The fact that Aromatherapy is such a pleasurable sensory experience is inherent in its de-stressing action. Pure essential oils can be used with massage, in a bath, and in an oil burner to relax you and relieve tension.

Massage is essential for your wellbeing as it is a preventative and restorative treatment. Pure essential oils blended into massage oils are absorbed by the body and along with the massage assist relaxation and relieve tension, soothe sore muscles, improve circulation and assist in restoring balance and the natural healing processes of your body.

In the bath we create our own private watery world. The ancient Greek word ‘to bathe’ also meant ‘to drive sadness from the mind’: a soak makes today’s problems trivial and tomorrow’s problems solvable. Plant Essentials offers a range of aromatherapy bath preparations to calm your mind and relax your muscles.

Oil burners, Room sprays and Incense Releasing pure essential oils into our
environment creates a feeling of calm and positivity and can even help us drift off to sleep.  Sometimes it is more convenient to spray the essential oils into the room. The burning of incense is an age old tradition of inducing calm and a meditative state.

Good food and supplements
Enjoy eating good food and take supplements when necessary. Our bodies use up the B group vitamins particularly rapidly when we are under stress. Avoiding excessive amounts of stimulating caffeine beverages and foods which place an extra load on our digestive system and elimatory organs allows our body to cope better with stress and to relax more easily.

Rest, relaxation and sleep
Prioritise time for rest, relaxation and sleep. Listen to your body letting you know when it needs to rest. This is the time when our body repairs itself.

Exercise
Research shows that physical exercise is one of the best tension relievers. Problems always seem less important when you are walking, running, cycling, belly-dancing, etc. Apart from the mental benefits, exercise uses up excess adrenalin which can leave us feeling ‘woundup’. The body’s natural ‘feel good’ chemicals, endorphins, are also released. Exercise benefits all our body systems and ensures we cope with stress much more easily. Tai chi and Yoga are gentle form of exercise which focuses on physical and mental harmony.

Anti-stress attitude
Don’t get drawn into other people’s or your own ‘misery’. Avoid being in the company of ‘complainers’. Catch yourself if you are ‘whingeing’ and STOP – your stress levels will benefit immediately. Learn to be flexible. The tree that bends before the wind survives; the one which stays unbending breaks.

Laugh. “Laughter is the jam on the toast of life. It adds flavour, keeps it from being too dry, and makes it easier to swallow”. Take time to do the things you enjoy and have fun.

Music
Put on some relaxation music when you want to relax. Close your eyes and focus
on the music. It slows down your breathing, your heart rate and your mind.

Meditation
When we practise meditation, there is a change in brain waves. The normal beta
waves are replaced by a predominance of alpha waves, which increase as the
meditation progresses. Alpha waves are associated with deep relaxation and
feeling of wellbeing. An immediate benefit is that we fall asleep quicker and sleep is deeper. During the meditation itself, there is rest that is deeper than sleep and achieved in a much shorter time.

Flower essences
Flower essences help us to work through emotional imbalances we may be
experiencing. When we experience overwhelming stress, fear or panic, Emergency Essence may be dropped directly onto your tongue or sipped from a glass of water.

Herbal teas
In China and Japan, the tea ceremony is part of the ancient tradition of tea-drinking, ranging from the simpler preparation rituals in secular circles to the meditative, devoted tea ceremony of Zen Buddhism. Remember afternoon tea when time is set aside purely for the ritual of tea drinking. The act of tea drinking is a relaxation technique in itself.   Herbal teas which can help relax and calm you include: Catnip, chamomile, hops, lavender flowers, lemon balm, passion flower, rose petals, skull cap, valerian and vervain.  Plant Essentials also offers herbal tea blends – Tranquil & Karma Calmer. There are also herbs which help our body and nervous system adapt to and cope with stress better. These herbs include: Jiaogulan, Green Oatstaw, St John’s wort, Siberian ginseng, Licorice root & Ashwaganda.

The Essential Stress Relief Kit
Lavender, Geranium, Clary Sage, Bergamot, Chamomile 100% (or 4% option), Ylang Ylang, Mandarin, Sandalwood 100% & 4% option, Frankincense, Rose 100% (and 4% option), Jasmine 100% & 4% option, Orange, May Chang, Vetiver.

Use these pure essential oil blends:
• in your oil burner or diffuser,
• add them to 25 ml of carrier oil like sweet almond oil to
create a massage oil,
• add them to a cup of milk (incl. coconut or almond milk etc) to create a bath oil.

Bliss
2 drops Mandarin
5 drops Orange
2 drops Lavender

Sleep
1 drops Vetiver
3 drops Lavender
4 drops Sandalwood

Relaxation
5 drops Lavender
2 drops Sandalwood
4 drops Bergamot

Quietness
3 drops Lavender
5 drops Orange
3 drops Chamomile

Serenity
3 drops Geranium
2 drops Clary sage
2 drops Lavender

Peace
3 drops Bergamot
3 drops Ylang ylang
2 drops Lavender

Meditation
2 drops Frankincense
2 drops Bergamot
3 drops Clary Sage

Tranquility
2 drops Patchouli
2 drops Geranium
3 drops Orange

“Take a rest; a field that has rested gives a beautiful crop,” Ovid.

When we are stressed we become less resistant to all kinds of illness that
affect the body, the emotions and the mind. Allowing space for ourselves is
something that many of us find difficult. With the present-day emphasis on materialism and the achievement of external goals, it is important to keep in touch with ourselves on an inner level.

Discover how pure essential oils along with organic herbal teas and other
natural relaxation techniques will have you feeling soothed and nurtured and
will assist you in restoring balance in your life.

“When I work, I work hard. When I sit, I sit loose. And when I worry, I fall asleep.”
A 100 year old woman when asked about her longevity.