Aromatherapy Haven

There has been much written on the subject of aromatherapy and its wonderful benefits recently.  More and more people are discovering the benefits of essential oils and the effects they can have on your health and well being.  Lavender is a fragrance that is becoming increasingly popular because of its varied uses for aromatherapy.  Lets have a look at lavender and its miraculous effect on the mind and body.

What is Lavender?

Lavender was discovered in the countries of the Mediterranean.  It is an herb.  It was found to have many great qualities right from the beginning.  It has a pleasing scent and it was used by the Romans to heal and cleanse the body.  There have been a great many more uses discovered for this remarkable herb.

In modern times it would be difficult to count all the uses for lavender in aromatherapy.  It is a great smelling herb that a great many people add to their garden for its scent alone.  It has the ability to relax a person just with one whiff.  This has been the most popular use of lavender.  Its ability to relax has been used to relieve anger and stress in people who are using aromatherapy for their conditions.  Massage is one of the places that lavender has been used for its ability to relax the patient.  Lavender has also been used to treat insomnia because of its ability to relax someone.  You will find it beneficial to keep lavender near your bed when you are having difficulty falling asleep.  The scent of the lavender will help to relax you and further aid you in falling asleep.

There is more to lavender than just its use as a fragrance in aromatherapy.  It has some other benefits for the physical body as well.  It has been used as an effective disinfectant.  History shows of its use for treating and cleaning wounds and injuries.  When there was a shortage of supplies in WWI and WWII lavender was used to help with the fighting of infections.  When this oil is mixed with another carrier oil it can help to relieve pain also.  Some people have even used the oil on their temples to help eliminate headaches.

Lavender is probably one of the most useful herbs around.  It has the beneficial effects that are used in aromatherapy as well as some real physical benefits.  It is a beautiful and fragrant addition for your garden and once you cultivate this handy herb you will find many uses for it in your home.

Massage therapy is literally one of the oldest and simplest forms of therapy in the world. It is a system that involves stroking, pressing and kneading different areas of the body in order to relieve pain and to relax and tone the body. Massage is truly a combination of science and art, and provides a relaxing experience by use of artistic hand strokes on the body. The practice of massage has its roots in the ancient Chinese, Greek, Roman, Indian and Egyptian eras.

Massage does much more than create a pleasant sensation on the skin even though this is all most people care about.  Massage also works on the soft tissues such as the muscles, tendons, and ligaments in the body in order to improve muscle tone. It helps by stimulating blood circulation in the body, thereby assisting the lymphatic system and improving the elimination of waste throughout the body.

Some benefits

There are some really fabulous benefits that are offered by massage therapy. It is relaxing, soothing, healing, reassuring, improves breathing and circulation, and enhances one’s overall well-being.

When people feel stressed out or agitated they often opt for a massage therapy session, however others actually do it as a necessity to treat their body because of strains and other injures. The benefits today that massage therapy brings is actually quite varied and diverse, and for this massage is being considered as an important aspect in any physical rehabilitation program available.

Discovering Aromatherapy

Another form of therapy is aromatherapy, which is actually different from massage therapy but is commonly used as a combination. Aromatherapy is a form of alternative treatment which utilizes  volatile liquid plant compounds popularly known as essential oils. The purpose of this type of therapy is to further enhance the soothing and relaxation effects upon a patient and for this reason it is used in conjunction with massage.

Massage therapy is really a great option for you, whether you are tense or sore, or simply want to find a way to relax or take it easy. A single massage therapy session allows your muscles and nerves to relax and feel loose for a few days, and sometimes this effect can even last weeks. If you have never experienced a massage before then this will be a good opportunity for you to get one and feel the relaxing benefits it gives.

When you do get a massage, you will often find that it not only gives you a lot of physical simulation and relaxation, but it allows provides great mental and emotional relief, and makes you feel enlightened and relaxed mentally. This mental relaxation will allow you to change your daily thoughts and perspective in a more positive light.

One of the basic principles about natural health remedies is that they are food. Natural remedies come from plant roots, stems, and leaves. These plant parts, herbs, are then dried and have very little other processing that would affect their potency. Of course, you have some manufacturers that may apply excess heat or vacuum in their processing, which would reduce the herbs quality.

Natural remedies are also considered all those products, single or formulations that consist of herbs, minerals, vitamins, and special natural products.

Remedy History

Natural health remedies have a long history with all cultures. In fact before drugs ever existed the only medication available to doctors was natural remedies. These natural health remedies were the plant themselves, teas and tinctures.

The Start of Drugs

Once drugs started to appear on the market, doctors and patients found these to be easy to apply and use. All drugs at the time came from processing plants and extracting the active ingredient for a specific condition. Later drugs started to appear that were synthetic and chemical similar to the active ingredient in plants.

Any food or chemical that is synthetic is processed differently by your body. It may cause an allergic reaction or it may produce a side effect. Even drugs produced from plants will produce side effects. This is an important consideration when taking drugs, since some drugs have side effects equal to the body condition they are trying to eliminate. For example a high blood pressure drug may cause high blood pressure if it is used to long.

All drugs have side effects if used to long. Drugs should only be used for a short term. Use of drugs for a loing time will kill you with their side effect. Once a doctor puts his patient on one drug, it sometimes wouldn’t be long before they are on 3 or 4 more drugs. Many people are on 10 and sometimes even more drugs at the same time.

When you are on one drug, it can produce a side effect that requires another drug to suppress that side effect. Most drugs do not cure, but suppresses the body’s illness or condition so that the body has a chance to heal. After that time, you should come off that drug, but many doctors continue to prescribe these drugs, even after you don’t need them.

Using Natural Remedies

Natural health remedies typically don’t have side effects. If you use them in high concentration and too often, then you could have side effects. Or, if you are allergic to a specific plant, then, you could have side effects.

Natural remedies have not been known to kill people. Drugs have a horrible history in that thousands of people have been kill by the use of drugs. Remedies have such a long history that every type of illness or diseases has a remedy that is useful for that illness.

You can always research what remedies you need to help your condition. Doctors don’t like that you do this, since you take away business from them when you find a remedy that works for you.

Natural remedies are also used for preventing disease, whereas drugs are not design for this purpose. Drugs suppress a symptom; remedies give whole body support and specific support for the indicated illness that they target.

In his book, Herbal Pathfinders, Robert Conrow and Arlene Hechksel describe the lives of many herbalists. Here are a few comments from this book.

Vasant lad, says that “Ayurveda sprang from cognitions that occurred in the meditative minds of the ancient seers of truth…”

Wabum says that “usually herbalists are considered to be medicine people of a certain degree… their work in the past could be considered the work of a doctor, psychologist, counselor, or teacher.”

Ellwood Carr says that “out of all the plants on the face of the earth, 90% of human energy around the world comes from only 15 species of plants…”

Natural Health Remedies such as herbs, herbal formulations, minerals, vitamins are now finding new application by consumers. Consumers are slowly becoming more independent and are questioning the excess use of drugs by doctors. They are returning to the use of natural remedies that have been effective for centuries and have little or no side effects.

Indian massage can be your solution for looking gorgeous, smelling splendid and feeling on top of the world! Read on the article to know how this ancient art of touch can help you in your complete rejuvenation.

Touch is the most basic mode of communication between two human beings. Massage involves this magic of touch; thus massage promotes health—both psychological and emotional.

How?

Massage improves circulation, supports neurological functions, helps in digestion providing relief from gas and strengthens overall immunity.

Massage act as stimulant for the skin receptors and the nerves and triggers off the ‘feel-good’ hormones, especially the endorphins. This helps the nerves and muscles relax. Massage also helps alleviating pain simply by refusing to receive pain signals from brain.

The end result is: you get a feeling of complete relaxation—both in your body and mind. With tensions and stresses gone, you gain back the keenness of your senses.

How Indian Massage Therapy is different from any other massage therapies of the world

Massage takes different approaches in different parts of the world. Indian massage therapy or the Ayurvedic massage has been practiced since antiquity. Massage has always received a scientific perception in the writing of the Scholars of ancient India. This traditional Indian technique was based on Ayurvedic Doshas and Marmas—the pressure points in the Western reflexology.

• So the focal point in Ayurvedic massage technique is: different pressure points of the body. As a healing agent, Indian massage involves the use of:
1. Different types of touch
2. Pressure or flowing movements

• As such Ayurvedic massage is applied to the skin in a way so that the tissues underlying it are relieved of muscular tension and pains.
• The massage may involve either particular parts of body—as for example, Indian head massage—or full body massage.
• The Indian massage often involves the use of different types of aromatherapy oils—hot or cold.
• All these result into relaxation of the body and promote a sense of overall wellbeing.

Indian Massage - an experience of lifetime
In the interior of India, you will get to see people receiving massage in the corners of the streets for a few rupees; although they often lack formal training, they have acquired the art as a part of community tradition.

But for a life changing experience, you should visit a luxury Indian spa where trained and experienced masseurs will offer you traditional Ayurvedic massage for a holistic rejuvenation. Here are some of the varieties of Ayurvedic massage you can experience in the different parts of India, especially in the Spa Resorts in Kerala, in southern fringes of the peninsula.

Panchakarma treatment  
The gentle process that promotes deep cleansing without discomfort
This is a massage technique that helps eliminate toxins from the body accumulated in parts like the lymph, circulatory, and immune systems. 

Abhyanga Massage
The fastest toxin expelling technique
This is a luxurious full body indulgence with medicated oils containing herbs and ingredients that pacify the unbalanced Vata, Pitta, and Kapha energies.

Ayurvedic Head Massage
The technique that ends mental fatigue
This massage is done with oils containing herbs that pacify the nerves and stimulate the brain for better functioning. This massage can be your ultimate solution for getting rid of emotional fatigue, confusions and for enhanced clarity of mind.

Full Body Steam
Expelling toxins with the help of steam
This is a full body massage technique, much different from ordinary sauna; here the steam contains vapors of detoxifying and balancing herbs. However, the head and neck areas are excluded in this massage.  In addition of relieving body from toxins, it also moisturizes and dehydrates the skin giving it a baby soft glow.

Shirodhara
The ultimate stress reliever
This amazing technique involves trickling of a warm stream of mixture of cooling and balancing herbal oils and medicated ghee over the forehead in a continuous flow. To enhance the effect, the treatment is carried on in a quiet, soothing atmosphere. If you happen to suffer from any one of these: chronic neuro-muscular disorders, hypertension, insomnia, depression, anxiety,  headaches or restlessness - Shirodhara is the technique you must give a try to get rid of these menaces for once and for all.

For generations, Indian massage has been trusted for having a powerful effect on the mental and emotional well being of the individuals.

Come and experience the difference yourself!