Creating Aromatherapy: A Day in the Life

Several months ago I created a couple of aromatherapy sprays for a local market I was to take part in. Blending scents is one of my most favorite and relaxing hobbies. Here I'm putting together a blend I call "Woodstock," which is a mix of patchouli, spices, and fir. As a fragrance "snob," I appreciate the high quality products Young Living produces, and have enjoyed using them every day. These pure plant essences create vastly different effects than synthetic fragrances do. Working with these oils lifts my mood and gives me a sense of well being. Their holistic influence is a wonderful side benefit!

 

 

To learn more about the world of aromtherapy, click on the link below and go to the "home" tab. From there you can learn about the many unique items Young Living has to offer. It's an amazing world just waiting to be discovered! 

http://bit.ly/1tKdfHu

                                   

Tips from Massage & Bodywork

I want to keep learning. After all, it keeps the brain sharp and life much more interesting. As a therapist, especially, I want to keep learning about my craft. So yesterday, I picked up the latest issue of massage & bodywork, the January/February 2015 edition, and started reading the article on "What It Takes To Create A Lifelong Career." 

I highlighted a couple of things, which I thought were especially applicable to me: 

1. Spot-treating, as opposed to whole body work. Ken and Alma Carroll, a couple who contributed to this article said that their business "turned a corner" when they started doing spot treatments on their clients. I agree. This is what I've started to do more of, and it's really making a big difference with a couple of my clients, one of which spent thousands of dollars on unsuccessful conventional treatments for a chronic pain issue that's lasted a few years now.
2.  Experiment with other types of massage modalities. This one was good for me, as I tend to lean towards similar methods or continuing education classes over and over, particularly Thai massage and aromatherapy.
3. Ask tough questions. In the article, there are a list of questions that every therapist should ask his or herself. It may be uncomfortable to think about where I fall short, but it is absolutely essential to success as a therapist. I need to work on this one more and "be prepared for honest feedback."
4. Walk the talk. I haven't been practicing this one so well. I need to take more time out for regular massages and personal wellness. 

Bodywork is a whole big world, even universe, of unique and interesting things to learn, one which requires curiosity and passion; courage and discomfort. Here's to growth and change in the new year!

Check out my website: www.bridgettantolicklmt.com for massage offers and info in the St. Louis, MO area.

My Post on Sage

I got a new oil in the mail last month from Young Living: sage, not to be confused with clary sage. I was curious to try this, as I love the smell of the herb, fresh or dried. It's pungent and herbaceous; slightly smokey. A fellow massage therapist I knew mixed it with geranium oil and used it as a cleaning spray for her massage chair. I remember loving the smell, which is why I decided to mix it with Joy, (a blend of bergamot, geranium, rose, jasmine and other oils) in my diffuser. I have some diffusing in my living room right now. The blend is clean and relaxing; sweet and spicy; uplifting. I love oils! Use 5-6 drops of sage, and 3-4 drops of Joy for diffusing. 

 

 Sage has been used for many things, including stuffiness, aches & pains, regulation of emotions & bodily (especially female) systems, and cleansing. For many years Native Americans have used the smoke of burning sage to cleanse spaces and other objects. 

As a teen, I would often cure a sore throat by making a cup of sage tea and drinking until the pain had gone. Though I don't have a sore throat right now, I expect to try a drop of sage oil in hot water if I do get one.

Sage oil could be helpful for cleansing the skin, unclogging pores, and toning. Here's a recipe for a skin toner (better for normal to oily skin) with sage oil:

1/4 cup of witch hazel

1/4 cup distilled or purified water

4 drops of sage oil   

http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/singles/sage-essential-oil

3 drops of lavender oil  

http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/singles/lavender-essential-oil

3 drops lemon oil

http://www.youngliving.com/en_US/products/essential-oils/singles/lemon-essential-oil 

Blend well and store in a glass or aluminum spray bottle. Spritz onto face after cleansing or anytime you feel the need for a pick me up. Could also be used as an underarm deodorant or body spray.

If you'd like to learn more, click on the link below to read more about or order essential oils, or to scroll through the great essential oil kit collections (saves ya tons!): http://bit.ly/1tKdfHu

Notes from Two Lectures/Thoughts on Resiliance, Shame & Becoming a Person

I sat in on my husband's class today and took the following notes from his class with Professor Dan Zink. I also wove in some notes from another lecture I attended two days ago, given by Dr. Curt Thompson. Here they are:

"Be Becoming a Person"
Ephesians 1:1-15; 3:14-20. 
To be a person means to be open-hearted; resilient. Resilience has not been studied much. Some fascinating research; Hawaiian study. Emmy Werner studied people for 40 years.
Resilience: more than bouncing back. (no back to bounce back to!) Sense of a person being real and risk having people know them though they are a mess is a sign they are resilient. In counseling, the goal is to help the client be resilient; to not have them close down despite their circumstances. 
"...eyes of your heart enlightened...strengthen your inner being." (see verses from above portions) We are image-bearers, which means we have agency, which means we have capacity. We must be encouraged to relate to life open-heartedly in the face of what life throws at us. Resiliency DOES NOT equal "tough." 
Dan Allender's book "Wounded Heart." He talks about the aftermath of sexual abuse (or any other big or little trauma/nurturing absence we have experienced), and how we end up with relational strategies (styles of relating to other people). He categorizes three responses: "good," "tough," or "party girl/[lguy.]" Tough girls are not strong if there is much vulnerability. They think they are tough as they keep you at a distance so that no one knows who they are. The isolation in reality makes them weak. Party girls give up. They have the attitude of "eat, drink, and be merry." The good girls believe deeply that something is wrong with them so they work really, really hard. They work hard so that they can become worthy enough for people to love them. These styles of relating are all defensive.
How and when are we to be vulnerable? It takes committed connection.  It is assessing whether or not a "...relationship has an expiration date on it far enough out that it's worth taking a risk to be vulnerable." 
Edward Teyber: "Interpersonal Process in Therapy" addresses this issue.
Dr Curt Thompson ("Anatomy of the Soul") talks about the importance of being in tune with the 8 senses. So there are the typical 5 (taste, smell, see, hear, and touch), and then the sixth is the sense of what is going on inside our bodies, the seventh is the capacity of being aware that we are sensing these things, and the eighth is the capacity to sense the same thing in other people. Pay attention so we can do the eighth one well. It is important to learn this yourself before you can do it with others. Focus on yourself so that you can focus on others. If we don't pay attention to what our body is saying we will miss what God is saying to us. I Corinthians. 6:19.  When working with others simple questions are best. "What are you feeling towards me?" It helps people pay attention to their own hearts. Ultimately you will get to shame. Another good question: "How do you perceive yourself?"
Two types of secrets: mouth secrets and heart secrets. Better to have secrets of the mouth, more than secrets of the heart (Reference Patrick Rothfuss' book "The Wiseman's Fear," pg. 448) . "They [heart secrets] are private and painful, and we want nothing more than to hide them from the world. They do not swell and press against the mouth. They live in the heart, and the longer they are kept, the heavier they become...Given enough time, they cannot help but crush the heart that holds them." (pg. 489). The person with heart secrets is near, but not "with" you. [Professor Zink now pauses to take notice of the atmosphere change in the room. It is heavier]
Shame's primary purpose is to isolate us. We must be willing to go those places in the heart and share these in safe community.
We cannot change unless we present our whole bodies to God (Rom. 12:1,2). It's not just the mind. Our emotions are included in this. 
Ways to change:
1) Aerobic exercise: stimulates biochemistry which leads to neural growth and aids in depression.
2) Good sleep/rest: sabbath was made FOR man). Cut screen time an hour before bed. Are we living hurried or restful lives?
3) Appetite & diet: cut portions by half or a third and chew more slowly. 
4) Mindfulness. Pay attention to the present moment.
5) Meaningful Novelty: explore creativity.
6) Cultivate deeply connected intimate relationships: change is impossible apart from community
All change takes HARD WORK. Perseverance changes the brain.
How do we help people wrestle with their shame?
The best answers are less rational and more wholehearted. 
What is the relationship between forgiveness and resilience? We mess up in the church by starting with forgiveness. First, we must start with the process of grief, particularly anger. We need to be ambassadors of anger. We must get realistic about loss. We can get stuck by shutting the anger down. There are definitely wrong ways of expressing anger, but there are good ways of being angry at losses and abuses. Not to stay in the anger, but to be realistic about what happened. After the grieving process, we can now talk about why the abuser, for example, might have been the way he or she was without covering up what they've done. It takes courage to face this. Grief and forgiveness together is a letting go process. Forgiveness: letting go of making people pay. Reconciliation and forgiveness are not the same thing. This is not a quantitative process. It may take days or it may reoccur and you will have to work through it again. Grief: the process of letting go of hope (Have to be careful here to define this. Hope here means: "it doesn't really matter.").        

Gluten-Free Spicy Candied Ginger Cookies

These cookies are warm and spicy; dense and slightly crisp. They explode in your mouth as a burst of flavor...and, they are gluten-free! Delicious by themselves, but would also make a wonderful pair to a cup of coffee or tea.

Here's the recipe:

1 cup of Red Mill Gluten-Free Flour
1/4 cup almond meal
2 T flax meal
1 teaspoon soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 teaspoons each: cinnamon, freshly ground cloves, ground ginger
3/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup plus 4 T brown sugar
2 T finely minced candied ginger
1 large egg white
2 T dark agave nectar
Additional sugar for rolling

1) Put a rack in the center of the oven; preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 cookie sheets. Set aside. 

2) Whisk together flour, almond meal, flax meal, soda, salt, and spices in a bowl. 

3) Whisk sunflower oil, 1/2 cup plus 2 T brown sugar, egg white, and candied ginger until thoroughly combined. Add the egg white and agave nectar and mix well. Add the flour mixture and mix well again. Put the leftover brown sugar for rolling in a bowl. 

4) Roll about a tablespoon of the dough into balls with your fingers and roll the balls into the sugar; place on the prepared baking sheets spaced 2 inches apart. Dip the bottom of a glass in sugar and press each ball into a 2 1/2-inch round

  

5) Bake until lightly browned, about 12 minutes. Let the cookies rest on the sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a rack or plate to cool. 

Eye Infection Cured

 

 

I desperately flipped through this book one morning when my husband Matt woke up, looked in the mirror, and proclaimed that his eye was infected and swelling up yet again. 

He'd already been to his primary doctor three times in just a couple of months for antibiotics to get rid of the staph infection in his eye that keeps producing styes, swelling, redness, pain, and discharge. He was beyond frustrated. "I'm going to an eye doctor this time!" he exclaimed. We knew he just could not do another round of antibiotics.

That's when I grabbed the book. I looked up antibiotic in the index and was directed to a section on what oils had antibacterial properties. I saw a little box off to the side that gave a instructions for an 

Essential Oil Antibiotic Regimen

In a "00" capsule put 12 drops of Thieves, 6 drops of oregano, and 2 drops of frankincense. Ingest one capsule every 4 hours for 3 days, and then every 8 hours for 4 days. 

I ended up using 10 drops of Thieves, 5 drops of oregano oil, and 3 drops of frankincense because the original amounts seemed to overflow the capsule. We did the treatment for 7 days as instructed and my husband's eye swelling went down and returned to normal. He's not had to return to the doctor. This is a FIRST. His eye has always gotten worse even after compresses and washing it regularly with diluted baby shampoo. 

Needless to say we both were thrilled, but especially my husband! 

Essential oils are amazing! If you want to learn more, click here: http://on.fb.me/VIWiNP

From Lotion to Music: My Massage Favorites

I am always reading reviews and looking at blogs for help in making decisions to purchase or use a product so I thought I'd share a few of my favorite things with you so that you can enjoy these as much as I do!

Quality is important to me, so is a naturally-made product. While plain, cold-pressed oil is still the best choice for massage, it's not always practical when it comes to trying to get the product washed out of hair, clothes, and sheets. The best lotion I've used so far is Soothing Touch Ayurveda Massage Lotion. It's free of parabens, propylene glycol, formaldehyde, TEA, DEA & PEG, phthalates, and synthetic fragrance. It is also gluten-free. 
It contains coconut, castor, and mustard oils and produces a very faint tingle. I enjoy smelling it, and I can pick out the mustard and coconut when I sniff it. The glide is perfect too!

I usually order mine from Massage Warehouse: http://www.massagewarehouse.com/products/soothing-touch-ayurveda-massage-lotion/

I have a client who loves lavender and usually comes in for a massage just to relax. I adore the boost and mellow affects even I benefit from when I use a few drops of Young Living lavender oil in my client's massage. The smell is absolutely wonderful. You can order here: 
http://on.fb.me/VIWiNP

Three other essential oils I use regularly in my massage are copaiba, Aroma-Siez, and spearmint. 

Copaiba is an anti-inflammatory and useful for muscle stiffness.

Aroma-Siez helps muscle spasms, aids circulation, loosens muscles, relaxes, and relieves pain. It also has an uplifting and refreshing smell. 

Spearmint is what I use for the end of the massage on the scalp. It enlivens and awakens after the deep relaxation affects of the massage. 

Here's the link again for the oils: http://on.fb.me/VIWiNP

Another important aspect of massage is music. Have you grown tired of Midi flutes and fake bird sounds? Me too! It's hard to find good albums out there that are conducive to relaxation and a snobby musical ear. A couple of albums I've been using recently that I've enjoyed are Breathe In, by Dustin O'Halloran, and Avalon Sutra by Harold Budd. 


Breathe In is contemplative and relaxing with a bit of an ambient sound, woven together with beautiful piano and violin phrases. 

  
Avalon Sutra, by Harold Budd, is a dreamy, melancholy, and enigmatic album with contemporary classical and ambient flavors. Piano, synth pads, violin, saxophone, and electronic instruments combine to make this a unique and eclectic treat. 

 

I use Spotify (https://www.spotify.com/us/), a digital music service, which is $10 a month. It allows me to stream and download unlimited music, which I play via Bluetooth through a wireless speaker.