Tag: essential oils

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7 Essential Oils to Try

Incorporating aromatherapy and corresponding essential oils into your daily life is a game changer for many people. These elements are known to speed up the healing process, boost cognitive performance, strengthen the immune system, increase circulation, and improve moods. Who wouldn’t want to experience these amazing benefits?

Aromatherapy, for many who use it, is a mix of science and art. It can be fun to blend oils together, creating combinations that work best for you. However, you must be informed before you grab random oils and start mixing to avoid negative side effects. Some of the most popular essential oils can easily be found at your local pharmacy or health food store.

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Blending oils create synergy. For example, lavender oil on its own is wonderfully relaxing. When you add to it tangerine, bergamot, geranium, cypress, frankincense, and chamomile oils, you’ve just whipped up a soothing combination for an insomniac. Pair that together with the benefits of massage and you just may send them to sleepy town.

For regular use, it is important to know which oils may trigger allergies by paying close attention to your own body’s reaction. It is also extremely important to properly dilute the oils with a base oil, lotion, or water.

If you are brand new to aromatherapy, choosing essential oils may be overwhelming. Luckily, many brands have already paired oils together with handy labels explaining their specially designed outcome. We’ve also put together a list of seven popular reasons people turn to aromatherapy and some of the essential oils you may want to try. (Please note, the oils listed here are individual, not suggested blends.)

7 Common Reasons to Use Aromatherapy and Essential Oils to Try

  1. Relieve stress
    Oils to try: frankincense, rose, lavender, bergamot, Roman chamomile
  2. Decrease joint pain and sore muscle
    Oils to try: frankincense, geranium, ginger, peppermint, lavender
  3. Boost energy
    Oils to try: lemon, peppermint
  4. Aid congestion
    Oils to try: eucalyptus, peppermint
  5. Combat sleep problems
    Oils to try: lavender, roman chamomile
  6. Ease menstrual cramping
    Oils to try: Roman chamomile, clary sage, geranium, neroli
    *Try fennel for menstrual irregularities
  7. Reduce stomach discomfort
    Oils to try: fennel, ginger, bergamot

Anyone can benefit from aromatherapy. Our goal is to best serve the individual needs of our clients. If you are an overworked mom in need of stress relief, or a weekend warrior recovering from an injury, we will find the right essential oils for you. Contact us today to schedule your next session.

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Aromatherapy 101: What Is It and How to Use Essential Oils

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Many people are unclear on what exactly aromatherapy is and the healing powers it offers. Are you one of them? If so, you’ve come to the right place. Buckle up as we give you a quick overview of the benefits of aromatherapy and how to use essential oils.

Looking in the Rearview

Aromatherapy has been around for centuries. It was used for medicinal and religious practices among Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Greek, and Roman people, among others. Essential oils were also used to treat American soldiers for wounds and burns during WWI. However, sometime in the 1980s aromatherapy became more widespread and popular in American society. Aromatherapy is linked with Aristotle’s belief that matter is made up of four elements: fire, earth, air, and water.

True essential oils are extracted from various parts of plants like leaves, flowers, stems, bark, seeds, and roots, and then distilled. These concentrated oils are used in a variety of ways to promote health, provide balance, and harmonize the mind, body, and spirit.

How Aromatherapy Works

Our sense of smell is powerful. It can trigger emotions and memories transporting us to another time or even reminding us of a special someone. As we inhale through our nose, we take in aromas that send messages to our nervous system and the part of our brains that control emotions. Knowing which essential oils to use, how to blend them, and how to use them properly is important so you can obtain the oil’s healing properties to the fullest.

Now that you know the history of aromatherapy and how it works, let’s chat about how to use the oils so you can stimulate the different parts of your body (physically, emotionally, and mentally) to improve your experience.

How to Use Essential Oils

  1. Mix with base oils and lotions. Once extracted, the oils are highly concentrated. You only need a few drops of essential oil to be mixed in with base oils, or an unscented lotion, before massaging into your skin. Applying the concentrated oils directly to the skin could cause skin irritation or reactions.
  2. Breathe in the oils. By adding a few drops in a diffuser or an oil warmer you can spread the scent of the oils around your home or office gently. You may also try dropping a little oil into the melted wax of an unscented candle for a similar outcome.
  3. Soak in a bath. Create a spa experience at home. Add a couple of oil drops to your bath water and be prepared to find yourself in a little oasis. When adding essential oil to your bath water, not only are you able to breathe in the fragrance, your body also absorbs the oil.

When pairing massage with aromatherapy, you can receive the therapeutic effects of the oils as well as the incredible benefits of the massage itself. It’s a magical combination that you will thank yourself for after each session.

Whether you massage your partner at home or schedule your appointment with us today, you absolutely must try it!

To learn more about essential oils, and the benefits of aromatherapy in massage, contact us!

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Top 5 Essential Oils Used in Massage

One of the most pleasurable aspects of getting a massage is the calming scent of luxurious warm essential oils used. In addition to satisfying your sense of smell, essential oils have health benefits.

What exactly is an essential oil? According to the National Association for Holistic Aromatherapy (NAHA), “The term “essential oil” is a contraction of the original “quintessential oil.” This stems from the Aristotelian idea that matter is composed of four elements, namely, fire, air, earth, and water. The fifth element, or quintessence, was then considered to be spirit or life force.”

AdobeStock_66015418Here are five essential oils and why they might be used during your massage:

  1. Lavender. While lavender isn’t for everyone, it is a popular essential oil for massage. Lavender does what the body needs it to do and is effective for a variety of challenges, such as pain relief, insomnia, and stress.
  2. Frankincense. Long considered a precious essential oil (after all, Christian tradition tells us that the wise men brought is a birth gift to Jesus), Frankincense is used for grounding, enhancing one’s breath, soothing coughs, as a meditation aid, and for relaxing. It also has anti-inflammatory and antidepressant properties.
  3. Bergamot. Bergamot has a pleasant, spicy citrus aroma. It is used to relieve depression, lift one’s mood, and aid in fighting addictions.
  4. Eucalyptus. It’s no surprise that Eucalyptus is especially popular during cold and flu season. Not only does it help ward off germs, it soothes chest and nasal congestion.
  5. Grapefruit. Grapefruit is an immune boosting essential oil said to boost circulation, fight colds, eliminate oily skin, and combat fatigue. Plus, it smells fun and fresh!

What’s your favorite essential oil?

Essential oils like these (and others) can be used with a variety of massage modalities. At Miracles Massage, we create an atmosphere where you relax immediately, which sets the stage for an amazing massage experience — no matter which essential oil is selected.

Schedule your appointment today!