How to Use Aromatherapy for Relaxation

Aromatherapy is an alternative health practice that uses essential oils to stimulate the senses in order to treat symptoms of illness or imbalance. These highly concentrated oils are extracted from aromatic plants and are then mixed in a carrier oil.
Oils that have a calming effect and those that relieve tension help to soothe the mind and body as they promote a state of relaxation.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• chamomile essential oil
• lavender essential oil
• marjoram essential oil
• neroli essential oil
• orange essential oil
• petitgrain essential oil

Preparation of Essential Oil Blend

1. Choose a carrier oil based on your skin type.

2. Measure and pour 20 ml of the carrier oil into a brown or blue glass bottle.

3. Choose an essential oil(s) based on the symptom and the effect you would like to achieve.

4. Determine the # of drops of essential oil needed for your oil blend.

5. Use an eyedropper to add the essential oil (8 to 10 drops) to the carrier oil.

6. Close the lid tightly and gently shake the bottle.

7. Label the bottle with the date, the name of the essential oil, the name of the carrier oil and the dilution.

Essential Oils for Relaxation

8. Add 3 to 5 drops of 1 or 2 of these essential oils oil to your bath to infuse a soothing message.

9. Promote relaxation and sleep by placing 2 to 4 drops of essential oils on your pillow.

10. Choose chamomile for its calming and soothing effects.

11. Neroli is excellent for treating spontaneous episodes of anxiety and panic.

12. Add lavender to neroli and clary sage to petitgrain to promote their respective sedative effects.

13. Use petitgrain oil in a bath to benefit from its relaxing effect.

14. Clary sage has a powerful relaxing effect that is enhanced with melissa essential oil.

15. Marjoram is wonderfully calming to the nervous system.

16. Lavender and marjoram enhance eachother and have a calming and sedative effect.

Tips & Warnings

• Always dilute essential oils to a 1% or 2.5% solution.
• Mix essential oils in small amounts (20ml) of carrier oil to prevent waste due to the dramatic decrease in the shelf life of diluted oils.
• 20 ml of blended oil is adequate for a full body aromatherapy massage.
• Thicken your creams and lotions by adding a waxy plant extract called Jojoba.
• Add wheat germ oil to blended oils to prolong the shelf life and to prevent them from becoming rancid.
• Avoid the sun and use of sunlamps for at least 6 hours after using orange, neroli, petitgrain oils due to an increased sensitivity to the sun.
• Avoid clary sage in pregnancy and do not use alcohol.
• Clary sage may cause vivid dreams.
• Use marjoram in low 1% dilutions.
• Avoid marjoram if you are pregnant.
• Do not apply essential oils directly to the skin.
• Do not rub your eyes after using essential oils. (Rinse your eyes with cold water if you get any essential oil in your eye.)
• Consult your physician and an aromatherapist prior to using essential oils if you are pregnant.
• Check each essential oil for specific contraindications and precautions prior to using, ie. oils that are stimulants should be avoided if you have a seizure disorder or high blood pressure.
• Keep essential oils away from heat and open flames.
• Keep essential oils away from children and pets.

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