Embracing Winter Stillness

As the wheel of the year turns towards the Winter season for us here in the Northern Hemisphere, many may consider how to best stay positive and energized through this season of short days. This is particularly true where I live in the shadow of a temperate rainforest, as the Autumn and Winter seasons here are characterized by months of dark cloudy skies and rain. 

For many, the Winter season is a difficult one to manage emotionally.  Many who are prone to depression suffer more through this season, and for these souls it is important to seek professional medical or psychological support. What I would like to share here is not a replacement for medical treatment, but rather an alternative way to approach this season of stillness. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Our predecessors on this Earth lived with the cycles of Nature and marked the change in seasons in a number of ways. In Earth Medicine we follow the teachings of Indigenous and Earth-based cultures. In my studies, we learned of the Medicine Wheel which is a way of living for many cultures. On the wheel that I learned, Winter sits in the direction of the North and its themes are those of stillness, wisdom, introspection, and renewal. It is a time of quiet solitude where we have the opportunity to go inward and  replenish our 'inner soil" in preparation for the light and growth of Spring. The North is held by Buffalo and Elk, and by the element of Earth.  It is the place on the Wheel where we feel most connected with our Ancestors. 

Ancient Celtic traditions speak of the Wheel of the Year, with similar connections to natural cycles and elements.  This Wheel is marked by 8 celebrations throughout the year as the Wheel turns and the seasons shift, including the Sabbat (main festival) of the Winter Solstice or Yule. In the Northern hemisphere this is the darkest time of the year, and for ancient people it was challenging not only to stay warm and fed, but also to remain faithful to the belief that the light would return. This was held as a time to create closure of the past year and to mark the shift into the new. Traditionally, this Winter Solstice marked the beginning of the Yuletide and the origin of the 12 Nights of Christmas (originally connected to Yule, not Christmas).  These sacred nights were considered time to have deeper awareness of our intuition and as such, these nights were known for dreams, visions, and other insights of the coming year.  

What a change from the celebratory state of our present society! Is it any wonder many feel unsettled during this time?  In losing our connection to our traditional and natural connection to the seasonal shift, we have created a state of imbalance.  

So how can we create a new sense of balance that may better serve us through the busy holiday season of our modern times? For me, this is a matter of allowing myself some time to slow down, time to breathe, and time to celebrate "being" rather than "doing".  And yes, this takes some planning.  While it seems contradictory with so many tasks and commitments, my meditation and journal practice have become more vital this season.  Even 20 minutes spent in stillness and/or journaling can have a profound effect on my days and ultimately increase productivity! The other important piece for me has been getting outside and breathing fresh air. Stepping into my garden to breathe under the trees, even if only for a few minutes as I gather garden herbs, serves to connect me with something greater than myself and has an immediate grounding and calming effect.  

Photo by Teddy Kelley on Unsplash

This season, I invite you to create some space for yourself to explore this ancient wisdom of seasonal living.  Some ideas for creating moments of stillness include: 

• being present as you wait for baking to finish- breathe in the aroma, observe the transformation from uncooked to golden goodness
• pausing between tasks to re-centre; go outside for a breath of air if you can
• creating a ritual to mark the Solstice - make time to take inventory of the past year, focussing on those things that you would like to leave behind (closing the old year) and those you'd like to carry forward (welcoming the new year)
• connecting to your soul by connecting to Nature.

After the holidays have passed and the New Year is upon us, I invite you to continue this practice of creating stillness in your day. Winter is naturally a dormant time in Nature; the trees are bare and the ground is resting waiting for the return of the sun. While much restoration is happening in the darkness within the trees and the soil, most of it remains unseen by us. Rather than fighting the natural season by trying to stay busy and energized, work with this seasonal energy to slow down in order to renew yourself. In honouring this season of stillness by going within ourselves, it serves to restore our own vital energy and create a strong foundation for the coming months. 

Fresh-smelling compost

If you are like us and have a little container for organic waste in your kitchen, then you may be troubled by some odour from that compost. We use a stainless steel bucket and a biodegradable bag, but we still find that some food waste causes odour. I was playing around with some ideas for trying to neutralize the odours and came up with these cute little baking soda and essential oil pucks.  

I used inexpensive ice cube trays from the dollar store (since I am not using these for food, I am not as concerned about the quality of the plastic).  If you can find silicone trays, I think they would be ideal as it would be easy to remove the pucks, but the ones I have are solid on the sides and have silicone on the bottom and they worked just fine. I will now keep these exclusively for cleaning products and will not use them for food!

Baking Soda Fresh-Pucks 

*Safety notes* 

• Be sure to wear rubber, latex, or vinyl gloves to avoid getting concentrated essential oils on your skin.  This is especially important if you are using citrus oils.
• When making cleaning preparations with baking soda and essential oils I prefer to use glass or ceramic bowls to avoid reactivity with metal, and plastic or wooden spoons (craft or popsicle sticks work).  Plastic bowls can absorb the essential oils, making them unsuitable for food use afterwards!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup baking soda
• 1 tsp essential oil (about 100 drops) - I used 60 drops Lavender and 40 drops Lemon
• 1/3 cup distilled water

Method:

• Combine the baking soda and essential oils and stir until they are well mixed and no big clumps remain.
• Gradually add the water, mixing as you add.  Stir until the mixture forms lumps that stay together.  If the mixture seems too dry, add a bit more water.  It is important that the clumps are not falling apart at this stage or your finished pucks will not stay together. 
•  Scoop out the mixture and press into ice cube tray.  Allow to dry for 24-48 hours.
• Once dry, pop the pucks out of the tray and store in an airtight container.  

• Place one puck in the bottom of your organic waste bucket, under the biodegradable bag, and replace when you change the bag and empty the bucket.
• Once used in the bucket, the puck can be put into the sink garbage disposal to freshen it!
• These would also be suitable for putting in your kitchen garbage pail, either taped to the lid, or in the bottom under the bag.
• Other essential oils to try: Tea Tree, Palmarosa, Orange, Eucalyptus, or Lemongrass.

I hope that you have fun making these and enjoy fresh-smelling compost buckets!

The Joy of Self Care

At this very busy time of year, it is easy to be overwhelmed with our to-do lists and put our own needs after those of others.  Is this wise?  I am reminded of my flight attendant training and the safety demonstrations we gave that said "put on your own oxygen mask before assisting others".  The wisdom of self-care...we know this, yet it is still so hard to put this knowledge into practice.  What if we found a way to re-define our perception of self-care and allowed ourselves to embrace the joy of taking care of ourselves while we look after those we love?

After a very difficult few months, I have struggled with trying to 'do it all' and to 'be all the things'...you know, that mother who is on top of all her child's academic and emotional needs and can schedule driving lessons and appointments with ease; the wife who creates a clean and uncluttered home for her husband to come home to, complete with a meal cooked from scratch; the daughter who supports her grieving family by being available for appointments or just to be together. We all have our own unique variation of this "being all the things"; but where does that leave us?  In my case, it left me exhausted, overwhelmed, angry, and sad. I finally reached my limit yesterday and took a day to stay home, and while I did clean up the house, I also gave myself permission to play in my art journal and have a bath!  Did I feel guilty?  Absolutely! And then, while soaking away the stress and letting the mental chatter of my to-do list flow down the drain, I was struck by a sense of peace, and even joy.  I had put myself first; listened to my body and my needs, and I felt revived and hopeful.  But what does this apparently selfish act mean for everyone around me?  A new and revitalized me, willing to face the season with renewed spirit!  I had been reminded that taking care of myself meant I was better equipped to help those I love: I'd found the *joy* of self-care.

If you are feeling the seasonal stress, why not schedule some time for yourself and see if you too can find the joy in self-care!

  

Inviting Joy... and fabulous Apple "Nachos"!

Yesterday was my birthday.  Being a milestone, we decided to mark the occasion by doing something I hadn't done as an adult, and have a party. This idea brought with it excitement, but also trepidation, and feelings of unworthiness.  Although I imagined an intimate gathering of close friends, I was faced with the fear that *nobody* would come...why would anyone want to come to *my* party, after all?  Instead of giving into this and planning the gathering from a place of fear, I tried something new and decided to "invite joy" and  plan from a place of celebration in which everyone could share.   The fabulous birthday Tea Party was born! I got out the bone china teacups and saucers, chose the tea, ordered tiny treats (befitting a tea party), supervised the making of cucumber sandwiches (he didn't need any supervision!), and even made a new treat, that I called "Apple Nachos", for the first time.  (Recipe to follow).  

It worked!  The day was perfect.  The tea was enjoyed, the treats were eaten, many laughs were shared, and precious memories made. It was the intimate gathering that I had dreamed of.  

The lesson here?  Try something new!  Go outside of that comfort zone and see what magic happens!  Invite joy.

Fabulous Apple "Nachos"

2 large apples, quartered and thinly sliced (I used Honeycrisp)

toasted almonds

coconut

dried cranberries

dairy-free chocolate chips

Raw vegan caramel sauce

For the sauce:

1 cup dates (soaked in hot water for about 20 minutes)

2 tsp almond butter (or any nut or seed butter)

3/4 cup water

1 1/2 Tbsp coconut oil

dash of salt

Combine all the sauce ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth, adding more water if needed to achieve the desired consistency.  

To assemble the "nachos":

Thinly slice the apples and soak in a mixture of water and lemon juice to discourage browning, pat dry. Layer apple slices onto a plate or platter.  Melt the chocolate chips (you could add a bit of coconut oil to thin the chocolate more) until it is runny. Drizzle the chocolate over the apples. Drizzle the caramel sauce over the apples.  Top with the almonds, cranberries and coconut (or whatever toppings you like)!

This recipe is my own twist, and is inspired by the caramel filling in Angela Liddon's  Oh She Glows Cookbook, (Penguin Canada Books, Toronto, 2014).

Autumnal Aromatherapy

Wishing you a Happy Autumn!
The Equinox in September marks the beginning of our Fall season where I live, and in the ancient Pagan calendar this time of "Mabon" represents the perfect balance of light and darkness.  Personally, I always feel this balance as a pull between the playfulness of Summer and the introspection of Winter, and find myself drawn to more inner reflection. 

According to Joni Keim and Ruah Bull in their book Daily Aromatherapy: Transforming the Seasons of Your Life with Essential Oils, (North Atlantic Books, 2008), 

"Autumn is the season of the soul that signals a time to reflect upon your life and assess the health and wellbeing of your body, mind, heart, and spirit.  It is a time for insights and using good judgement regarding your relationships, how you take care of yourself, how you spend your time, and what you have accomplished...  It is also a time to acknowledge and be grateful for the many blessings in your life, and to be generous of spirit.  In all of this, healing takes place." (p.153)

For me, this inward focus also extends to our home.  As the rains and winds of our West Coast Canadian season move upon us, I find myself bringing out my diffuser and essential oils to enhance our indoor space. At this time of year I am naturally drawn to warm and comforting essential oils, as well as many of the evergreen tree oils.  Likewise, Joni Keim and Ruah Bull suggest the essential oils of Spruce (self reflection); Fir (self-understanding); Bay Laurel (good judgement); and Clary Sage (intuition).  A nice way to use these oils, particularly today to mark the change of season, would be to make a blend of 1 drop Fir, 1 drop Spruce, and 2 drops Bay Laurel and either put it into a diffuser, or place on a tissue to inhale.  This blend could then be used as part of a meditation and affirmation to acknowledge the season and your own personal journey. If you have a seasonal ritual, this would also be an excellent blend to accompany your work. Have fun and play with the proportions and oils to suit your own taste...remember that this is intended for diffuser or inhalation from a tissue only as Evergreen oils can be irritating to the skin and are not recommended for baths or use on the body (unless blended and well diluted- consult a professional for information on this).

Other beneficial Essential oils for Fall include:
Palmarosa (self-accceptance), Roman Chamomile (forgiveness), Cardamom (generosity), Cypress (personal growth), Rose (love), Jasmine (gratitude). 

I often mark the change of season by creating a unique blend, and each Autumn I play with various combinations and create a new favourite for seasonal emotional support.  Is exploring scent a way that you mark the change in season? 

 "Aromatherapy Insight cards"by Jennifer Jefferies

Wishing you the comfort and balance of this glorious Fall season!

Sunshine and Citrus don't always mix

The warm weather is here!  
There are ways that using essential oils can increase our enjoyment of the summer, however with the warm weather comes some cautions for using essential oils safely.

While the best practices of safe usage involving dilution and external use only always apply,  phototoxicity is an additional concern in the summer months. This may seem like the ideal time to enjoy the light refreshing scent of the Citrus oils, but these oils are particularly dangerous to use in the sunshine.  Most Citrus oils are phototoxic; meaning that applying them to the skin and then exposing that skin to sunlight (or UV lamps) can result in blistering burns which can lead to permanent skin damage.  The chemical constituents known as 'furanocoumarins' are responsible for this phototoxic reaction and these compounds occur in nearly all expressed Citrus oils.  The worst offender is Bergamot, and it is this oil that lead to studies beginning in the 1950's which determined the chemicals responsible for these painful reactions.  

Happily, we don't have to completely avoid using all Citrus oils on our skin in the summer! We do have some alternatives, the most common being steam distilled Lime and Lemon essential oils, and a fractionated grade of Bergamot know as "Bergamot FCF" (furanocoumarin-free); this is the only Bergamot that I use, and while I am told the the scent is not as nice as the natural Bergamot, the safety is more important to me.  Remembering to properly dilute essential oils is also key to having a safe experience. 

Another way to enjoy these refreshing oils and manage the risk is by using them in the diffuser and not on our body.  Remember that if you are in doubt, it is best to avoid the oil!  Consulting a qualified Professional Aromatherapist is also a good idea when considering safety issues such as this. 

Phototoxic Essential Oils 

Bergamot

Grapefruit

Lemon (Expressed)

Lime (Expressed)

Mandarin Leaf

Bitter Orange

Possible Phototoxic Oils

Clementine

Non-Phototoxic Oils

Bergamot FCF

Lemon (distilled)

Lime (distilled)

Mandarin

Sweet Orange

Satsuma

Tangelo

Tangerine

Source: Robert Tisserand and Rodney Young, Essential Oil Safety, (Second Edition. United Kingdom: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier, 2014),p.87 

Essential Oils are wonderful, and when we respect their power and use them with appropriate care, they can greatly enhance our lives.  

Wishing you a relaxing, fun, and safe summer! 

Aromatherapy and Essential Oils - The Basics

Aromatherapy is an ancient holistic health practice. Holistic healing differs from our usual "Western Medicine" model where we say "I have a headache I'll take an aspirin". With a holistic approach like aromatherapy, we say "I have a headache; what is going on with me physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually right now?", and by dealing with the whole person we can help support the body in healing the cause rather than just the symptoms.

A Professional Aromatherapist will look at you as a whole person and make an essential oil blend specific to your needs. He or she will consider health history, pre-existing conditions, medications, as well as symptoms in order to create a blend to safely support your body in healing.

Essential Oils are very powerful and concentrated plant essences derived from various parts of plants including leaves, flowers, or roots. These organic compounds work on all levels of the body; physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual, through both their scent and the reactions that their chemical composition stimulate in the body.  

Essential Oils are very potent and must not be used directly on the skin, nor should they be used internally unless prescribed by a doctor.  When used on the body, essential oils must be diluted in a carrier oil...anything you use for cooking is fine. When we are diluting essential oils for general purposes and for a healthy adult, we want a 2% dilution, which is about 10-12 drops of essential oil in 30 ml of carrier oil.  For children, seniors, or sensitive individuals, we need to lower that dilution by at least half.  

As with any products for our health, there are precautions for using essential oils.  Each essential oil has a unique chemical profile and as such, its own precautions or contraindications for use.  In general, if you have allergies (including foods and cosmetics), high or low blood pressure, or conditions such as heart disease or epilepsy you must be very careful when choosing oils.  Also, most oils should not be used during pregnancy.  It is also important not to use any one essential oil too much, as we can become sensitized to it!

Aromatherapists spend a lot of time studying and practicing blending for a variety of people with differing needs, and this is where the science and art of their practice come together.

There are a number of different ways we can use essential oils. 

• In a diffuser or electronic nebulizer (add water to the bowl and drop in a few drops of your undiluted essential oil). 
• On a tissue, cotton ball, or Q-tip, 1-2 drops. 
• In a personal inhaler
• In a body product such as soaps, creams, body lotions, shampoos and perfumes.
• In the bath - 3 - 8 drops (dilute in 1 tsp - 1Tbsp of carrier oil first)  For more information on aromatherapy baths, see my Bathtime Bliss blog post
• In the shower - 1 - 2 drops on the shower cabinet floor. 
• Steam inhalation - 2 - 3 drops added to bowl of water.
• Added to compresses and poultices
• Carpet fresheners and/or air fresheners
• Potpourri

The key to using Essential Oils and incorporating Aromatherapy into daily life is to choose oils that are safe for you to use and that are suited to your specific needs...which is where a Professional Aromatherapist can help!  For more information, see Nature's Heart website.

Bathtime Bliss with Essential Oils

Adding essential oils to a bath is an ancient ritual that is still popular today.  This method is an easy way to enjoy the benefits of aromatherapy: not only are you soaking in the essential oils, you are breathing in their aroma, which adds to the healing as well as the relaxing experience.  By choosing and using the oils appropriately, we can create a beautiful aromatic bath time experience.

Creating a safe Aromatherapy bath is a bit more involved than just dropping the oils into the bath water, though.  Essential Oils don't mix with water.  Adding your essential oils directly to your bath means that they will float on the top of your bath water and go directly onto your skin when you step in, increasing the risk of irritation.
To avoid this, we need to add the essential oils to either salts, milk, or a carrier oil before they go into the bath.  To dilute your essential oils before adding them to your bath, try one of these methods:

•  add 5 drops of essential oil to 1/2 cup of salts (Epsom salts, sea salts, or a combination)*
• add 5 drops of essential oil to 1 Tbsp of carrier oil.  Sesame oil is a natural emulsifier and disperses the oil very well.
• add 5 drops of essential oil to 1/2 cup of milk*

All of these methods will ensure that your essential oils are nicely dispersed through out your bathwater and will not end up directly on your skin.  

It is also important to choose essential oils for your bath very carefully:  

• Avoid any of the spice oils such as Black Pepper, Peppermint, Cinnamon, Clove, Oregano, Thyme.
• Avoid phototoxic citrus oils such as Lemon, Lime, and especially Bergamot.
• Avoid irritating oils like Lemongrass.  

Oils that are gentle and recommended for using in a bath are:

• Florals like Lavender, Rose, Geranium.   
• Frankincense, Sandalwood, Clary Sage, Spruce, Juniper, Eucalyptus. 

Be careful with the heavy floral oils like Rose and Jasmine as they can become overpowering very quickly.  Using 2-3 drops of these in the bath is ideal.

Overuse of essential oils in the bath can cause irritation, so use oils that are mild and non-irritating, and remember that 'less is more'. 

Creating an at-home Aromatherapy spa experience is a delightful way to end a busy day or to spend quiet time.  By choosing appropriate essential oils and using them carefully, you can easily create a safe and wonderful bathing experience.  Enjoy!

*UPDATE* August 2017
New research has shown that adding essential oils to salt, milk, or other water-soluble substances, does not adequately dilute or disperse the oils in the bath.  Based on this, the new recommendation is to dilute the essential oils in a carrier oil such as fractionated coconut or sweet almond oil, or add the essential oil to a foaming product such as castille soap, shower gel, or shampoo.  These options allow for the best dispersion of essential oil, thus minimizing the desk of irritation.  More information on this can be found here.

Trust (aka "The Adventures of a Control Freak")

For so many of us the idea of letting go is terrifying.  That fear of not being in control can be paralyzing.  Managing every possible eventuality and having a plan for things that may never manifest is exhausting, but the alternative feels like chaos, so how could that be better?

Image from "Grace Cards" by Cheryl Richardson

We all hear that we need to trust; trust the Universe or our God; trust the process; and trust and let things unfold as they are meant to.  I have had the chance to learn and practice this through my Art Journaling.  Playing with my journal and layering paper, paint, and ink is a form of active meditation for me and provides a space for me to breathe and just be.  It also provides many lessons on letting go and trusting the process.  Invariably, any plan I may have had for a journal page will evolve into something completely new, and I have learned to accept and even embrace this.  My Art Journaling practice has taught me to trust, and has shown me that letting go doesn't have to be terrifying.

Transferring this letting go into my every day life has been a slow and incremental process.  I have gradually learned to let go of my need to control everything, and to learn to trust again: trust not only the Universe, but to place my trust in others, and most importantly in myself.  Placing trust in others requires a certain amount of vulnerability, something that does not come naturally, and that takes courage.  Trusting oneself can be even more difficult.  We all have an innate wisdom, but learning to listen to and act upon that intuition takes practice and a strong belief in self.  My self-trust is still emerging and is something that I will always need to work with.  What I have learned through all of this is that in letting go of the expectation of a specific desired outcome, beautiful things can happen.  And, contrary to what I once believed, life continues, and the world looks a much brighter place!  Trust.  Just trust.