, Echinacea orGinger and inside the bottle you couldhave bath salts, or maybe in a mug,some tea, bath salts and some lotion forthat sore nose. The ideas are endlessand it is fun to think of what you mightlike to have when you are sufferingfrom an ailment and then put it alltogether. Often those different littleextras, that you can add on in sales willjust set you apart in that unique way.You have just thought one step furtherthan the other person, been morecreative, more personal.

At one of the gift shows I found awholesaler, Warm Buddy, also aVancouver based company that sellvery pretty eye packs some withlavender in them (some without). Thefabric she uses is very lovely, somefloral prints, velvets and celestialtypes. While it is nice to have these onyour eyes after the face is done duringa treatment, they also work nicely formigraines or even sore knees, no moreusing a pack of peas. I keep one ofthese in my freezer in a zip lock bag sothere is always a cold one ready. Shealso has large therapeutic packs that Iuse to heat my bed instead of theelectric heating pad. Two end to endheats up my bed nicely and then I justplace a hot water bottle at theirfeet. They also carry a very smallplush teddy with a pack that can beheated for a wee one. The whole thingisn't any taller than 8-9 inches stretchedout I bet, and just having somethinglike that on a shelf is a neat gift for

someone expecting. We all deal withgrannies, friends and family of thosewho are pregnant. Maybe you couldsell a bottle of Lavender to go alongwith it.

I love going into the art stores and lovelooking at the gorgeous hand madepaper, per sheet it is fairly expensivebut I have found that really you needvery little if you want to just jazzsomething that you have made up justthat bit. For example perhaps you havemade some lotion and placed it in anice white plastic container with a nicedome lid, attractive but ordinary. Bycutting even the thinnest piece of handmade paper with perhaps bits of floralpetals in it wrapped around thecontainer would just give it that littlebit more zip; glue the ends and tack ona Lavender floret or something to hidethe seam.

Sometimes I find the client wants thegift wrapped, even if it is a giftcertificate! For gift certificates, I wrapthe envelope in a Japanese organdyribbon ( lovely selection from WestCoast Ribbon, a Victoria company) andwhere the ends meet I glue on anorchid floret. They can be out of waterfor a couple of days and the trained eyewouldn't have a clue! I get gorgeousones from Singapore each week for myfloral business so it is of no problemfor me and also shows off my otherbusiness. After a treatment I alwaysgive my clients a cello wrap flower,whether it is a rose, or a couple offreesia or daffs... something to thankthem but to also make them think ofother possibilities that can be offered tothem. I found in my travels anotherVancouver company (Sums) thatcarries rolls of Japanese paper. It is ofsome poly blend so it is almost fabriclike but fine, and a little translucent,very pretty for wrapping. Sometimes Iuse it with some cello form West CoastRibbon. She carries the heaviestweight cellophane you can buy here in


Spring Continuing Education DayCreative Packaging

Through physiological comparisons oftwo such different kinds of organismslike plants and man, he demonstratedconclusively that there is a correlationin the metabolism of flowers, leavesand roots and the three layers of thehuman skin, as well as the three partsof the human body. This physiologicalrelationship he later called organicresonance. He also includes animalsand plants, as he developed a so calledAromatic Plant Care for plants basedon energized herbal essential oils fora g r i c u l t u r e a n d g a r d e n i n g(Aromatherapy from plants for plants).

Investigating the embryologicalevolution and the comparison of all ofthe sensory organs, the pioneeringbiologist traced the development of thepituitary gland and was the first todefine it as the physical ``sixth sense``and the ``sense of being``.

Based on his experience withtreatments with herbal essences, hefurther studied the relationship andeffects of colors, tones and gemstoneson the human being and identifiedthose seven sensory organs as keyorgans for seven vibrational levels andoutlined how they are energeticallyconnected to the chakras and the innerorgans. He stated that the sensoryorgans are the links which connect theinner spiritual world with the outerphysical world.

Similarily, in his latest book Healingthrough the Senses; Cosmo-Therapytranslated from the original German,Heilen durch die Sinne - DieCosmotherapie (Heidelberg, 1998), heis revolutionizing the definition ofscience from a mere materialisticscience to a holistic one.

The key to understanding this is theappreciation of the holistic functioningof the heart as a seventh physical

sensory organ and a spiritual sense-making organ which makes us aware ofthe sense of life. Its sensory function isfeeling and perception which leads usto AWARENESS and LOVE. Heprecisely describes the heart as theembodied sense of life asking us toopen ourselves for the experience ofthe divine which en-lightens us for anew higher dimension in our life onearth.

Dietrich Guembel lives in Alsace,France and teaches Cosmo-Therapyworldwide and develops holisticproducts for all therapeutic professions.He follows the angels motto: "Do notfight illness – strengthen health“ . Thisis the foundation for a new sensiblemedicine, -teaching, -pedagogy, -architecture and finally leads us to asensible living.

Literature:

Dr. Dietrich Guembel. AromatischePflanzen-Pflanzen-Pflege. Munich:Mosaik, 1994.

______. Ganzheitliche Therapie mitHeilkrauter-Essenzen. Heidelberg:Haug, 1994.

______. Heilen durch die Sinne - DieCosmotherapie. Heidelberg, Haug,1998.

ISBN 3-7760-1661-2English edition. Healing through theSenses: Cosmo-Therapy.

______. Wie neugeboren mit

Heilkrauter-Ezzenzen und Farben.Heidelberg: Haug, 1993.

______. Principles of Holistic Therapywith Herbal Essences. Heidelberg:Haug, 1994. 2nd revised and expandededition. ISBN 2-8043-4002-3.

______. COSMO-CALENDAR. F-68140 Gunsbach/France,

13 Water-color paintings by Dr.Dietrich Guembel.

______. 1st German/English edition:1999

Gitta Maallasz -Talking with Angels –ISBN 3085630-505-X

Hans Couto - The Cosmic Octave:Origina of Harmony, Planets, Tones,Colours, The Ppwer of InherentVibrations - ISBN 0-94-795-04-3

Gayle Cooke is owner of Uncommon Scents

Aromatherapy and practices Aromatherapy,

Reiki & Cosmo-Therapy. She provides

general and certification aromatherapy

courses throughout the Lower Mainland.

Website:http://www.uncommonscents.ca



Packaging and Upselling

By

Jennifer Roberts

I come from a retail background.While running my own floral business,Jennifer Roberts Florist, during thedays, I offer full body aromatherapytreatments in the evenings andweekends when I am not teachingOhara School Ikebana.

I wanted to suggest ideas for packagingthat would offer perhaps a slightlydifferent look or idea for a packagingmaterial than would normally be used.

We often have extra oil from atreatment or maybe your client hasasked for a specific oil, balm or lotionfor an ailment, so along with thecontainer this product is going into,instead of writing on a white label andsticking it to the container I found littlecut out paper people of various colours(Michaels the craft store), likegingerbread men. Writing on thisdifferent type of label, you haveenough room to say what it is thatyou have used but also on the body ofthe little person you can put a star or aBand-Aid as to where it will help. Ithen tie a gold thread around the middleof my little person and the bottle andthe paper body stands up.

At Christmas and Valentines I sell afair bit of bath salts and from awonderful supplier, (Torre and Tagus, aVancouver company) I found somegreat looking purple, grey andamber glass containers with frostedglass stoppers; 2 cups of salts fitsnicely. They also carry a set of 3apothecary bottles with glass fittedstoppers. This particular set of 3 bottleshave larger openings and the largerone's opening is large enough to befilled with a bit of natural bark elixir

( David L Jones or Mayhews are acouple of Vancouver suppliers). Otherproducts could be put in a small 10 mlbottle of liquid soap and a small rubberduckie, or maybe some Peppermintfoot lotion and an emery foot board ora star natural pumice stone. Perhapsyou would like to tie the neck withraffia and tie on a flower or a smallsachet of Lavender; all this makes theitem that much more appealing and it isall usable and compatible. Maybe withthe cold season you could tie onto theneck some loose tea, Echinacea orGinger and inside the bottle you couldhave bath salts, or maybe in a mug,some tea, bath salts and some lotion forthat sore nose. The ideas are endlessand it is fun to think of what you mightlike to have when you are sufferingfrom an ailment and then put it alltogether. Often those different littleextras, that you can add on in sales willjust set you apart in that unique way.You have just thought one step furtherthan the other person, been morecreative, more personal.

At one of the gift shows I found awholesaler, Warm Buddy, also aVancouver based company that sellvery pretty eye packs some withlavender in them (some without). Thefabric she uses is very lovely, somefloral prints, velvets and celestialtypes. While it is nice to have these onyour eyes after the face is done duringa treatment, they also work nicely formigraines or even sore knees, no moreusing a pack of peas. I keep one ofthese in my freezer in a zip lock bag sothere is always a cold one ready. Shealso has large therapeutic packs that Iuse to heat my bed instead of theelectric heating pad. Two end to endheats up my bed nicely and then I justplace a hot water bottle at theirfeet. They also carry a very smallplush teddy with a pack that can beheated for a wee one. The whole thingisn't any taller than 8-9 inches stretchedout I bet, and just having somethinglike that on a shelf is a neat gift for

someone expecting. We all deal withgrannies, friends and family of thosewho are pregnant. Maybe you couldsell a bottle of Lavender to go alongwith it.

I love going into the art stores and lovelooking at the gorgeous hand madepaper, per sheet it is fairly expensivebut I have found that really you needvery little if you want to just jazzsomething that you have made up justthat bit. For example perhaps you havemade some lotion and placed it in anice white plastic container with a nicedome lid, attractive but ordinary. Bycutting even the thinnest piece of handmade paper with perhaps bits of floralpetals in it wrapped around thecontainer would just give it that littlebit more zip; glue the ends and tack ona Lavender floret or something to hidethe seam.

Sometimes I find the client wants thegift wrapped, even if it is a giftcertificate! For gift certificates, I wrapthe envelope in a Japanese organdyribbon ( lovely selection from WestCoast Ribbon, a Victoria company) andwhere the ends meet I glue on anorchid floret. They can be out of waterfor a couple of days and the trained eyewouldn't have a clue! I get gorgeousones from Singapore each week for myfloral business so it is of no problemfor me and also shows off my otherbusiness. After a treatment I alwaysgive my clients a cello wrap flower,whether it is a rose, or a couple offreesia or daffs... something to thankthem but to also make them think ofother possibilities that can be offered tothem. I found in my travels anotherVancouver company (Sums) thatcarries rolls of Japanese paper. It is ofsome poly blend so it is almost fabriclike but fine, and a little translucent,very pretty for wrapping. Sometimes Iuse it with some cello form West CoastRibbon. She carries the heaviestweight cellophane you can buy here in



B.C, well worth buying the heaviergauge; it won't rip and cling to itselflike the finer types, and you will useless.

Raffia is of course a staple for the sortwho want to think they are buyinggreen and would have a bird if theiritems were packaged in flownseyribbons and papers. Buying corrugatedpackaging and paper bagging the itemsis the way to go for these sorts ofimages. The natural sponges andluffas tied onto the soaps and shampoosthat perhaps you offer is the way togo. I do like the coloured tissue thoughand it is not that expensive. Perhapsyou want to carry through with yourcompany’s colours in your packagingand the tissue is a good way of doingthat.

Last year, for Valentines, I made in myfloral business, orchid bras and Gstrings for the women and antheriumleaf ones for the men and offered awhole package for lovers, good forhoneymoons or just trying to revivethat love... but along with the package Isold massage oil, candles and votives( Old Port, a company from Ontario hasan amazing selection), chocolates andscattered heart confetti throughout thebox ( there are all sorts of metallicconfettis sold at craft stores, so there issomething else that can be added intothe packaging...add it on).

We all use nail files and I found acompany that will etch onto their glassnail files your company name and thatmight make a good promotional item.I on the other hand sold the larger onesthat were gorgeous rainbow colours,guaranteed for life as long as you don'tdrop them, Crystal Files tel. 604-642-0770. They give a better cleaner fileand you never need to buy anotheremery board again. Twenty-four istheir minimum order I seem to think.

Jennifer Roberts became an

aromatherapist after studying under

Healing Scents, receiving her status in

1996. Thinking she would like to change

professions after 16 years in the floral

business and a recent accident she began

studies with Bev von Fuhrherr, the owner at

the time. Finding the aromatherapy

treatments not quite as creatively and

artistically stimulating and needing to

support her family immediately she opted

to open her own florist business and do

aromatherapy treatments in the slower

times of the days and evenings.

She lives in Victoria with her husband and

daughter, carrying out her two businesses,

Jennifer Roberts Florist and her

aromatherapy practice from her home.



Introduction to the Five ElementTheory

By Dr. Bonnie Robinson

We do not have a full report to sharewith you on this excellent andinformative workshop. It was one ofthose times when you had to be there toget the full benefit. What we can sharewith you is a summary of thepresentation and a copy of Dr. Bonnie’sHandout plus a couple of charts.

Dr. Bonnie provided us with a generalintroduction to the Five ElementTheory, so that as aromatherapists, wemay attempt to use this theory tobalance what is out of balance,diagnosing the client’s needs andselecting the appropriate essential oilsfor treatment(s). It was soon apparentthat there was much more informationavailable than time allowed and manyattendees are interested in furtherworkshops on this topic. Dr. Bonnieexplained the cycles of the FiveElements, the constant nurturing cycle(mother-child), the control cycle, plusthe seasons and visceral organs relatedto each element. She providedattendees with a very detailedcorrespondence chart on each element,including, among other items, seasons,colours, tastes, climates, grains, senseorgans, emotions and time of day.

Dr. Bonnie made reference to GabrielMojay’s book ‘Healing the Spirit’ asan excellent reference to findingessential oils suitable for each element.In addition to choosing suitable oils,Dr. Bonnie encouraged us to learnsome of the major channels or pointsfor each of the Five Elements. Inparticular, the 60 odd points in the arms(elbow to hand) and legs (knee to foot),along the major channels of eachelement. Using the Five ElementTheory, we may be able to locate theprimary organ of imbalance and

therefore, choose oils and styles oftreatments that can begin to restorebalance to the entire system.


Spring Continuing Education DayFive Element Theory

Legend

S - Stomach K - Kidney H - HeartSp - Spleen B - Bladder SI - Small IntestineLu - Lung LV - Liver P - PericardiumLI - Large Intestine GB - Gall Bladder TB - Triple burner = san jias(The three sections of the torso are connected by the Triple burner, which also acts as a waterway)

How to read the chart:

The big circle shows the cycle of production, the pentacle the control cycle.Pathogenic cycles are when the control cycle gets overactive, or the energy goesopposite within the control cycle.

B.C, well worth buying the heaviergauge; it won't rip and cling to itselflike the finer types, and you will useless.

Raffia is of course a staple for the sortwho want to think they are buyinggreen and would have a bird if theiritems were packaged in flownseyribbons and papers. Buying corrugatedpackaging and paper bagging the itemsis the way to go for these sorts ofimages. The natural sponges andluffas tied onto the soaps and shampoosthat perhaps you offer is the way togo. I do like the coloured tissue thoughand it is not that expensive. Perhapsyou want to carry through with yourcompany’s colours in your packagingand the tissue is a good way of doingthat.

Last year, for Valentines, I made in myfloral business, orchid bras and Gstrings for the women and antheriumleaf ones for the men and offered awhole package for lovers, good forhoneymoons or just trying to revivethat love... but along with the package Isold massage oil, candles and votives( Old Port, a company from Ontario hasan amazing selection), chocolates andscattered heart confetti throughout thebox ( there are all sorts of metallicconfettis sold at craft stores, so there issomething else that can be added intothe packaging...add it on).

We all use nail files and I found acompany that will etch onto their glassnail files your company name and thatmight make a good promotional item.I on the other hand sold the larger onesthat were gorgeous rainbow colours,guaranteed for life as long as you don'tdrop them, Crystal Files tel. 604-642-0770. They give a better cleaner fileand you never need to buy anotheremery board again. Twenty-four istheir minimum order I seem to think.

Jennifer Roberts became an

aromatherapist after studying under

Healing Scents, receiving her status in

1996. Thinking she would like to change

professions after 16 years in the floral

business and a recent accident she began

studies with Bev von Fuhrherr, the owner at

the time. Finding the aromatherapy

treatments not quite as creatively and

artistically stimulating and needing to

support her family immediately she opted

to open her own florist business and do

aromatherapy treatments in the slower

times of the days and evenings.

She lives in Victoria with her husband and

daughter, carrying out her two businesses,

Jennifer Roberts Florist and her

aromatherapy practice from her home.



Introduction to the Five ElementTheory

By Dr. Bonnie Robinson

We do not have a full report to sharewith you on this excellent andinformative workshop. It was one ofthose times when you had to be there toget the full benefit. What we can sharewith you is a summary of thepresentation and a copy of Dr. Bonnie’sHandout plus a couple of charts.

Dr. Bonnie provided us with a generalintroduction to the Five ElementTheory, so that as aromatherapists, wemay attempt to use this theory tobalance what is out of balance,diagnosing the client’s needs andselecting the appropriate essential oilsfor treatment(s). It was soon apparentthat there was much more informationavailable than time allowed and manyattendees are interested in furtherworkshops on this topic. Dr. Bonnieexplained the cycles of the FiveElements, the constant nurturing cycle(mother-child), the control cycle, plusthe seasons and visceral organs relatedto each element. She providedattendees with a very detailedcorrespondence chart on each element,including, among other items, seasons,colours, tastes, climates, grains, senseorgans, emotions and time of day.

Dr. Bonnie made reference to GabrielMojay’s book ‘Healing the Spirit’ asan excellent reference to findingessential oils suitable for each element.In addition to choosing suitable oils,Dr. Bonnie encouraged us to learnsome of the major channels or pointsfor each of the Five Elements. Inparticular, the 60 odd points in the arms(elbow to hand) and legs (knee to foot),along the major channels of eachelement. Using the Five ElementTheory, we may be able to locate theprimary organ of imbalance and

therefore, choose oils and styles oftreatments that can begin to restorebalance to the entire system.



Legend

S - Stomach K - Kidney H - HeartSp - Spleen B - Bladder SI - Small IntestineLu - Lung LV - Liver P - PericardiumLI - Large Intestine GB - Gall Bladder TB - Triple burner = san jias(The three sections of the torso are connected by the Triple burner, which also acts as a waterway)

How to read the chart:

The big circle shows the cycle of production, the pentacle the control cycle.Pathogenic cycles are when the control cycle gets overactive, or the energy goesopposite within the control cycle.

Acute Aromatic Care

PROCEEDINGS 2001Page 14 PROCEEDINGS 2001

Workshop given by

Bob and Rhiannon Harris

Essential Oil Resource

Consultants

Introduction

As professional aromatherapists, thereare times when we are called upon touse our essential oils in direct andsometimes intensive ways forpredominantly physical problems ofquick onset and medium to highintensity. At times such as these, ourholistic skills and gentle treatmentoptions may seem limited and a moreintense and clinical approach is what isrequired. Using essential oils in aclinical way requires a combination ofknowledge, experience, confidence andinnovation. It requires us to have asound working knowledge of thecondition and the tools that we usecoupled with the courage to use them inways that may at times seem outside ofour more gentle, holistic approach toworking.

This class presented how essential oilsmay be used in acute clinical situationsin a safe and effective manner. Threemain areas of concern were addressed:

1. Inflammation

2. Soft tissue injury

3. Pain.

INFLAMMATION

In aromatherapy, we often use thegeneral term ‘anti-inflammatory’ for anumber of essential oils, yet ourknowledge and understanding of howthese oils may exert this influence isoften lacking.

We thus considered the process ofinflammation from a physiologicalpoint of view and then used essentialoil research to deduce how certain

essential oils and their componentsinfluence the inflammatory processwith a view to enhancing ourtherapeutic intervention. Acuteinflammation was the major focus forthe class, with chronic inflammatorystates also mentioned briefly.

Despite different possible causes, thesequence o f events in acuteinflammation is usually stereotyped.We considered the six maininterconnected steps involved in thebasic inflammatory process with a viewto understanding how essential mayexert their effects.

We also considered the role of theinflammatory mediators (both cell andplasma derived).

How aromatherapy can help:

Anti-inflammatory essential oils

In examining how essential oils andtheir components are anti-inflammatoryin activity, looking at researchevidence, there may be at least threepossible mechanisms.

1. inhibiting the production of orinteracting with, certain localinflammatory mediators.

2. working via their antioxidantnature, mopping up the products ofthe respiratory bursts before theycan cause further tissue damage.

3. w o r k i n g v i a t h eadrenohypophyseal axis, possiblystimulating the secretion ofcortisol.

In the majority of cases, the intentionof the aromatherapist is to reduce theunpleasant symptoms of inflammation(pain, redness, heat and swelling)without affecting the process itself.This is particularly in the case ofexternal inflammation such as:

Insect bites/stings

Minor burns

Nappy rash

Sunburn

Heat rash

Gingivitis

Skin trauma

Pruritic symptoms

Cutaneous eruptions

Minor inflammations of the mouth,throat, nose

Minor inflammations of theanogenital region.

For these cases, a direct approach isrequired, such as external applicationsin the form of compresses, neatapplication, hydrosols, gels, creams andlotions. Substances that may inhibithistamine re lease and reducerespiratory bursts and free radicalrelease are particularly indicated inexternal preparations.

In inflammatory joint diseases, the roleof prostaglandins and kinins (active insynovial tissue) are particularlyevident. Thus selection of essential oilsthat suppress these mediators plusinhibit the respiratory bursts ofleucocytes may be beneficial. Lateinflammatory arthritic changes oftenhave a significant immune systeminput. Thus components that mayactivate the adrenohypophyseal axismay be important.

Remember that other water-solubleplant products have an anti -inflammatory action and may besuitably incorporated into the treatmentregime. Thus aqueous extracts andhydrolats may also be indicated.

Page 15


WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER

Seasons Spring Summer None Autumn Winter

Directions East South Centre West North

Colours Green Red Yellow White Black

Tastes Sour Bitter Sweet Pungent Salty

Climates Wind Heat Dampness Dryness Cold

Stage ofDevelopment

Birth Growth Transformation Harvest Storage

Numbers 8 7 5 9 6

Planets Jupiter Mars Saturn Venus Mercury

Yin-Yang Lesser Yang Utmost Yang Centre Lesser Yin Utmost Yin

Animals Fish Birds Human Mammals Shell Covered

Domestic Animals Sheep Fowl Ox Dog Pig

Grains Wheat Millet Rice Hemp Beans

Yin Organs Liver Heart/Pericardium Spleen Lungs Kidneys

Yang Organs Gall-Bladder Small Intestine Stomach Large Intestine Bladder

Sense Organs Eyes Tongue/Speech Mouth/Taste Nose Ears

Tissues Sinews Vessels Muscles Skin Bones

Emotions Anger/Assertive Joy/VolatileEmotions

Pensiveness/Worry/Empathy

Sadness/Letting Go

Fear/Resolve/Anxiety

Sounds Shouting Laughing Singing Crying Groaning

Nourishes Nails Complexion Lips Body Hair Head Hair

Odour Rancid Scorched Fragrant Rotten Putrid

Time 11pm-3am 11am-3pm 7-11am 3-7am 3-7pm

Spirit Etheric Body Shen/Mind Yi/Intellect Po/Corporeal Body Zhi/Will

Qualities KindnessBenevolence

ProprietyOrder

TrustFaith

Dignity/IntegritySelf sacrifice

Wisdom

Dr. Bonnie Robinson practices in Victoria,

(250) 595-0145.

Acute Aromatic Care

PROCEEDINGS 2001Page 14 PROCEEDINGS 2001

Workshop given by

Bob and Rhiannon Harris

Essential Oil Resource

Consultants

Introduction

As professional aromatherapists, thereare times when we are called upon touse our essential oils in direct andsometimes intensive ways forpredominantly physical problems ofquick onset and medium to highintensity. At times such as these, ourholistic skills and gentle treatmentoptions may seem limited and a moreintense and clinical approach is what isrequired. Using essential oils in aclinical way requires a combination ofknowledge, experience, confidence andinnovation. It requires us to have asound working knowledge of thecondition and the tools that we usecoupled with the courage to use them inways that may at times seem outside ofour more gentle, holistic approach toworking.

This class presented how essential oilsmay be used in acute clinical situationsin a safe and effective manner. Threemain areas of concern were addressed:

1. Inflammation

2. Soft tissue injury

3. Pain.

INFLAMMATION

In aromatherapy, we often use thegeneral term ‘anti-inflammatory’ for anumber of essential oils, yet ourknowledge and understanding of howthese oils may exert this influence isoften lacking.

We thus considered the process ofinflammation from a physiologicalpoint of view and then used essentialoil research to deduce how certain

essential oils and their componentsinfluence the inflammatory processwith a view to enhancing ourtherapeutic intervention. Acuteinflammation was the major focus forthe class, with chronic inflammatorystates also mentioned briefly.

Despite different possible causes, thesequence o f events in acuteinflammation is usually stereotyped.We considered the six maininterconnected steps involved in thebasic inflammatory process with a viewto understanding how essential mayexert their effects.

We also considered the role of theinflammatory mediators (both cell andplasma derived).


Anti-inflammatory essential oils

In examining how essential oils andtheir components are anti-inflammatoryin activity, looking at researchevidence, there may be at least threepossible mechanisms.

1. inhibiting the production of orinteracting with, certain localinflammatory mediators.

2. working via their antioxidantnature, mopping up the products ofthe respiratory bursts before theycan cause further tissue damage.

3. w o r k i n g v i a t h eadrenohypophyseal axis, possiblystimulating the secretion ofcortisol.

In the majority of cases, the intentionof the aromatherapist is to reduce theunpleasant symptoms of inflammation(pain, redness, heat and swelling)without affecting the process itself.This is particularly in the case ofexternal inflammation such as:

Insect bites/stings

Minor burns

Nappy rash

Sunburn

Heat rash

Gingivitis

Skin trauma

Pruritic symptoms

Cutaneous eruptions

Minor inflammations of the mouth,throat, nose

Minor inflammations of theanogenital region.

For these cases, a direct approach isrequired, such as external applicationsin the form of compresses, neatapplication, hydrosols, gels, creams andlotions. Substances that may inhibithistamine re lease and reducerespiratory bursts and free radicalrelease are particularly indicated inexternal preparations.

In inflammatory joint diseases, the roleof prostaglandins and kinins (active insynovial tissue) are particularlyevident. Thus selection of essential oilsthat suppress these mediators plusinhibit the respiratory bursts ofleucocytes may be beneficial. Lateinflammatory arthritic changes oftenhave a significant immune systeminput. Thus components that mayactivate the adrenohypophyseal axismay be important.

Remember that other water-solubleplant products have an anti -inflammatory action and may besuitably incorporated into the treatmentregime. Thus aqueous extracts andhydrolats may also be indicated.

Page 15


WOOD FIRE EARTH METAL WATER

Seasons Spring Summer None Autumn Winter

Directions East South Centre West North

Colours Green Red Yellow White Black

Tastes Sour Bitter Sweet Pungent Salty

Climates Wind Heat Dampness Dryness Cold

Stage ofDevelopment

Birth Growth Transformation Harvest Storage

Numbers 8 7 5 9 6

Planets Jupiter Mars Saturn Venus Mercury

Yin-Yang Lesser Yang Utmost Yang Centre Lesser Yin Utmost Yin

Animals Fish Birds Human Mammals Shell Covered

Domestic Animals Sheep Fowl Ox Dog Pig

Grains Wheat Millet Rice Hemp Beans

Yin Organs Liver Heart/Pericardium Spleen Lungs Kidneys

Yang Organs Gall-Bladder Small Intestine Stomach Large Intestine Bladder

Sense Organs Eyes Tongue/Speech Mouth/Taste Nose Ears

Tissues Sinews Vessels Muscles Skin Bones

Emotions Anger/Assertive Joy/VolatileEmotions

Pensiveness/Worry/Empathy

Sadness/Letting Go

Fear/Resolve/Anxiety

Sounds Shouting Laughing Singing Crying Groaning

Nourishes Nails Complexion Lips Body Hair Head Hair

Odour Rancid Scorched Fragrant Rotten Putrid

Time 11pm-3am 11am-3pm 7-11am 3-7am 3-7pm

Spirit Etheric Body Shen/Mind Yi/Intellect Po/Corporeal Body Zhi/Will

Qualities KindnessBenevolence

ProprietyOrder

TrustFaith

Dignity/IntegritySelf sacrifice

Wisdom

Dr. Bonnie Robinson practices in Victoria,

(250) 595-0145.

Infused oils such as those of Calendulaofficinalis and Hypericum perforatumhave confirmed anti-inflammatoryactivity.

Recognising our limitations

When considering using the anti-inflammatory properties of essentialoils, we should be aware thatinflammation is a normal protectivemechanism of the body. It is an integralpart of the healing process and thuseach case should be examinedindividually. As described above, moreoften than not we are working purely tosuppress some of the unwanteds y m p t o m s t h a t a c c o m p a n yinflammation.

SOFT TISSUE INJURY

As aromatherapists, we are frequentlyasked to help with various forms ofminor soft tissue injuries. A deeperunderstanding of the mechanism oftissue repair may help us to improveour selection of essential oils andtherapeutic applications. Thus the classexamined the process and stages oftissue repair, fibrosis and scarring anddiscussed how essential oils and relatedproducts have a role in its promotion.


Unlike the numerous s tud iesconcerning essential o i ls andinflammation and the reduction of pain,there has been little research conductedusing essential oils specifically fortissue healing per se. However,aromatherapists around the world havea combined experience of usingessential oils for tissue regeneration.Related products such as fixed oils,infused oils and hydrolats can also playa significant role.

The scope of our intervention as

aromatherapists is to provide bothspecific and non-specific support fortissue healing and repair. Specificsupport would include treatment of

minor wounds and lesions

sprains and strains

bruising

reducing bleeding

reducing pain and oedema

minor burns

reducing infection risk

hypertrophic or keloid scarformation

c h r o n i c m u s c u l o t e n d i n o u spathologies such as RSI

varicose and decubitus ulcers.

Non-specific support may include themanagement and relief of symptoms bethey physical, mental or emotional innature. With regard to supporting thetissue repair process, there is someevidence that essential oils may play avaluable role in helping to speed uptissue repair times. Further research hassuggested essential oils have a validrole in wound care and the treatment ofdecubitus ulcers. This may be directsupport of tissue repair throughapplication of essential oil or relatedproduct to the wound site or indirectlythrough reducing stress by inhalation ofsedative essential oils.

Wound care

Essential oils may be applied towounds in a variety of ways:

in sterile honey

in carrier oil

in sterile water

in gels

in compresses

added directly to wounddressings

Additionally, hydrolats may play auseful role giving a degree ofastringency either in compress form orby wound irrigation. Infused oils havealso demonstrated tissue regenerationeffects.

Scarring

Encouraging healthy tissue healingwith essential oils may help to reduceunsightly scarring. However, forexisting scarring such as hypertrophicscars or keloid, there may also be somebenefit using a combination of fixed orinfused oils and essential oils. The mostwell researched fixed oil for scarring isthat of rose hip seed. Calophyllum oilhas also demonstrated wound healingpotential.


There are of course times whenaromatherapy treatment for soft tissueinjury is wholly inappropriate.Aromatherapy cannot be regarded as areplacement for standard first aidprocedures. Additionally, where theskin is broken, great care much betaken with regards to essential oilselection, quality and application.

PAIN

Pain management (especially that ofchronic pain) remains one of thebiggest challenges in medical care. Ourexperience as aromatherapists hasshown us that in many cases,aromatherapy can offer a significantway forward as either a complementaryor alternative form of pain relief for alarge number of people. This classhelped to

remind us of the pain experience,its aetiology and process

examine possible ways by which


essential oils and the globalaromatherapy experience mayassist in relieving pain

offer some suggestions to improvethe efficacy of the care we give.

Defining Pain

Pain can be difficult to assess and toclassify. This is because pain is aunique, subjective, highly personal andmultidimensional experience that haspsychological, social and spiritualaspects. We have to rely on the client toexpress their experience of the pain andto respect their impressions. However,a degree of classification can be helpfulwith regards to planning appropriatetreatment . We considered theclassifications of pain according to timecourse (acute, sub-acute, chronic) aswell as origin and type (neuropathic,nociceptive, visceral and idiopathic).Sensory, affective and cognitiveaspects that are integral to the painexperience were also discussed.

The Pain Experience

Nociception is the mechanism ofpainful exper ience. The classconsidered pain from a physiologicalperspective, looking at pain impulseinitiation and transmission, withstimulation (thermal, mechanical orchemical) of the nociceptors leading tosensory input travelling to the centralnervous system along the peripheral,spinal and cranial nerves to thethalamus and thence to the sensorydivisions of the cerebral cortex. Wealso considered the role of someneuropeptides with regard to paintransmission, namely Substance P,e n d o r p h i n s a n denkephalins.

The Person in Pain

To help us consider as aromatherapistshow our intervention can make asignificant impact to the person in pain,

we used our own experiences toidentify with aspects of pain perceptionand reaction. Some areas of discussionincluded

Being ‘trapped in the moment’

anxiety

fear of pain or the fear of morepain

cultural and social factors as wellas past experiences

the person’s focus on the pain

a sense of failure

f r u s t r a t i o n , a n g e r a n ddepression

act ive and passive copingmechanisms

pain and the stress response

sympathetically maintained pain

sleep deprivation

diminished coping mechanisms

postural, behavioural and socialchanges

adoption of the ‘sick role’

the impact of reduced physicalactivity.

We then considered the two mainmethods of pain management from anon-pharmacological viewpoint:

1. Interrupting the pain impulse. Thiscan take place at the spinal orsupraspinal level and involves theGate Control Theory as putforward by Melzack and Wall in1965. This theory was expoundedon during the class.

2. Addressing the perpetuatingfa c to rs . W herea s i mp ul sei n t e r r u p t i o ntechniques elicit effective painrelief in many cases, the effect isshort lived. Long-term pain reliefcan only be obtained if the

contributing factors are addressed.

How aromatherapy can help

The intrinsic analgesic effects ofessential oils may arise by acombination of both central andperipheral mechanisms:

1. By a stimulant effect centrally,efferent inhibition may occur bystimulating descending inhibitorypathways.

2. By peripheral mechanisms ,essential oils may inhibit the influxof nociceptive impulses byi n h i b i t i n g t h e c o n t i n u e dtransmission of the pain impulse inthe dorsal horn.

We then considered how essential oilsmay be used as counterirritants andtheir possible mechanism of action.C o m m o n i n g r e d i e n t s f o rcounter irri tants include Clove,Cinnamon bark, Cinnamomum cassia,Eucalyptus, Wintergreen, Camphor andmenthol. With the creation of heat,redness and warmth, a degree of painrelief and reduction of inflammationcan be achieved similar to that of heatpacks or heat lamps. The vasodilatationand heat sensation may also trigger thebody’s own opioid-mediated analgesics ys t e m. Aro ma t h e r ap i s t s c ansuccessfully formulate counterirritantbalms using essential oils for thepurpose of giving pain relief in chronicpain situations. Note… counterirritanttherapy is less appropriate in acutesituations.

Preventing Pain

Aromatherapy can also help in painmanagement with regards to painanticipation. Helping to maintain apain-free or low pain experience iseasier to achieve than to create a pain-free state in the first place. Anystimulus (olfactory, auditory, tactile)can help reduce anticipatory anxiety,

Page 17

Acute Aromatic CareAcute Aromatic Care

Infused oils such as those of Calendulaofficinalis and Hypericum perforatumhave confirmed anti-inflammatoryactivity.


When considering using the anti-inflammatory properties of essentialoils, we should be aware thatinflammation is a normal protectivemechanism of the body. It is an integralpart of the healing process and thuseach case should be examinedindividually. As described above, moreoften than not we are working purely tosuppress some of the unwanteds y m p t o m s t h a t a c c o m p a n yinflammation.

SOFT TISSUE INJURY

As aromatherapists, we are frequentlyasked to help with various forms ofminor soft tissue injuries. A deeperunderstanding of the mechanism oftissue repair may help us to improveour selection of essential oils andtherapeutic applications. Thus the classexamined the process and stages oftissue repair, fibrosis and scarring anddiscussed how essential oils and relatedproducts have a role in its promotion.


Unlike the numerous s tud iesconcerning essential o i ls andinflammation and the reduction of pain,there has been little research conductedusing essential oils specifically fortissue healing per se. However,aromatherapists around the world havea combined experience of usingessential oils for tissue regeneration.Related products such as fixed oils,infused oils and hydrolats can also playa significant role.

The scope of our intervention as

aromatherapists is to provide bothspecific and non-specific support fortissue healing and repair. Specificsupport would include treatment of

minor wounds and lesions

sprains and strains

bruising

reducing bleeding

reducing pain and oedema

minor burns

reducing infection risk

hypertrophic or keloid scarformation

c h r o n i c m u s c u l o t e n d i n o u spathologies such as RSI

varicose and decubitus ulcers.

Non-specific support may include themanagement and relief of symptoms bethey physical, mental or emotional innature. With regard to supporting thetissue repair process, there is someevidence that essential oils may play avaluable role in helping to speed uptissue repair times. Further research hassuggested essential oils have a validrole in wound care and the treatment ofdecubitus ulcers. This may be directsupport of tissue repair throughapplication of essential oil or relatedproduct to the wound site or indirectlythrough reducing stress by inhalation ofsedative essential oils.

Wound care

Essential oils may be applied towounds in a variety of ways:

in sterile honey

in carrier oil

in sterile water

in gels

in compresses

added directly to wounddressings

Additionally, hydrolats may play auseful role giving a degree ofastringency either in compress form orby wound irrigation. Infused oils havealso demonstrated tissue regenerationeffects.

Scarring

Encouraging healthy tissue healingwith essential oils may help to reduceunsightly scarring. However, forexisting scarring such as hypertrophicscars or keloid, there may also be somebenefit using a combination of fixed orinfused oils and essential oils. The mostwell researched fixed oil for scarring isthat of rose hip seed. Calophyllum oilhas also demonstrated wound healingpotential.


There are of course times whenaromatherapy treatment for soft tissueinjury is wholly inappropriate.Aromatherapy cannot be regarded as areplacement for standard first aidprocedures. Additionally, where theskin is broken, great care much betaken with regards to essential oilselection, quality and application.

PAIN

Pain management (especially that ofchronic pain) remains one of thebiggest challenges in medical care. Ourexperience as aromatherapists hasshown us that in many cases,aromatherapy can offer a significantway forward as either a complementaryor alternative form of pain relief for alarge number of people. This classhelped to

remind us of the pain experience,its aetiology and process

examine possible ways by which


essential oils and the globalaromatherapy experience mayassist in relieving pain

offer some suggestions to improvethe efficacy of the care we give.

Defining Pain

Pain can be difficult to assess and toclassify. This is because pain is aunique, subjective, highly personal andmultidimensional experience that haspsychological, social and spiritualaspects. We have to rely on the client toexpress their experience of the pain andto respect their impressions. However,a degree of classification can be helpfulwith regards to planning appropriatetreatment . We considered theclassifications of pain according to timecourse (acute, sub-acute, chronic) aswell as origin and type (neuropathic,nociceptive, visceral and idiopathic).Sensory, affective and cognitiveaspects that are integral to the painexperience were also discussed.

The Pain Experience

Nociception is the mechanism ofpainful exper ience. The classconsidered pain from a physiologicalperspective, looking at pain impulseinitiation and transmission, withstimulation (thermal, mechanical orchemical) of the nociceptors leading tosensory input travelling to the centralnervous system along the peripheral,spinal and cranial nerves to thethalamus and thence to the sensorydivisions of the cerebral cortex. Wealso considered the role of someneuropeptides with regard to paintransmission, namely Substance P,e n d o r p h i n s a n denkephalins.

The Person in Pain

To help us consider as aromatherapistshow our intervention can make asignificant impact to the person in pain,

we used our own experiences toidentify with aspects of pain perceptionand reaction. Some areas of discussionincluded

Being ‘trapped in the moment’

anxiety

fear of pain or the fear of morepain

cultural and social factors as wellas past experiences

the person’s focus on the pain

a sense of failure

f r u s t r a t i o n , a n g e r a n ddepression

act ive and passive copingmechanisms

pain and the stress response

sympathetically maintained pain

sleep deprivation

diminished coping mechanisms

postural, behavioural and socialchanges

adoption of the ‘sick role’

the impact of reduced physicalactivity.

We then considered the two mainmethods of pain management from anon-pharmacological viewpoint:

1. Interrupting the pain impulse. Thiscan take place at the spinal orsupraspinal level and involves theGate Control Theory as putforward by Melzack and Wall in1965. This theory was expoundedon during the class.

2. Addressing the perpetuatingfa c to rs . W herea s i mp ul sei n t e r r u p t i o ntechniques elicit effective painrelief in many cases, the effect isshort lived. Long-term pain reliefcan only be obtained if the

contributing factors are addressed.

How aromatherapy can help

The intrinsic analgesic effects ofessential oils may arise by acombination of both central andperipheral mechanisms:

1. By a stimulant effect centrally,efferent inhibition may occur bystimulating descending inhibitorypathways.

2. By peripheral mechanisms ,essential oils may inhibit the influxof nociceptive impulses byi n h i b i t i n g t h e c o n t i n u e dtransmission of the pain impulse inthe dorsal horn.

We then considered how essential oilsmay be used as counterirritants andtheir possible mechanism of action.C o m m o n i n g r e d i e n t s f o rcounter irri tants include Clove,Cinnamon bark, Cinnamomum cassia,Eucalyptus, Wintergreen, Camphor andmenthol. With the creation of heat,redness and warmth, a degree of painrelief and reduction of inflammationcan be achieved similar to that of heatpacks or heat lamps. The vasodilatationand heat sensation may also trigger thebody’s own opioid-mediated analgesics ys t e m. Aro ma t h e r ap i s t s c ansuccessfully formulate counterirritantbalms using essential oils for thepurpose of giving pain relief in chronicpain situations. Note… counterirritanttherapy is less appropriate in acutesituations.

Preventing Pain

Aromatherapy can also help in painmanagement with regards to painanticipation. Helping to maintain apain-free or low pain experience iseasier to achieve than to create a pain-free state in the first place. Anystimulus (olfactory, auditory, tactile)can help reduce anticipatory anxiety,

Page 17


provide distraction and thus indirectlyreduce pain before potentially painfulprocedures.

Choosing the method of application

Aromatherapy intervention can work inpractical ways to reduce painperception. This can occur with the useof essential oils and related productsworking with the somatic, affective andcognitive aspects of the painexperience. Combining essential oilswith the psychophysiological effects ofmassage or other touch therapies canalso help greatly.

For each of the components of the painexperience, the most appropriatemethod of application needs to beselected.

On a somatic level , externalapplications may be the mostadvantageous option for all of thebenefits listed above along with thepsychophysiological benefits of touch.

For the affective and cognitive levels,for some people where perhaps touch isnot appropriate, simple diffusion offragrance to enhance relaxation, inducesleep or to augment the effects ofhypnosis or visualisation may alsoprove highly effective.

For local pain conditions (skin,musculoskeletal), there is evidence thatexternal application of essential oilsmay result in absorption of somecomponents at least as far asunderlying muscles and fascia. Thismay explain why the majority ofpositive results in aromatic pain reliefare linked with musculoskeletal painsyndromes. For deeper pain conditions,it is not yet ascertained if sufficientessential oil enters the systemiccirculation to bring about pain relief

w h e n a p p l i e d e x t e r n a l l y .


From the above it can be seen thataromatherapy holds much potential foroffering deep and lasting pain relief ina number of cases. It goes withoutsaying that the responsibility of thearomatherapist to always work withintheir sphere of competence. Whentreating the person in pain, in manycases, the person is under thesimultaneous care of their doctor orother health care pract i t ioner(osteopath, chiropractor etc). Closeliaison between practitioners isessential. Another reason why closecollaboration between practitioners isessential is with regards to medication.As yet, the issue of possible druginteractions with essential oils is anarea of little exploration.

GENERAL COMMENTSREGARDING ACUTE AROMATIC

CARE

Oil selection

When using essential oils in acutearomatic care, the most important pointis that each essential oil andintervention needs to have a soundrationale. Often this is based on thechemical composition and intendedbioactivity coupled with its safety onthe tissues in an acute situation.

Quality control and safety

An aspect of the highest importance isthat of quality control. When dealingwith inflamed conditions, injury orbroken skin, it is essential that ouressential oils and all related productsare of the highest quality. It is theresponsibility of the therapist to source,store and use products that are pure andhigh quality. Quality control is anongoing process.

Correct identification

This involves knowing your Latinnames, selecting the appropriate plantpart (leaf, bark etc) as well aschemotype identification.

Dose and formulation

Generally speaking, when formulatingfor acute aromatic care, a localised areais being treated and it is the locationthat dictates the dose and type ofapplication. Depending on thecondition to be treated, the dose ofessential oil and application may be(but not necessarily) higher than forgeneral body massage, particularly ifinfection is thought to be a possiblethreat.

Frequency and duration oftreatment

Generally speaking, acute conditionsrespond to frequent application (morethan once daily) and the improvementswill be seen or experienced in a shortspace of time (within several hours). Ifrelief or improvement is not noticeablequickly, it is important to review eitherthe oil choice and application or indeedthe suitability of the condition toaromatherapy intervention.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen, inflammation, softtissue injury and pain are all interlinkedand usually co-exist. Also present arevarying degrees of anxiety and distress.Thus combining our knowledge of thethree processes, and our whole personapproach, as aromatherapists we shouldbe able to develop an effectivetreatment plan for a wide range ofsituations. Each unique situation callsinto play the innovative skills of thetherapist coupled wi th soundtherapeutic knowledge and experience.


SUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILSAND RELATED

PRODUCTS FOR SOFT TISSUEINJURY

Essential oils

Helichrysum italicum

Lavandula angustifolia

Matricaria recutita

Melaleuca alternifolia

Daucus carota

Lavandula latifolia

Hyssopus officinalis

Salvia officinalis

Curcuma longa

Santalum album

Pogostemon patchouli

Cistus ladaniferus

Commiphora molmol

Pistacia lentiscus

Hydrolats:

Cistus ladaniferus

Hamamelis virginiana

Thymus vulgaris ct linalol

Rosmarinus officinalis

Salvia officinalis

Achillea millefolium


Pistacia lentiscus

Fixed oils:

Rosa rubignosa

Calophyllum inophyllum

Butyrospermum parkii

Infused oils:

Hypericum perforatum

Calendula officinalis

Arnica montana (unbroken skin only)

Chamaemelum nobile

Centella asiatica

SUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILSFOR PAIN AND

INFLAMMATION

Anti inflammatory essential oils


Chamaemelum nobile

Matricaria chamomilla


Curcuma longa

Elettaria cardamomum

Cedrus deodara

Cymbopogon martinii

Mentha arvensis


Syzygium aromaticum

Zingiber officinale

Thymus vulgaris ct thymol

Satureja montana

Origanum vulgare

Pinus sylvestris

Cuminum cyminum

Local anaesthetic essential oils

Syzygium aromaticum

Ocimum gratissimum

Cinnamomum verum fol.

Laurus nobilis



Pimenta racemosa

Mentha piperita

Mentha arvensis

Counterirritant essential oils

Laurus nobilis


Piper nigrum


Origanum vulgare

Syzygium aromaticum

Cinnamomum camphora

Gaultheria procumbens

Betula lenta

Mentha piperita

Eucalyptus globulus

Melaleuca cajuputi

Mentha arvensis

Analgesic essential oils

Cymbopogon citratus


Lavandula latifolia

Lavandula x intermedia

Laurus nobilis

Mentha piperita

Eucalyptus globulus

Cinnamomum camphora


Origanum onites

Pinus sylvestris

Coriandrum sativum

Cedrus deodara

Melissa officinalis

Melaleuca cajuputi


Betula lenta

Page 19


provide distraction and thus indirectlyreduce pain before potentially painfulprocedures.

Choosing the method of application

Aromatherapy intervention can work inpractical ways to reduce painperception. This can occur with the useof essential oils and related productsworking with the somatic, affective andcognitive aspects of the painexperience. Combining essential oilswith the psychophysiological effects ofmassage or other touch therapies canalso help greatly.

For each of the components of the painexperience, the most appropriatemethod of application needs to beselected.

On a somatic level , externalapplications may be the mostadvantageous option for all of thebenefits listed above along with thepsychophysiological benefits of touch.

For the affective and cognitive levels,for some people where perhaps touch isnot appropriate, simple diffusion offragrance to enhance relaxation, inducesleep or to augment the effects ofhypnosis or visualisation may alsoprove highly effective.

For local pain conditions (skin,musculoskeletal), there is evidence thatexternal application of essential oilsmay result in absorption of somecomponents at least as far asunderlying muscles and fascia. Thismay explain why the majority ofpositive results in aromatic pain reliefare linked with musculoskeletal painsyndromes. For deeper pain conditions,it is not yet ascertained if sufficientessential oil enters the systemiccirculation to bring about pain relief

w h e n a p p l i e d e x t e r n a l l y .


From the above it can be seen thataromatherapy holds much potential foroffering deep and lasting pain relief ina number of cases. It goes withoutsaying that the responsibility of thearomatherapist to always work withintheir sphere of competence. Whentreating the person in pain, in manycases, the person is under thesimultaneous care of their doctor orother health care pract i t ioner(osteopath, chiropractor etc). Closeliaison between practitioners isessential. Another reason why closecollaboration between practitioners isessential is with regards to medication.As yet, the issue of possible druginteractions with essential oils is anarea of little exploration.

GENERAL COMMENTSREGARDING ACUTE AROMATIC

CARE

Oil selection

When using essential oils in acutearomatic care, the most important pointis that each essential oil andintervention needs to have a soundrationale. Often this is based on thechemical composition and intendedbioactivity coupled with its safety onthe tissues in an acute situation.

Quality control and safety

An aspect of the highest importance isthat of quality control. When dealingwith inflamed conditions, injury orbroken skin, it is essential that ouressential oils and all related productsare of the highest quality. It is theresponsibility of the therapist to source,store and use products that are pure andhigh quality. Quality control is anongoing process.

Correct identification

This involves knowing your Latinnames, selecting the appropriate plantpart (leaf, bark etc) as well aschemotype identification.

Dose and formulation

Generally speaking, when formulatingfor acute aromatic care, a localised areais being treated and it is the locationthat dictates the dose and type ofapplication. Depending on thecondition to be treated, the dose ofessential oil and application may be(but not necessarily) higher than forgeneral body massage, particularly ifinfection is thought to be a possiblethreat.

Frequency and duration oftreatment

Generally speaking, acute conditionsrespond to frequent application (morethan once daily) and the improvementswill be seen or experienced in a shortspace of time (within several hours). Ifrelief or improvement is not noticeablequickly, it is important to review eitherthe oil choice and application or indeedthe suitability of the condition toaromatherapy intervention.

CONCLUSION

As we have seen, inflammation, softtissue injury and pain are all interlinkedand usually co-exist. Also present arevarying degrees of anxiety and distress.Thus combining our knowledge of thethree processes, and our whole personapproach, as aromatherapists we shouldbe able to develop an effectivetreatment plan for a wide range ofsituations. Each unique situation callsinto play the innovative skills of thetherapist coupled wi th soundtherapeutic knowledge and experience.


SUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILSAND RELATED

PRODUCTS FOR SOFT TISSUEINJURY

Essential oils



Matricaria recutita

Melaleuca alternifolia

Daucus carota

Lavandula latifolia

Hyssopus officinalis

Salvia officinalis

Curcuma longa

Santalum album

Pogostemon patchouli

Cistus ladaniferus

Commiphora molmol

Pistacia lentiscus

Hydrolats:

Cistus ladaniferus

Hamamelis virginiana

Thymus vulgaris ct linalol


Salvia officinalis



Pistacia lentiscus

Fixed oils:

Rosa rubignosa

Calophyllum inophyllum

Butyrospermum parkii

Infused oils:

Hypericum perforatum

Calendula officinalis

Arnica montana (unbroken skin only)

Chamaemelum nobile

Centella asiatica

SUGGESTED ESSENTIAL OILSFOR PAIN AND

INFLAMMATION

Anti inflammatory essential oils


Chamaemelum nobile

Matricaria chamomilla


Curcuma longa


Cedrus deodara

Cymbopogon martinii

Mentha arvensis


Syzygium aromaticum

Zingiber officinale


Satureja montana

Origanum vulgare

Pinus sylvestris

Cuminum cyminum

Local anaesthetic essential oils

Syzygium aromaticum

Ocimum gratissimum

Cinnamomum verum fol.

Laurus nobilis



Pimenta racemosa

Mentha piperita

Mentha arvensis

Counterirritant essential oils

Laurus nobilis


Piper nigrum


Origanum vulgare

Syzygium aromaticum

Cinnamomum camphora


Betula lenta

Mentha piperita

Eucalyptus globulus

Melaleuca cajuputi

Mentha arvensis

Analgesic essential oils

Cymbopogon citratus


Lavandula latifolia

Lavandula x intermedia

Laurus nobilis

Mentha piperita

Eucalyptus globulus

Cinnamomum camphora


Origanum onites

Pinus sylvestris

Coriandrum sativum

Cedrus deodara

Melissa officinalis

Melaleuca cajuputi


Betula lenta

Page 19


Antispasmodic essential oils


Ocimum basilicum ct methyl chavicoland linalol

Citrus aurantium fol.

Salvia sclarea

Eucalyptus citriodora

Origanum majorana

Chamaemelum nobile


Artemisia dracunculu

Bob and Rhiannon Harris run their Essential

Oil Resource Consultants business from

their home in a small village in the

mountains of the Haut Var region in

Provence. Rhiannon is a qualified nurse

who has practiced clinical and holistic

aromatherapy since 1989. Her first book,

“Becoming an Aromatherapist”, is now in

its second edition. Bob is a medical

microbiologist interested in the scientific

aspects of essential oils and aromatherapy.

He edits the International Journal of

Aromatherapy and also produces The

Aromatherapy Database, an annotated

bibliography of scientific

research on essential oils. The Harrises

promote the therapeutic use of essential

oils world-wide through their teaching

internationally and at home, by making

available information and research on

essential oils. and by encouraging

collaboration among different health care

practitioners.

Website: http://www.essentialorc.com


Acute Aromatic Care

By Klaus Ferlow

Ferlow Brothers

Growing up in Northern Germany'country style', I quickly developed alove of mother nature, especiallyflowers, vegetables, and herbs. Myfamily used an almost unlimitedamount of herbs in our daily diet, aswell as for healing illnesses. One of ourfavourite herbs is 'the stinking rose'garlic, which in our family isconsidered a wonder herb!

Herbs have been a part of civilizationsince our ancestors first walked theearth. For thousands of years, herbshave formed the basis of medicinechests, cosmetic bowls, culinary spicejars, perfume vials, and dye pots.

Herbs have a remarkable history ofheal ing the human body andmaintaining good health when properlyused. Most herbs in their natural stateare safe and do not leave residue in thebody that produces side effects.

Drugs on the other hand that areextracted from plants are not used intheir natural state, causing possibleside-effects.

The term HERB is applied generally toany plant, part or all of which has beenused for such purposes as medicaltreatment, nutritional value, foodseasoning, or colouring and dyeing ofother substances.

Historically, the most important uses ofherbs were medicinal. Herbalism has along tradition and herbals describingthe uses and effects of plant medicineswere produced and have demonstratedtheir efficiency as healing agents withinmany cultures.

Herbs have played a very importantrole in the spiritual healing ecology ofthe Native North Americans as well asEurope (Greeks, Romans), Africa, andthe Arabic world, especially Egypt.Every culture has had a basic healingflora from which remedies wereselected.

The chemistry of herbs is a fascinatingscience. Herbs contain compounds thatwork with the body to promote healing.They work together synergistically,giving the whole effect of a herbalremedy a vastly greater value than thesum of its individual constituents.

Medical scientists can't always tell ushow the individual compounds in anherb work, and often aren't even awareof them all. Herbalists use the wholeplant so that all of the compounds canwork together.

Essentially all plants have therapeuticproperties because they contain avar iety of b iological ly activesubstances.

Herbalism emphasizes that one shouldavoid getting sick in the first place (forexample, Echinacea tincture to preventcolds, etc.)

All plants undergo photosynthesis,transforming carbon dioxide intoenergy-rich substances, like sugars.

The resulting carbon chains are furthertransformed into a variety ofcompounds, such as lipids. alkaloids,essential oils, and tannins. Throughother biochemical processes, mineralsand nitrates are absorbed by the rootsand transformed into vitamins, traceminerals, and antibiotics.

Herbs can affect biological systems atthe cell and organ level and can lead tohigh levels of biologically activesubstances, which can producepharmacological and therapeuticeffects.

The nutritional value of herbs is so highthat a consumer should use only thosegrown organically to obtain the plant'smaximum benefit.

The popularity of using herbs incosmetics (herbal creams, lotions,shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, oils,essential oils, tinctures, cooking, teas,etc.) is growing world-wide rapidly. Atone time perfumes were made whollyfrom plants; today most of them aremade synthetically.

Klaus Ferlow is the owner/operator of

Ferlow Borthers, a 100% Canadian owned

family business manufacturing natural

herbal products in Mission, BC. Founded in

1975 . Selling only to Professional Health

& Wellness Practitioners across Canada.

Website:http://www.ferlowbrothers.com

Fall Continuing Education DayHerbs: A Vital Part of Health


Antispasmodic essential oils


Ocimum basilicum ct methyl chavicoland linalol

Citrus aurantium fol.

Salvia sclarea

Eucalyptus citriodora

Origanum majorana

Chamaemelum nobile


Artemisia dracunculu

Bob and Rhiannon Harris run their Essential

Oil Resource Consultants business from

their home in a small village in the

mountains of the Haut Var region in

Provence. Rhiannon is a qualified nurse

who has practiced clinical and holistic

aromatherapy since 1989. Her first book,

“Becoming an Aromatherapist”, is now in

its second edition. Bob is a medical

microbiologist interested in the scientific

aspects of essential oils and aromatherapy.

He edits the International Journal of

Aromatherapy and also produces The

Aromatherapy Database, an annotated

bibliography of scientific

research on essential oils. The Harrises

promote the therapeutic use of essential

oils world-wide through their teaching

internationally and at home, by making

available information and research on

essential oils. and by encouraging

collaboration among different health care

practitioners.

Website: http://www.essentialorc.com


Acute Aromatic Care

By Klaus Ferlow

Ferlow Brothers

Growing up in Northern Germany'country style', I quickly developed alove of mother nature, especiallyflowers, vegetables, and herbs. Myfamily used an almost unlimitedamount of herbs in our daily diet, aswell as for healing illnesses. One of ourfavourite herbs is 'the stinking rose'garlic, which in our family isconsidered a wonder herb!

Herbs have been a part of civilizationsince our ancestors first walked theearth. For thousands of years, herbshave formed the basis of medicinechests, cosmetic bowls, culinary spicejars, perfume vials, and dye pots.

Herbs have a remarkable history ofheal ing the human body andmaintaining good health when properlyused. Most herbs in their natural stateare safe and do not leave residue in thebody that produces side effects.

Drugs on the other hand that areextracted from plants are not used intheir natural state, causing possibleside-effects.

The term HERB is applied generally toany plant, part or all of which has beenused for such purposes as medicaltreatment, nutritional value, foodseasoning, or colouring and dyeing ofother substances.

Historically, the most important uses ofherbs were medicinal. Herbalism has along tradition and herbals describingthe uses and effects of plant medicineswere produced and have demonstratedtheir efficiency as healing agents withinmany cultures.

Herbs have played a very importantrole in the spiritual healing ecology ofthe Native North Americans as well asEurope (Greeks, Romans), Africa, andthe Arabic world, especially Egypt.Every culture has had a basic healingflora from which remedies wereselected.

The chemistry of herbs is a fascinatingscience. Herbs contain compounds thatwork with the body to promote healing.They work together synergistically,giving the whole effect of a herbalremedy a vastly greater value than thesum of its individual constituents.

Medical scientists can't always tell ushow the individual compounds in anherb work, and often aren't even awareof them all. Herbalists use the wholeplant so that all of the compounds canwork together.

Essentially all plants have therapeuticproperties because they contain avar iety of b iological ly activesubstances.

Herbalism emphasizes that one shouldavoid getting sick in the first place (forexample, Echinacea tincture to preventcolds, etc.)

All plants undergo photosynthesis,transforming carbon dioxide intoenergy-rich substances, like sugars.

The resulting carbon chains are furthertransformed into a variety ofcompounds, such as lipids. alkaloids,essential oils, and tannins. Throughother biochemical processes, mineralsand nitrates are absorbed by the rootsand transformed into vitamins, traceminerals, and antibiotics.

Herbs can affect biological systems atthe cell and organ level and can lead tohigh levels of biologically activesubstances, which can producepharmacological and therapeuticeffects.

The nutritional value of herbs is so highthat a consumer should use only thosegrown organically to obtain the plant'smaximum benefit.

The popularity of using herbs incosmetics (herbal creams, lotions,shampoos, soaps, toothpaste, oils,essential oils, tinctures, cooking, teas,etc.) is growing world-wide rapidly. Atone time perfumes were made whollyfrom plants; today most of them aremade synthetically.

Klaus Ferlow is the owner/operator of

Ferlow Borthers, a 100% Canadian owned

family business manufacturing natural

herbal products in Mission, BC. Founded in

1975 . Selling only to Professional Health

& Wellness Practitioners across Canada.

Website:http://www.ferlowbrothers.com

Fall Continuing Education DayHerbs: A Vital Part of Health


PROCEEDINGS 2001

Tecia Ryan, Pharm. D.

Certified Aromatherapist

An alternative medicine approach usingessential oils to treat

1. ADD—attention deficit disorder

2. A D H D — a t t e n t i o n d e f i c i thyperactive disorder

3. central processing deficits oflanguage with focus scatter (oldterm: aphasia of childhood)

The information presented here isbased on the experience of my clientsand their families, and on myobservations of the profound effect thatdietary changes and supplements makein the behavior of formerly drug-controlled children.

Allopathic medicine usually treatsclassroom disrupters with behaviormodification and drugs:

Stimulants (RitalinAdderal/Dexedrine/Concerta)

Antidepressants(Anafranil/Tofranil)(Prozac/Paxil/Zoloft)

Stimulants often cause sulking orsurliness and reactionary rage orstubbornness - the vociferous protestorbecomes the sulking, shifty-eyed do-nothing.

Any stimulant given after 2 pm willcause inability to sleep at night.Lack of appetite and slowing of growthalso occurs.

As an aside, these children have apenchant for "junk" food of all kinds -the more processed the better.

Antidepressants can cause dry mouthand urinary hesitancy (it is hard to pee)

- in fact, using Tofranil at night forbedwetters causes calming ofhyperactivity during the day.

The Prozac type causes sleeplessnessalso, if given after 2 pm.

Essential oil treatment can

calm outbursts

reduce impulsive behavior

perseveration (insistence incontinuing focus on off-taskthoughts)

reduce belligerence, even in theolder child

It must be stressed, however, thatessential oil treatment is only a part ofa total package which includes:

behavioral modification with strictlogical consequences carry-through (don't just threaten - DOIT when you say what will happen)

diet modification with theresurgence of healthy eating offood-from-scratch from home toschool

Diet modification is a BIG step thatmany parents are just too worn-out(dealing with an ADD kid) or are notwilling to do - BUT - if these steps aretaken, many of the ADD symptoms arereduced significantly. The child is nolonger a classroom problem. Little orno processed food with the exceptionof canned fish and string-cheese,mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce.

NOTE: This means nothing pre-packaged. All those chemicals thatkeep that junk food fresh in thepackage are no longer going into thechild. This means little or no fried foodUNLESS you fry them (at home) inliquid canola oil or olive oil.. Thismeans no fast food French fries or

onion rings or fried chicken or fish.Have the burgers - maybe twice theburgers. Eliminate soda and soft drinks- even the "natural" ones. Buysparkling waters or coolers or juice ormilk (or soy or rice or almond milks).

The child needs a breakfast, every day,of NO colored, sweetened cereals - anda limit of one tablespoonful of syrup onpancakes (i.e. the parent measures thesyrup with a spoon).

The child needs a lunch, from home,and at least 2 snacks that have proteinand carbohydrate. The child needsfood every 3 hours, just like (before)he/she needed Ritalin.

For ideas, look in books on THEZONE diet - this is a diet for health, notjust to lose weight.

There are also specific nutrientsupplements which are necessary foroptimal behavioral results:

Omega-3 oils (up to 6 gm per day)must be supplied. This means tunaor salmon for lunch - every day. Ifyou make it the night before andpack it in a cup with a napkin (tosoak up the extra mayonnaise thatis in the tuna) and pack the breadseparately, the sandwich can bemade on the spot. The health foods t o r e h a s D H A c a p s u l e s(Neuromins), fish oil "pudding"that is orange flavored, tuna oilcapsules.

Vitamin B Complex and amultivitamin are minimallyrequired

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol)supplements elevate mood, giverestful sleep, increase clarity ofthought and increase focus

Why am I talking nutrition when this is

Page 22

Fall Continuing Education DayADD & ADHD

PROCEEDINGS 2001

essential oil treatment of ADD?

Because, your oils will not have half achance if the kid is wound up on "junk"food. People will say you are a quackand you can join the other ducks in thepark. Why do you think that so muchRitalin is sold, and in such highdosages?

The kids are revved on artificial colors/flavors/stabilizers and the wrong kindsof fats. It sure sells a lot of Ritalin.

Essential oils must be applied often (upto every hour, depending on thedifficulty of the task at hand or thecurrent behavioral constraints), and insufficient dose (ranging from 5 to 10%for each oil in the formulation).

Application needs to be convenient forin-the-classroom use.

The most effective mode for individualapplication is a 10 ml mini-roll-ondabber.

The oil formula is rolled onto the frontand back of the neck.

Jojoba oil is used as the diluent.

Every child varies, within him/herselfand from others, so teacher and parentfeed back is essential. It also helps ifthe teacher would like to blowsoothing, pleasant oils into theclassroom to increase the learningenvironment.

The oils chosen for the classroom aredifferent than the oils you are applyingto your ADD client. You would choosepleasant, calming oils for theclassroom.

Approaching the teacher to ask cannothurt, and the oil can be dispersed in alow-tech manner with a small fan ordiffuser which is battery-run.

In general, essential oil types fortreatment of ADD fall into thefollowing categories:

"green"-Fir, Laurel, Myrtle, Rosemary

"fruit"- Blood Orange, Grapefruit

a d d i t i o n s f o r e i t h e r g r o u pto improve language-oriented tasks -verbena, rosewood or coriander, ginger

less profound effect, but longercalming effect (the "listen to me"penetrates better) - Santal, Cedar

If a limit of 4 oils per blend is desired,make 2 blends. Use them together orseparately.

Concentration of each oil may be up to10% of the oil mix.

Ginger has a 5% concentration limitdue to skin-burning

The effect on language acquisition in acentral processing deficit, adult-sizedhigh-schooler is profound:

Focus hones and scatter decreases with

- the "green" mix plus Verbena- the "green" mix plus Rosewood orCoriander- the "fruit" mix plus Ginger andRosewood

Belligerence can be stopped with 5%Combava Petitgrain and 10% MandarinPetitgrain

Essential oil treatment of ADD is not ado-it-yourself project by the parent -an

aromatherapist may try manycombinations before the individualchild calms enough to be able to learn.

Those of you familiar with JennineStromkin’s work reflecting individualautonomic response to stress, will findthat most of your ADD clients aresympathetic responders. A few,however, are not. Therefore, if youtreat with oils that are “against type” besure to limit the attention oils to schoolwork times PLUS provide a supportblend that is “for type”.

For those ADD clients that aresympathetic responders, a sympatheticsupport blend, used regularly, willenhance the actions of an ADDclassroom blend. Benzoin, Rosewood,Blood Orange, Mandarin are stabilizingfor sympathetic responders.

The theory of ADD currently states thatthe brain dysfunction does not go awaywith puberty. The lack of input filteringcontinues throughout life – copingskills make the older child and adultappear less disruptive. The ping-pongball is still bouncing around in thebrain, however, making concentrationand organization difficult.

Using focus blends as needed intoadulthood makes life easier for all – theclient, family, teachers, employers.

Tecia Ryan is a Pharm D and Certified

Aromatherapist . She can be reached at

2930 Claremont Blvd.

Berkeley, California 94705 USA

1-510-841-7588

email [email protected]

Page 23


PROCEEDINGS 2001

Tecia Ryan, Pharm. D.

Certified Aromatherapist

An alternative medicine approach usingessential oils to treat

1. ADD—attention deficit disorder

2. A D H D — a t t e n t i o n d e f i c i thyperactive disorder

3. central processing deficits oflanguage with focus scatter (oldterm: aphasia of childhood)

The information presented here isbased on the experience of my clientsand their families, and on myobservations of the profound effect thatdietary changes and supplements makein the behavior of formerly drug-controlled children.

Allopathic medicine usually treatsclassroom disrupters with behaviormodification and drugs:

Stimulants (RitalinAdderal/Dexedrine/Concerta)

Antidepressants(Anafranil/Tofranil)(Prozac/Paxil/Zoloft)

Stimulants often cause sulking orsurliness and reactionary rage orstubbornness - the vociferous protestorbecomes the sulking, shifty-eyed do-nothing.

Any stimulant given after 2 pm willcause inability to sleep at night.Lack of appetite and slowing of growthalso occurs.

As an aside, these children have apenchant for "junk" food of all kinds -the more processed the better.

Antidepressants can cause dry mouthand urinary hesitancy (it is hard to pee)

- in fact, using Tofranil at night forbedwetters causes calming ofhyperactivity during the day.

The Prozac type causes sleeplessnessalso, if given after 2 pm.

Essential oil treatment can

calm outbursts

reduce impulsive behavior

perseveration (insistence incontinuing focus on off-taskthoughts)

reduce belligerence, even in theolder child

It must be stressed, however, thatessential oil treatment is only a part ofa total package which includes:

behavioral modification with strictlogical consequences carry-through (don't just threaten - DOIT when you say what will happen)

diet modification with theresurgence of healthy eating offood-from-scratch from home toschool

Diet modification is a BIG step thatmany parents are just too worn-out(dealing with an ADD kid) or are notwilling to do - BUT - if these steps aretaken, many of the ADD symptoms arereduced significantly. The child is nolonger a classroom problem. Little orno processed food with the exceptionof canned fish and string-cheese,mayonnaise, Worcestershire sauce.

NOTE: This means nothing pre-packaged. All those chemicals thatkeep that junk food fresh in thepackage are no longer going into thechild. This means little or no fried foodUNLESS you fry them (at home) inliquid canola oil or olive oil.. Thismeans no fast food French fries or

onion rings or fried chicken or fish.Have the burgers - maybe twice theburgers. Eliminate soda and soft drinks- even the "natural" ones. Buysparkling waters or coolers or juice ormilk (or soy or rice or almond milks).

The child needs a breakfast, every day,of NO colored, sweetened cereals - anda limit of one tablespoonful of syrup onpancakes (i.e. the parent measures thesyrup with a spoon).

The child needs a lunch, from home,and at least 2 snacks that have proteinand carbohydrate. The child needsfood every 3 hours, just like (before)he/she needed Ritalin.

For ideas, look in books on THEZONE diet - this is a diet for health, notjust to lose weight.

There are also specific nutrientsupplements which are necessary foroptimal behavioral results:

Omega-3 oils (up to 6 gm per day)must be supplied. This means tunaor salmon for lunch - every day. Ifyou make it the night before andpack it in a cup with a napkin (tosoak up the extra mayonnaise thatis in the tuna) and pack the breadseparately, the sandwich can bemade on the spot. The health foods t o r e h a s D H A c a p s u l e s(Neuromins), fish oil "pudding"that is orange flavored, tuna oilcapsules.

Vitamin B Complex and amultivitamin are minimallyrequired

DMAE (dimethylaminoethanol)supplements elevate mood, giverestful sleep, increase clarity ofthought and increase focus

Why am I talking nutrition when this is

Page 22


PROCEEDINGS 2001

essential oil treatment of ADD?

Because, your oils will not have half achance if the kid is wound up on "junk"food. People will say you are a quackand you can join the other ducks in thepark. Why do you think that so muchRitalin is sold, and in such highdosages?

The kids are revved on artificial colors/flavors/stabilizers and the wrong kindsof fats. It sure sells a lot of Ritalin.

Essential oils must be applied often (upto every hour, depending on thedifficulty of the task at hand or thecurrent behavioral constraints), and insufficient dose (ranging from 5 to 10%for each oil in the formulation).

Application needs to be convenient forin-the-classroom use.

The most effective mode for individualapplication is a 10 ml mini-roll-ondabber.

The oil formula is rolled onto the frontand back of the neck.

Jojoba oil is used as the diluent.

Every child varies, within him/herselfand from others, so teacher and parentfeed back is essential. It also helps ifthe teacher would like to blowsoothing, pleasant oils into theclassroom to increase the learningenvironment.

The oils chosen for the classroom aredifferent than the oils you are applyingto your ADD client. You would choosepleasant, calming oils for theclassroom.

Approaching the teacher to ask cannothurt, and the oil can be dispersed in alow-tech manner with a small fan ordiffuser which is battery-run.

In general, essential oil types fortreatment of ADD fall into thefollowing categories:

"green"-Fir, Laurel, Myrtle, Rosemary

"fruit"- Blood Orange, Grapefruit

a d d i t i o n s f o r e i t h e r g r o u pto improve language-oriented tasks -verbena, rosewood or coriander, ginger

less profound effect, but longercalming effect (the "listen to me"penetrates better) - Santal, Cedar

If a limit of 4 oils per blend is desired,make 2 blends. Use them together orseparately.

Concentration of each oil may be up to10% of the oil mix.

Ginger has a 5% concentration limitdue to skin-burning

The effect on language acquisition in acentral processing deficit, adult-sizedhigh-schooler is profound:

Focus hones and scatter decreases with

- the "green" mix plus Verbena- the "green" mix plus Rosewood orCoriander- the "fruit" mix plus Ginger andRosewood

Belligerence can be stopped with 5%Combava Petitgrain and 10% MandarinPetitgrain

Essential oil treatment of ADD is not ado-it-yourself project by the parent -an

aromatherapist may try manycombinations before the individualchild calms enough to be able to learn.

Those of you familiar with JennineStromkin’s work reflecting individualautonomic response to stress, will findthat most of your ADD clients aresympathetic responders. A few,however, are not. Therefore, if youtreat with oils that are “against type” besure to limit the attention oils to schoolwork times PLUS provide a supportblend that is “for type”.

For those ADD clients that aresympathetic responders, a sympatheticsupport blend, used regularly, willenhance the actions of an ADDclassroom blend. Benzoin, Rosewood,Blood Orange, Mandarin are stabilizingfor sympathetic responders.

The theory of ADD currently states thatthe brain dysfunction does not go awaywith puberty. The lack of input filteringcontinues throughout life – copingskills make the older child and adultappear less disruptive. The ping-pongball is still bouncing around in thebrain, however, making concentrationand organization difficult.

Using focus blends as needed intoadulthood makes life easier for all – theclient, family, teachers, employers.

Tecia Ryan is a Pharm D and Certified

Aromatherapist . She can be reached at

2930 Claremont Blvd.

Berkeley, California 94705 USA

1-510-841-7588

email [email protected]

Page 23


Chapter MeetingsPost Traumatic Stress Disorder

PROCEEDINGS 2001

On Monday, October 16, the VictoriaChapter of the BCAPA held it’s firstd i s c u s s i o n n i g h t , f e a t u r i n gFibromyalgia. Twelve members werein attendance. Of the twelve, three hadbeen diagnosed with an autoimmuneDisorder, (Fibromyalgia, Arthritis andChronic Fatigue).

The discussion quickly centered on thequestion ‘How does one treatFibromyalgia?

The answers varied:

Treat the physical symptoms that arepresent at that time.

Consider the emotional/spiritual aspect.It’s difficult to know if the physicalmanifestations are the result ofemotional issues/blockages, or if thelow emotional state is the result ofphysical changes in the body.

Detoxing the body is extremelyimportant (this includes releasing of oldor harmful emotional blockages). Thishappens through diet, exercise andtreatments salt scrubs, detox baths,lymph drainage. Regular treatmentsare needed, but also, one suffering fromFM needs to care for oneself.Sometimes this is the most difficult toachieve.

Therapists may become a catalyst forthe client to have an ‘A-ha moment!’A realization about themselves andtheir situation. They must wantchange before they will change theirattitude towards their lifestyle, whichmay be a huge contributor to theautoimmune disorder. “We’re a workin progress”. Seeing the opportunity tochange oneself, their environment, andtheir lifestyle for the better.

Discussion never focused on which oilsTO USE, but we were reminded of an

oil NOT TO USE: Lemongrass, whichmay be too stimulating for an alreadyexhausted immune system.

Success/Personal stories:

Joined a support group. Takes smallsteps, sets small goals in dealing withFM.

Suggested client ‘paint’ the emotionsshe was feeling, but could not talkabout. Turned out to be the first timethe client, who is an artist, painted in 8years.

Offering a ‘safe place’ for client to be,so that they can be away from theenvironment that is perpetuating herillness.

Chose to remove themselves fromsituations with those who would judgethem.

Learning to ‘look after me’, is provingto be the hardest lesson to learn.

Books discussed:

“Fibromyalgia & Chronic MyofascialPain Syndrome”, by Devin StarlanylMD, Mary Ellen Copeland MS, MA.

“Vibrational Medicine”, by RichardGerber, MD.

“The Canary and Chronic Fatigue”, byMajid Ali.

Handouts shared:

Overview of the FB Self ManagementCourse offered by the Victoria ArthritisSociety (included below)

Fibromyalgia Syndrome, synopsis,from “Prescription for NutritionalHealing”

F I B R O M Y A L G I A S E L FMANAGEMENT COURSE offeredby the Victoria Arthritis Society, withCarol Ray, MSW. Submitted byMarjorie Gardiner, BCAPA member.

“As an Aromatherapist with FM, I findit a constant, ongoing struggle to findsomething that really works for me.Although using essential oils every dayhelps a great deal, I find it comfortingto know that there is a support groupavailable, to help me understand thatI’m not alone. A doctor’s referral isrequired to attend the 9 week programwhich covers Pain Management, SleepManagement, Movement-Activity-Exercise, Breaking the Stress/Paincycle & Managing Internal Stressorsand Touch & Sexuality.

There is another session commencingin January. Space is limited and fillsquickly. Those interested are urged toget a doctor’s referral and contact CarolRay ASAP. A resource list such asnetworking groups, additional supportgroups, exercise programs, counselingand complementary therapies areprovided to attendees at the firstsession.”

Marjorie strongly recommends thatanyone, who is treating a client withFM, make them aware of this program.

The Victoria Arthritis Society can bereached at 250-598-2277

Page 24

Chapter MeetingsFibromyalgia

Nanaimo Chapter Meeting

Post Traumatic Stress:

Our discussion on this topic waslimited. Lily Dawn spoke of a clientwho was coming to her regularly fortreatments, before being diagnosedwith PTSD. One of the greatestdifficulties the client had was thefeeling of ‘not knowing’. Why did shefeel this way, why couldn’t anyoneempathize with her, etc. Once she wasdiagnosed, then she joined a supportgroup and her life has improved.Anita moved from Kemano, BC, wheret h e E NT I R E T OW N c l o s e d .Obviously there would be no escapinga sudden level of stress for all thoseinvolved. She created a blend thatfeatured four oils, among them,Spearmint.

Maple Ridge Chapter Meeting

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is anAnxiety Disorder which can developwhen an individual who has beenexposed to a traumatic event developsanxiety symptoms, re-experiences theevent and avoids stimuli related to theevent over a period of more than fourweeks.

There are specific diagnostic criteriafor Post Traumatic Stress Disorder andyou can find a description ofDiagnostic criteria for 309.81 Postt raumat ic Stress Disorder onBehaveNet Clinical Capsule PostTraumatic Stress Disorder web page:

http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/ptsd.htm

There is actually a wealth ofinformation on the internet on PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. Some

interesting web sites to visit include:

David Baldwin’s Trauma InformationPages

http://www.trauma-pages.com

Managing Traumatic Stress –American Psychological Association

http://www.apa.org/practice/traumaticstress.html

Traumatic Stress and SecondaryTraumatic & (Vicarious) Stress

http://www.lib.auburn.edu/sosci/docs/ptsd.html

University of Minnesota Deluth’sc h e c k l i s t f o r S y m p t o m s o fPosttraumatic Stress Disorder

http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/soc/health/ptslist.html

American Academy of Experts inTraumatic Stress

http://www.aaets.org

Medscape

http://www.medscape.com/Medscape/psychiatry/journal1997/v02.n06/mh3247.ptsd/mh3247.ptsd.html

Internet Mental Health – PostTraumatic Stress Disorder

http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html

University of Nebraska Medical Center– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/index

For the support person: Helping yourpartner (Ed Bourne)

http://www.npadnews.com/support.htm

There are a number of differentincidents, which can trigger off thissyndrome including War and NaturalCatastrophes; Robberies, Assaults andAbuse; Motor Vehicle Accidents andElectrical Injuries. The AmericanAcademy of Experts in TraumaticStress defines traumatic stress as, “the

emotional, cognitive and behavioralexperiences of individuals who areexposed to, or who witness, events thatare extreme and/or life threatening”.They also say that Traumatic stress hasmany “faces”. In addition to thedevastating effects of large-scaledisasters and catastrophes, they arecommitted to fostering a greaterappreciation of the effects of day-to-day traumatic experiences (e.g. chronicillness, accidents, domestic violenceand loss).

What are the signs that someone hasPTSD

(Reference)

http://www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTST/signs.html

What are the symptoms of PTSD andhow do they differ from normalstress?

PTSD may be seen in anyone who hasexperienced a traumatic, life changingevent. Symptoms of PTSD mayinclude:

Sleep disturbances/nightmares

Harmful behaviors to self/others

Flashbacks

Eating Disorders

Extreme fear/paranoia

Isolation

Panic attacks: chest pain,shortness of breath

Problems with trust/relationships

Rage

Chronic physical problems

Intimacy issues (i.e. promiscuity)

Difficulty keeping jobs

Suicidal thoughts/attempts

Difficulty in school



PROCEEDINGS 2001

On Monday, October 16, the VictoriaChapter of the BCAPA held it’s firstd i s c u s s i o n n i g h t , f e a t u r i n gFibromyalgia. Twelve members werein attendance. Of the twelve, three hadbeen diagnosed with an autoimmuneDisorder, (Fibromyalgia, Arthritis andChronic Fatigue).

The discussion quickly centered on thequestion ‘How does one treatFibromyalgia?

The answers varied:

Treat the physical symptoms that arepresent at that time.

Consider the emotional/spiritual aspect.It’s difficult to know if the physicalmanifestations are the result ofemotional issues/blockages, or if thelow emotional state is the result ofphysical changes in the body.

Detoxing the body is extremelyimportant (this includes releasing of oldor harmful emotional blockages). Thishappens through diet, exercise andtreatments salt scrubs, detox baths,lymph drainage. Regular treatmentsare needed, but also, one suffering fromFM needs to care for oneself.Sometimes this is the most difficult toachieve.

Therapists may become a catalyst forthe client to have an ‘A-ha moment!’A realization about themselves andtheir situation. They must wantchange before they will change theirattitude towards their lifestyle, whichmay be a huge contributor to theautoimmune disorder. “We’re a workin progress”. Seeing the opportunity tochange oneself, their environment, andtheir lifestyle for the better.

Discussion never focused on which oilsTO USE, but we were reminded of an

oil NOT TO USE: Lemongrass, whichmay be too stimulating for an alreadyexhausted immune system.

Success/Personal stories:

Joined a support group. Takes smallsteps, sets small goals in dealing withFM.

Suggested client ‘paint’ the emotionsshe was feeling, but could not talkabout. Turned out to be the first timethe client, who is an artist, painted in 8years.

Offering a ‘safe place’ for client to be,so that they can be away from theenvironment that is perpetuating herillness.

Chose to remove themselves fromsituations with those who would judgethem.

Learning to ‘look after me’, is provingto be the hardest lesson to learn.

Books discussed:

“Fibromyalgia & Chronic MyofascialPain Syndrome”, by Devin StarlanylMD, Mary Ellen Copeland MS, MA.

“Vibrational Medicine”, by RichardGerber, MD.

“The Canary and Chronic Fatigue”, byMajid Ali.

Handouts shared:

Overview of the FB Self ManagementCourse offered by the Victoria ArthritisSociety (included below)

Fibromyalgia Syndrome, synopsis,from “Prescription for NutritionalHealing”

F I B R O M Y A L G I A S E L FMANAGEMENT COURSE offeredby the Victoria Arthritis Society, withCarol Ray, MSW. Submitted byMarjorie Gardiner, BCAPA member.

“As an Aromatherapist with FM, I findit a constant, ongoing struggle to findsomething that really works for me.Although using essential oils every dayhelps a great deal, I find it comfortingto know that there is a support groupavailable, to help me understand thatI’m not alone. A doctor’s referral isrequired to attend the 9 week programwhich covers Pain Management, SleepManagement, Movement-Activity-Exercise, Breaking the Stress/Paincycle & Managing Internal Stressorsand Touch & Sexuality.

There is another session commencingin January. Space is limited and fillsquickly. Those interested are urged toget a doctor’s referral and contact CarolRay ASAP. A resource list such asnetworking groups, additional supportgroups, exercise programs, counselingand complementary therapies areprovided to attendees at the firstsession.”

Marjorie strongly recommends thatanyone, who is treating a client withFM, make them aware of this program.

The Victoria Arthritis Society can bereached at 250-598-2277

Page 24

Chapter MeetingsFibromyalgia


Post Traumatic Stress:

Our discussion on this topic waslimited. Lily Dawn spoke of a clientwho was coming to her regularly fortreatments, before being diagnosedwith PTSD. One of the greatestdifficulties the client had was thefeeling of ‘not knowing’. Why did shefeel this way, why couldn’t anyoneempathize with her, etc. Once she wasdiagnosed, then she joined a supportgroup and her life has improved.Anita moved from Kemano, BC, wheret h e E NT I R E T OW N c l o s e d .Obviously there would be no escapinga sudden level of stress for all thoseinvolved. She created a blend thatfeatured four oils, among them,Spearmint.


Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is anAnxiety Disorder which can developwhen an individual who has beenexposed to a traumatic event developsanxiety symptoms, re-experiences theevent and avoids stimuli related to theevent over a period of more than fourweeks.

There are specific diagnostic criteriafor Post Traumatic Stress Disorder andyou can find a description ofDiagnostic criteria for 309.81 Postt raumat ic Stress Disorder onBehaveNet Clinical Capsule PostTraumatic Stress Disorder web page:

http://www.behavenet.com/capsules/disorders/ptsd.htm

There is actually a wealth ofinformation on the internet on PostTraumatic Stress Disorder. Some

interesting web sites to visit include:

David Baldwin’s Trauma InformationPages

http://www.trauma-pages.com

Managing Traumatic Stress –American Psychological Association

http://www.apa.org/practice/traumaticstress.html

Traumatic Stress and SecondaryTraumatic & (Vicarious) Stress

http://www.lib.auburn.edu/sosci/docs/ptsd.html

University of Minnesota Deluth’sc h e c k l i s t f o r S y m p t o m s o fPosttraumatic Stress Disorder

http://www.d.umn.edu/student/loon/soc/health/ptslist.html

American Academy of Experts inTraumatic Stress

http://www.aaets.org

Medscape

http://www.medscape.com/Medscape/psychiatry/journal1997/v02.n06/mh3247.ptsd/mh3247.ptsd.html

Internet Mental Health – PostTraumatic Stress Disorder

http://www.mentalhealth.com/dis/p20-an06.html

University of Nebraska Medical Center– Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/index

For the support person: Helping yourpartner (Ed Bourne)

http://www.npadnews.com/support.htm

There are a number of differentincidents, which can trigger off thissyndrome including War and NaturalCatastrophes; Robberies, Assaults andAbuse; Motor Vehicle Accidents andElectrical Injuries. The AmericanAcademy of Experts in TraumaticStress defines traumatic stress as, “the

emotional, cognitive and behavioralexperiences of individuals who areexposed to, or who witness, events thatare extreme and/or life threatening”.They also say that Traumatic stress hasmany “faces”. In addition to thedevastating effects of large-scaledisasters and catastrophes, they arecommitted to fostering a greaterappreciation of the effects of day-to-day traumatic experiences (e.g. chronicillness, accidents, domestic violenceand loss).

What are the signs that someone hasPTSD

(Reference)

http://www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTST/signs.html

What are the symptoms of PTSD andhow do they differ from normalstress?

PTSD may be seen in anyone who hasexperienced a traumatic, life changingevent. Symptoms of PTSD mayinclude:

Sleep disturbances/nightmares

Harmful behaviors to self/others

Flashbacks

Eating Disorders

Extreme fear/paranoia

Isolation

Panic attacks: chest pain,shortness of breath

Problems with trust/relationships

Rage

Chronic physical problems

Intimacy issues (i.e. promiscuity)

Difficulty keeping jobs

Suicidal thoughts/attempts

Difficulty in school


Depression

Severe emotional swings

PTSD is different than the normalreaction people have to stress. Whilethe previously listed symptoms may benormal after a stressful event, theyusually go away. These symptoms don'tgo away in PTSD patients and can lastanywhere from one month to decadesafter the event and can severelyinterfere with the person's social,mental, occupational and spiritualwellbeing.

What disorders are associated withPTSD?

PTSD sufferers are more likely thanmost people to suffer from mentaldisorders such as depression, anxiety,and personality disorders. Physically,they may develop high blood pressure,heart disease, chronic pain disorders,digestive problems, and are moresusceptible to illnesses like colds andthe flu. They are also more likely tosmoke, eat poorly, and abuse alcoholand drugs and have marital difficultiesand occupational problems. PTSDsufferers also have a greater rate ofviolent behavior which can lead todomestic violence, child abuse andassault.

Does PTSD affect women differentlythan men?

Yes. Women are twice as likely as mento develop this disorder. Most often,women develop PTSD as a result ofrape, sexual assault, physical attack, ordomestic violence. Women with PTSDreport a higher incidence of menstrualdysfunc t ion and p remenst rua lsyndrome. They also tend to be moreoverweight and are at a greater risk ofdeveloping Diabetes and heart diseasethan other women.

Are Vietnam veterans the onlypeople who develop PTSD?

No. Anyone who has experienced atraumatic event can develop thisdisorder. In fact, more and more elderlyveterans are now being diagnosed withthis disorder. PTSD has been observedin women who have served in themilitary. Their causes stem not onlyfrom their military experience, but alsofrom sexual assaults encountered whilethey were still serving or after they leftthe service. PTSD has also beenobserved in children and in rescueworkers such as paramedics andfirefighters who deal with stressfulsituations on a daily basis.

Treatment Options

(reference: www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/treatp.html)

How will I know if I need treatment?

If you have experienced traumaticsituations, you may be at risk fordeveloping PTSD. Common physicalsymptoms of PTSD are: aches andpains throughout the body, suddensweating or heart palpitations, anability to be easily startled, changes insleep patterns and appetite, and anincrease in other illnesses such as coldsand influenza. Common emotionalsymptoms are: fear, anxiety, outburstsof anger and rage, difficultiesconcentrat ing or remembering,depression, survivor guilt, emotionalnumbing, and detachment from theworld around you. This is only a partiallisting of symptoms that you mayexperience with PTSD. If you areunsure whether or not you needtreatment, you should describe yoursymptoms to your doctor.

What can I do to help myself if Ithink that I might have PTSD?

The most important action that you cantake is to utilize social support systems.This can mean talking about your

feelings to your family members orothers that have been through similarexperiences as you. There are oftenmany local support groups available forvictims of rape and assault, veterans,and others who have experiencedtrauma. Exercise, diet, and regularsleep habits may also relieve some ofyour symptoms. Being a socially activecitizen and finding activities that youenjoy may also help. You should alsowork to avoid stimulants such asnicotine, caffeine, and sugar.

Whom should I contact for help?

Your primary care physician is a greatplace to start. He/she may be able torelieve some of your symptoms withmedications and refer you to specialtherapists that are trained to deal withpatients like you. If you are a veteran,your local Veterans Administration orVets Center may also be a good placeto start. Victims of abuse and rape canalso find help at such organizations asthe YWCA.

How effective is treatment?

The efficacy of treatment is highlyv a r i a b l e . S u c c e s s r a t e s o fapproximately 1/3 have been reported.Success will depend on the severity andduration of your PTSD, the type oftrauma suffered, and your commitmentto treatment regimens. Although manypatients do not appear to fully recover,most can achieve relief of some of theirsymptoms.

What types of treatment areavailable?

Treatment can be divided into twoparts: drug therapy and psychotherapy.Drug therapy often consists of anti-depressants and other medicines todecrease anxiety. The goals of drugtherapy are: to reduce symptoms and toalter brain chemical abnormalities thatmay be at least partially to blame for


PROCEEDINGS 2001Page 26

your problem. Psychotherapy consistsof individual and/or group therapysessions. The goal of psychotherapy isfor you to confront your trauma, acceptits place in your life, and to concentrateon your present and future life. Grouptherapy may be especially appealing asit allows you to discuss your feelingswith others who have experiencedsimilar trauma. The group workstogether to help its members cope withthe trauma and the difficulties presentin their lives.

Sources:

Turnbull, GJ. (1998). A review of post-traumatic stress disorder. Part II:treatment. Injury, v. 29, no. 3, pp. 169-175.

McIvor TJ, Turner SW. (1995). Drugtreatment in post-traumatic stressdisorder. British Journal of HospitalMedicine, v. 53, no. 10, pp. 501-505.

Biology of Posttraumatic StressDisorder reference:

http://www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/biol.html)

Using Essential Oil with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder.

It is obvious that this is a seriouscondition that could not be addressedby Aromatherapy alone so where doesthe use of essential oils fit in.

It was felt that each specific caseshould be looked at individually to seewhich symptoms were present and thenchoose essential oils, which may behelpful in controlling and alleviatingthose symptoms, in addition to takinginto consideration the client’s ownaroma and application preferences.



Depression

Severe emotional swings

PTSD is different than the normalreaction people have to stress. Whilethe previously listed symptoms may benormal after a stressful event, theyusually go away. These symptoms don'tgo away in PTSD patients and can lastanywhere from one month to decadesafter the event and can severelyinterfere with the person's social,mental, occupational and spiritualwellbeing.

What disorders are associated withPTSD?

PTSD sufferers are more likely thanmost people to suffer from mentaldisorders such as depression, anxiety,and personality disorders. Physically,they may develop high blood pressure,heart disease, chronic pain disorders,digestive problems, and are moresusceptible to illnesses like colds andthe flu. They are also more likely tosmoke, eat poorly, and abuse alcoholand drugs and have marital difficultiesand occupational problems. PTSDsufferers also have a greater rate ofviolent behavior which can lead todomestic violence, child abuse andassault.

Does PTSD affect women differentlythan men?

Yes. Women are twice as likely as mento develop this disorder. Most often,women develop PTSD as a result ofrape, sexual assault, physical attack, ordomestic violence. Women with PTSDreport a higher incidence of menstrualdysfunc t ion and p remenst rua lsyndrome. They also tend to be moreoverweight and are at a greater risk ofdeveloping Diabetes and heart diseasethan other women.

Are Vietnam veterans the onlypeople who develop PTSD?

No. Anyone who has experienced atraumatic event can develop thisdisorder. In fact, more and more elderlyveterans are now being diagnosed withthis disorder. PTSD has been observedin women who have served in themilitary. Their causes stem not onlyfrom their military experience, but alsofrom sexual assaults encountered whilethey were still serving or after they leftthe service. PTSD has also beenobserved in children and in rescueworkers such as paramedics andfirefighters who deal with stressfulsituations on a daily basis.

Treatment Options

(reference: www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/treatp.html)

How will I know if I need treatment?

If you have experienced traumaticsituations, you may be at risk fordeveloping PTSD. Common physicalsymptoms of PTSD are: aches andpains throughout the body, suddensweating or heart palpitations, anability to be easily startled, changes insleep patterns and appetite, and anincrease in other illnesses such as coldsand influenza. Common emotionalsymptoms are: fear, anxiety, outburstsof anger and rage, difficultiesconcentrat ing or remembering,depression, survivor guilt, emotionalnumbing, and detachment from theworld around you. This is only a partiallisting of symptoms that you mayexperience with PTSD. If you areunsure whether or not you needtreatment, you should describe yoursymptoms to your doctor.

What can I do to help myself if Ithink that I might have PTSD?

The most important action that you cantake is to utilize social support systems.This can mean talking about your

feelings to your family members orothers that have been through similarexperiences as you. There are oftenmany local support groups available forvictims of rape and assault, veterans,and others who have experiencedtrauma. Exercise, diet, and regularsleep habits may also relieve some ofyour symptoms. Being a socially activecitizen and finding activities that youenjoy may also help. You should alsowork to avoid stimulants such asnicotine, caffeine, and sugar.

Whom should I contact for help?

Your primary care physician is a greatplace to start. He/she may be able torelieve some of your symptoms withmedications and refer you to specialtherapists that are trained to deal withpatients like you. If you are a veteran,your local Veterans Administration orVets Center may also be a good placeto start. Victims of abuse and rape canalso find help at such organizations asthe YWCA.

How effective is treatment?

The efficacy of treatment is highlyv a r i a b l e . S u c c e s s r a t e s o fapproximately 1/3 have been reported.Success will depend on the severity andduration of your PTSD, the type oftrauma suffered, and your commitmentto treatment regimens. Although manypatients do not appear to fully recover,most can achieve relief of some of theirsymptoms.

What types of treatment areavailable?

Treatment can be divided into twoparts: drug therapy and psychotherapy.Drug therapy often consists of anti-depressants and other medicines todecrease anxiety. The goals of drugtherapy are: to reduce symptoms and toalter brain chemical abnormalities thatmay be at least partially to blame for



your problem. Psychotherapy consistsof individual and/or group therapysessions. The goal of psychotherapy isfor you to confront your trauma, acceptits place in your life, and to concentrateon your present and future life. Grouptherapy may be especially appealing asit allows you to discuss your feelingswith others who have experiencedsimilar trauma. The group workstogether to help its members cope withthe trauma and the difficulties presentin their lives.

Sources:

Turnbull, GJ. (1998). A review of post-traumatic stress disorder. Part II:treatment. Injury, v. 29, no. 3, pp. 169-175.

McIvor TJ, Turner SW. (1995). Drugtreatment in post-traumatic stressdisorder. British Journal of HospitalMedicine, v. 53, no. 10, pp. 501-505.

Biology of Posttraumatic StressDisorder reference:

http://www.unmc.edu/FamilyMed/ICE/PTSD/biol.html)

Using Essential Oil with PostTraumatic Stress Disorder.

It is obvious that this is a seriouscondition that could not be addressedby Aromatherapy alone so where doesthe use of essential oils fit in.

It was felt that each specific caseshould be looked at individually to seewhich symptoms were present and thenchoose essential oils, which may behelpful in controlling and alleviatingthose symptoms, in addition to takinginto consideration the client’s ownaroma and application preferences.




Eucalyptus:

We shared an excerpt from a recentRae Dunphy Aromatics Newsletter thatincludes a breakdown of the varieties:citriodora, dives, globulus, polybractea,radiata and smithii. As a group, clientfeedback has been ‘Euc. Citriodorasmells too much like bug spray’ !

Anita Kalnay brought along a sampleof her favorite ‘Eucalyptus staigeriana’,from Michael Scoles US company‘Laboratory of Flowers’. Research isstill being done on this oil, and its‘super-complex chemistry’. Harvestedin Australia or Brazil, this oil is notedfor its emotional-psycho cleansingqualities. Great for physical pain,muscle and joint, fibromyalgia pain andhormone balancer and regulator.Calms the digestive system, moodbalancing, clears past trauma.Analgesic, anti-infectious, anti-septic(pulmonary, urinary), anti-viral,powerful ant i -spasmodic, ant i -inflammatory, deodorant, gentleexpectorant, general tonic, fungicidal,insect repellant, purifying, sedative,cardiac, sedative, anti-hypertensive.


Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus, which belongs to theMyrtaceae family, is an evergreen andone of the world’s tallest trees. Theyoung tree has oval bluish-greenleaves, while the mature trees havelong, narrow, yellowish leaves.Eucalyptus has creamy-white flowersand a smooth, pale grey bark. When theflowers are in bud, they are covered bya cap-like membrane. This membraneled to the tree’s common name, derivedfrom the Greek ‘eucalyptos’ meaningwell covered. There are hundreds ofdifferent species of eucalyptushowever, eucalyptus globulus – or theblue-gum variety, is the most widelycultivated and produced. Eucalyptus

originated in Australia and Tasmaniabut has since been exported to otherparts The essential oil is obtained fromthe leaves through steam distillation.

Eucalyptus globulus is the eucalyptusoil most commonly known anddescribed in aromatherapy books.Eucalyptus globulus, commonly knownas blue gum, has a strong camphor-likeodour. Its major chemical componentsare 1,8-cineole (up to 80%), alpha-pinene, limonene and globulol.Psychologically eucalyptus globulushas uplifting and anti-depressantproperties. One can consider its use fortimes one needs to focus or clear thehead. On the physiological leveleucalyptus globulus has analgesic, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic,expectorant and mucolytic propertiesand its use could be considered forcolds and flu, to stimulate circulationand muscular aches and pains.

Contraindications: On skin non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing.Can be toxic when taken internally. Donot use with small children.

Eucalyptus radiata has a much lighterand to many a much more attractivearoma than eucalyptus globulus. Itsmajor chemical components are 1,8-cineole, limonene, alpha-pinene andpara-cymene. Psychological lyeucalyptus radiata has upliftingproperties and could be considered forheadaches. On the physiological leveleuca l yp t u s r ad ia t a ha s an t i -inflammatory, antiviral and expectorantproperties. Kurt Schnaubelt considersit to be highly effective in treatingcoughing, sniffles and hoarse, scratchythroats. Considered a good choice forupper respiratory problems.

Contraindications: No formal testing,however Robert Tisserand and TonyBalacs suggest that it is unlikely topresent any hazard in aromatherapy.Do not take internally.

Eucalyptus smithii also has a muchlighter aroma than eucalyptus globulus.It is considered to be the mildest of theeucalyptus oils. Its major chemicalcomponents are 1,8-cineole (up to80%), alpha-pinene, globulol andterpinen-4-ol. There is not muchinformation on the psychological usesof this o i l , however on thephysiological level it has mucolytic andanti-infectious properties and can beconsidered for use with coughs, colds,flu and throat infections. Eucalyptussmithii can be both a stimulant and arelaxant, and will adapt according tothe body's needs. Eucalyptus smithii isrecommended for long term childrenand sensitive people


Eucalyptus citriodora, commonlyknown as lemon eucalyptus, has apersistent, pleasant, fresh-lemonyaroma. Its major chemical componentsare citronellal (around 57%) andcitronellol (about 8%). Psychologicallyit can be very soothing and calming.Physiologically it has antiseptic,analgesic, anti-inflammatory, insectrepellant and sedative properties andcould be consider to use for colds andinfections, athlete's foot, rheumatismand muscular aches and pains.

Contraindications : Generallyconsidered non-toxic, non-irritating andnon-sensitizing. Do not take internally.It is often used as a fragrancecomponent (instead of eucalyptusglobulus) in perfumes, detergents andsoaps. It can also be used in roomsprays and as an insect repellent.

Eucalyptus blends well with Basil,Cajeput, Cedarwood, Frankincense,Ginger, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon,Marjoram, Myrtle, Niaouli, Pine,Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree and

Chapter MeetingsVarieties of Eucalyptus


Thyme.

References

Gabriel Mojay, Aromatherapy forHealing the Spirit, Gaia BooksLimited, London, 1996

Kurt Schnaublet , AdvancedAromatherapy, Healing Arts Press,Rochester, Vermont, 1998

Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs,Essential Oil Safety, ChurchillLivingston, New York, NY, 1995.




Eucalyptus:

We shared an excerpt from a recentRae Dunphy Aromatics Newsletter thatincludes a breakdown of the varieties:citriodora, dives, globulus, polybractea,radiata and smithii. As a group, clientfeedback has been ‘Euc. Citriodorasmells too much like bug spray’ !

Anita Kalnay brought along a sampleof her favorite ‘Eucalyptus staigeriana’,from Michael Scoles US company‘Laboratory of Flowers’. Research isstill being done on this oil, and its‘super-complex chemistry’. Harvestedin Australia or Brazil, this oil is notedfor its emotional-psycho cleansingqualities. Great for physical pain,muscle and joint, fibromyalgia pain andhormone balancer and regulator.Calms the digestive system, moodbalancing, clears past trauma.Analgesic, anti-infectious, anti-septic(pulmonary, urinary), anti-viral,powerful ant i -spasmodic, ant i -inflammatory, deodorant, gentleexpectorant, general tonic, fungicidal,insect repellant, purifying, sedative,cardiac, sedative, anti-hypertensive.


Eucalyptus

Eucalyptus, which belongs to theMyrtaceae family, is an evergreen andone of the world’s tallest trees. Theyoung tree has oval bluish-greenleaves, while the mature trees havelong, narrow, yellowish leaves.Eucalyptus has creamy-white flowersand a smooth, pale grey bark. When theflowers are in bud, they are covered bya cap-like membrane. This membraneled to the tree’s common name, derivedfrom the Greek ‘eucalyptos’ meaningwell covered. There are hundreds ofdifferent species of eucalyptushowever, eucalyptus globulus – or theblue-gum variety, is the most widelycultivated and produced. Eucalyptus

originated in Australia and Tasmaniabut has since been exported to otherparts The essential oil is obtained fromthe leaves through steam distillation.

Eucalyptus globulus is the eucalyptusoil most commonly known anddescribed in aromatherapy books.Eucalyptus globulus, commonly knownas blue gum, has a strong camphor-likeodour. Its major chemical componentsare 1,8-cineole (up to 80%), alpha-pinene, limonene and globulol.Psychologically eucalyptus globulushas uplifting and anti-depressantproperties. One can consider its use fortimes one needs to focus or clear thehead. On the physiological leveleucalyptus globulus has analgesic, anti-rheumatic, antiseptic, antispasmodic,expectorant and mucolytic propertiesand its use could be considered forcolds and flu, to stimulate circulationand muscular aches and pains.

Contraindications: On skin non-toxic, non-irritant and non-sensitizing.Can be toxic when taken internally. Donot use with small children.

Eucalyptus radiata has a much lighterand to many a much more attractivearoma than eucalyptus globulus. Itsmajor chemical components are 1,8-cineole, limonene, alpha-pinene andpara-cymene. Psychological lyeucalyptus radiata has upliftingproperties and could be considered forheadaches. On the physiological leveleuca l yp t u s r ad ia t a ha s an t i -inflammatory, antiviral and expectorantproperties. Kurt Schnaubelt considersit to be highly effective in treatingcoughing, sniffles and hoarse, scratchythroats. Considered a good choice forupper respiratory problems.


Eucalyptus smithii also has a muchlighter aroma than eucalyptus globulus.It is considered to be the mildest of theeucalyptus oils. Its major chemicalcomponents are 1,8-cineole (up to80%), alpha-pinene, globulol andterpinen-4-ol. There is not muchinformation on the psychological usesof this o i l , however on thephysiological level it has mucolytic andanti-infectious properties and can beconsidered for use with coughs, colds,flu and throat infections. Eucalyptussmithii can be both a stimulant and arelaxant, and will adapt according tothe body's needs. Eucalyptus smithii isrecommended for long term childrenand sensitive people


Eucalyptus citriodora, commonlyknown as lemon eucalyptus, has apersistent, pleasant, fresh-lemonyaroma. Its major chemical componentsare citronellal (around 57%) andcitronellol (about 8%). Psychologicallyit can be very soothing and calming.Physiologically it has antiseptic,analgesic, anti-inflammatory, insectrepellant and sedative properties andcould be consider to use for colds andinfections, athlete's foot, rheumatismand muscular aches and pains.

Contraindications : Generallyconsidered non-toxic, non-irritating andnon-sensitizing. Do not take internally.It is often used as a fragrancecomponent (instead of eucalyptusglobulus) in perfumes, detergents andsoaps. It can also be used in roomsprays and as an insect repellent.

Eucalyptus blends well with Basil,Cajeput, Cedarwood, Frankincense,Ginger, Juniper, Lavender, Lemon,Marjoram, Myrtle, Niaouli, Pine,Peppermint, Rosemary, Tea Tree and



Thyme.

References

Gabriel Mojay, Aromatherapy forHealing the Spirit, Gaia BooksLimited, London, 1996

Kurt Schnaublet , AdvancedAromatherapy, Healing Arts Press,Rochester, Vermont, 1998

Robert Tisserand and Tony Balacs,Essential Oil Safety, ChurchillLivingston, New York, NY, 1995.



Chapter MeetingsMigrainesNanaimo Chapter Meeting

There are over 4 million Canadians(one in five Canadians) and 200,000 to300,000 children who suffer frommigraine. Approximately one-third ofsufferers are male and two-thirdsfemale. Migraine occurs most oftenamong people aged twenty to fifty andis frequently considered to be aninherited disorder.

A 1991 Angus Reid study found that19% of migraine sufferers reported anabsence from work due to migraine and77% cancelled family or socialactivities. Based on an estimated 5.4million workdays lost to migraine eachyear, absenteeism costs the Canadianeconomy approximately ½ billiondollars annually.

Migraine is one of the most under-t r e a t e d , m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n dmisdiagnosed disorders of the lastcentury. It is a serious medical disorderthat significantly affects millions ofCanadians.

PREVENTIVE THERAPY

First, prophylactic medications areprescribed to prevent or reduce thenumber of attacks in patients whoexperience frequent migraines,typically two or more per month. Ingeneral, these medications act overtime to prevent blood-vessel swelling;however, they do not treat themigraine-associated symptoms and arenon-selective. Many sufferers usingpreventive treatments will still have totake attack-aborting medications torelieve pain and other symptoms.Examples of conventional preventivetherapy include: beta-blockers,antidepressants (for their effect onserotonin, not depression), calciumchannel blockers, methysergide(potential serious side-effects), andDivalproex Sodium.

Examples of non-pharmacologicalpreventive therapy include: vitamin B2(400mg) and magnesium supplements(400-600mg) , Petasites Hybridus(Butterbur root) and Feverfew, whichcomes from a plant belonging to thechrysanthemum family, may also helpmigraine sufferers. It is believed towork by reducing the release of achemical closely linked to migraine byi n h i b i t i n g t h e s e c r e t i o n o fprostaglandin - a substance involved ininflammation; and by stabilizing bloodvessels, making them less sensitive tothe release of chemicals.

M A N A G I N G M I G R A I N ETRIGGERS

Second, trigger management isimportant in preventing migraineattacks. Triggering factors can causemigraine, and if recognized and/oravoided, impending attacks may beaborted. Triggers vary from person toperson. They include changes inweather or air-pressure, bright sunlight,glare, fluorescent lights, chemicalfumes, menstrual cycles, untreatedlactose intolerance, and certain foodssuch as processed meats, red wine(tyramine), beer, dried fish, broadbeans, fermented cheeses, aspartame,and MSG. Addressing allergies isprudent. In addition, not confusingmigraine induced sinus pain withallergy triggering the actual migraineattack is important to bear in mind.Migraine triggers DO NOT includelifestyle, stress, anxiety, worry,emotion, excitement, depression, andcaffeine. Caffeine, which constrictsblood vessels, is not a trigger, and, infact, may help relieve mild migrainepain caused by vasodilatation.

A B O R T I N G M I G R A I N EATTACKS

Third, attack-aborting medications areused to relieve the severity and/orduration of migraine and associatedsymptoms. In general, most attack-

aborting medication should be taken asearly as possible in an attack. Certaincerebral vasoconstrictor abortive agentsare designed specifically for migraine.They may be administered bysubcutaneous, oral, rectal, or intra-muscular means.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Fourth and last, general painmanagement may inc lude theprescription of narcotic analgesicswhich act on the central nervoussystem and alter the patient's perceptionof pain. These drugs generally relievepain. However, because they arenarcotic, they may be addictive, andsuch usage should be done in anappropriate manner to return areasonable quality of life for theintractable migraine sufferer. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) act by inhibiting bloodv e s s e l i n f l a m m a t i o n . T h e s emedicat ions include naproxen,ibuprofen and ketorolac. Simpleanalgesics, available over-the-counter(OTC), are generally used for mildpain. They relieve pain by acting onperipheral pain receptors. (Someanalgesics also have anti-inflammatoryeffects). Though readily available, theyare generally not strong enough torelieve migraine pain and overuse maycause rebound headaches. Thesemedications include acetaminophenand aspirin, and include a newly-released medication, which is the sameexact medication as extra strengthversion of said OTC drug, but with anew package and new name. Botox(Botulism toxin) is currently beinginvestigated as an alternative treatmentfor long-term (three to six months)head pain.

MIGRAINES AND WOMEN

Estrogen levels are a key factor in theincreased prevalence of migraine inwomen. Evidence includes thefollowing: migraine prevalence


increases at menarche; estrogenwithdrawal during menstruation is acommon migraine trigger; estrogenadministration in oral contraceptivesand hormone replacement therapy cantrigger migraines; migraines typicallydecrease during the second and thirdtrimesters of pregnancy when estrogenlevels are high; migraines are commonimmediately post-partum with theprecipitous drop in estrogen levels; andmigraines generally improve withphysiologic menopause. Exactly howchanges in estrogen levels influencemigraine are not understood.

Resources:

www.migraine.ca,

www.migraines.org

Above mentioned Medicinial qualitiesthat may be mimicked by essential oils:vaso-constrictors, circulatory tonics,anti-inflammatory, hormone balancers,estrogen boost, analgesic, sooth CNS.

From Jennine Stromkins: “ANS andAromatherapy”

(in drops)

ParasympatheticSympathetic

Neroli 3 Verbena 4Rosewood 3 Peppermint 3Clove Flower 3 Linden Blossom 4Hyacinth 3 Hyacinth 3Mimosa 3 Mimosa 3

This blend is intended for ‘rescuerelief’ of the migraine. Mixappropriate blend into 15ml of gel, andapply to back of neck and forehead,every 15 minutes as needed.

Blood Orange, Champaca, Lemon,Melissa, Neroli and Spikenard.

From Chrissie Wildwood

“Aromatherapy”

Suggests: Essential oils of angelica, G

Page 31

Chapter MeetingsMigraines

& R Chamomile, Coriander, ClarySage, Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa,Peppermint.

Other therapies she recommends:personal efforts to reduce stress, foodallergy test, Bach flower remedies,osteopath/chiropracter (to correctmisalignment of spine), homeopathy.

Comox Valley Chapter Meeting

We talked about the many possiblecauses of migraines and how a detailedhistory would have to be taken to tryand determine a pattern or specificcause of the problem before the mostappropriate oils could be chosen.Everyone agreed that this is one ofthose cases when LOTS of discussionwould have to take place before theroot of the problem could bedetermined. It was suggested that theclient might want to consider vegatesting for food allergies to eliminatethose first.

As there are many potential causes ofmigraines, ranging from muscle tensionto food allergies to liver toxification tohormonal imbalances, it was suggestedthat the most beneficial blend to makeup at first would be a stress blend for awhole body massage, and then a“headache blend” to send home withthe client (e.g. Lavender/Peppermintcombination for the client to sniff oruse neat as needed). One of theparticipants thought that it would beappropriate to look first at hormonelevels if the client was female, and thenproceed from there.

A discussion was generated on howaromatherapy is only part of the wholesystem of healing and how we, astrained aromatherapists, can open upclients to more choices, othermodalities of healing, while stillincorporating the use of essential oils

into their lives on a regular basis. Inthe case of something like migraines itwas thought important to put theresponsibility back onto the client andto emphasize the idea of holistichealing and the body/mind connection.

Victoria Chapter Meeting

Ways the body/mind is affected by amigraine

STRESS

One sided numbness or pain

Seeing Auras- visual disturbances

Nausea

Brain Wave activity change

Sensitivity towards light, touch,smell and sound

Hormonal imbalances

Food sensi t iv i t ies - co ffee ,chocolate, cheese, nuts, oranges,wine

Change in barometer-( try VioletLeaf oil on the temples)

Change in the body fluid level

Modalities that could assist inbalancing a person with migraines (inaddition to Aromatherapy)

C r a n i a l / S a c r a lTherapy

Acupuncture/Acupressure

Reflexology

Liver or Colon Detoxification

Guided Imagery Addressingemotional issue(s)

Massage

Treat Food Allergies

Making a Journal - when do youget migraines, what did you eat,feel, stress level?

Chapter MeetingsMigrainesNanaimo Chapter Meeting

There are over 4 million Canadians(one in five Canadians) and 200,000 to300,000 children who suffer frommigraine. Approximately one-third ofsufferers are male and two-thirdsfemale. Migraine occurs most oftenamong people aged twenty to fifty andis frequently considered to be aninherited disorder.

A 1991 Angus Reid study found that19% of migraine sufferers reported anabsence from work due to migraine and77% cancelled family or socialactivities. Based on an estimated 5.4million workdays lost to migraine eachyear, absenteeism costs the Canadianeconomy approximately ½ billiondollars annually.

Migraine is one of the most under-t r e a t e d , m i s u n d e r s t o o d a n dmisdiagnosed disorders of the lastcentury. It is a serious medical disorderthat significantly affects millions ofCanadians.

PREVENTIVE THERAPY

First, prophylactic medications areprescribed to prevent or reduce thenumber of attacks in patients whoexperience frequent migraines,typically two or more per month. Ingeneral, these medications act overtime to prevent blood-vessel swelling;however, they do not treat themigraine-associated symptoms and arenon-selective. Many sufferers usingpreventive treatments will still have totake attack-aborting medications torelieve pain and other symptoms.Examples of conventional preventivetherapy include: beta-blockers,antidepressants (for their effect onserotonin, not depression), calciumchannel blockers, methysergide(potential serious side-effects), andDivalproex Sodium.

Examples of non-pharmacologicalpreventive therapy include: vitamin B2(400mg) and magnesium supplements(400-600mg) , Petasites Hybridus(Butterbur root) and Feverfew, whichcomes from a plant belonging to thechrysanthemum family, may also helpmigraine sufferers. It is believed towork by reducing the release of achemical closely linked to migraine byi n h i b i t i n g t h e s e c r e t i o n o fprostaglandin - a substance involved ininflammation; and by stabilizing bloodvessels, making them less sensitive tothe release of chemicals.

M A N A G I N G M I G R A I N ETRIGGERS

Second, trigger management isimportant in preventing migraineattacks. Triggering factors can causemigraine, and if recognized and/oravoided, impending attacks may beaborted. Triggers vary from person toperson. They include changes inweather or air-pressure, bright sunlight,glare, fluorescent lights, chemicalfumes, menstrual cycles, untreatedlactose intolerance, and certain foodssuch as processed meats, red wine(tyramine), beer, dried fish, broadbeans, fermented cheeses, aspartame,and MSG. Addressing allergies isprudent. In addition, not confusingmigraine induced sinus pain withallergy triggering the actual migraineattack is important to bear in mind.Migraine triggers DO NOT includelifestyle, stress, anxiety, worry,emotion, excitement, depression, andcaffeine. Caffeine, which constrictsblood vessels, is not a trigger, and, infact, may help relieve mild migrainepain caused by vasodilatation.

A B O R T I N G M I G R A I N EATTACKS

Third, attack-aborting medications areused to relieve the severity and/orduration of migraine and associatedsymptoms. In general, most attack-

aborting medication should be taken asearly as possible in an attack. Certaincerebral vasoconstrictor abortive agentsare designed specifically for migraine.They may be administered bysubcutaneous, oral, rectal, or intra-muscular means.

PAIN MANAGEMENT

Fourth and last, general painmanagement may inc lude theprescription of narcotic analgesicswhich act on the central nervoussystem and alter the patient's perceptionof pain. These drugs generally relievepain. However, because they arenarcotic, they may be addictive, andsuch usage should be done in anappropriate manner to return areasonable quality of life for theintractable migraine sufferer. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs(NSAIDs) act by inhibiting bloodv e s s e l i n f l a m m a t i o n . T h e s emedicat ions include naproxen,ibuprofen and ketorolac. Simpleanalgesics, available over-the-counter(OTC), are generally used for mildpain. They relieve pain by acting onperipheral pain receptors. (Someanalgesics also have anti-inflammatoryeffects). Though readily available, theyare generally not strong enough torelieve migraine pain and overuse maycause rebound headaches. Thesemedications include acetaminophenand aspirin, and include a newly-released medication, which is the sameexact medication as extra strengthversion of said OTC drug, but with anew package and new name. Botox(Botulism toxin) is currently beinginvestigated as an alternative treatmentfor long-term (three to six months)head pain.

MIGRAINES AND WOMEN

Estrogen levels are a key factor in theincreased prevalence of migraine inwomen. Evidence includes thefollowing: migraine prevalence


increases at menarche; estrogenwithdrawal during menstruation is acommon migraine trigger; estrogenadministration in oral contraceptivesand hormone replacement therapy cantrigger migraines; migraines typicallydecrease during the second and thirdtrimesters of pregnancy when estrogenlevels are high; migraines are commonimmediately post-partum with theprecipitous drop in estrogen levels; andmigraines generally improve withphysiologic menopause. Exactly howchanges in estrogen levels influencemigraine are not understood.

Resources:

www.migraine.ca,

www.migraines.org

Above mentioned Medicinial qualitiesthat may be mimicked by essential oils:vaso-constrictors, circulatory tonics,anti-inflammatory, hormone balancers,estrogen boost, analgesic, sooth CNS.

From Jennine Stromkins: “ANS andAromatherapy”

(in drops)

ParasympatheticSympathetic

Neroli 3 Verbena 4Rosewood 3 Peppermint 3Clove Flower 3 Linden Blossom 4Hyacinth 3 Hyacinth 3Mimosa 3 Mimosa 3

This blend is intended for ‘rescuerelief’ of the migraine. Mixappropriate blend into 15ml of gel, andapply to back of neck and forehead,every 15 minutes as needed.

Blood Orange, Champaca, Lemon,Melissa, Neroli and Spikenard.

From Chrissie Wildwood

“Aromatherapy”

Suggests: Essential oils of angelica, G

Page 31


& R Chamomile, Coriander, ClarySage, Lavender, Marjoram, Melissa,Peppermint.

Other therapies she recommends:personal efforts to reduce stress, foodallergy test, Bach flower remedies,osteopath/chiropracter (to correctmisalignment of spine), homeopathy.


We talked about the many possiblecauses of migraines and how a detailedhistory would have to be taken to tryand determine a pattern or specificcause of the problem before the mostappropriate oils could be chosen.Everyone agreed that this is one ofthose cases when LOTS of discussionwould have to take place before theroot of the problem could bedetermined. It was suggested that theclient might want to consider vegatesting for food allergies to eliminatethose first.

As there are many potential causes ofmigraines, ranging from muscle tensionto food allergies to liver toxification tohormonal imbalances, it was suggestedthat the most beneficial blend to makeup at first would be a stress blend for awhole body massage, and then a“headache blend” to send home withthe client (e.g. Lavender/Peppermintcombination for the client to sniff oruse neat as needed). One of theparticipants thought that it would beappropriate to look first at hormonelevels if the client was female, and thenproceed from there.

A discussion was generated on howaromatherapy is only part of the wholesystem of healing and how we, astrained aromatherapists, can open upclients to more choices, othermodalities of healing, while stillincorporating the use of essential oils

into their lives on a regular basis. Inthe case of something like migraines itwas thought important to put theresponsibility back onto the client andto emphasize the idea of holistichealing and the body/mind connection.


Ways the body/mind is affected by amigraine

STRESS

One sided numbness or pain

Seeing Auras- visual disturbances

Nausea

Brain Wave activity change

Sensitivity towards light, touch,smell and sound

Hormonal imbalances

Food sensi t iv i t ies - co ffee ,chocolate, cheese, nuts, oranges,wine

Change in barometer-( try VioletLeaf oil on the temples)

Change in the body fluid level

Modalities that could assist inbalancing a person with migraines (inaddition to Aromatherapy)

C r a n i a l / S a c r a lTherapy

Acupuncture/Acupressure

Reflexology

Liver or Colon Detoxification

Guided Imagery Addressingemotional issue(s)

Massage

Treat Food Allergies

Making a Journal - when do youget migraines, what did you eat,feel, stress level?

Chapter MeetingsBlue Cypress (Callitris intratropica)Nanaimo Chapter Meeting

The Australian cypress tree, Callitrisintratropica, has been used for healingpurposes for countless years by theTiwi people of Bathurst and MelvilleIslands, located north-east of Darwin.Exclusive to tropical Australia and oneof 14 indigenous Australian cypresspines, the Blue Cypress is a very slowgrowing tree.

Still considered to be an ‘undiscovered’essential oil, Blue Cypress is the onlyblue essential oil which has a woody,smoky fragrance. All other natural blueoils are flower oils (i.e., Chamomile,Matricaria, Artemisia and Tansy) andlack the fragrance of Blue Cypress Oil.

Today the Blue Cypress Oil derivedfrom this tree has an aroma similar toSandalwood Oil (Santalum album),West Indian Sandalwood Oil (Amyrisbalsamifera), Oil of Guaiac Wood(Bulnesia sarmienti) and Vetiver(Vetiveria zizanioides). It containswarm woody "base notes", withundertones of smoky licorice.

International exposure as “The Essenceof Sydney 2000” led to a sell-outperformance of a range of productsmanufactured by Jurlique. Olympicathletes and members of theinternational media were delighted toexperience the Blue Cypress Oil-basedproducts in massages and bodyworktreatments at the Jurlique Body Carecentres in the Athletes' Village andMedia Centre every day throughout thegames.

Blue Cypress Oil combines well withLavender, Lemon Myrtle, the citrusoils, and floral oils.

Therapeutic qualities are not wellresearched at this point.

Traditionally and historically, the Tiwisand some mainland aboriginal groupsuse Callitris intratropica in verys p e c i f i c w a y s :* As a wash: To relieve abdominalcramps. Also applied to sores and cuts.Occasionally used internally to treatabdominal pain and discomfort. Abouta handful of freshly gathered inner barkis pounded and heated in about 500mlsof water. The cooled liquid is spreadover the body, and a long strand ofinner bark is wrapped around theabdomen (to relieve abdominal cramps)* As an insect repellent: The bark isthrown into the campfire to drive offm o s q u i t o e s a n d m i d g e s .* As an analgesic: To relieve minoraches and pains. The wood ashes aremixed with water and smeared over theaffected part of the body.


Maureen brought a sample of this oilin for everyone to smell. No one elsein the discussion group was familiarwith this oil. The consensus was that ithad a woody smell with a touch oflicorice!

Maureen had brought some informationfrom the internet on Blue Cypress. Itdoes not appear to be in many of theusual aromatherapy books, probablybecause it is a relatively new oil for usein aromatherapy. It has been mainlyused in the cosmetics industry, thoughit is said to have been used forcenturies by the Australian Aboriginesfor healing purposes. It appears to be agood oil for many skin conditions, verycalming both physically and mentallyand anti-viral and anti-fungal.

Blue Cypress oil is a beautiful bluecolour , which makes it ant i -inflammatory like the other blue oilsfrom flowers—chamomile, tansy, etc.However, because it is derived fromwood it has a totally different scent,


Actions of Blue Cypress: anti-viral,anti- fungal, calms bone and muscularpain and inflammation, disperses fluidretention, stimulates liver function,calms upset stomach, calms auto-immune disorders, calms respiratorydistress, calms irritated, burned,clammy, skin, cold sores, acne,counters depression and burnout, calmsmental chatter, counters fears andanxieties.

As you can see there are many uses forBlue Cypress, everything from fungalfootcare to auto immune disorders.Blue Cypress is a fantastic oil with avery earthy low note fragrance.

If it is not in your aromatherapy oils, itshould be!


Essential oils for migraines

We discovered that it wasn't only themigraine that you were treating, butpossible contributing factors i.e.high fluid retention, hormonei m b a l a n c e , e m o t i o n a lstress, muscular tension, digestiveimbalance with the liver or largeintestines, to name a few.

With all that in mind, some of theoils we talked about were: LindenB l o s s o m , N e r o l i , R o m a nChamomile, Verbena, Clary Sage,Lavender, Spikenard.

Variations on ways to use the oils:

Hot footbath, oils applied with acold compress on the forehead, in ablend or on a tissue if someone wasvery sensitive to smell at that time.



which makes it quite unique.

It combines well with Lavender,Lemon Myrtle, citrus oils and floraloils.

It left us all with a good impressionand a desire to incorporate this oilmore into our everyday blends.

Chapter MeetingsBlue Cypress (Callitris intratropica)Nanaimo Chapter Meeting

The Australian cypress tree, Callitrisintratropica, has been used for healingpurposes for countless years by theTiwi people of Bathurst and MelvilleIslands, located north-east of Darwin.Exclusive to tropical Australia and oneof 14 indigenous Australian cypresspines, the Blue Cypress is a very slowgrowing tree.

Still considered to be an ‘undiscovered’essential oil, Blue Cypress is the onlyblue essential oil which has a woody,smoky fragrance. All other natural blueoils are flower oils (i.e., Chamomile,Matricaria, Artemisia and Tansy) andlack the fragrance of Blue Cypress Oil.

Today the Blue Cypress Oil derivedfrom this tree has an aroma similar toSandalwood Oil (Santalum album),West Indian Sandalwood Oil (Amyrisbalsamifera), Oil of Guaiac Wood(Bulnesia sarmienti) and Vetiver(Vetiveria zizanioides). It containswarm woody "base notes", withundertones of smoky licorice.

International exposure as “The Essenceof Sydney 2000” led to a sell-outperformance of a range of productsmanufactured by Jurlique. Olympicathletes and members of theinternational media were delighted toexperience the Blue Cypress Oil-basedproducts in massages and bodyworktreatments at the Jurlique Body Carecentres in the Athletes' Village andMedia Centre every day throughout thegames.

Blue Cypress Oil combines well withLavender, Lemon Myrtle, the citrusoils, and floral oils.

Therapeutic qualities are not wellresearched at this point.

Traditionally and historically, the Tiwisand some mainland aboriginal groupsuse Callitris intratropica in verys p e c i f i c w a y s :* As a wash: To relieve abdominalcramps. Also applied to sores and cuts.Occasionally used internally to treatabdominal pain and discomfort. Abouta handful of freshly gathered inner barkis pounded and heated in about 500mlsof water. The cooled liquid is spreadover the body, and a long strand ofinner bark is wrapped around theabdomen (to relieve abdominal cramps)* As an insect repellent: The bark isthrown into the campfire to drive offm o s q u i t o e s a n d m i d g e s .* As an analgesic: To relieve minoraches and pains. The wood ashes aremixed with water and smeared over theaffected part of the body.


Maureen brought a sample of this oilin for everyone to smell. No one elsein the discussion group was familiarwith this oil. The consensus was that ithad a woody smell with a touch oflicorice!

Maureen had brought some informationfrom the internet on Blue Cypress. Itdoes not appear to be in many of theusual aromatherapy books, probablybecause it is a relatively new oil for usein aromatherapy. It has been mainlyused in the cosmetics industry, thoughit is said to have been used forcenturies by the Australian Aboriginesfor healing purposes. It appears to be agood oil for many skin conditions, verycalming both physically and mentallyand anti-viral and anti-fungal.

Blue Cypress oil is a beautiful bluecolour , which makes it ant i -inflammatory like the other blue oilsfrom flowers—chamomile, tansy, etc.However, because it is derived fromwood it has a totally different scent,


Actions of Blue Cypress: anti-viral,anti- fungal, calms bone and muscularpain and inflammation, disperses fluidretention, stimulates liver function,calms upset stomach, calms auto-immune disorders, calms respiratorydistress, calms irritated, burned,clammy, skin, cold sores, acne,counters depression and burnout, calmsmental chatter, counters fears andanxieties.

As you can see there are many uses forBlue Cypress, everything from fungalfootcare to auto immune disorders.Blue Cypress is a fantastic oil with avery earthy low note fragrance.

If it is not in your aromatherapy oils, itshould be!


Essential oils for migraines

We discovered that it wasn't only themigraine that you were treating, butpossible contributing factors i.e.high fluid retention, hormonei m b a l a n c e , e m o t i o n a lstress, muscular tension, digestiveimbalance with the liver or largeintestines, to name a few.

With all that in mind, some of theoils we talked about were: LindenB l o s s o m , N e r o l i , R o m a nChamomile, Verbena, Clary Sage,Lavender, Spikenard.

Variations on ways to use the oils:

Hot footbath, oils applied with acold compress on the forehead, in ablend or on a tissue if someone wasvery sensitive to smell at that time.



which makes it quite unique.

It combines well with Lavender,Lemon Myrtle, citrus oils and floraloils.

It left us all with a good impressionand a desire to incorporate this oilmore into our everyday blends.

PROCEEDINGS 2001


8 in attendance

Stress Related Skin Conditions

In Chinese medicine the liver/wind isassociated with skin rashes orirritations

Are all rashes, eczema and psoriasisrelated to stress? Yes, even thoughpsoriasis has a hereditary root cause.

Some Oils for Skin Conditions

(gel is best used as a carrier, or in asalve)

Manuka

Frankincense

Benzoin

Clove

Melissa

Lemon

Myrrh

Petitgrain

Chamomile

Lavender

Neroli

Determine what systems to crossreference – lymphatic congestion, liver.

Do you need an antiseptic, fungacide,bacteriacide, astringent, cicatrisant,antimicrobial, cytophlactic.

Diaper Rash:

German Chamomile, Lavender



This topic generated a livelydiscussion. We talked about what kindof skin conditions would be consideredas coming from stress - for example,acne, eczema, psoriasis, hives. As theskin and the central nervous system areso similar in makeup it was agreed thatmany, if not all, skin conditions canoriginate from stress.

We all agreed that it is important tolook at the whole person whendiscussing this with a client and to besure to ask about diet, exercise, waterconsumption, etc. As far asrecommendations go - a massagewould be appropriate with oils that aregood for both stress and skin, e.g.Roman Chamomile, Lavender ,Sandalwood, Geranium, Frankincense,etc.

Barb related a case study she had hadof a man with psoriasis of the head thatwas helped with a blend containingbergamot. It was temporarily helpfulfor him, but Barb suggested thatwithout major lifestyle changes tolessen stress the problem would nevercompletely go away.

Alex had a great thought on this -”Using a topical solution on a systemicproblem will never eliminate the sourceproblem.”

We agreed that depending on how badthe skin disorder was it might be betterto suggest blends for use in the bathrather than a massage.

We also talked about the importance ofchoosing the right carrier oil in thisinstance - a using light oil such asalmond or fractionated coconut andthen adding a small percentage of oils

with healing qualities - flaxseed,evening primrose, and rosehip.

Page 34

Chapter MeetingsStress Related Skin Conditions


8 in attendance

Litsea cubeba (May Chang)

Same family as Laurel, Cinnamon, andRosewood

Contraindications: Skin irritant

Steam Distilled from the small fruits,size of peppercorns. It was firstdistilled in the 1950’s.

Some uses:

digestive problems

respiratory

emotional stabilizing

reduces fungal infections

indigestion/flatulence

high blood pressure

viral infections

migraines/headaches

allergies

stress

acne

low energy states

Litsea cubeba roots and stems are usedin Chinese Medicine.



Maureen brought a sample of this oilfrom Green Valley Aromatherapy.Barb, of course, is familiar with this oilbut it was the first time Alex hadsmelled it. He said it reminded him oflemongrass, and Thailand!

We read the description of this oil inthe “Essential Oils Primer” by VivianLunny, and also looked it up in WandaSellers “Directory of Essential Oils”.In the latter it says that the oil was firstdistilled in the 1950’s but does not saywhen it was first used for aromatherapypurposes. It is not even listed in manyaromatherapy books and seems to bemainly used for soaps, perfumes, etc.Barb agreed with this, saying that shesells it more to soap makers than topeople using it in blends.

Vivian Lunny says Litsea is anti-inflammatory but Wanda Sellers doesnot mention that! Vivian also mentionsits use for migraines, through we allagreed that the smell might be toooverpowering for that, and that it maybe more useful as a pre-migraine stressblend oil than in an actual attacksituation. Alex has never used this oilin his practice. Maureen has used itoccasionally in a diffuser for “uplift” orin a liver-stimulating blend.

Page 35

Chapter MeetingsLitsea cubeba (May Chang)

PROCEEDINGS 2001

PROCEEDINGS 2001


8 in attendance


In Chinese medicine the liver/wind isassociated with skin rashes orirritations

Are all rashes, eczema and psoriasisrelated to stress? Yes, even thoughpsoriasis has a hereditary root cause.

Some Oils for Skin Conditions

(gel is best used as a carrier, or in asalve)

Manuka

Frankincense

Benzoin

Clove

Melissa

Lemon

Myrrh

Petitgrain

Chamomile

Lavender

Neroli

Determine what systems to crossreference – lymphatic congestion, liver.

Do you need an antiseptic, fungacide,bacteriacide, astringent, cicatrisant,antimicrobial, cytophlactic.

Diaper Rash:

German Chamomile, Lavender



This topic generated a livelydiscussion. We talked about what kindof skin conditions would be consideredas coming from stress - for example,acne, eczema, psoriasis, hives. As theskin and the central nervous system areso similar in makeup it was agreed thatmany, if not all, skin conditions canoriginate from stress.

We all agreed that it is important tolook at the whole person whendiscussing this with a client and to besure to ask about diet, exercise, waterconsumption, etc. As far asrecommendations go - a massagewould be appropriate with oils that aregood for both stress and skin, e.g.Roman Chamomile, Lavender ,Sandalwood, Geranium, Frankincense,etc.

Barb related a case study she had hadof a man with psoriasis of the head thatwas helped with a blend containingbergamot. It was temporarily helpfulfor him, but Barb suggested thatwithout major lifestyle changes tolessen stress the problem would nevercompletely go away.

Alex had a great thought on this -”Using a topical solution on a systemicproblem will never eliminate the sourceproblem.”

We agreed that depending on how badthe skin disorder was it might be betterto suggest blends for use in the bathrather than a massage.

We also talked about the importance ofchoosing the right carrier oil in thisinstance - a using light oil such asalmond or fractionated coconut andthen adding a small percentage of oils

with healing qualities - flaxseed,evening primrose, and rosehip.

Page 34

Chapter MeetingsStress Related Skin Conditions


8 in attendance


Same family as Laurel, Cinnamon, andRosewood

Contraindications: Skin irritant

Steam Distilled from the small fruits,size of peppercorns. It was firstdistilled in the 1950’s.

Some uses:

digestive problems

respiratory

emotional stabilizing

reduces fungal infections

indigestion/flatulence

high blood pressure

viral infections

migraines/headaches

allergies

stress

acne

low energy states

Litsea cubeba roots and stems are usedin Chinese Medicine.



Maureen brought a sample of this oilfrom Green Valley Aromatherapy.Barb, of course, is familiar with this oilbut it was the first time Alex hadsmelled it. He said it reminded him oflemongrass, and Thailand!

We read the description of this oil inthe “Essential Oils Primer” by VivianLunny, and also looked it up in WandaSellers “Directory of Essential Oils”.In the latter it says that the oil was firstdistilled in the 1950’s but does not saywhen it was first used for aromatherapypurposes. It is not even listed in manyaromatherapy books and seems to bemainly used for soaps, perfumes, etc.Barb agreed with this, saying that shesells it more to soap makers than topeople using it in blends.

Vivian Lunny says Litsea is anti-inflammatory but Wanda Sellers doesnot mention that! Vivian also mentionsits use for migraines, through we allagreed that the smell might be toooverpowering for that, and that it maybe more useful as a pre-migraine stressblend oil than in an actual attacksituation. Alex has never used this oilin his practice. Maureen has used itoccasionally in a diffuser for “uplift” orin a liver-stimulating blend.

Page 35

Chapter MeetingsLitsea cubeba (May Chang)

PROCEEDINGS 2001

PROCEEDINGS 2001

Victoria and Nanaimo ChapterMeeting Combined Summary

Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis:

Diverticula are pockets that develop inthe colon wall, usually in the sigmoidor left colon, but may involve the entirecolon. Diverticulosis describes thepresence of these pockets, Diverticulitisd e s c r i b e s i n f l a m m a t i o n o rcomplications of these pockets.

Symptoms:

Pain is usually felt in the lower left areaof the abdomen (sigmoid colon). Thepain can be mild to severe, persistent orcramping. Other symptoms could bemild fever, tenderness in the abdomen,constipation or some blood in the feces.More intense symptoms are associatedwith serious complications such asperforation, abcess or fistula formation.

Possible oils to use:

Basil, Tarragon, Ginger, Black Pepper,Pepp ermin t , Orange , Hysso p ,Coriander. One source referred tousing oils that had lypolytic/mucolyticqualities, as the affected area is amucous membrane.

Possible treatments to consider:

Light abdominal/lower back massage,plus inner thighs to stimulate the colon,a blend in a sitz bath, a blend in gel, tobe applied as needed to the rectal tissuefor intense pain, cramping or spasm –being cautious of oils that wouldirritate mucous membranes.

Suggestions from the Encyclopaedia ofNatural Healing by Siegfried Gursche:

The client is typically over 40,their diet lacks fibre and they maygenerally have a compromisedimmune system.

Lifestyle and diet changes

recommended

30 minutes of walking a day is thebest exercise

Massage calves

Use reflexology on the feet

Recommended foods:

Celery, Flaxseed, Acidophilus, AppleCider Vinegar

Recommended herbs:

Cayenne, Horsetail, Yucca andChamomile


Diverticular Disease

We discussed the fact that there are twoparts to this disease of the colon. Themain disease is diverticulosis, and anin f l ammat io n o f t he pocke ts(diverticula) of the colon is calleddiverticulitis. None of us hasknowingly had a client with thisdisease, however all of us has hadclients with IBS. Everyone agreed thatdiverticular disease would be hard todiagnose for an aromatherapist and thatthe client should see a doctor toconfirm whether or not they actuallyhad this disease rather than IBS.

We would ask a client more detailedquestions if they did believe that theyhad diverticular disease - related tod i e t , s t r e s s p a t t e r n s , wa t e rconsumption, fiber intake, etc. We allthought water was not emphasizedenough in the articles we had read onthis problem, and in those included inthis mailing.

As far as which oils to choose - itwould depend on the exact symptomsthe client is experiencing, such asdiarrhea, constipation, bloating, pain

etc. We all agreed that digestive oilsand a gentle abdominal massage wouldbe beneficial. Taking an oil blendhome to use in a bath, or placing in agel for rectal use at home could behelpful. If using rectally, some of themore gentle oils may be appropriate,such as Lavender and Chamomilewhich would be anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory to help with the “it is”part of the disease.

Other suggestions we came up with—adding acidophilus to the diet, andtaking aloe vera internally to put theintestinal tract and colon back intobalance. We also talked about thechakra related to this area, the solarplexus—seat of the emotions, self-esteem, the colour yellow, awareness,mentality of “I cannot”.

Page 36

Chapter MeetingsDiverticular Disease

Victoria & Nanaimo ChapterMeetings- Combined Summary

Hyssop

Labiate (mint) botanical familyParts used in the distillation- floweringtops and leaves.

Found in S. Europe, Brazil, Palestine4 5 - 5 8 % m o n o t e r p e n e s 5 3 %pinocamphone

“Purification, protection, expansion”

Contra-Indicated For: pregnancy,babies, children, the elderly, high bloodpressure and epilepsy

The high level of pinocamphonecan cause toxic effects if used for along period or in a large dosage.Gabriel Mojay suggests that inOriental Medicine, this oil isconsidered ‘very hot’ by its natureand should be used in moderation.Jeanne Rose suggests this oil isn e u r o t o x i c a n d a b o r t i v e .

Indicated for:

Respiratory: coughs, colds, viralinfections, tonsillitis and asthma,due to its anti-catarrh, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory (onthe pulmonary system) properties

Circulatory: raises low bloodpressure, varicose veins, regulatesmenstrual flow

Skin: cuts, abrasions, dermatitis,prevents scarring, wounds, bruises

Nervous tension: invigorating tomind, stimulates concentration,short term mental fatigue,melancholy and pessimism

Rheumatism: because of its abilityto disperse uric acid and minimizefluid retention

Digestive: laxative, stomachproblems, restores appetite,metabolizes fats


Lamiaceae

Perennial shrub, native to S.Europe,naturalized in the US.

(From 375 Essential Oils &Hydrosols, Jeanne Rose)

Strong anti-catarrh, anti-asthmatic,anti-inflammatory on the pulmonarysystem. Ability to regulate fatmetabolism. Virucide: capable ofdestroying or inhibiting viruses.

Indicated for: pneumonia, conditions ofthe nose and throat, and troubles of theovaries, especially at puberty. A dropin a glass of warm water or vinegar &gargled is a powerful adjunct againsttonsillitis. Contra-indications: Not tobe used by children and pregnantwomen. Considered to be neurotoxicand abortive.

(From Directory of Essential Oils,Wanda Seller)

She adds the following pre-cautions:Since Hyssop is such a potent oil, lowdosage may be advisable, though manyAT’s avoid its use altogether. Avoid inhigh blood pressure and epilepsy.

(additional conditions): indicated for:r a i s i n g l o w b l o o d p r e s s u r e ,convalescence, mild laxative, relievesstomach cramp and expels wind.Healing to skin, helping to dispersescars and bruises. Suggests problemconditions such as dermatitis andeczema may respond well to Hyssop.

(from Healing the Spirit, GabrielMojay)

The Holy Herb, with Biblicalreferences is summarized by Mojayfo r :“pur i f ica t ion, p rotec t ion,expansion”. In oriental medicine,Hyssop is a strong tonic of the body’swarming, dynamic ‘yang-energy’,especially through it’s action on theLungs. A very ‘hot’ oil by its nature,and should therefore be used in

moderation. Strengthening the lungsand the ‘Defensive-Qi’, benefits poorvitality, breathlessness and immunedeficiency. Mainly indicated for coldinfections, characterized by clearcatarrh.

Hyssop also strengthens the spleen-pancreas, stimulating and warmingdigestion. In this respect, may be usedfor appetite loss, slow digestion andabdominal bloating. With its milddiuretic action, it is useful for fluidretention, and removing uric acid thatcan aggravate rheumatic conditions.

Invigorating to the mind and nervoussystem, recommended for poorconcentration, short term mentalfatigue and chronic nervous debility,melancholy and pessimism.


Maureen brought a sample of Hyssopdecumbens - no one at the meetinghad used the regular oil of hyssop sothere were no samples to smell.

There was a discussion about thetoxicity of regular hyssop and the needto be careful in epilepsy, children andpregnancy. We looked up Hyssop inDr. Lunny’s book—she lists the maineffect as anti-catarrhal. It seems tohave been used in old time recipes forcough syrup, which would go alongwith this.

There was also a discussion on a website which talked about using hyssopfor head lice. The group felt that therecommendations made on this websitewere dangerous.

The discussion then went off on atangent, discussing oil cautions and thevarious opinions relating to this.

Page 37

Chapter MeetingHyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

PROCEEDINGS 2001

PROCEEDINGS 2001


Diverticulosis/Diverticulitis:

Diverticula are pockets that develop inthe colon wall, usually in the sigmoidor left colon, but may involve the entirecolon. Diverticulosis describes thepresence of these pockets, Diverticulitisd e s c r i b e s i n f l a m m a t i o n o rcomplications of these pockets.

Symptoms:

Pain is usually felt in the lower left areaof the abdomen (sigmoid colon). Thepain can be mild to severe, persistent orcramping. Other symptoms could bemild fever, tenderness in the abdomen,constipation or some blood in the feces.More intense symptoms are associatedwith serious complications such asperforation, abcess or fistula formation.

Possible oils to use:

Basil, Tarragon, Ginger, Black Pepper,Pepp ermin t , Orange , Hysso p ,Coriander. One source referred tousing oils that had lypolytic/mucolyticqualities, as the affected area is amucous membrane.

Possible treatments to consider:

Light abdominal/lower back massage,plus inner thighs to stimulate the colon,a blend in a sitz bath, a blend in gel, tobe applied as needed to the rectal tissuefor intense pain, cramping or spasm –being cautious of oils that wouldirritate mucous membranes.

Suggestions from the Encyclopaedia ofNatural Healing by Siegfried Gursche:

The client is typically over 40,their diet lacks fibre and they maygenerally have a compromisedimmune system.

Lifestyle and diet changes

recommended

30 minutes of walking a day is thebest exercise

Massage calves

Use reflexology on the feet

Recommended foods:

Celery, Flaxseed, Acidophilus, AppleCider Vinegar

Recommended herbs:

Cayenne, Horsetail, Yucca andChamomile


Diverticular Disease

We discussed the fact that there are twoparts to this disease of the colon. Themain disease is diverticulosis, and anin f l ammat io n o f t he pocke ts(diverticula) of the colon is calleddiverticulitis. None of us hasknowingly had a client with thisdisease, however all of us has hadclients with IBS. Everyone agreed thatdiverticular disease would be hard todiagnose for an aromatherapist and thatthe client should see a doctor toconfirm whether or not they actuallyhad this disease rather than IBS.

We would ask a client more detailedquestions if they did believe that theyhad diverticular disease - related tod i e t , s t r e s s p a t t e r n s , wa t e rconsumption, fiber intake, etc. We allthought water was not emphasizedenough in the articles we had read onthis problem, and in those included inthis mailing.

As far as which oils to choose - itwould depend on the exact symptomsthe client is experiencing, such asdiarrhea, constipation, bloating, pain

etc. We all agreed that digestive oilsand a gentle abdominal massage wouldbe beneficial. Taking an oil blendhome to use in a bath, or placing in agel for rectal use at home could behelpful. If using rectally, some of themore gentle oils may be appropriate,such as Lavender and Chamomilewhich would be anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory to help with the “it is”part of the disease.

Other suggestions we came up with—adding acidophilus to the diet, andtaking aloe vera internally to put theintestinal tract and colon back intobalance. We also talked about thechakra related to this area, the solarplexus—seat of the emotions, self-esteem, the colour yellow, awareness,mentality of “I cannot”.

Page 36

Chapter MeetingsDiverticular Disease

Victoria & Nanaimo ChapterMeetings- Combined Summary

Hyssop

Labiate (mint) botanical familyParts used in the distillation- floweringtops and leaves.

Found in S. Europe, Brazil, Palestine4 5 - 5 8 % m o n o t e r p e n e s 5 3 %pinocamphone

“Purification, protection, expansion”

Contra-Indicated For: pregnancy,babies, children, the elderly, high bloodpressure and epilepsy

The high level of pinocamphonecan cause toxic effects if used for along period or in a large dosage.Gabriel Mojay suggests that inOriental Medicine, this oil isconsidered ‘very hot’ by its natureand should be used in moderation.Jeanne Rose suggests this oil isn e u r o t o x i c a n d a b o r t i v e .

Indicated for:

Respiratory: coughs, colds, viralinfections, tonsillitis and asthma,due to its anti-catarrh, anti-asthmatic, anti-inflammatory (onthe pulmonary system) properties

Circulatory: raises low bloodpressure, varicose veins, regulatesmenstrual flow

Skin: cuts, abrasions, dermatitis,prevents scarring, wounds, bruises

Nervous tension: invigorating tomind, stimulates concentration,short term mental fatigue,melancholy and pessimism

Rheumatism: because of its abilityto disperse uric acid and minimizefluid retention

Digestive: laxative, stomachproblems, restores appetite,metabolizes fats


Lamiaceae

Perennial shrub, native to S.Europe,naturalized in the US.

(From 375 Essential Oils &Hydrosols, Jeanne Rose)

Strong anti-catarrh, anti-asthmatic,anti-inflammatory on the pulmonarysystem. Ability to regulate fatmetabolism. Virucide: capable ofdestroying or inhibiting viruses.

Indicated for: pneumonia, conditions ofthe nose and throat, and troubles of theovaries, especially at puberty. A dropin a glass of warm water or vinegar &gargled is a powerful adjunct againsttonsillitis. Contra-indications: Not tobe used by children and pregnantwomen. Considered to be neurotoxicand abortive.

(From Directory of Essential Oils,Wanda Seller)

She adds the following pre-cautions:Since Hyssop is such a potent oil, lowdosage may be advisable, though manyAT’s avoid its use altogether. Avoid inhigh blood pressure and epilepsy.

(additional conditions): indicated for:r a i s i n g l o w b l o o d p r e s s u r e ,convalescence, mild laxative, relievesstomach cramp and expels wind.Healing to skin, helping to dispersescars and bruises. Suggests problemconditions such as dermatitis andeczema may respond well to Hyssop.

(from Healing the Spirit, GabrielMojay)

The Holy Herb, with Biblicalreferences is summarized by Mojayfo r :“pur i f ica t ion, p rotec t ion,expansion”. In oriental medicine,Hyssop is a strong tonic of the body’swarming, dynamic ‘yang-energy’,especially through it’s action on theLungs. A very ‘hot’ oil by its nature,and should therefore be used in

moderation. Strengthening the lungsand the ‘Defensive-Qi’, benefits poorvitality, breathlessness and immunedeficiency. Mainly indicated for coldinfections, characterized by clearcatarrh.

Hyssop also strengthens the spleen-pancreas, stimulating and warmingdigestion. In this respect, may be usedfor appetite loss, slow digestion andabdominal bloating. With its milddiuretic action, it is useful for fluidretention, and removing uric acid thatcan aggravate rheumatic conditions.

Invigorating to the mind and nervoussystem, recommended for poorconcentration, short term mentalfatigue and chronic nervous debility,melancholy and pessimism.


Maureen brought a sample of Hyssopdecumbens - no one at the meetinghad used the regular oil of hyssop sothere were no samples to smell.

There was a discussion about thetoxicity of regular hyssop and the needto be careful in epilepsy, children andpregnancy. We looked up Hyssop inDr. Lunny’s book—she lists the maineffect as anti-catarrhal. It seems tohave been used in old time recipes forcough syrup, which would go alongwith this.

There was also a discussion on a website which talked about using hyssopfor head lice. The group felt that therecommendations made on this websitewere dangerous.

The discussion then went off on atangent, discussing oil cautions and thevarious opinions relating to this.

Page 37

Chapter MeetingHyssop (Hyssopus officinalis)

PROCEEDINGS 2001

PROCEEDINGS 2001


Sinusitis: Sinusitis is an inflammationof the sinuses caused by an allergy or aviral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

Infectious Bronchitis: occurs mostoften in winter. It may be caused byviruses, bacteria, smokers and peoplewho have chronic lung or airwaydiseases (asthma) that interfere withclearing inhaled particles from thebronchi may have repeated attacks.Infectious bronchitis often starts withsymptoms of a common cold: runnynose, tiredness, chills, back and muscleaches, slight fever, and sore throat. Thestart of a cough usually signals thebeginning of bronchitis. The cough isdry at first and may remain so, but aperson often coughs up small amountsof white or yellow sputum after a dayor two. Later, a person may cough upmuch more sputum, which may beyellow or green. Someone with severebronchitis may have a high fever for 3to 5 days, after which most symptomsimprove. The cough, however, may lastseveral weeks. If the airways areobstructed, the person may be short ofbreath. Wheezing, especially aftercoughing, is common. Pneumonia maydevelop.

Common Cold: The common cold is aviral infection of the lining of the nose,sinuses, throat, and large airways.Excessive fatigue, emotional distress,midphase of the menstrual cycle serveas breeding grounds for the commoncold. Exposure to cold temperaturesand a compromised diet do not cause acold, but certainly would not help analready struggling immune system.

Influenza: Influenza (flu) is a viralinfection that causes a fever, runnynose, cough, headache, a feeling ofillness (malaise), and inflammation ofthe lining of the nose and airways.

The prevalence of infection is highestin school-aged children. Seasonalepidemics often occur in two waves -the first in schoolchildren and theirhousehold contacts (generally youngerpersons) and the second mostly in shut-ins and persons in semi-closedinstitutions (generally older persons).Spread of influenza viruses is byairborne droplets, person-to-personcontact, or contact with contaminateditems.

Blend Suggestions:

Mouthwash – for throat infections/sore throat

6 drops Tea Tree, 4 drops ThymeMix with 10 drops of emulsifier/surfactant, add 2 drops to a glass ofwater and gargle. Do notswallow

Steam Inhalation – for congestionand infection

2 drops Tea Tree, 1 dropPeppermint, 1 drop Lavender.Add to a bowl of steaming waterand inhale.

Electric vaporizer: Lemon, Clove,Pine

Hot Drink: 2 drops Lemon, 2 dropsThyme, 2 drops Ravensara, 2drops Fir in 1 Tsp. of liquid honey.Add to a mug of hot water and sipaway. (from Kurt Schnabelt’sAdvanced Aromatherapy)

Essential Oils (in no particularorder!)

Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptusdives, Eucalyptus globulus

Ravensara aromatica

Rosalina (Melaleuca ericifolia):High in linalool and 1,8-cineole.Rapidly absorbed through the skinand nasal mucosa. A wonderfuloil for upper respiratory tractinfections, particularly in smallchildren. Calming, anti-septic,

gentle expectorant, anti-infectious.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousiacitriodora) calming, assists restand relaxation, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. Supports immune system.

Thyme linalool: (less irritating tomucous membranes than Thymevulgaris (red or white thyme)

Spike Lavender

Hyssop

Lemon

Pine

Rosemary, 1,8 cineol

Frankincense

Benzoin

Manuka

Fir

Tarragon

Fennel

Cypress

Black pepper

Basil

Peppermint

Cedar (Atlas) and (Himalayan)

Clove bud

Orange

Hydrosols: Suzanne Catty refers toElecampane (Inula graveolens) as the#1 choice for respiratory conditions.“Use neat or diluted as symptomsrequire. Powerful mucolytic andresolvant, excellent for bronchitis.Broncho-dilator and anti-spasmodic todiaphragm, use for whooping coughand asthma control. Suitablealternative to rare and expensiveessential oil.”

Page 38

Chapter MeetingAcute Respiratory Conditions

PROCEEDINGS 2001


Acute Respiratory Conditions

This particular topic gave us a bit ofgrief, as we all felt that it was too broadand we could not really get our teethinto it!

We did try through -

“Acute” - this would be something likean asthma attack, an allergic reaction,croup or acute bronchitis.

For these types of conditions we feltthat a diffuser would be the best choiceat first, to comfort the person and to getrid of possible viral/bacterial infectionsin the air.

Determining the exact cause ofrespiratory conditions would decidewhich type of oils to use—eitherexpectorant/mucolyt ic or ant i -inflammatory.

We talked about the fact that it isimportant to inhale anti-spasmodic oilsfrom a handkerchief or a diffuser,rather than through steam inhalation, asheat is not good in this type ofsituation.

Barb talked about the particular blendthat she has used on her husband. Hehas suffered from asthma attacks sincemoving to Canada from England. Theblend she uses, with good results, is anequal mixture of basil and bergamot ina carrier oil. She applies this oil to hisback and always receives good results.

An example of a blend to use forbronchitis would be a combination ofmucolytic oils, anti-inflammatory oilsand calming oils.

In the case of acute allergic reactions,according to Particia Davis, one shouldchoose oils to comfort and soothe.These oils could be delivered in baths,compresses or by inhalation. Anexample of a blend could be Lavender,Roman Chamomile and Melissa.

Massage, being the most effect way torelieve stress in most cases, would behelpful with allergic reactions to calmthe person down.

We looked at the upcoming “IntegratedClinical Aromatherapy” workshopbeing given by Gabriel Mojay inVancouver in March, 2002. He says,“many common diseases of therespiratory system are among those thatare most readily treated or managedthrough the judicious administration ofappropriate essential oils, mainlythrough the methods of inhalantion.”Some essential oil he mentions as beinguseful in the treatment of respiratoryconditions are Eucalyptus ssp.,Hyssopus, Melaleuca spp., Myrtus,Pinus spp., Ravensara and Thymus.

Page 39


PROCEEDINGS 2001


Sinusitis: Sinusitis is an inflammationof the sinuses caused by an allergy or aviral, bacterial, or fungal infection.

Infectious Bronchitis: occurs mostoften in winter. It may be caused byviruses, bacteria, smokers and peoplewho have chronic lung or airwaydiseases (asthma) that interfere withclearing inhaled particles from thebronchi may have repeated attacks.Infectious bronchitis often starts withsymptoms of a common cold: runnynose, tiredness, chills, back and muscleaches, slight fever, and sore throat. Thestart of a cough usually signals thebeginning of bronchitis. The cough isdry at first and may remain so, but aperson often coughs up small amountsof white or yellow sputum after a dayor two. Later, a person may cough upmuch more sputum, which may beyellow or green. Someone with severebronchitis may have a high fever for 3to 5 days, after which most symptomsimprove. The cough, however, may lastseveral weeks. If the airways areobstructed, the person may be short ofbreath. Wheezing, especially aftercoughing, is common. Pneumonia maydevelop.

Common Cold: The common cold is aviral infection of the lining of the nose,sinuses, throat, and large airways.Excessive fatigue, emotional distress,midphase of the menstrual cycle serveas breeding grounds for the commoncold. Exposure to cold temperaturesand a compromised diet do not cause acold, but certainly would not help analready struggling immune system.

Influenza: Influenza (flu) is a viralinfection that causes a fever, runnynose, cough, headache, a feeling ofillness (malaise), and inflammation ofthe lining of the nose and airways.

The prevalence of infection is highestin school-aged children. Seasonalepidemics often occur in two waves -the first in schoolchildren and theirhousehold contacts (generally youngerpersons) and the second mostly in shut-ins and persons in semi-closedinstitutions (generally older persons).Spread of influenza viruses is byairborne droplets, person-to-personcontact, or contact with contaminateditems.

Blend Suggestions:

Mouthwash – for throat infections/sore throat

6 drops Tea Tree, 4 drops ThymeMix with 10 drops of emulsifier/surfactant, add 2 drops to a glass ofwater and gargle. Do notswallow

Steam Inhalation – for congestionand infection

2 drops Tea Tree, 1 dropPeppermint, 1 drop Lavender.Add to a bowl of steaming waterand inhale.

Electric vaporizer: Lemon, Clove,Pine

Hot Drink: 2 drops Lemon, 2 dropsThyme, 2 drops Ravensara, 2drops Fir in 1 Tsp. of liquid honey.Add to a mug of hot water and sipaway. (from Kurt Schnabelt’sAdvanced Aromatherapy)

Essential Oils (in no particularorder!)

Eucalyptus radiata, Eucalyptusdives, Eucalyptus globulus

Ravensara aromatica

Rosalina (Melaleuca ericifolia):High in linalool and 1,8-cineole.Rapidly absorbed through the skinand nasal mucosa. A wonderfuloil for upper respiratory tractinfections, particularly in smallchildren. Calming, anti-septic,

gentle expectorant, anti-infectious.

Tea Tree (Melaleuca alternifolia)

Lemon Myrtle (Backhousiacitriodora) calming, assists restand relaxation, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal. Supports immune system.

Thyme linalool: (less irritating tomucous membranes than Thymevulgaris (red or white thyme)

Spike Lavender

Hyssop

Lemon

Pine

Rosemary, 1,8 cineol

Frankincense

Benzoin

Manuka

Fir

Tarragon

Fennel

Cypress

Black pepper

Basil

Peppermint

Cedar (Atlas) and (Himalayan)

Clove bud

Orange

Hydrosols: Suzanne Catty refers toElecampane (Inula graveolens) as the#1 choice for respiratory conditions.“Use neat or diluted as symptomsrequire. Powerful mucolytic andresolvant, excellent for bronchitis.Broncho-dilator and anti-spasmodic todiaphragm, use for whooping coughand asthma control. Suitablealternative to rare and expensiveessential oil.”

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PROCEEDINGS 2001


Acute Respiratory Conditions

This particular topic gave us a bit ofgrief, as we all felt that it was too broadand we could not really get our teethinto it!

We did try through -

“Acute” - this would be something likean asthma attack, an allergic reaction,croup or acute bronchitis.

For these types of conditions we feltthat a diffuser would be the best choiceat first, to comfort the person and to getrid of possible viral/bacterial infectionsin the air.

Determining the exact cause ofrespiratory conditions would decidewhich type of oils to use—eitherexpectorant/mucolyt ic or ant i -inflammatory.

We talked about the fact that it isimportant to inhale anti-spasmodic oilsfrom a handkerchief or a diffuser,rather than through steam inhalation, asheat is not good in this type ofsituation.

Barb talked about the particular blendthat she has used on her husband. Hehas suffered from asthma attacks sincemoving to Canada from England. Theblend she uses, with good results, is anequal mixture of basil and bergamot ina carrier oil. She applies this oil to hisback and always receives good results.

An example of a blend to use forbronchitis would be a combination ofmucolytic oils, anti-inflammatory oilsand calming oils.

In the case of acute allergic reactions,according to Particia Davis, one shouldchoose oils to comfort and soothe.These oils could be delivered in baths,compresses or by inhalation. Anexample of a blend could be Lavender,Roman Chamomile and Melissa.

Massage, being the most effect way torelieve stress in most cases, would behelpful with allergic reactions to calmthe person down.

We looked at the upcoming “IntegratedClinical Aromatherapy” workshopbeing given by Gabriel Mojay inVancouver in March, 2002. He says,“many common diseases of therespiratory system are among those thatare most readily treated or managedthrough the judicious administration ofappropriate essential oils, mainlythrough the methods of inhalantion.”Some essential oil he mentions as beinguseful in the treatment of respiratoryconditions are Eucalyptus ssp.,Hyssopus, Melaleuca spp., Myrtus,Pinus spp., Ravensara and Thymus.

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Victoria and Nanaimo ChapterMeetings Combined Summary

Ravensara aromatica

Native to Madagascar, now in France,India, Sri Lanka

Middle note, steam distilled fromleaves, fruit, bark

Contra-indications/Precautions: Noknown cautions. One source listedpregnancy; we further researched tofind that this stands for Ravensaraanisata, which offers an almostcompletely different list of propertiesfrom var. aromatica.

Properties/Conditions:

Anti-viral, anti-spasmodic, analgesic,anti-bacteria, anti-fungal, hepatic,sedative, anti-depressant, detoxant,expectorant, nervine, anti-infectious,mucolytic.

Counters specific viruses, bacteria &micro-organisms.

Body:

Viral infections: chicken pox, coldsores, shingles

Colds and influenza

Measle outbreaks

Asthma & colds

Liver function

Muscle aches and pains

Migraine headache

Excess mucous

Skin:

Balances acne & dry skin

Wounds

Skin rashes and irritations

Insect bites

Fungal infections

Eczema and psoriasis

Mind:

Clears emotions

Balancing and grounding

Calms fears and anxieties

Improves memory

Soothes mental exhaustion

Blending Ideas:

Ravensara aromatica, Neroli andRoman Chamomile to fend offanxiety attacks (& stress relatedasthma attacks)

In a diffuser to disinfect the air ofcold/flu virus.

Sinusitis: Ravensara and Rosemaryofficinalis

Flu prevention/immune stimulant:Ravensara, Eucalyptus radiata andRosemary officinalis

Nervous fatigue/depression:Ravensara and Cinnamon

Stress relief: Ravensara andLavendar

Muscle relaxant, cramps, arthriticand joint pain: Ravensara andThyme (vulgaris, linalool)


We discussed the fact that there aredifferent kinds of Ravensara listed insome of the aromatherapy books whichappear to be carcinogenic andhepatoxic. Ravensara aromatica,however, is different, and consideredsafe to use. In Patricia Davis’ “A to Z”book she mentions that ravensara oilcomes from a tall, forest tree native toMadagascar and the meaning of the

name is “good leaf”. It is strongly anti-viral, and an immune stimulant,expectorant and nerve tonic. It can beused to treat anxiety, and is wonderfulfor shingles, according to KurtSchnaubelt, when mixed withCalophyllum inophyllum. Its chemicalcomponents consist mainly of 1,8-cineole and high monoterpenes.

Maureen brought a sample to smell.She has used this often as an anti-viral,immune stimulant oil. It is one of theoils that she feels comfortable using onher child. She has used it mainly inbaths, as a cold/flu prevention. It iskind to skin, like Eucalyptus radiata,and the group agreed that the smell ismore pleasant than most oils that workon these conditions. A blend that wassuggested, that would work well for“winter” conditions, and also smellgood was :

Myrtle

Pine

Red Thyme

Ravensara

This would work well synergistically,though we did not decide on amountsfor each oil. Obviously not as muchthyme as the others though.

Patricia Davis mentions that Ravensara,like Lavender, works better in asynergy than by itself.

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Chapter MeetingRavensara aromatica

PROCEEDINGS 2001

Documents

BCAOA_BCAPA_proceedi.. - Canadian Alliance Of