Extracted from botanicals, that is, from plants and trees. They are part of the plants immune system processed by distillation but others such as the citrus oils may be extracted in different ways.

Essential Oils are all natural, so they work in harmony with nature.

They are more concentrated than the herbs they were extracted from and they contain hormones, vitamins, antiseptics that work on our immune systems.

Essential Oils are up to 100 times more concentrated than dried herbs, so they must be used with caution.

Essential oils to a greater lesser extents are antiseptic (it combats infection), bactericide (they kill bacteria or inhibit the growth of bacteria), when applied to the skin the generally promote cell rejuvenation and assist all kinds of skin problems.

They may be inhaled, applied to the skin (usually with a carrier oil) or they may be taken internally under the supervision of a qualified practitioner. It is not safe for an individual to take internally without the assistance of a practitioner because they are extremely concentrated.

Mixed in a carrier oil generally would contain bout 2% essential oil and 98% carrier oil. Carrier oils could include Jojoba, which in fact is not an oil but rather an Ester which contains lots of Vitamin E and is favored by massage therapists as it never turn rancid and when used alone does not discolor the sheets they work with. Others may include Almond, Walnut,Etc. The most popular being Almond, it has a limited shelf life, so often massage therapists will request that we mix 10% Jojoba with 90% Almond to extend it’s shelf life.

They have been with us since antiquity. Certainly the Egyptians mastered the art for therapeutic reasons and learned allot about them using the oils to embalm the great citizens, the pharaohs and high priests who died. Eventually, the ability to do this led the high priest, who was also the Aromatherapists of the day, to apply the therapeutic benefits to themselves and other people in the Egyptian society.

This use continued for many thousands of years but was largely abandoned in the US around the 1850′S when we entered what we call the Age of Science and abandoned the Age of Sensible medicine,being mostly continued in Europe and certainly Asia for the benefit of the people in those societies.

Their use recently returned to the US because of the eventual failure of antibacterial’s to cure allot of the illnesses that they used to cure. Essential oils being very complex were very difficult for bacteria and viruses to defend themselves from and also had the benefit of little or no side effects contrary to medicines that you see on the pharmacy shelves today.

There are many books written about aromatherapy essential oils and their application and also giving us a descriptive knowledge of our sense of smell and why they are so effective whether inhaled or put upon our skin.

One booklet that is good to begin with is Carol Corlo’s book “Enhance the Quality of Life with Aromatherapy”. It is only 19 pages but is a great introduction to Aromatherapy and from there is your interest is increased you can go onto some of the fine books that appear in better bookstores everywhere
or see in your local libraries.

Essential Oils can influence our mood, they can pick us up when we are down, help us relax when we are feeling anxious.

Essential Oils also have a physical value. We are all familiar with Eucalyptus, Lavender & Tea Tree, that when inhaled or applied to the skin give relief from many illnesses or symptoms of many illnesses.

Gerald F. McCarthy holds a patent on the unique diffuser used in all ESSENTIAL AIR models.

Over the years McCarthy of Leyden House has accumulated seventeen patents in the field of energy and health related products. A speech pathologist by profession he was intrigued by the beneficial effects of natural healing and began searching for ways to deliver essential oils more effectively.

Visit: essential-air.com essential-air.com

You are what you eat, and you are what you think, but do you know that you are also the color that you choose? The fact that colors have psychological significance and that meditating on them can heal old, emotional wounds is the basis of Dr. John Diamond’s breakthrough in Meditative therapy—The Diamond Color Meditation. Working with Dr. Max Luscher and the Luscher Color Schematics, Dr. Diamond has produced a meditation that allows us to access the healing energies we need at the unconscious level.

Dr. Diamond is a pioneering figure in alternative and holistic medicine. He began his career in psychiatry, but expanded into holistic medicine. His body of work, which embraces a wide range of disciplines from psychiatry to applied kinesiology to music, is as long as his credentials. He now practices as a Holistic Consultant in New York. Dr. Diamond is also associated with Life Energy Foundation.

According to Dr. Diamond and Dr. Luscher, colors have deep psychological significance that go back to our primitive, unconscious roots. “I love the unconscious and have worked there, lived there for many years and I have not only a great belief in it but a great respect for it,” says Dr. Diamond. The color palette presented in the Diamond Color Meditation allows us to access the unconscious energies we need to heal our wounds. These energies are part of the great healing force–The Life Energy–that we can all activate within us.

Most of us evade the pain of our wounds by escaping into unhealthy addictions for work, food, toxic substances, toxic relationships or toxic beliefs. Living on the surface in this manner denies us the power to confront our wounds in a genuine manner and transform them into healing energies. However, meditating on the colors and symbols of the Diamond Color Meditation allows us to shift out of stress and anxiety into a state of being loved or “Belovedness.” It is this state of total surrender to a sense of being loved that allows for the power of deep healing. All colors have a spiritual dimension, according to Dr. Diamond, but the color fuschia in particular has this quality that transports us to our mother–the One.

Anguish and pain prevent us from seeing and living in the One. When we are in this state, according to Dr, Diamond, “we are in the dark. No amount of material objects, money or cars will actually fulfill our deepest pain, longing and suffering. Sometimes these roadblocks are conscious, but more often than not they are unconscious.”

“I believe that you have to approach [the unconscious] with awe, respect, admiringly, and lovingly because to me, it is the very heart, or essence, of the person. It is not something to be trampled on or approached without deep respect.” The Diamond Color Meditation is a perfect way allowing us access to our unconscious in a respectful, loving manner. Re-establishing the state of being “beloved” at an unconscious level means that we are treating our anxieties and pain at their primal source—the site of primal wounding. Engaging the unconscious in this manner releases tremendous healing power.

While drugs can bring about symptomatic relief, true lealing always involves a change in a person’s attitude towards himself, his situation and life. color meditation allows us to tap into the great healing force within us–Life Energy.

Copyright 2006 Mary Desaulniers

Mary Desaulniers Ph.D will be interviewing Dr. John Diamond on VoiceAmerica 7th Wave Network Internet Radio show “Reclaiming The Body’s Wisdom” beginning October 5/06 . Get details at GreatBodyat50.com GreatBodyat50.com