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Aromatherapy Massage - great for stress relief

December 4th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

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Massage itself works very well in reducing physical strain and stress. However when you add essential oils, and thus get a good aromatherapy massage, the overall effect will be taken to entirely new levels.

It has actually been proven that your body will respond in amazing ways to aromatherapy oils. This is because of the volatile nature of these oils. For instance, whenever these preparations are inhaled they will create a relaxation response in your body that will actually be able to reduce both your physical and your mental stress. Of course, some of these oils will also be absorbed by your body during an aromatherapy massage, which will enhance the overall effect of the fragrance.

What Oils Should Be Used For An Aromatherapy Massage

It is very important to use all natural oils whenever you are giving or receiving an aromatherapy massage. As such, the oils will need to be extracted from plants, instead of being synthetic formulations from a laboratory. This is because the effects of these “unnatural” oils are unknown and may even be potentially harmful. So, do not try to save money by purchasing the cheapest products.

How To Find A Good Aromatherapy Massage Therapist

Whenever you are looking for a good aromatherapy massage therapist, you need to find someone who really knows what they are doing and truly understands the benefits of aromatic essences. They should be proficient in their knowledge of the use of these things. If you cannot find someone from word of mouth reference, then you should call a local professional organization to get a list of practitioners.

Learning How To Give An Aromatherapy Massage

If you want to get a career in aromatherapy massage therapy, or simply learn the techniques to use, then you should enroll at a professional massage school in your area. Of course, there are also classes that you can take if you are only wanting to learn aromatherapy massage to use at home without becoming a serious professional. Plus there are also books and videos available online. There are also online stores where you can find the aromatherapy oils that you need. However, before you purchase anything, you should first learn what you need and how to use it. Once this is done, you can locate an online store to purchase these items from.

Natural Stress Relief - breathe and laugh

November 15th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

With family, career, bills and a hundred other daily worries, it’s only natural to get stressed.  But stress is bad for your health, which can lead to more expenses and worries for you, in turn creating more stress. 

You can feel caught in a vicious cycle; but you don’t have to be.  There are many things you can do to get lasting stress relief.  So as not to stress you out even more than you already are, this article will concentrate on natural stress relief remedies rather than medications that may worry you.

Breathe

The easiest, quickest and most inexpensive natural stress relief you can get is to take a deep breath.  A series of deep breaths not only relaxes your body, but brings more oxygen to your brain, which may help your thinking abilities.  Check yourself when you are really stressed – you start to pant or hyperventilate which tenses your body up and lowers your oxygen.

Just how deep is a deep breath?  Inhale to the count of five, hold it for a count of five, and then exhale to the count of five.  As your body relaxes, you can gradually lengthen these counts to seven or even ten.  You only need to do it for a minute or two in order to give your body a time-out.  That’s all there is to it.

If you don’t get enough sleep, you will be stressed.  Without enough sleep, it can very difficult to make decisions or put anything into a proper perspective.  Check with your doctor to see if there’s any help he or she can give you for your sleep problems.  While you wait for your appointment, here are a few things you can do to help promote better sleep.

Cut back on caffeinated drinks at least three hours before bedtime. Darken the windows, even if you have to nail a dark colored towel over it.  Sounds silly, but this helps a lot of people. Use scents that promote deep breathing and relaxation.  Essential oils are best, even the smell of chamomile tea can soothe.  Each person reacts differently to each essential oil, but lavender and frankincense are generally proven to promote deep breathing, relaxation and a feeling of serenity.  Find the scent that helps relax and comfort you. 

Smile and relieve stress

Another easy and inexpensive natural stress relief remedy is to laugh.  Go ahead; laugh out loud now for no reason at all.  Feel better, don’t you?  And you probably made passersby laugh, too, helping them to de-stress.  That’s the best natural stress relief of all.

Exercise for stress relief

When you exercise, you get rid of stress hormones which can damage your body over time. One of the best exercises is yoga. When you do a few simple yoga stretches, you bring your body and mind into balance.

Natural Stress Relief Is Best - it can be as simple as breathing

August 5th, 2007    Subscribe To Our Feed

Did you know that you can provide your own instant stress relief by learning how to breathe?

When you’re stressed, your breathing changes, and you may pant or breathe a lot faster than usual: this cuts the oxygen supply in your body, and your body puts out distress signals for you to get more oxygen that might contribute to your anxiety.  (This is known as hyperventilation.)

When you feel overwhelmed, take a deep breath.  Take many deep breaths for natural stress and anxiety relief.  This minute or so of taking time out to breathe deeply will give your body a time-out and help calm panic.  It will also lower your heart rate and blood pressure during stressful times.

Some people find it difficult to breathe deeply for natural stress and anxiety relief.  This is normal.  If you have this problem, keep a small dark glass bottle of essential oils nearby.  Sniffing the essential oil will make your body instinctively take deeper breaths. 

Some recommended oils that encourage deep breathing are lavender, frankincense and tea tree.  Bergamot works for some, but not for others. 

Scent is a very personal thing; take some time to sniff essential oils sold in a health, fitness, occult supply stores or pharmacies.  Some large chain supermarkets carry essential oils in their organic departments.  They are made from natural plant and fruit extracts and oils, making them truly organic and natural solutions for stress and anxiety relief.
Do you need professional help?

Always call your physician if you are you having trouble eating and/or sleeping, if you feel overwhelmed, if your worries are running so constantly through your mind that you can’t relax and if you think that if you stop worrying, it’s somehow wrong.

Evaluate these symptoms honestly.  If you suffer from any or all of these symptoms, make an appointment with your health care professional today.  Follow his or her advice closely and try to squeeze in these natural stress and anxiety relief exercises as well.

Copyright © 2007 Just Stress Relief

Credits: Try Yoga For Stress Relief: Easy Fab Yoga | Matteo Turchetto | Andreas Viklund

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