Essential Oils of Ecuador – Dorado Azul (Guayofolis officionalis)

Anthony — Sun, 06 May 2012 07:44:55 +0000

Dorado Azul (Guayofolis officionalis) is another essential oil from Ecuador, that works quite well to provide respiratory support.

Gary Young came across the plant, while he was searching for suitable land to grow plants for essential oil production. It was the aroma given off by the plant that drew Gary’s attention and led to him doing research on it. Until Gary’s discovery the plant had been officially regarded as a weed (It’s also known as Goldenweed). The indigenous population have been using it for hundreds, possibly thousands of years in the following ways :

Facilitate wound healing
Assist people with arthritis and asthma
A daily beverage
Against Cancer

The tree itself grows very quickly. to a height of around 14 feet and yields up to 8 tons of plant per acre.

The essential oil is high in eucalyptol and includes the following medical properties: anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, antibacterial and respiratory stimulant.

So what are its uses?

Soothing minor discomforts. In the Nova Vita clinic in Ecuador, Dorado Azul is used for pain relief as it has similar analgesic properties to Helichrysum. They also use it for nerve re-generation and hormonal balancing. [1]
To repel insects (Try using it on some cotton wool and leaving in food storage areas).
For respiratory infections and ailments. This includes coughs, flus, blocked sinuses, bronchitis and numerous other lung ailments such as Cystic Fibrosis. One lady (Neena) wrote “ My first exposure to Dorado Azul was one I will not forget. I was up on stage with Gary Young assisting him in treating a lady with Cystic Fibrosis, a debilitating condition of the lungs. He was working on her with various oils using the Neuro Auricular Technique, but nothing seemed to be shifting it. He instructed one of the assistants to get a small brown glass bottle from his personal briefcase and out it came, an unlabeled bottle of Dorado Azul. He applied it to this ladies back over the lungs and worked certain points with the probe and there it was, she took a deep breathe without wheezing for the first time since I had seen her on the table. This lady later came up to me and thanked me for assisting and shared it was the first proper breathe she had taken in years. Well that got my attention – I was interested!” [2].

Some testimonials:

Stop your post-nasal drip

Author: Carol Jones
Date: 01-19-2012
“My friend who is a distributor, found that by putting a drop, (or less) of Dorado Azul on her thumb, and rubbing it on the roof of her mouth, it takes care of her post nasal drip that she has had for over 30 years.

She told me to try it too, and I have had good results. If she hears me clearing my throat, she asks me if I rmembered to put my Dorado Azul on!
So nice to have these oils.”

Breathing passage cleared immediately
Author: Gloria Miller
Date: 06-24-2011
“When I was very small, I had whooping cough. As an adult, an otolaryngologist told me that it had scarred my bronchial tubes, which is why any upper respiratory infection hits me hard.

Last winter, while dealing with a respiratory infection, I was having a tough time getting a deep breath. RC and Raven weren’t helping. I looked up ‘asthma’ in Higley and saw that I was NOT to inhale steam. Although I’d never cared for the smell of Dorado Azul, I was definitely being led to use it.
So I put a few drops on a dry washcloth, and held it over my mouth, inhaling through my mouth. Wow! It opened up my breathing immediately! After that, the infection didn’t last long. Now I wouldn’t want to be without my Dorado Azul.”

My massage clients no longer have sinus issues

Author: Deb Dibble

Date: 05-12-2011

“I have been using Dorado Azul to relieve sinus pressure and pain. When I feel like I am starting to get a sinus infection I rub a drop or two on the bridge of my nose and up my forehead. This has alleviated any problems lately.

My son also uses this with great results. Also my massage clients have found similar results “

Ecuador oil and a coughing fit
Author: Neelima Baird
Date: 08-31-2008
“Moments ago I was in the midst of an allergy-driven coughing fit, the kind where you can’t stop, your eyes are running, your back is starting to itch. I was looking for the Eucalyptus Radiata, which we always use when my partner gets unruly sneezing fits. I could not find it anywhere and my eyes suddenly lit on Dorado Azul, the newest oil from Ecuador that was released this past Convention.

I love the smell of it and figured it would at least put me in a good state of mind so I grabbed it and took a whiff while continuing my search for the Radiata. Within seconds it was clear my search was over. The cough stopped instantaneously and I could feel all the strain go out of my breathing. I was so impressed I had to sit down and write the story right away, even though it’s after 1 am and I’m very tired. I love experimenting with the new oils to see what they may be useful for, especially these ones that nobody but Young Living will ever have! “

If you would like to obtain this essential oil, visit our product site. Contact us if you have any questions concerning it or you would like to join our mailing list

Till next time,

Cheers

Anthony

Disclaimer: Please remember that anything discussed here does not
constitute medical advice and cannot substitute for appropriate medical care. Where essential oils are mentioned, it’s recommended you use only pure, unadulterated therapeutic grade essential oils and follow the safety directions of the manufacturer.

[1] Artemis bulletin, 21st November 2009

[2] Artemis bulletin, 21st November 2009

How do we create a healthy society?

Anthony — Sun, 29 Apr 2012 08:15:31 +0000

I don’t know about you folks, but I’m both tired and angry at what I see as the rapaciousness of many corporations around the world, and the apparent ineptitude of governments in dealing with this. On a daily basis we are seeing workers denied pay rises or thrown out of jobs while their CEOs vote themselves enormous bonuses or pay increments. [1] We see environments being destroyed and the rights of indigenous peoples being trampled on. And we see our health and wellbeing being constantly compromised by poor food, medicine and products, all in the name of the mighty dollar. We are then told that this is a part of capitalism we should all accept and move on. After all what’s the alternative? We see governments raising taxes and cutting public expenditures. And we are told that this is for the ‘health’ of the economy – supposed economic rationalism. Again there is this expectation that we should accept this as part of our way of life living in modern market economies. But is this truly the case or is it simply that alternatives aren’t openly discussed or highlighted in the mainstream media ?

This article is a little off the topic of essential oils or even health issues (Ok, maybe a lot. ) But then for me the issue of health has always been more than just our physical wellbeing. There’s also our emotional, mental and spiritual health to consider. A society of individuals that enjoy good health all-round (physical, emotional, mental and spiritual) will likely make for a healthy society. But conversely if our social institutions are sick, they will tend to propagate sickness (in all its forms) within us too. As a concerned human I find myself asking “What are the hallmarks of a healthy society?” This article I hope will go some ways to getting you all thinking that it’s not all hopeless; that there are alternatives out there and lots of great ideas that can get us through this turbulent period in history.

Late last year, I attended a forum in Sydney where the question of alternatives was examined by a number of speakers - Building a Creative Economy I can’t hope to cover in one post what all the speakers said at this forum. So I’m going to focus on one speaker – Terry Boardman. Terry is an international lecturer in Anthroposophy and he spoke on the subject of Social Threefolding.

Rudolf Steiner. Taken in 1905. Courtesy of Wolfgang G. Vögele, Wikimedia Commons

Social Threefolding

Social Threefolding is not to be confused with the ideas of Marquis Joseph Alexandre Saint-Yves d’Alveydre (1842-1909) a conservative and and aristocratic elitist. The Social Threefolding, Terry spoke of, was the system proposed by the Austrian scientist and philosopher, Rudolf Steiner, in the early 20th century. I don’t propose to give a full expose on Social Threefolding. But if what I write about resonates with you, I suggest you later check the references and notes at the end of this article.

Key Principles of Social Threefolding

Steiner pointed out that humans are basically 3 fold in nature. So :

limbs, trunk and head
willing, feeling and thinking
upper arm, lower arm and hand
body, soul and spirit
metabolic system (responsible for human energy/actions), heart-lung system (rhythm and circulation) and nervous system (sensing and information processing)

Another good example is in conversations where we see: ideas, feelings and intention/motive.

As humans are threefold in nature all social creations have a threefold character. In groups we see: words, relationships through speaking and listening, and procedures or common will. In organisations we see: the identity or spirit, the soul expressing in the quality of internal and external relationships, and the body in the buildings, equipment and machinery.

As in the human, so in society

So how is the threefold reflected in society?

The realm of the spirit is our language, literature, art, history and religion

The realm of the soul is our rights, responsibilities – our laws and government

The realm of the body or physical is the economic life of a society.

In fact we see this threefold nature reflected in the evolution of human society through the ages.

In Ancient Egypt one sphere of life dominated – the spiritual or cultural. The Pharaoh was God, King and ultimate property owner. This was the age of theocracy and monarchy.

Then in Ancient Greece and Rome we see the development of a political sphere independent from the cultural or spiritual. Politics becomes emancipated from spiritual and cultural life.

Finally in the 17th and 18th centuries we see the advent of an economic sphere independent of the political – the rise of the merchants and of modern democracy.

Liberty, Equality… and Fraternity

Many of us will remember this as the catch cry of the French Revolution. Nowadays we seem to have forgotten the third part – Fraternity.

Steiner saw these as belonging to specific spheres of social life and development.

Liberty belongs to the cultural and spiritual sphere – humans must have the freedom to explore and express their spirituality.

Equality belongs to the sphere of rights and politics – all humans must be treated equally before the law – and not one law for one and a different law for another.

And Fraternity belongs to the economic sphere of life.

All 3 spheres of life need to be independent of one another – non-interfering and yet inter-relating

So how does all this pan out for the 21st Century?

Today it seems very clear that the economic sphere dominates and interferes in the political sphere – the sphere of rights. The mighty dollar seems to dominate all aspects of life; not just the financial – science, health, food and agriculture, technology, energy and yes politics. Just have a look at what is happening with globalization – the needs of corporations to move capital and labour around the globe unimpeded often runs roughshod over the rights of workers, minorities and indigenous peoples; the environment is often sacrificed for the economic liberty of corporations. Indeed corporations enjoy many of the same rights as human individuals. And because of their power, corporations often hold enormous influence over governments – the political sphere. Clearly a case of the needs of the few outweighing those of the many.

As far as Steiner was concerned, liberty didn’t belong to the economic sphere – it belonged to the cultural and spiritual sphere. In the cultural sphere, humans were to be free to explore and to express to their heart’s content and yes, even compete. In contrast, fraternity was to belong to the economic sphere – cooperation not competition was to be the key here. I’m certain we can all find examples where human cooperation has triumphed over adversity.

We also see clear cases where the sphere of politics and rights interfering in the sphere of the cultural. A prime example would be education, where increasingly we see bureaucracies removing the autonomy of teachers (education falls in the sphere of the cultural) – not allowing them to teach in the way they feel is appropriate.

So to sum up Steiner saw social threefolding as a way to bring balance to human society; to enable it to grow and flourish to the benefit of all individuals. But in order to do this, we must keep the 3 spheres of human life independent of one another. Social threefolding was first suggested and promoted by Rudolf Steiner in 1911 but not accepted. Could its time have now come.

This certainly won’t be the last time I discuss the topic of creating a better society. As I come across ideas or thinkers that I think are worth looking at I’ll post an article or review on this site, under the banner of Healthy Society.

Till next time,

Cheers

Anthony

[1] If you want an excellent example of corporate greed, then take that most beloved of corporations – Apple. The Guardian had a story on April 25 (Written by Aditya Chakrabortty), in it which it was reported that even if Apple did manufacture its products in the United States, it would still make a hefty profit. For example if iPhones were manufactured in the United States, Apple would still have a gross margin of 46.5%! So why aren’t they saving American jobs? The only people who win out of this are the Apple shareholders and executives. You can read the story here: Apple and the folly of outsourced manufacturing

Further Reading:

Third Millennium: Third Way? Terry Boardman’s website has numerous articles on modern politics from an anthroposophical viewpoint

Functional Threefoldness in the human organism and human society By Johannes Rohen, Adonis Press, 2011, 156 pages; paperback; ISBN 978-0-932776-42-6 After decades of meditating on the human organism leading up to his major work Functional Morphology, renowned anatomist Johannes Rohen, a renowned anatomist applies his functional approach to the study of social life. He shows that the same the same principle of threefoldness that makes up the human organism on all of its levels is also inherent in human society – and he points out that each of the three main aspects of society – cultural, political and economic – has a threefold structure of its own.

The One Gift

Anthony — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 09:14:25 +0000

Just recently I finished reading this marvellous book - The One Gift - Gary Young’s first novel.

The story is set in the Arabian peninsula around 3000 years ago at the time of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. It highlights the frankincense, myrrh and precious spice trade as it existed back then; while the story itself revolves around Shutran, a merchant and caravan commander, and his family.

Shutran and the men working with him must transport the precious frankincense through some of the most difficult terrain in the world, and in the novel, you get a great sense of the dangers involved: giant sandstorms, desert bandits, pirates, black scorpions and worst of all – treachery. So there’s plenty of adventure and action in this story.

But I felt that this was so much more than just a great adventure story – there’s a lot of heart and wisdom in it too. Shutran is a true leader, a man of honour and integrity, respected and even loved by the men under his command. So much so, that he wins the respect of kings and queens. I reckon there is a lot that modern leaders could learn from him. And Shutran it turns out is also a great father and husband.

It’s also a very spiritual novel and we see in many instances how Shutran uses his intuition and his faith in the spirit to get him and his men through many a danger.

The novel has some great illustrations, but best of all I loved the large map of the Arabian peninsula that you get with the book. I think it’s a well researched novel. In fact I get the feeling from reading The One Gift, that this might have been a past life for Gary Young. Who knows?

In past posts, I’ve talked about the value placed in Frankincense by the Ancients. I think The One Gift does a great job of conveying the value the ancient people placed in this spice and how civilizations were shaped around this amazing tree and its resin (See our previous posts: Frankincense: Treasure for the ancient world, hope for the modern, Part One and Two )

Till next time,

Cheers

Anthony

Evernote Essentials

Anthony — Sun, 22 Apr 2012 08:15:35 +0000

Ok, so what am I doing reviewing a book on a web application, you might ask? People have been asking me what I use to write my posts and articles on the website. My answer is Evernote. I find Evernote to be probably one of the most useful applications on the web for storing articles, research, clippings, photos, documents, you name it. I basically use Evernote to store articles and files that come in handy for research – and that includes essential oils and health related topics. However you can use it to load all kinds of stuff. Lately I been using it to store and display our holiday photos. Aside from just storing Everrnote helps you organise it, so you can later find it.

Anyway for those of you interested in this useful application, I came across this book by Brett Kelly – Evernote Essentials

It’s only 84 pages long and it’s aimed at both beginner and advanced user.

It covers things like :

how to tag effectively, set up email filters
using Evernote as a task management system
photo sharing
Evernote for bloggers
Evernote with e-mail
Evernote as an address book
Evernote as a filing cabinet
even Evernote for Foodies.

If you really want to get the best out of this cloud computing application, then this is a book you’ll want to check out. The book costs $25 but I think for what you get it’s value for money. For more info check out Brett Kelly’s site.

Anthony

Click here to visit Brett Kelly

To see an example of an Evernote notebook, check out some of our holiday photos or if you want to create a movie journal.

Evernote Essentials book - Click here to visit Brett Kelly

Why essential oils should be a part of family first aid

Anthony — Sun, 15 Apr 2012 11:03:55 +0000

At the Young Living convention in Brisbane, last year (Oct 13-15th 2011), I attended the lectures of Dr Peter Minke.

Dr Peter Minke, a survivor of cancer, is a prominent advocate of healthy lifestyles and an avid user of therapeutic grade essential oils. Married with four children, Dr Minke explained why essential oils should form an integral part of every family’s first aid.

For Peter Minke, therapeutic grade essential oils fulfill all the requirements for a first aid tool. These are that they should be:

safe
easily available
easy to carry
easy to apply
easy to regulate the amount used
durable with long shelf life
fast acting

He outlined 6 key principles in the use of therapeutic grade essential oils as first aid tools for the family.

Principle 1: Expect therapeutic results from therapeutic grade essential oils.

Dr Minke says don’t waste your time (and risk your health) with recreational fragrances. Only therapeutic grade essential oils will give you therapeutic effects. There are thousands of peer reviewed studies and journal articles documenting the effects of therapeutic grade essential oils. There are some things to consider regarding the safe use of essential oils:

Essential oils and water don’t mix. If you find that an oil is too hot on the skin, don’t use water. If it burns put vegetable oil on it first. This will draw up the essential oil. Then you can use soap and water.
Babies and menthol don’t mix. Don’t use peppermint or wintergreen with children under 3. One in 10,000 are sensitive to menthol. It can anesthetise the respiratory system.
Some oils are photo-sensitive (mostly citrus), so don’t put them on skin that will be exposed to the sun.
In first aid speed matters. With bumps and burns each passing moment allows for more swelling, inflammation and tissue damage. Likewise with bleeding, stings and bites, panic and extreme stress – work quickly.

Principle 2: Use what you have.

Some examples:

When Dr Minke’s 4 year old child had a fall and bumped his forehead – he used the blend Valor*

Another example was where he got 15 ant bites on his foot and it swelled up – he put the blend Purification* on it quickly.

Or if he got overheated out in the sun - Peppermint oil on his ear.

His wife became anxious during labor – she inhaled Lavender oil and it brought her blood pressure down.

A nose bleed on his son – he put Cypress oil on his arm.

If you see the kids are starting to get sick, start giving them Thieves* oil blend or Immupower* blend.

For babies some oils are harsh. Oils such as Lemon, Myrtle and Frankincense are gentle. Dilute them with V6 if there is any sensitivity.

Principle 3: Be a super sleuth

Watch for signs of change – better or worse
Expect immediate results.
Change the programme if it’s not working.
And bring the oils with you when you’re waiting in or on your way to the emergency room.

Early intervention is best.

Principle 4: Body Weight Equivalent

Use less on a baby. 1 drop on a 10 lb baby is like 20 drops on a 200 lb adult (2.2 lb to the kilogram).

Dr Minke’s favourite oils for infants include: Valor*, Lemon, Myrtle, Lavender and Frankincense.

Diaper bag essentials: Valor*, Cypress, Purification* and Thieves

Home essentials: Frankincense, Lavender, Lemon, Peppermint, Myrtle, Immupower* and Deep Relief* roll-on.

Principle 5: Frequency, Intensity and Duration

How much oil to use? Enough oil often enough for long enough to make a difference. Watch for signs of improvement or change.

Dr Minke uses about 1-3 drops of oil for a small child (0-5 years of age)

Principle 6: Be prepared.

Last but not least, you can’t use oils if you don’t have any oils.

Till Next time

Cheers

Anthony

(* Blends: Deep Relief roll-on (made of Peppermint, Wintergreen, Copaiba and Palo Santo essential oils); Immupower (made up of Hyssop, mountain savory, cistus, ravensara, frankincense, oregano, clove, cumin and idaho tansy essential oils); Purification (made up of Citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, Melaleuca, lavandin and myrtle); and Valor (made up of spruce, rosewood, blue tansy and frankincense in a base of almond oil).

About Dr Peter Minke:

Peter Minke received his Bachelor of Science degree in Molecular and Cell Biology from Texas A&M University in 1992, graduating Magna Cum Laude with University Honors. Dr. Minke went on to complete a Ph.D. from Texas A&M University in Biology in 1998.

Dr. Minke currently works as a bodywork and movement specialist as a certified Aston-Patterning® Practitioner and Licensed Massage Therapist. Peter has over 15 years of clinical experience in private practice, over 1100 hours of hands on training in advanced movement and bodywork, and has helped hundreds of people achieve better body movement patterns for improved quality of life and athletic performance. Peter’s background as a cancer survivor and wellness enthusiast has led him to advocate for health conscious lifestyle choices. Dr. Minke is an international trainer and speaker on numerous wellness topics including plant-based diet, non-toxic lifestyle, stress management, therapeutic use of essential oils, and cleansing.

Having lived overseas for eight of his first sixteen years, Peter’s experiences growing up have provided a view of the world as a global community. His family returned to the United States in 1985 to Houston, Texas. Peter now considers Bryan, Texas his home where he lives with his wife Amy and their four boys. Peter and Amy enjoy homeschooling and are dedicated to providing an at-home learning environment for their children. His two websites are:

http://minkewellness.com/Default.html and http://www.freespiritenterprise.com/about-us.htm

New study on Sacred Frankincense and Breast Cancer

Anthony — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 02:48:57 +0000

Just got this in today folks:

BMC Complement Altern Med. 2011 Dec 15;11(1):129. [Epub ahead of print]

Boswellia sacra essential oil induces tumor cell-specific apoptosis and
suppresses tumor aggressiveness in cultured human breast cancer cells.

Suhail MM, Wu W, Cao A, Mondalek FG, Fung KM, Shih PT, Fang YT, Woolley C, Young
G, Lin HK.

For the full details go to : tp://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22171782

An associate of mine also sent me details of a new documentary entitled Burzynski The Movie

I haven’t seen the documentary yet (if anyone has would love to hear from you) but this is a short extract from the website:

“Burzynski, the Movie is the story of a medical doctor and Ph.D biochemist named Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski who won the largest, and possibly the most convoluted and intriguing legal battle against the Food & Drug Administration in American history.

His victorious battles with the United States government were centered around Dr. Burzynski’s gene-targeted cancer medicines he discovered in the 1970′s called Antineoplastons, which have currently completed Phase II FDA-supervised clinical trials in 2009 and could begin the final phase of FDA testing in 2011–barring the ability to raise the required $300 million to fund the final phase of FDA clinical trials.

When Antineoplastons are approved, it will mark the first time in history a single scientist, not a pharmaceutical company, will hold the exclusive patent and distribution rights on a paradigm-shifting medical breakthrough.

Antineoplastons are responsible for curing some of the most incurable forms of terminal cancer. Various cancer survivors are presented in the film who chose these medicines instead of surgery, chemotherapy or radiation – with full disclosure of medical records to support their diagnosis and recovery – as well as systematic (non-anecdotal) FDA-supervised clinical trial data comparing Antineoplastons to other available treatments—which is published within the peer-reviewed medical literature.

One form of cancer – diffuse, intrinsic, childhood brainstem glioma has never before been cured in any scientifically controlled clinical trial in the history of medicine. Antineoplastons hold the first cures in history – dozens of them. [ANP - PubMed 2003] [ANP - PubMed 2006] [ANP - Cancer Therapy 2007] [Rad & other - PubMed 2008] [Chemo/Rad - PubMed 2005]

This documentary takes the audience through the treacherous, yet victorious, 14-year journey both Dr. Burzynski and his patients have had to endure in order to obtain FDA-approved clinical trials of Antineoplastons.”

Folks, there are cures for many of our diseases in the world. The problem is a political one – people with too much power and money, who don’t really give a damn about the welfare of other human beings.

Till next time

Cheers

Anthony

Dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anthony — Sun, 30 Oct 2011 12:57:43 +0000

Just recently I read [1] that Young Living had partnered with Donna Karan’s Urban Zen Integrative Therapy programme (UZIT) [2] , by donating essential oils to soldiers suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder. In June this year, The UZIT programme launched Operation Warrior Wellness, with the co-operation of the U.S. military, to research how soldiers would react to integrative therapy which includes meditation, yoga, Reiki and the use of Young Living Essential Oils. The programme’s goal is to study how natural therapies can provide soldiers with the tools to reduce stress, anxiety and increase relaxation. The article in question didn’t reveal what oils Young Living had given towards the project, but I can imagine that when the results of the study are in we’ll get more information.

In the meantime, I thought this might be a good opportunity to discuss what essential oils might be beneficial to sufferers of PTSD. PTSD is commonly thought of as a returned soldier’s affliction. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case. Not that I wish this on anyone, but there is a good chance that at some point in our lives we will encounter someone close to us (or maybe even ourselves), that is suffering this disorder. PTSD affects not just those exposed to a war zone, but also people involved in natural disasters or violent crimes – both rescue workers and victims – adults and children. Before we look at ways to help people, let’s look at what exactly PTSD is and what some of the symptoms are.

PTSD and its symptoms

PTSD is essentially an anxiety disorder that some people get after seeing or living through a dangerous event. [3] Normally humans experience the “fight or flight” response when there is some danger or the risk of harm. This is a healthy response. But in people who suffer PTSD, this reaction doesn’t function properly. They remain in a state of fear or anxiety even when the danger has long passed.

So what are the symptoms that someone is suffering PTSD?

They may re-experience symptoms such as flashbacks or bad dreams
Avoidance. This includes: staying away from places or objects that remind them of the bad experience, emotional numbness and even difficulty in remembering the bad experience.
Hyperarousal symptoms including: being easily startled, feeling tense or edgy, having angry outbursts or difficulty sleeping.

How is PTSD normally treated

The main treatments for people with PTSD are psychotherapy, drugs, or both. There are 2 drugs that have been approved for treating people suffering PTSD. These are Sertraline (Zoloft) and Paroxetine (Paxil), both of which are classified as antidepressants. The side effects associated with these include headaches, nausea, sleeplessness, drowsiness, agitation and sexual problems such as a reduced sex drive. In addition an FDA review found that 4 percent of people using these antidepressants attempted or actually committed suicide. [4] Doctors also prescribe other drugs such as Benzodiazepines, antipsychotics and the antidepressants fluoxetine (Prozac) and citalopram (Celexa). These all have their own catalogue of side effects.

I have no problem with psychotherapy, but people who follow this website will have become aware over time, that I have a profound scepticism of the pharmaceutical industry. So I was quite happy to hear that Young Living was getting involved in research to identify alternatives to what sufferers of PTSD are currently offered.

Essential oils for PTSD

So what kind of essential oils might Young Living have offered for Operation Warrior Wellness? Off the top of my head these are oils and oil blends I would consider: RutaVaLa, Tranquil, Stress Away, White Angelica, Trauma Life, Release and Frankincense. If we are looking at the kind of trauma one might experience as a result of sexual abuse or rape, I would also add the blend SARA.

RutaVaLa is a blend of 3 oils – Ruta (Ruta Graveolens), Valerian and Lavender – and is available as a roll-on. This is a blend that promotes relaxation of the body and mind, as well as easing stressed nerves and inducing sleep (see our article on it : Essential Oils of Ecuador – RutaVaLa)
Tranquil (roll-on) is a blend of 3 oils – Lavender, Cedarwood and Roman Chamomile. All 3 of these oils are documented for helping to reduce anxiety and bring calmness. Put together as a blend and you have something that will promote sleep as well as helping to reduce stress.
Stress Away (roll-on) is a blend of Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea and Lavender. This blend promotes relaxation, lowers hypertension and helps to reduce stress. One of our readers has reported using Copaiba to deal with stress [5]. The EODR states that “its hypnotic-like properties work as a sedative to the nervous system and can induce sleep”.[6]
White Angelica. White Angelica is an essential oil blend designed to counter negativity and give a feeling of security. The blend includes Ylang Ylang, Rose, Melissa, Sandalwood, Geranium, Spruce, Myrrh, Hyssop, Bergamot, and Rosewood.
Trauma Life contains Valerian, Lavender, Frankincense, Sandalwood, Rose, Helichrysum, Spruce, Geranium, Davana and Citrus Hystrix. As the name implies, this blend was created to help deal with trauma and reduce stress. By now you’re starting to see some oils pop up regularly in blends, e.g. Lavender, Valerian, Sandalwood and Cedarwood. Oils such as Sandalwood contain sesquiterpenes which means the oil molecules can penetrate the blood-brain barrier, delivering much needed oxygen to the vital brain centres, as well as stimulating the limbic region of the brain – the centre of emotions and memory.
Release is another useful blend for helping to release anger and memory trauma – in this case the liver, as well as stimulating the pineal gland to release deep-seated traumas. It contains Ylang Ylang, Lavandin, Geranium, Sandalwood and Blue Tansy.
Frankincense (Boswellia Carteri). This one pops up in the oil blend Trauma Life. Frankincense is another oil with sesquiterpenes that stimulate the limbic region of the brain – the centre dealing with emotions.
SARA. SARA was designed to help release the trauma resulting from sexual and ritual abuse. It contains Geranium, Lavender, Rose, Blue Tansy, Orange, Cedarwood, Ylang Ylang and White Lotus.

This is by no means an exhaustive list. The Essential Oils Desk Reference lists a wide range of oils and blends that can help people dealing with PTSD. [7] For the remainder of this article, I’ve listed the experiences of other people. They are not specifically PTSD sufferers, but many of them deal with anxiety and stress. They come from the Oil Testimonials site and in most cases, if you follow the link, there is provision for contacting the user if you have a question.

Experiences and Testimonials

1. Oils for depression & anxiety

Author: Elisa Max
Questions: 3 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Las Vegas, Nevada, United States
Skills: Psychologist
Posted: 2004-08-11

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils /267

2. Anxiety and depression help with the Joy oil blend

Author: Lois Loyek
Questions: 0 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada
Skills: Raindrop Technique
Posted: 2007-01-05

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/1883

3. Anxiety and stress goes away

Author: Stephanie Rasband
Questions: 6 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Santa Monica, CA, United States
Skills: Psychologist
Posted: 2005-11-05

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/1062

4. Anxiety gone and better skin using frankincense

Author: Latonda Stanford
Questions: 0 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Hubbard, OH, United States
Posted: 2009-06-23

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/3617

5. Depression and anxiety lifted with RutaVaLa

Author: Alicia Warwick
Questions: 1 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Little Falls, NJ, United States
Skills: Raindrop Technique
Posted: 2008-01-17

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/2644

6. Anxiety helped with RutaVaLa

Author: Sandy Rakowitz
Questions: 0 have been asked. Send a comment or question
Location: Charlottesville, VA, United States
Skills: TTouch
Posted: 2009-06-22

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils/3616

7. Inner Child aids memory recall

Author: Paula Steigauf
Location: MN, United States
Posted: May 29, 2008

http://www.oil-testimonials.com/essential-oils.php?tID=2903&rID=17759

That pretty much concludes this article. I highly recommend people check out the National Institute of Mental Health site (see link in the notes below), as it has way more information on PTSD than I’ve been able to include here. One more thing to note, and this is important. If you are a health practitioner, psychologist or healer working with people suffering PTSD, you may want to consider using some of the oils mentioned here for yourself. An oil blend such as White Angelica would be a good one; perhaps have it diffusing in your office or clinic. Check out our post from a year ago - Setting the Mood.

Till next time

Cheers

Anthony

[1] Essential Edge News, P4, Vol 1, Issue No 4

[2] Urban Zen Foundation

[3] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

[4] National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)

[5] Essential Oils of Ecuador – Copaiba, Feb 18th, 2011

[6] Essential Oils Desk Reference, 5th Edition, Ch 8, p2.128-2.129

[7] Essential Oils Desk Reference, 5th Edition, Ch 17, p4.9-4.11 “Oils for Specific Emotional Challenges”.

Interview on Beyond The Heart

Anthony — Sun, 23 Oct 2011 01:14:31 +0000

Hi Folks, this is an interview I recently gave (October 8th 2011) for the web radio programme – Beyond the Heart- hosted by Jenetta Haim. I talk about how I got into essential oils as well as how and why essential oils work. Check it out at :

Beyond the Heart with Jenetta Haim Aromatherapy 10/08 by The Difference | Blog Talk Radio

Cheers

Anthony

Essential Oils of Ecuador – Eucalyptus Blue

Anthony — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 10:05:25 +0000

Phew!! It’s been a while since our last post. It’s taken longer than expected, but we are back. For those of you who have been enquiring about what we’ve been up, we’ve set up a page on this site giving some details on the charity work we’ve been involved with.

But getting back on to the subject of oils from the Amazon region and Ecuador…In this post we check out Eucalyptus Blue.

Eucalyptus Blue is harvested from trees found deep in the Guayaquil jungle in Ecuador and the leaves are then taken to to the Young Living farm, also in Guayaquil, to be distilled for their oil. Eucalyptus Blue (or Eucalyptol Natriol Azul if you want the scientific name) is high in Eucalyptol, Limonene and Alpha-pinenes. Apparently it is a cross between two other species: Eucalyptus Citriodora and Eucalyptus Globulus. [1]

An interesting feature of this oil is that unlike many eucalyptus oils, it does not cause an allergic reaction in people who are allergic to Eucalyptol. It also won’t make your eyes water, like many other types of eucalyptus oil.

So what can it do for us?

The native people of Ecuador traditionally used Eucalyptus Blue leaves to cover wounds and to repel insects.

Some of you will have guessed that because of its Eucalyptol content, this oil will be handy for dealing with respiratory conditions. Well that’s spot on. It’s included in the Breathe Again Roll-on, a powerful blend of oils made up to support the respiratory system.

It’s listed in the Essential Oils desk reference as having anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. At a 2009 conference, Gary Young related an experience he had with Eucalyptus Blue:

“When we were filming in the Middle East on my recent trip, I was fighting a terrible candida-related cough (it could have been mould spores or something). It became pneumonia, and I was filling up with fluid. … I had my Eucalyptus Blue (which I was going to give away as gifts). I put 10 drops of Eucalyptus Blue in my mouth – wow, I was blowing smoke rings!!! It was so remarkable, for the next few days I’d put 3-4 drops in my throat, let it run down, then a couple of drops under my tongue. It opened my lungs and respiratory tract, and the coughing stopped within 2 days. I’ve never had those results with any other Eucalyptus…..So use 1-2 drops of Eucalyptus Blue in your mouth, use it in Raindrop fashion up the spine, rub it on your kid’s feet. It’s a natural antibiotic. You can add it to the Thieves oil. I’ve sprayed my throat with the Thieves spray, then added a drop or two of Eucalyptus Blue under my tongue. Eucalyptus Blue gives a greater permeation in the buccal and nasal cavity – more so than with Thieves. You can even try Eucalyptus Blue with Peppermint.”

Applying Eucalyptus Blue

We’ve just seen how Gary Young took the Eucalyptus Blue internally. If you’re not comfortable with that there are alternatives. In terms of its fragrance, Eucalyptus Blue has a fresh and invigorating aroma. Try adding it to a diffuser and placing it in your bedroom, your living area or even a workspace, and see what a difference it makes. Even just inhaling it from the bottle will help. You could even try applying it around the chest area, if for example you’re suffering a chest infection.

Here are some examples, from Oil-Testimonials.com, of how other people have used Eucalyptus Blue:

Sinus infection cleared up, Tiffany Dowell, WI, United States

Eucalyptus Blue for sinus pain , Janice Erhart, WY, United States

If you would like to obtain this essential oil, visit our product site. Contact us if you have any questions concerning it or you would like to join our mailing list. Next post we look at Dorado Azul.

Till Next time

Cheers

Anthony

[1] p 2.34, Chapt 7, Essential Oils Desk Reference, 5th Edition

Essential oils for Crohn’s disease

Anthony — Sun, 08 May 2011 02:28:22 +0000

Firstly a big apology to our readers. We’ve been off the air for some time. Gavina and I have had the opportunity to get involved in some charity work, so that’s occupied a fair amount of our time. However we will resume our series on essential oils from Ecuador and the Amazon very soon.

In the meantime, I thought I’d share this information with you which was in response to a question from one of our readers. The reader in question has an 18 yr old daughter with Crohn’s Disease. Her daughter is currently using an immunosuppresant known as Purinthol, and they’re not happy with the side effects associated with this drug. Crohn’s Disease is known as an auto-immune disease and it appears to be afflicting a lot of young people.

The reader who sent us the question was responding to a post we did last year on Sacred Frankincense, in which we mentioned that there was research that indicated that Frankincense had been shown to be effective against Crohn’s Disease, Ulcerative Colitis and Irritable Bowel Syndrome. Here is that original post we did. And here is the research that relates to this:

The research relates to Boswellia Serrata (a species of Frankincense found in India) specifically, However I dare say Boswellia Sacra (Sacred Frankincense) has a higher content of boswellic acid than any other species we know of. Frankincense works well with Crohn’s disease because it is a very powerful anti-inflammatory.

Frankincense isn’t the only essential oil that can assist in dealing with Crohn’s. Copaiba for example, an essential oil from the Amazon, has often been described as an “anti-inflammatory on steroids without the side-effects of steroids”. The Essential Oils Desk Reference, offers many other possibilities including a suggested regimen for Crohn’s disease and dietary supplementation that would be beneficial. There is simply not enough room to put it all here, however I would certainly consider the following:

An essential oil blend such as Di-Gize, as it’s oil blend designed for digestive problems. It includes peppermint, ginger, lemongrass, anise, fennel, juniper, tarragon and patchouli.
Sulfurzyme for dietary supplementation, as it includes Copaiba and MSM. I’ve written on the subject of MSM (and could certainly write a whole lot more about it). Check out our previous articles . There is also a book review on our site, for a book on MSM by Dr Ronald Lawrence. What I will say about MSM is that it’s a sulfur bearing compound found widely in nature which people have found effective in treating auto-immune diseases.
Raindrop Technique. This is a healing modality I will definitely write about in the near future, as it incorporates essential oils and massage, as well as healing techniques from the Dakota Indian nation in North America.
Pro-bio5 which is a probiotic that works towards restoring healthy bacteria in the gut. One of the big problems with many drugs and especially antibiotics is that they destroy healthy flora in our guts. This in turn makes us susceptible to other problems.

There may also be an emotional aspect to Crohn’s Disease. According to German New Medicine (Dr Hamer), Irritable Bowel Syndrome are about anger. The more intense the anger, the deeper down the gut it is. I’m no expert in GNM, but I offer it up for people’s consideration. It’s certainly a topic I will come back to in the near future, as essential oils have an emotional component as well. In the meantime, if you’re interested, I would suggest you do some research. This will be a good starting point: German New Medicine and the five biological laws .

If anyone is interested in this topic, I have more information on it. Please get in touch with us.

Till next time,

Cheers,

Anthony

Essential Oils of Ecuador – Dorado Azul (Guayofolis officionalis)

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Dealing with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

1. Oils for depression & anxiety

2. Anxiety and depression help with the Joy oil blend

3. Anxiety and stress goes away

4. Anxiety gone and better skin using frankincense

5. Depression and anxiety lifted with RutaVaLa

6. Anxiety helped with RutaVaLa

Interview on Beyond The Heart

Essential Oils of Ecuador – Eucalyptus Blue

Essential oils for Crohn’s disease

Dietary Factors in the Modulation of IBD: Boswellia Serrat/Indian Frankincense

What Is the Scientific Evidence for Boswellia?