2) Focus Support and Migraine Relief with Peppermint Essential Oil by KG Stiles (Posted: June 22, 2007) A basic necessity for your personal first aid kit! Peppermint is a fluid, colorless oil with a distinctly penetrating scent. Peppermint acts as a regulator and has a relaxing or invigorating effect depending on the circumstance for which you are using it. Great for keeping alert! Most notably Peppermint aids your ability to focus and sustain your attention. When concentration is needed you can rely on Peppermint. Peppermint helps to stimulate and strengthen your inner will forces to find meaning and purpose in life and to achieve your goals! Use Peppermint when you are in the planning stages of an important project, or need to find motivation to follow through and act on your important decisions and take action. Peppermint is also good for memory retention, use it alone or in a blend when completing a work project, homework assignment or studying for an exam! Known to clear brain fog when you feel low energy and fatigued. Peppermint will perk you up and get you going fast! Research has shown Peppermint to be effective for relieving Migraine headache! Also helpful for tension headaches when resulting from weak or poor digestive forces, congestion or sluggish circulation. An excellent Liver tonic! Peppermint provides almost instant relief for nausea and indigestion. A good blood cleanser Peppermint is both antiseptic and antibacterial! Use as a first aid treatment for your cuts and scrapes, or to prevent the spread of infection. Peppermint will relieve your congested sinus cavities. Inhale its delightfully invigorating scent for immediate relief. Peppermint is helpful for treating acne, swollen gums, mouth thrush, or ulcers and toothache. An analgesic pain reliever use Peppermint for relieving your sore, achy muscles and joints. In Ayurvedic Medicine, an ancient system of healing practiced in India, Aromatherapy is used to send specific signals through the olfactory nerve to balance the three doshas, or bodymind types, Vata, Pitta and Kapha. In Ayurveda Peppermint essential oil is used to balance excess conditions of Pitta. Conditions of Pitta imbalance are High Blood Pressure, ulcers, indigestion, headache, anger, frustration and feeling upset. Peppermint serves to settle the mind and emotions to soothe and calm excess Pitta conditions. Soak your tired feet in a foot bath with Peppermint to relieve your swollen ankles and feet. FOOT SOAK DIRECTIONS: Disperse one or two drops of Peppermint oil in a warm basin of water by blending first with a teaspoon of honey or jojoba oil and then thoroughly mix into your foot bath. Soak for 10 minutes time or until waters begin to cool. Peppermint may ease a variety of skin irritations! SKIN OINTMENT DIRECTIONS: Add a drop or two of Peppermint oil to your favorite anti-itch lotion or ointment for soothing Poison Oak, Poison Ivy, or when treating insect bites and stings. Use for food flavoring! FOOD FLAVORING DIRECTIONS: Add a drop of Peppermint oil in a teaspoon of honey and stir into your favorite hot or cold drink to enjoy a refreshing break in your day! CAUTIONS: Peppermint cools by constricting your blood capillaries therefore please use in extremely weak dilutions. One or two drops in a dispersant and added to your bath water is sufficient for experiencing beneficial results. Research indicates that Peppermint Oil may aggravate GERD (gastro esophageal reflux disease), a type of heart burn. Due to its strong cooling action Peppermint should not be used by children under 2 1/2 years of age. BLEND WITH: Atlas Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Rosemary, Black Pepper, Ginger, Lemongrass PLEASE NOTE: There are many cheap, synthetic copies of aromatic oils, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results purchase the highest quality oils you can possibly find. Use certified organic essential oils, or oils that have been tested and are pesticide free. Aromatherapy is a gentle and noninvasive complementary health care system used for balancing and synchronizing your body, mind, spirit and emotions to enhance your health. Properly administered essential oils are a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being and can produce satisfying results where other methods have failed. Please consult with your physician regarding serious health concerns and do not attempt to self diagnose. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KG_Stiles 1) Headache Relief - Best Essential Oils to Use & Why by KG Stiles (Posted: May 27, 2007) A synergistic blend of essential oils can be more effective for getting the results you desire than any single essential oil. The pure essential oils I recommend you use in a blend for relief of headaches, include: Peppermint, Eucalyptus and Lavender. PEPPERMINT ( Mentha piperita ) - Peppermint is a fluid, colorless oil with a distinctly penetrating scent. Peppermint acts as a regulator and has a relaxing or invigorating effect depending on the circumstance for which you are using it. An analgesic (pain reliever) research has shown Peppermint to be effective for relieving both Migraine headache and tension headaches when resulting from weak or poor digestive forces, congestion or sluggish circulation. EUCALYPTUS ( Eucalyptus globulus ) - Refreshing, stimulating and powerful Eucalyptus is a long lasting oil with fluid consistency and one of the most well-known aromas of all the essential oils, along with lavender, rose and mint. Most people can easily recognize any one of these aromas. Eucalyptus stimulates oxygen uptake in the cell tissues and increases circulation. Increased oxygenation in the lungs promotes the cleansing and repair function of the red blood cells. Eucalyptus is the traditional remedy for sinus and tension headaches that are due to congestion. LAVENDER ( Lavendula augustifolia ) - Highly scented Lavender has a distinctly sweet floral-spice aroma that's a little wild and woody. Lavender smells like the color blue to me! I think of the Blue Bird of Happiness when I inhale its lovely and intoxicating scent. The best Lavender oils are distilled at high altitudes. Distilling at high altitude allows lower temperatures and lower pressure for distillation making it possible for the volatile phytochemicals to come through intact in the final product. Lavender oil is an analgesic (pain reliever) and an antispasmodic (calms nervous and muscular spasms and relieves pain), as well as a decongestant (relieves or reduces congestion). A relaxant and a sedative Lavender’s action exerts a soothing, tranquilizing and calming effect on the body, making it effective for relieving nervous tension, stress, insomnia, anxiety and palpitations. PLEASE NOTE: There are many cheap, synthetic copies of aromatic oils, but these are not recommended for therapeutic use. For best results purchase the highest quality oils you can possibly find. Use certified organic essential oils, or oils that have been tested and are pesticide free. Holistic MindBody Therapy, including pure essential oils, are gentle, noninvasive complementary forms of health care for balancing and synchronizing your body, mind and spirit and a natural, safe and effective way to enhance your health and well-being. Holistic health care may produce satisfying results where other methods have failed. Please consult with your physician regarding serious health concerns and do not attempt to self diagnose. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=KG_Stiles