‘No-one can know exactly why or how the young wolf and bear became friends. I think that perhaps they were both alone and they were young and a bit unsure of how to survive alone.’
‘It seems to me that they feel safe being together, and so every evening met up for their dinner.’
‘It’s very unusual to see a bear and a wolf getting on like this… It is nice to share rare events in the wild that you would never expect to see.’
‘When I realised that no one had observed bears and wolves living near each other and becoming friends in Europe, I concentrated more and more on getting pictures to show what can happen in nature. Then I came across these two and knew that it made the perfect story.
“Just breathe. You are strong enough to handle your challenges, wise enough to find a solution to your problems, and capable enough to do whatever needs to be done.”
“What you see is a myosin protein dragging an endorphin along a filament to the inner part of the brain’s parietal cortex which creates happiness. Happiness. You’re looking at happiness.”
WARNING Diffusing essential oils can be toxic to your pets. Please do extensive research on which types of oils are not harmful to your pets.
Among our senses, one of the most-looked over and powerful is our sense of smell. Aromas can help us recall happy memories - baking cookies with loved ones during the holiday season, the perfume or cologne of a loved one - as well as unpleasant memories. Through psychology, we’ve proven that, when recreating a scene, scents can be our most powerful allies in recalling past events in our lives.
Aromatherapy is the art of using scents to heal the body, mind and soul. We use scents in healing rituals, magic and spirituality frequently - it even manifests in religious practices such as Christianity when a pastor cleanses a space with incense.
Scents and Sensibility
Working with essential oils is really quite easy, but here are some precautions to take.
Dilute
It’s important to dilute your essential oils in a carrier oil before using them therapeutically. You should rarely apply an undiluted essential oil to your skin.
By diluting your essential oils in a carrier oil, you get a lot more use out of them and you also prevent skin irritations. Some common types of carrier oils are grapeseed, olive, flaxseed, almond and sesame oil. Use 30mL (2 tbsp) of carrier oil per 5-10 drops of essential oil.
Storage
Essential oils need to be kept away from light and air. It’s best to store them in dark-tinted bottles to prevent light penetration. With proper storage, most essential oils can last 1-2 years. However, citrus oils should not be used after 6-9 months.
Allergies
Before working with essential oils, be sure to do a skin allergy test. Many people have sensitive skin and it’s important to take precautions and avoid allergic reactions to both essential oils and carrier oils.
To test for allergies, simply place a drop of your chosen carrier oil on your skin. Check and see if there is a reaction over the course of 12 hours. Place one drop of essential oil in 15 drops of carrier oil and apply to your chest. Check and see if there is a reaction over the course of 12 hours. If there is no reaction, then you likely have no allergy to the plant or the oil.
Precautions
Please avoid essential oils if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Specifically, avoid: cardamom, coriander, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, lemon, lemon balm, lemongrass, lime, mandarin, neroli, palmarosa, petitgrain, spearmint and ylang-ylang.
If you have sensitive or dry skin, it is best to avoid the following essential oils: black pepper, cinnamon, clove, grapefruit, lemon, lemon balm, lemongrass, lime, mandarin, orange, peppermint and spearmint.
Healing with Essential Oils
When starting out with using essential oils for health purposes, it’s important to address one symptom or issue at a time. Limit your selection to a few different oils until you become more familiar with your tools. Once you get comfortable, start experimenting with making your own blends. As time goes by, you’ll see what works best for your body and you!
Stress
Stress often has the side effects of anxiety, upset stomach, heart palpitations and rapid breathing. One of the most common essential oils used to alleviate stress is peppermint - it relaxes the mind and body. Lavender is another good choice as it relaxes muscles and the vapors help regulate breathing.
Pain and Muscle Tension
Muscle tension and pain are something most of us are familiar with. When using essential oils to address this particular issue, it’s best to create a massage oil to rub the affected area. If you’re trying to relax muscles and ease pain, allspice and geranium are great choices.
Chest Congestion
Flus, colds, respiratory illnesses - we’re no stranger to those during the winter months. To use essential oils to treat this, apply a few drops of diluted oil across the chest and massage into the skin. I tend to use eucalyptus, but thyme is another great choice!
Concentration and Focus
Everyone experiences difficulties with focus and concentration; stress, lack of sleep, anxiety and depression are just a few possible culprits. To use essential oils for this, apply a few drops to the temples, middle of the forehead and the base of the neck. Rosemary and spearmint are great choices for this as they help you relax while improving mental clarity.
Fatigue
At the end of the day, many of us feel exhausted from school, work and just life in general. To help with this, place a few drops of essential oil on your wrists and rub them in. Citrus oils like lemon and lime work really well since they uplift mood, relieve fatigue and provide mental clarity and focus.
Insomnia
Sometimes we just can’t fall asleep. Place a few drops of essential oil on your forehead and at the base of your neck. Lemon balm and ylang-ylang are good choices for this as they promote restful sleep and reduce stress and anxiety.
Anxiety
This issue typically involves both the physical and mental parts of the body. To help alleviate anxiety, place a drop of essential oil on the forehead, base of the neck, wrists and along the collarbone or upper chest. Chamomile, lavender and lemon balm are excellent choices.
Images are under the Creative Commons License. Information is from a variety of books, websites and my personal experience working with essential oils.
