Homeopathic Books

01Apr 2021 by Kelly Peterson

Romantic Blends For Sensual Massage

Whether you are new to aromatherapy and massage or not, start with simple blends for sensual massage until you and your partner find out which scents that you both prefer and which have a similar arousing effect. Experiment with blending only one essential oil to one carrier oil, for example, six drops of sandalwood oil to 15ml sunflower oil. Once you both become familiar with the scents of different essential oils and essential oil combinations, you can then experiment with more complex blends.

If you are using essential oils to fragrance the room also, make sure that you choose an essential oil that is used in your massage blend to complement the fragrance rather than compete with it.

Choosing Your Carrier Oils

The most common carrier oils used in massage are sweet almond, grapeseed, and sunflower oils. Your choice of base for your massage blends depends on the skin type of you and your partner:

dry or mature skins: sweet almond, jojoba, avocado, apricot kernel, and rosehip oils
oily or problem skins: jojoba, grapeseed, and apricot kernel oils
sensitive skins: jojoba and apricot kernel oils with a couple of drops of calendula oil added to the mix

Using a carrier oil that is suitable for your skin type not only makes performing massage easier but also benefits your skin by boosting its tone and condition, and improving its overall appearance over time. It is likely that you and your partner will have different skin types, but yet you will want to use the same massage blend. The solution to this is easy. Create two blends for you and your partner using the base oils that are suitable for you both and mixing with the same essential oils. For example, for him blend 15ml sweet almond oil with three drops of jasmine oil and three drops of rose oil, and for her blend 15ml, jojoba oil with three drops of jasmine oil and three drops of rose oil.

Carrier oils also have a subtle scent of their own so check before using that you and your partner like the scent of the base chosen for your blend.

Sunflower oil is a good substitute for nut-based oils such as sweet almond, if you or your partner have a nut allergy or for women who wish to avoid nut-and seed-based oils during pregnancy.

Romantic Blends

Three simple blends are given below to get you started at practicing sensual massage:

15ml sunflower oil
2 drops of rose oil
2 drops of jasmine oil
2 drops sandalwood oil

15ml sweet almond oil
2 drops sandalwood oil
3 drops rosewood oil
1 drop geranium oil

10ml sweet almond oil
5ml apricot kernel oil
2 drops of rose oil
3 drops frankincense oil
1 drop neroli oil

Cedarwood oil can be substituted for sandalwood oil in the blends above as a more economical alternative with a similar scent and effects.

Always test a small drop on your partner’s hand first to check that they like the smell of the blend on yours and their skin. It is best to use the same blend for both yourself and your partner rather than to mix fragrances.

26Mar 2021 by Kelly Peterson

The Basics of Sensual Massage Moves

As you and your partner become more confident in sensual massage and accustomed to what you both like or don’t like, you can experiment and use your intuition to create massage sequences. However, to get you started follow the preliminary tips below.

Pressure And Rhythm

Practice running your hands over your partner in various ways. Use the flats of your palms, feather lightly with your fingertips, and press with the heels of your hands. Experiment with pressure and rhythm – hard and light, fast and slow. Become familiar with your partner’s body, molding your hands around contours and slowly exploring. Don’t think about what you are doing, allow your hands to move instinctively. To enhance the experience of sensual touch close your eyes and ask your partner to do so also.

Massage Positions

Try out different positions such as kneeling to the side of your partner or at the top of their head when massaging the back, or by straddling with one knee on either side to massage the back or chest.

Part of the fun of sensual massage is discovering which techniques make you feel sexy and relaxed and which strokes cause sexual arousal. This will ensure that you both receive the full benefits of sensual massage.

Warm Hands

The shock of cold hands applying oil onto the skin will not have the desired effect of arousing your partner. Warm your hands before applying massage strokes by washing them in warm water and drying, or by placing your hands on a towel over a radiator, or simply by rubbing your hands vigorously together.

Warm up the massage oil blend before applying to the skin by standing the bottle or bowl holding your blend in a larger bowl of warm water for five minutes.

While the massage oil is warming, perform these preliminary exercises to warm up your hands and avoid injury during the massage. Rotate your hands in clockwise circles from the wrist and then anti-clockwise. Flex your fingers by alternately curling them into fists and then stretching them out a few times.

Words Of Caution

While it’s fun to inject spontaneity into your love life, try not to massage immediately after a large meal as this may cause discomfort around the back, chest, and stomach. And while drinking alcohol can help to relax, it is best not to drink too much before a massage as this might make you or your partner feel ill.

Check Your Mood

There’s no point in creating the right ambiance if you haven’t taken the time to prepare yourself for a sensual massage. How you are feeling will influence the message that you give to your partner. Never massage when you are feeling anxious, stressed, or distracted as your partner will sense these emotions and neither of you will enjoy the experience. Aromatherapists and masseuses often “center” themselves before performing massage therapy by sitting or standing quietly for a couple of minutes, while deeply inhaling and exhaling the breath.

After Massage

Have a couple of glasses of water in the room for you and your partner to drink after the massage to replace the fluids that have been drained from your bodies and to avoid dehydration and nausea.

Don’t sit up too quickly after receiving a massage as this may cause dizziness. Breathe deeply for a few minutes and then get up slowly.

Avoid taking a shower or bath for at least two hours after the massage as this will wash off the massage blend and prevent you from receiving the full therapeutic benefits of the oils.

09Mar 2021 by Kelly Peterson

Sponsor Post: Energize your fitness goals at Orangetheory Fitness

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Nestled in the Southern Palms Crossing Shopping Plaza in Royal Palm Beach, the newest Orangetheory Fitness studio is causing quite a buzz. According to CEO and co- founder of the Orangetheory concept David Long, “The response (to the studio) has been phenomenal. “Royal Palm Beach is a great community that needs a fitness studio like Orangetheory.”

What is the theory behind Orangetheory?

Orangetheory is not your ordinary gym. Clients participate with highly skilled trainers in specially designed workouts that consist of 30-60 minute intense interval training sessions. Cardio sessions include running on treadmills or using the water rowers. Strength training session may involve free weights, TRX bands, kettle bells, bosu balls or medicine balls.

Orangetheory is unique in that it combines two concepts: high intensity interval training and group fitness training. Clients can expect to burn even more calories due to the Excess Post–Exercise Oxygen Consumption (EPOC) that comes from intense interval training. The result? A stimulated metabolism and a feeling of increased energy that lasts throughout the day.

Group fitness advantage

Clients at Orangetheory have the unique experience of working together as a group to achieve their fitness goals. Group classes are capped at 24 participants, and there are no minimum participants in any class. There is a healthy camaraderie, and Long believes that this an extremely beneficial atmosphere: “It absolutely gets people more motivated, “ he says. “We have a great sense of community at our studios. “It’s also a great environment for friends, couples, families and co-workers. “The energy is contagious.”

Orange = Energy

The atmosphere is everything. With highly-trained fitness instructors, energizing music and group camaraderie, it’s no wonder that Orangetheory clients are some of the most motivated students anywhere around. Workout sessions are never boring as clients are consistently challenged with new routines on a daily basis. Weight loss contests and awards given to clients who have achieved increase fitness prowess are part of the Orangetheory power package.

Where to sign up?

If you’re thinking of giving Orangetheory a try, click here to print a free guest pass, or see their website for pricing information. Be sure to check out the Orangetheory video and slideshow on the left.

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04Mar 2021 by Kelly Peterson

Aromatherapy for Relaxation and Stimulation

Pure essential oils are plant essences that, when mixed with a carrier oil (such as almond oil), may be used in a bath, by massage, or in a diffuser to scent a room. Recent research has proved beyond doubt that many plants have potent mood-altering properties and can be used for increased concentration, relaxation, mood improvement, or as aphrodisiacs. Patrick Holford and Dr. Hyla Cass suggest some of the best essential oils for each of these purposes.

Relaxing Essential Oils

Certain essential oils have proven to have particular biological effects on those who inhale their scents – marjoram oil stimulates serotonin secretion, for example, while lavender increases soothing alpha-waves in the brain. Holford and Dr. Cass cite Dr. Hirsch, who provided the following list of essential oils in descending order of sedative power:

lavender
bergamot
marjoram
sandalwood
lemon
chamomile

Dr. J.J. King, a psychiatrist at a hospital in Worcestershire, also mentions rose, cypress, and balsam fir as effective calming agents.

The following recipe combines fragrances to aid in relaxation:

4 fluid ounces sweet almond oil
10 drops each lavender and lemon essential oils
2 drops each marjoram and sandalwood essential oils

Stimulating Essential Oils

Other aromatherapy oils have demonstrated an impressive capacity to boost concentration and extend concentration for longer periods of time that are normal. This is effected without activating the stress response that caffeine and other stimulants induce, however; essential oils actually counter fatigue from using stimulants. Some of the most energy-boosting essential oils include:

clove
ylang-ylang
cinnamon
lemon
cardamom
fennel
angelica
peppermint
eucalyptus
basil
jasmine
black pepper

Rose, patchouli, lemongrass, and sage have been found to have similar, but less powerful, effects.

A stimulating fragrance combination can be created using this recipe:

4 fluid ounces sweet almond oil
15 drops lemon essential oil
4 drops of eucalyptus essential oil
1 drop each cinnamon, peppermint, clove, patchouli, benzoin, and/or sage essential oils (as available)

Aphrodisiacs and Aromatherapy

Some plant essences have been found to be both relaxing and stimulating, fostering a state of mind both chilled out and tuned in – just right for getting turned on. In studies, public areas and offices have been spiked with aphrodisiac scents, and friendliness noticeably increased. Some of the most potent aromatherapy oils for sex include:

ylang-ylang
rose
patchouli
sandalwood
jasmine
vanilla
musk

Holford and Dr Cass also mention Arabian Nights, in which the stimulants cinnamon and coriander were used to this end.

The following is a recipe for an aphrodisiac fragrance:

4 fluid ounces sweet almond oil
10 drops each lavender and sandalwood essential oils
2 drops each ylang-ylang and vanilla essential oils
1 drop each cinnamon and jasmine essential oils

Other Aromatherapy Uses

Essential oils have also been found to improve mood, as is certainly the case with marjoram. Clary sage and lemon balm have also been known in Europe for hundreds of years to allay depression.

Aromatherapy has also been employed extensively in religious ceremonies: Dr. Bruce Berkowsky has authored several books on this topic. Holford and Dr. Cass suggest a potentially entheogenic fragrance of their own: 10 drops lavender essential oil and 2 drops each of mandarin orange, geranium bourbon, ylang-ylang, and patchouli essential oils.

26Feb 2021 by Kelly Peterson

Ayurvedic Massage: The Power of Touch for Radiant Skin

Although the Western concept of beauty is not the goal of Ayurveda, natural beauty cannot help but manifest itself through glowing skin when the body is in balance. Massage and the use of oils, essential oils, herbs, and pastes detoxify and rejuvenate the skin and are practiced at high end Ayurvedic spas. Treatments vary depending on the client’s dosha.

What is the Dosha?

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, people take form as a result of the three life-giving forces called doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Each dosha is a combination of the five elements: earth, water, fire, air, and ether.

Vata: Air and ether. It manifests in the body and mind as dry, cold, and rough.
Pitta: Fire and water. It manifests as oily, hot, and acidic.
Kapha: Earth and water. It manifests as oily, cold, and heavy.

Most people have attributes of two doshas, with one being dominant. An Ayurvedic practitioner would give a thorough evaluation, but knowing the general characteristics of your dosha is the first step to creating internal and external harmony.

Nurturing the Skin According to Your Dosha

People with Vata energy are prone to dry skin, lips, hair, and feet. Their skin is sensitive to touch. Sesame, almond, or olive oils are good for this type. The essential oils wintergreen and cypress have a warming affect. Pittas tend to have inflammations and excess heat which can lead to itchiness and rash. Coconut and sunflower are good cooling oils, as are essential oils sandalwood, jasmine, rose, lavender, and lemongrass. Kaphas carry excess weight and retain water. They need less oil, but ones that are stimulating. Jojoba and essential oils sage, cedar, pine, myrrh, musk, and patchouli work well for this type. Essential oils are highly concentrated and powerful. Always consult your physician and use them with caution.

Pratima Raichur, author of Absolute Beauty and founding director of Tej Ayurvedic Skin Care Clinic in Manhattan offers a three step facial care routine:

First, cleanse the face with an organic cleanser. Next, massage a nourishing oil into damp skin. The following ingredients can be found at most health food stores. After mixing, store them in an amber glass bottle with a dropper. Massage with upwards and outwards strokes for one minute.

Vata: For dry skin, mix 1 oz sesame oil + 10 drops geranium essential oil + 5 drops each neroli and lemon oil. To use, mix 3 drops of oil and 6 drops of water in the palm of the hand.
Pitta: For sensitive skin, mix 1 oz almond oil + 10 drops each rose and sandalwood. Mix 2 to 3 drops of oil with 4 to 6 drops of water.
Kapha: For oily skin, mix 1 oz sunflower oil + 10 drops lavender oil + 5 drops each bergamot and clary sage. Mix 2 drops of oil + 4 drops water.

After the oil has been absorbed, apply an organic moisturizer to face and neck, but do not massage.

A Natural Facelift

To complete the facial care routine, or anytime you wish, massage these points on the face in a clockwise direction for 20 to 30 seconds. Use the middle fingers, unless indicated.

Center of chin
Both corners of mouth
Area between nose and upper lip
Outside corners of nose where nostrils flare
Cheekbones. Push up on underside of bone to massage.
Lower lids just above cheekbone. Press with ring finger.
Brows. Use thumbs to press upward on inside corner of eyebrow. Pinch each eyebrow from inside to outside corner. Repeat.
Temples
Between eyebrows
Crown. Use both hands to vibrate the scalp back and forth.

14Feb 2021 by Kelly Peterson

How To Build Good Habits

Success is not a thing that just comes overnight, it is a result of hard work and good habits. The big problem is that at this time it is so hard to create good habits and stick with them because of all the distractions around us. You might be asking yourself now: How do I build good habits? Well here are some tips to help you do just that.

Create “micro quotas” and “macro goals”

You will see this advice pop up everywhere, and that is not a coincidence. There have been many scientific studies conducted on this topic and they all came to the conclusion that this method really works, “macro goals” is some big picture that you want to accomplish in the future, for example, let us say that your “macro goal” is to write a book and get it published. And “micro quotas” are small individual steps you need to take every day in order to complete your long term goal, for example, let us say that your “micro quotas” is to write 1000 words per day. Step by step, day by day, you will finish your book.

Eliminate redundant options

Something that can stop you in your way to building good habits is just having to make a number of decisions throughout the day. You should not waste your energy on deciding what to eat or what to wear. For eating you can make a schedule and just stick to it.

Get rid of “ah screwit” moments

The big problem that comes for many people is that they build their habits and after about two weeks say: Ah screw it! The key to eliminating those moments is to see what is making you quit in the first place, and trying to fix that, if it is a matter of willpower you just have to remain to be strong.