Recently an article was published that reviewed a number of studies that were done to find out whether aromatherapy would be helpful in easing depression.As you might be aware Aromatherapy can be used in many different ways. All these studies looked at the effect of essential oils when they were used as massage oils.

Remember: essential oils must never be used straight from the bottle, they are very powerful and can be toxic – for massage they must always be mixed with a carrier oil. If you want more information on Aromatherapy in general we recommend you go and get yourself this free book in which we wrote an article about aromatherapy: http://stretchyourmindandbody.com/blog/wonderful-law-of-attraction-in-action

When somebody suffers from depression, the symptoms include depressed mood, loss of interest in everything, appetite and weight start to fluctuate, generally they simply can’t enjoy life. Depression can be more debilitating than heart disease, diabetes or some other chronic illnesses. The individual simply can’t function properly any more and their relationships with family and society as a whole suffer greatly.

Depression is very common – if affects anywhere between 10-15% of the elderly in Western countries. It affects other age groups too – but the high percentage in the older age group is due to a number of factors. Chronic illnesses that are common in elderly people can lead to depression.

In over 50% of cases, people who suffer from depression are using some sort of alternative therapy like meditation, yoga, aromatherapy and massage to – name just a few – in addition to their medication. Often the results they are getting from their medication are not as good as they had hoped or they dislike some of the side effects.

Aromatherapy is the use of essential oils from plants which then affects the body in various ways – either directly through the sense of smell or by being absorbed through the skin. Essential oils are what gives the plant its particular flavour or fragrance (just think about peppermint, for example)

The article goes on to say that all the studies used Swedish Massage (which is a gentle but firm form of massage with soothing strokes). After the oils are applied to the skin they get absorbed into the blood stream. (this is just an aside: whatever you put on your skin ends up in your blood stream – be very selective about what cosmetics you are using!)

Once the oils were in the blood stream they had a significant effect on how the person felt. Especially feelings of depression and anxiety improved markedly in some cases.

Oils that stood out were: Lavender, lemon, jasmine, bergamot and rose. Rose was particularly beneficial for easing the symptoms of anxiety.

Another study showed that chamomile, lavender, spiced apple, eucalyptus, and geranium oil helped to improve moods and decrease anxiety. Chamomile, spiced apple and eucalyptus also had a beneficial effect. One blend that was used in another study consisted of sweet orange, geranium and basil.

The problems that researchers have is the fact that feelings can’t really be measured properly. People might say that they feel better but to capture the level of improvement in scientific terms is really difficult.

Some physical evidence showed that lavender oil relaxed smooth muscles (the ones that are not under our control), can reduce blood pressure and affects the way the signals are passed around the nervous system.

A lot more research needs to be done, but this shouldn’t stop us to enjoy the beneficial effects of the oils in the meantime. They can enhance any other therapy you are receiving and they are a pleasure to use.

Put some oils in a vapouriser while doing your yoga practice or meditation. Use them when you have trouble sleeping or when stress is mounting,

I found that they simply seem to take the “edge” of things and the world starts to look a little bit brighter.

For those of you who want to go to the source, here is the reference:

THE JOURNAL OF ALTERNATIVE AND COMPLEMENTARY MEDICINE
Volume 15, Number 2, 2009, pp. 187-195
© Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.
DOI: 10.1089/acm.2008.0333
A Review on the Effects of Aromatherapy for Patients
with Depressive Symptoms
V.W.C. Yim, M.Sc., Adelina K.Y. Ng, M.Sc., Hector W.H. Tsang, Ph.D., and Ada Y. Leung, M.A.

Till next time,
Connie
Your Yoga Partner
From
http://www.yogainahurry.com

Recently I listened to an interview with Lenore Miller from http://www.stretchyourmindandbody.com/blog/outrageoushealth

During this interview she described 5 steps we need to take to get us to lead the life we want. I love the way Lenore laid all the steps out – she uses very graphic images.

Step 1 – the Dream

It all starts with a dream, an idea, some thoughts. You might call it a vision.

Step 2 – the Mountain

As soon as we have a dream we also have “mountain” – all the obstacles (real or imagined) that stand in our way. Yes, I would like to lead this happy life, BUT…..So we need to dismantle, analyse and overcome this mountain.

Step 3 – the Magic Wand

Write out your life as you would like it to be, in full detail, using all the senses. What do you see, what do you hear people say, what smells are there, how does it feel?

Step 4 – the Pandora’s Box

Contains all the tools you have at your disposal. There might be things in there you don’t even know about yet. Create new tools and put them into your box.

Step 5 – the Gift

Life is like a glass of bubbly champagne – top up your glass every day – it only needs 10-30 minutes of “me” time – a walk along the beach, getting out into the backyard, a bubble bath, lighting a candle….

Want to know more? Go to:

http://www.stretchyourmindandbody.com/blog/outrageoushealth

Till next time

Connie

Your Yoga Partner

from

http://www.yogainahurry.com

I came a cross a recent study which tried to compare the effect of progressive relaxation and reflexology on the stress levels experienced by Multiple Sclerosis Sufferers.

The idea behind this study was that having a chronic, progressive illness like Multiple Sclerosis was very stressful for someone diagnosed with the disease. There are many different outcomes with Multiple Sclerosis, some people stay stable for many years and have only minor “episodes”. Others have one major episode after another and the condition worsens rapidly over a very brief period of time.

The uncertainty as to how the disease will progress creates huge amounts of stress for the person diagnosed as well as their families.

During the study the participants received either 6 weeks of reflexology treatments or were taught progressive muscle relaxation. They had a 4 week break, then they changed over. What I found interesting was that both treatments were equally effective in reducing overall stress levels. Stress was measured by taking saliva and checking the cortisol levels, measuring blood pressure, heart rate and filling out a specific questionnaire that measures anxiety.

What was also interesting was that the researchers found the study difficult to assess at the end because the positive effects of the first treatment didn’t wear off during the 4 week break. So when the study participants went in to try out the second form of treatment they were less stressed than when they had started out with the first treatment.

So – how does all this benefit us? It proves that progressive relaxation (and reflexology) reduce stress levels in a very real and physical way. It can be measured and the effect lasts for a few weeks even when no further relaxation (or reflexology) is practised. Reducing stress is important and beneficial no matter what your condition is, so I encourage you to regularly practise relaxation, it is well worth it.

For those of you who want to know all the details, here is the reference: 

Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 15 (2009) 14-21

Reflexology and progressive muscle relaxation training for people with multiple sclerosis: A crossover trial Peter A. Mackereth a,*, Katie Booth b, Valerie F. Hillier b, Ann-Louise Caress b

a Christie Hospital NHS Trust, University of Derby (Buxton campus), Rehabilitation Unit, Wilmslow Road, Manchester M20 4BX, UK

b The University of Manchester, School of Nursing, Midwifery & Social Work, Coupland Building 111, Coupland Street, Manchester M13 9PL, UK

Till next time,

Connie,

Your Yoga Partner

from

http://www.yogainahurry.com

Didi Ananda Kalika and Connie

Yesterday I had a meditation session and dinner with a group of friends. A special surprise guest at this dinner was Didi Ananda Kalika. She is a very softly spoken and modest woman who has done an incredible amount of work for homeless children in Mongolia. From very humble beginnings she has created a kindergarten, primary school and homes for 150 children. Being homeless in Mongolia is life threatening as the temperatures in winter plummet to between minus 30 to mimus 40 degrees C.

Didi Ananda Kalika has been working in Mongolia for fifteen years and was made a Member of the Order of Australia on 26th January 2009.

You can find information on Didi and her project below. As with all success stories her work has been underwritten by the support of many. Have a look at her amazing work:

http://www.lotuschild.org

Till next time,

Connie

Your Yoga Partner

from

http://www.yogainahurry.com