Tag: Breathing Rates

The Miracle of Essential Oils

Often described as nature’s gift to us, essential oils provide natural remedies for minor ailments, the beautifying of our bodies, and helps to aid in promoting positive emotions. These oils are normally derived from plants using their flowers, stems, barks, roots and even sap. Various parts of the plant are then distilled to extract the precious essence that is seemingly life giving.

What makes essential oils so special? Maybe it’s the fact that they can be found anywhere as they are naturally grown sometimes in farms or even in wild conditions. Maybe it’s the fact that essential oils can provide a multitude of physiological benefits as well as have the power to calm our soul. Maybe it’s the fact that the use of essential oils dates back to almost a thousand years and is already embedded in our history although no one exactly prove that they work much less how they work. Whatever the case may be, there is no doubt that they provide a natural method of healing that can’t always be found in synthetic compounds.

Take for example, the unique history of frankincense. The use of frankincense dates back to more than 5000 years with one use directly being cited in the bible. (Frankincense was one of the gifts presented to baby Jesus by the three wise men.) At one time, the value of frankincense equaled that of gold! It was noted for abundant healing properties including rejuvenating skin, treating acne, bacterial and fungal infections, and wounds and scars. Frankincense was also used as a treatment for arthritis and joint pain. In addition to all of that, frankincense was used as a cosmetic as well as for repelling mosquitoes, wheat moths, and sand flies. Most notably, however, is the use of frankincense in spiritual practices. Frankincense promotes the body’s ability to quiet one’s mind; slow breathing rates, and enhances meditation. To think that all of this was found in a single plant!

The miracle of essential oils is this: that we have already been provided with all of what we need for our physical and emotional healing. Many of the ailments we suffer are the results of destructive emotions such as stress, fatigue, anger, loneliness and the like. These emotions take a toll on our physical being and results in worsened conditions which we seemingly are unsure of how to cure.

The miracle of essential oils is that no matter what your physical condition may be, you can still receive positive benefits even though it may be something as small as reducing the amount of pain you experience. Aromatherapy can help to eliminate negative emotions and reach a place of emotional balance to help you deal with any situation coming your way. All it takes is a positive outlook on life – your life. The effects may seem small to non-existent at first, but with time, may snowball into reversing some of the effects of the ailments you experience. What if you received a report that your blood pressure lowered on your next trip to the doctor?

Before starting any aromatherapy regimen, consult with your doctor or aromatherapy practitioner. Aromatherapy should also not be used as a substitute for any medical treatment.

THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF MASSAGE THERAPY

In an attempt to understand how and why massage therapy is as effective as it seems to be, scientists and medical researchers from around the world have been studying it for decades. Some characteristics of massage therapy have been conclusively resolved with apparent consensus among the learned scholars, while other characteristics remain as inexplicably mysterious as ever. For instance, they all agree that when a certain amount of pressure is applied to a soft tissue such as a muscle, some changes occur within the affected muscles. They also all tend to agree that massage therapy promotes relaxation and reduces the stress which often leads to deterioration or worsening of certain physiological conditions.

Those characteristics of massage therapy which have not yet been explained by conventional science, gave rise to a number of theories and postulates. You will note that they are all prefaced with the word might to indicate uncertainty as they described possible health benefits of massage therapy:

* Might provide stimulation that may help block pain signals transmitted to the brain and this is called the gate control theory of decreasing or alleviating pain.

* Might promote better health by stimulating the lymphatic system to increase the flow of lymph, which is the secretion that carries disease fighting cells through the body.

* Might re-route the clients nervous system away from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic. In doing so, the fight-or-flight reaction of the sympathetic nervous system with its increased heart and breathing rates along with tightened muscles of distress are shunned in favor of the rest-and-digest reaction of the parasympathetic nervous system with its lowered heart rate, slowed breathing and relaxed muscles.

* Might be instrumental in effecting beneficial changes in the body by preventing fibrosis through the process of breaking up scar-like tissue

* Might arouse the body to discharge chemicals such as serotonin or endorphins which area known to give people the feelings of wellbeing.

* Might improve sleep patterns which is essential to pain control and healing processes.

* Might contribute to the overall mental and physiological health by the intimate interaction between the client and the therapist.

The following are specific cases and their reported benefits whether they are understood or merely observed with bewilderment:

* Students at a New Jersey Medical School who were given massage therapy before an exam displayed less anxiety, lower respiratory rates, a substantial increase in white blood cells and an enhanced immune system.

* Cancer patients at the James Cancer Hospital and Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio experienced less pain and decreased anxiety after receiving massage therapies than those who did not get such treatments.

* Studies at the University of South Carolina show that women who recently lost a child were less depressed after massage therapy.

* The National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that massage therapy improved weight gain in infants who were premature or those who were exposed to HIV. They also determined that massage therapy expedites recovery in patients who had abdominal surgery.

* Researchers at the University of the Miami School of Medicines Touch Research Institute discovered that massage therapy decreases high blood pressure, relieves migraine headaches, and generally increases alertness and performance in the workforce.

* Many additional studies confirm that massage therapy reduces heart rates, lowers blood pressure; increases blood circulation and lymph flow; relaxes stiffened and tense muscles while stimulating weak and inactive muscles to compensate for lack of movement due to an illness or an injury; speeds up the healing process after surgeries, disease and injuries; improves the range of vision; increases endorphins; reduces anxiety, tension, depression, pain and itching in burn patients; and Autistic children exhibit calmer and more predictable behavior.

So, is massage therapy beneficial? Yes! Massage therapy is beneficial on, oh, so many levels. The mechanics of the process may not be clear just yet, but the outcomes are undeniable by anyones standards.

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