how essential oils can help us deal with stress.ebook.2012...page | 4 introduction life itself...

How Essential Oils Can Help Us Deal with Stress

©Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy


Linda Lee Smith RN, MS, HN‐BC, HTCP, HTSM‐CP/I, CCA Institute of Spiritual Healing and Aromatherapy, Inc.



Page | 2

Disclaimer

The material in this book is a guide to the practice of aromatherapy. It is not a replacement for traditional health care, medical diagnosis, or medical treatment for illness. Refer to a licensed medical practitioner for medical care.

HTSM Press /August, 2012 All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2012 by Linda L. Smith ***

About the Author

Linda is President of the Institute of Spiritual Healing & Aromatherapy. She is certified in holistic nursing, Healing Touch, Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry, and in aromatherapy. As creator of a certification in clinical aromatherapy program, Linda has produced a unique offering that enhances the study of clinical aromatherapy by adding the study of vibrational frequencies of the oils, emotional and spiritual aspects of healing with oils, and energetic healing techniques. When students graduate from this 300 hour course of study, they will have learned

much more than the national requirements to become an aromatherapist. Linda lives in Arvada, Colorado but can be found most weekends teaching somewhere throughout the world. Her “calling” is to help restore healing in Christianity and so she takes a Christian approach to the presentation of essential oils—God’s healing pharmacy.

Linda is also an expert article writer on the internet and has published well over 250 articles for ezine articles primarily on aromatherapy and topics concerning Healing Touch Spiritual Ministry. To see a list of her published works you can google Linda Lee Smith or go to http://www.ezinearticles.com/?expert=Linda_Lee_Smith For more free aromatherapy education,

you can go to Linda’s blog at http://EssentialOilEducation.com for the latest news and short articles on aromatherapy.



Page | 3

Table of Contents Introduction 4 What Is Stress 5 The Stress Response 6 Sympathetic Override 9 Some Causes of Stress 11 Coping with Stress—12 How Essential Oils Help to Decrease Stress Levels 14 Reducing Stress Levels 17 Strengthening the Nervous and Immune Systems 18 Specific Problems Related to Stress that Aromatherapy Can Help Insomnia 18 Fatigue and Exhaustion 20 Stress and Chronic Pain 21 Summary 23 Footnotes 24 Bibliography 25



Page | 4

Introduction

Life itself produces stress. It’s not all bad but when we don’t deal with our stress in a healthy manner, it can certainly take a toll on our physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual health and well‐being. According to statistics, the vast majority of doctor visits are due to stress‐related illnesses. By the mere fact that you are reading this ebook—either because you are interested in dealing with your own stress or you are a student in our aromatherapy program and required to read it—tells me that you are probably stressed. But take heart—the path to healing often begins with a personal crisis, a disaster, an illness or perhaps in your case—the desire to learn more about taking charge of your own health with aromatherapy.

By understanding the mechanisms of the stress response that our own body/mind/spirit experiences we can move toward well‐being by transforming our symptoms into better health. So don’t be stuck in the belief that learning all this “stuff” about stress is just adding more stress in your life. This could be the turning point for you to optimize your physical health, transform your psychological health, and lead to spiritual growth. That I believe, spells healing.

Linda Smith



Page | 5

What Is Stress? Stress is normal physical responses to events that make you feel out of balance in some way. “It is a reaction to a set of circumstances, rather than an illness or even

a syndrome.” In fact, one author states, “that anything that affects the body’s homeostasis could be regarded as stressful.”1 Modern life is full of hassles, deadlines, frustrations, and responsibilities that carry demands. You have a job(s), children, spouse, household, and bills and taxes to pay. Many do all this plus continue their education at the same time. We are constantly juggling many balls hoping that we don’t drop one. When we perceive either on a conscious or unconscious level some kind of threat, the nervous system will respond by releasing a flood of stress hormones, including adrenaline and

cortisol. These hormones cause the body to go into emergency action—heart pounds faster, muscles tighten, blood pressure rises, breath quickens, your senses become sharper—all to get you rolling to meet the challenges before you. We need our strength and stamina increased to sustain us as we meet the challenges. We are prepared for fight or flight!

If you are a human living on planet earth, then you have experienced some degree of stress in your life. Stress is more than just a “feeling” according to Penny Price. “It is essentially being out of control of your own personal situation, relationships and work environments. During periods of stress, emotions seem out of proportion to what situations warrant, whether uncontrollable, inappropriate or rigidly controlled.”2 Stress related diseases are on the increase and are not only affecting our ability to cope, but are destructive to our immune functioning and definitely leads to the aging process.



Page | 6

The Stress Response

Hans Selye (1907‐1982), Austrian‐born endocrinologist, first wrote about the General Adaptation Syndrome (better known as the stress syndrome) in the 1930’s. He explained that the body passes through three universal stages of coping. First, there is an “alarm reaction,” in which the body prepares itself for “fight or flight.” Second, there is a period of “adaptation” where the body builds up a resistance to the stress. At this stage extra energy and adrenalin are brought into action to

help the body cope with the stressful situation. The body is trying to adapt to the stressor in an effort to reach a balanced state and survive. If relief doesn’t come, the body reaches the third stage and eventually enters a stage of “exhaustion” resulting in various health problems and even collapse. Early in stage three, we may experience irritability, aggressiveness, criticalness, restlessness, inefficiency, moody behavior, and crying. Some turn to alcohol, antidepressants, tranquilizers, smoking or other efforts to give temporary relief to their mental stress. When several stressors start to stack up, it can result in a nervous breakdown or what is sometimes referred to as “burnout.” We may see headaches, insomnia, digestive problems, skin problems, susceptibility to infections or autoimmune problems start to develop. The body is moving towards degeneration.

Selye’s work, which spanned nearly fifty years, helped to develop a whole new medical field—the study of biological stress and its effect. Early on he made some radical statements which called his work into question, that is, this “stress” had a causal relationship to a number of major illnesses like heart disease and cancer! Time has proven this brilliant researcher to be correct.

Selye also coined the term “Stress Response” and brought to our attention how stress was affecting us physically, emotionally, and mentally. Our response to stress helps us cope and when it is protecting us and working properly, it helps us



Page | 7

stay focused, energetic, and alert. In emergency situations—it helps us stay alive—it gives us strength to defend ourselves, or helps us stop before going over the cliff—literally sometimes. The stress response helps us rise to meet those day‐to‐day challenges and keeps us on our toes to be creative, to concentrate, or drive us to do what we need to do for ourselves and our families. So, stress is in essence, “a survival mechanism that protects the body against threat, whether it is real or imagined.”3

The body’s stress‐response system is usually self‐regulating. It decreases hormone levels and enables the body to return to normal once the perceived threat has passed. So when adrenaline and cortisol levels drop, the heart rate and blood pressure return to baseline levels and other systems resume their regular activities.

That’s what it is supposed to do, but in our world (which is now moving at incredible speed) the perceived stressors in life never quite go back to normal leaving people feeling constantly stressed, tense, or nervous with that fight‐or‐flight reaction constantly turned on. Global warming, uncertain economics, world tensions, and threats of war, are running in the background of our internal stress meters much like programs running in the background on our computers. Even typical day‐to‐day living demands can contribute to the body’s stress response. We are stuck on over‐drive. This long‐term stress‐response and the overexposure to cortisol and other stress hormones can disrupt all of the body’s normal processes. This puts us at an increased risk of numerous health problems. From many resources I have found references to conditions commonly caused by or made worse by stress:



Page | 8

Physical and Mental Conditions Caused by or Made Worse by Stress

• Angina

• Anxiety • Asthma • Autoimmune disorders • Cancer

• Cardiovascular disease • Colds

• Constipation • Depression • Diabetes—type II • Digestive disorders

• Headaches

• Heart disease

• Hypertension

• Immune suppression

• Irritable bowel syndrome • Lack of sexual drive • Memory impairment • Menstrual irregularities • Muscle tension • Muscular and joint pain • Obesity

• Pain of any kind

• Premenstrual syndrome

• Reduced feelings of pleasure

• Rheumatoid arthritis

• Skin disorders—hives, psoriasis, rosacea, eczema

• Sleep disturbance like insomnia

• Slow wound healing

• Substance abuse • Susceptibility to infections • Ulcers • Ulcerative colitis

This is quite an extensive list of conditions that commonly take people to the doctor’s office. Stress can literally squeeze the life out of us and leave us with a shoebox full of drugs to counteract the effects of stress in our lives. But what is the mechanism that takes us down this road into chronic health problems? Let’s take a look at Sympathetic Override.



Page | 9

Sympathetic Override

From the diagram above, we can see what happens when the body is in sustained stress. The long term effect of stress is ACID. When the body is in a constant state of sympathetic override—we literally are “running on adrenaline” which means an excess of these acidic hormones in the body. This will produce a state of vitamin and mineral deficiency. So, even though you may have an excellent diet, when there is an excess of acidic hormones, the body becomes acidic. It’s this acid

Stress Fight/flight Response Sympathetic Nervous System goes Into override The body shuts down every non‐essential function Like digestion—so these functions get compromised The body begins producing lots of hormones like Adrenaline, cortisol, and serotonin The vitamins and minerals needed to create these Hormones are pulled out of the body’s tissues. These hormones are acidic, so the body is flooded with ACIDITY.



Page | 10

condition in the body that produces osteoporosis, arthritis, cancer, and all degenerative diseases. This is the sympathetic nervous system gone amok.

Western medicine has termed these consequences as simply part of the aging process and will treat the symptoms rather than the causes. In fact, 75‐80 percent of all doctor visits are for stress related problems, according to Bill Moyers book, Healing and the Mind.4 Even though he wrote this book many

years ago, that percent has not decreased. For too long we separated body and mind and saw no relationship between the two. Yet we now know that emotional stress can cause or greatly influence medical problems like high blood pressure, ulcers, and migraine headaches. We can include here affecting the immune system, the digestive system, the endocrine system, and the nervous system.

An allopathic approach to stress related conditions often recommends combinations of physical and psychological treatments. The first line of defense is usually a pharmaceutical drug since the medical practitioner recognizes that the stress response is the culprit. From here, prescriptions are given for the symptoms caused by the original “cure” and the person may end up on antidepressants, tranquilizers, drugs for insomnia, drugs for stomach discomfort caused by the other drugs, etc. Before we take a look at some of the causes of modern‐day stress, let’s review some of the stress warning signs and symptoms.5

Cognitive Symptoms

• Memory problems

• Inability to concentrate

• Poor judgment

• Seeing only the negative

• Anxious or racing thoughts

• Constant worrying

Emotional Symptoms

• Moodiness

• Irritability or short temper

• Agitation, inability to relax

• Feeling overwhelmed

• Sense of loneliness and isolation

• Depression or general unhappiness

• Grief, heartache, pain, mental torment



Physical Symptoms

• Aches and pains

• Diarrhea or constipation

• Nausea, dizziness

• Chest pain, rapid heartbeat

• Loss of sex drive

• Frequent colds

Behavioral Symptoms

• Eating more or less

• Sleeping too much or too little

• Isolating yourself from others

• Procrastinating or neglecting responsibilities

• Using alcohol, cigarettes, or drugs to relax

• Nervous habits (e.g. nail biting, pacing)

Some Causes of Stress

The stressors for each of us may be different. Not all stressors are negative—some are actually good but they all lead to some kind of change and that can be stressful. Buying a new home, receiving a promotion, getting married, getting your certification in clinical aromatherapy—these are good but stressful. What is stressful to one person may not be for another. A morning commute to work may be extremely stressful for you but not for someone else who may use the time to listen to relaxing music or books on tape.

Some common external causes of stress:

• Major life changes • Work • Relationship difficulties • Financial problems • Being too busy—burning the candle at both

ends! • Children and family • Being constantly tuned in to social media • Even the weather can be a stressor • Geopathic stress where you live—these are

the energy lines on the earth; this would also include living close to freeway vibrations, or vibrations from trains, an airport or other industrial area that causes vibrations. In addition, it includes the negative vibrational frequencies that emanate from your electrical devices in your homes.



Page | 12

Some common internal causes of stress include:

• Inability to accept uncertainty • Pessimism • Negative self‐talk • Unrealistic expectations • Perfectionism • Lack of assertiveness

Not all stress is bad. Some stress referred to as “eustress,” is good. Getting a promotion at work, being re‐united with family and friends, seeing a great concert, enjoying a ride in the country—anything that gives one the feeling of fulfillment or other positive feelings can be considered eustress. It was Selye who coined this term to differentiate the wide variety of stressors and the manifestation of stress. How one interprets stress makes all the difference. Is it pleasant or curative? Is the stress a challenge or is it a threat? Without positive stress in our lives, life would be quite dull and depressing.

Coping with Stress

Dealing with stress means being prepared to take on responsibility for one’s own life rather than blaming other people, circumstances or events. As healthcare practitioners, we are called upon to recognize our own stress as well as that of our clients. That means learning to recognize the symptoms of stress if we are to help those who come to us seeking advice on how to deal with their physical or emotional symptoms. (Much more will be discussed about this in the ebook on Client Assessment.)

Hopefully the over‐stressed person will start to deal with their stress before chronic illnesses begin to develop from the acid buildup in their bodies. But even if awakened to stress levels late in the game, the stressed person can learn to cope and even dispel the acid levels in their bodies. Coping



Page | 13

will be a combination of physical, psychological, and spiritual awareness by dealing with the issues that are causing the stress, supporting the body’s hormonal health, supporting the regeneration of tissues with vitamins and minerals, supplementing what is missing in the chemistry of the body, learning relaxation techniques like meditation, breathing exercises, etc., and practicing self‐care through activities like massage, reflexology, yoga, exercise, walking, soothing baths, energy healing, aromatherapy, biofeedback, etc. Doctors Steve and Sandi Amoils, both MDs, offer these additional recommendations for a healthy lifestyle to reduce ongoing stress:6

• Simplify your life—learn how to say stop, and how to say no. • Manage your time—Make a priority list of what is important and don’t over commit. • Listen to your body—Become skilled at recognizing familiar cues like irritability,

tightness and tension in your head, jaws, or shoulders. • Exercise—in ways beneficial to you and don’t cause you more stress. • Develop healthy ways to dissipate stress—volunteer work, hobbies, using your gifts to

serve others. • Use social connections—stay connected with groups that give you a sense of social

identity. • Avoid stimulants and eat well—reduce use of caffeine and nicotine, alcohol, junk food,

and go for nutrient‐rich diet. • Take time every day just for yourself—relaxation or meditation techniques for 20

minutes a day.

Candace Pert in her seminal work on The Molecules of Emotion describes how meditation helped her stress levels even when she didn’t think she was stressed. Stress prevents the molecules of emotion from flowing freely where needed. As a scientist, she had to figure out how stress works at the cellular level. She states that “the largely autonomic processes that are regulated by peptide flow, such as breathing, blood flow, immunity, digestion and elimination, collapse down to a few simple feedback loops and upset



Page | 14

the normal healing response. Meditation, by allowing long buried thoughts and feelings to surface, is a way of getting the peptides flowing again, returning the body, and the emotions, to health.”7 She offers that she wasn’t just doing meditation to deal with her stress levels. She also added many holistic modalities including regular massages, eating healthier, exercise, stretching, and chiropractic.

Writing in the forward for the book Awaken to Healing Fragrance by Elizabeth Anne Jones, Pert goes on to say that fragrance in the form of essential oils has always intrigued her. As a neuro‐psycho‐pharmacologist, she is fascinated with how essential oils pass easily through the skin and travel efficiently through the body in a similar fashion to hormones and neuropeptides. She notes the ability of essential oil molecules to harmonize emotions, raise our spirits, and eliminate microbial infections, making them extremely precious and highly sought after throughout history.8 Pert notes that only recently have the molecular and cellular mechanisms been studied by scientists such as herself.

How Essential Oils Help to Decrease Stress Levels

Stress is so multifaceted that it would be hard to find “one remedy” to manage the stress responses we experience. However, essential oils can alleviate many of the symptoms identified with stress, giving the person a higher level of comfort and energy. They can also reduce stress levels themselves by improving mood and emotions. Thirdly, essential oils can strengthen both the nervous and immune systems by increasing resistance to stress.

Robert Tisserand writing in 1988 believed that it was the combination of touch in massage therapy with the essential oils that helped people’s stress levels to decrease. Being a massage therapist, he was aware of that patient‐healer relationship and the need



Page | 15

for a thorough client assessment before beginning.9 I agree with the principles presented by Tisserand but feel there is room for a combination of energy healing involving light touch and working in the energy field—with essential oils. Our unique program in aromatherapy marries the power of energy healing with the healing abilities of essential oils, demonstrating that it isn’t necessary to be a massage therapist in order to be a clinical aromatherapist.

Valerie Ann Worwood, author of The Fragrant Mind, writes that potentially, all essential oils can help combat stress.”10 Some of the oils are more effective than others but overall, she believes that essential oils may provide the most successful way of coping with the problems associated with and caused by stress. When we think of someone who is stressed, we usually picture them as anxious, nervous, and moving quickly, especially in the beginning stages of stress; so it is only natural that we think of oils that are sedative and relaxing. Worwood offers her “essential stress kit” of oils, all of which will work well singly or in blends, and will form the basis for aromatherapy relaxation and stress‐relief treatments. She includes: lavender, ormenis flower, ylang ylang, petitgrain, Eucalyptus citriodora, Roman chamomile, geranium, clary sage, sandalwood, and mandarin.11 I prefer Jennine Stromkin’s more extensive list of oils that will produce a parasympathetic action or a balancing action to promote a sense of calm or relaxation.12

Parasympathetic Action

Top Note Oils* Middle Note Oils* Base Note Oils*

Clary Sage Aniseed Benzoin Coriander Chamomile Frankincense Lemongrass Marjoram Ginger Mandarin Rosewood Neroli Myrtle Sandalwood Orange Tarragon Petitgrain Vetiver Thyme Ylang Ylang



Page | 16

Balancing Action Top Note Oils Middle Note Oils Base Note Oils

Bergamot Black Pepper Cedarwood Grapefruit Cypress Myrrh Lemon Hyssop Rose Niaouli Lavender Tea Tree Melissa Yarrow Ravensara Spearmint

*Top, middle and base note oils will be discussed in the ebook on blends.

When a client comes to you who is stuck in sympathetic override, your role as aromatherapist is to help them slow down, conserve energy, relax and b r e a t h e… Relaxation is one of the most effective remedies for stress‐related problems and both touch and aromatherapy can help facilitate this letting go. Energy work, massage therapy, and diffusion are perfect for delivering high quality essential oils to reduce stress levels. Aromatherapy can increase the length of time relaxation lasts, especially when you create a blend for the client to take home and continue using. It is also a wonderful teaching moment for you as an aromatherapy practitioner to teach ways to relax and decrease stress levels at home.

For the client who has been experiencing stress for an extended period of time, you will hear descriptions of extreme fatigue, or even exhaustion which is adrenal burnout. This person may have reached the second stage of adaptation or the third stage of exhaustion in the stress response. Aromatherapy needs to

go beyond relaxation and help strengthen the system. Tonic oils like rosemary, blue spruce, ginger, lemon, pine, geranium, peppermint, juniper, or bergamot may be helpful in getting this person to a place of recovery.

By the time a client develops a whole set of symptoms like digestive complaints, headaches or other types of chronic pain, tight muscles, insomnia, or high blood



Page | 17

pressure, they have been in sustained stress for quite some time. Reducing their symptoms is important and may help the client to get a better handle on what is causing their stress in the first place.

Reducing Stress Levels

The list of the signs and symptoms of stress listed on pages 9 and 10 is a place to begin. What does the client describe as their life experience? Many causes of stress are not necessarily bad—but it is our reaction to them which may not be healthy. Anything that will steer the person towards a more positive direction will also help reduce the actual stress they are experiencing. In other words, we need to encourage the body to produce more endorphins and enkephalins—known as the feel good hormones. These are the body’s own natural opiates which reduce pain and increase feelings of well‐being. Kurt Schnaulbelt recommends the sedative qualities of aldehydes, the diverse action of ester components on the central nervous system, and the calming effect of some of the phenylpropanes.13 (See the ebook on chemistry for a description of these compounds).

Candace Pert in remarking on these natural opiates of the brain, states that they are released when a person is engaged in any activity that is enjoyable, such as physical exercise, laughter, or sex. So helping the body produce endorphins will help restart the healing process. Alternative therapies (including aromatherapy) focus on somatic‐emotional release and it is through these modalities that we can complement what Western medicine has to offer.14 Essential oils provide a very quick and easy route to a pleasurable experience. Just pick up any bottle of essential oil (well not valerian or one of the more earthy smelling oils) and deeply inhale. Then reflect on how your own face changed and what you experienced. It was probably pleasurable.



Page | 18

Strengthening the Nervous and Immune Systems

Stress has an immediate effect on these two systems. Brain chemistry literally changes, white blood cell levels decrease, and the body is at risk for infection.

When the body is congested, in a weakened state by repeated stress, when waste is allowed to build up either physically through poor nutrition and poor elimination, or emotionally or mentally in the form of negative emotions, beliefs or habits—immunity becomes compromised. The underlying constitutional balance is altered and pathogens can thrive, tissues degenerate, and auto‐immune conditions begin to manifest. These include food intolerance, allergies, and many different chronic inflammatory states.15

The tonic essential oils are particularly helpful in restoring immune functioning. Some immune stimulant oils include tea tree, Eucalyptus globulus and radiata, niaouli, bay laurel, rosemary, thyme, sage, peppermint, juniper, myrrh, lemon and many other citrus oils. Tonics for the nervous system include sage, rosemary, peppermint, juniper, clove, thyme, basil, spruce, pine, neroli, and marjoram.

Specific Problems Related to Stress— That Aromatherapy Can Help

Insomnia

What is the purpose of sleep? Why do we need it at all? Some would say 7‐8 hours of sleep isn’t necessary, 4 or 5 should be sufficient. Sleep is not only restorative and rejuvenating, it also provides an opportunity for memory to integrate information. Research from the National Institutes of Health has found that immune chemicals rise as we drift off to sleep, recruiting immune cells to cruise the body and lower bacteria levels throughout the system. That means sleep helps boost our immune systems to resist illnesses and even accidents. Along with that, it is a known fact that lack of sleep raises the stress hormone



Page | 19

cortisol. In deep sleep, our bodies produce the neurotransmitter serotonin. Without it, we are more prone to depression, fibromyalgia, irritable bowel syndrome, premenstrual syndrome, migraines, and many other problems.16

Many essential oils have shown to have sedative or calming effects, promoting natural, restful sleep. Lavender has been extensively researched and shown to be a good sleep enhancer. Frankincense is reported to calm the mental processes and the racing mind. Mandarin and neroli are helpful for worry and anxiety which can cause insomnia. Marjoram is effective for those who are too tired to sleep. And, rose is extremely useful for insomnia caused by emotional upset.17 Other oils that may be helpful include Roman chamomile, orange, geranium, and valerian.

Julia Lawless reports on several studies regarding the effects of fragrance on the mind in her book, Aromatherapy and the Mind. One study done in 1962 used an EEG to monitor brainwave patterns of subjects smelling various fragrances. They found a consistent pattern that showed an increase in alpha activity indicating relaxation, while an increase in beta activity

showed stimulation. In 1979 John Steele used a ‘mind‐mirror’ which is a portable multi‐channel EEG to evaluate the effects of various essential oils on the brain’s rhythm patterns. He found orange flower (neroli) was especially relaxing, with lavender, geranium, cedarwood and lemongrass also relaxing. Lawless lists bergamot, bois de rose, chamomile, geranium, lavender, lemon, marjoram, sandalwood and valerian as sedative based on EEG tests. She then goes on to list basil, bois de rose, clove, geranium, jasmine, lemongrass, neroli, patchouli, peppermint, rose, sage, valerian, and ylang ylang as stimulating on brainwave activity. This information may appear confusing with some oils like neroli and rose on the list of stimulating rather than sedating oils. A number of factors may account for this including the quality of the oils tested and who is interpreting the EEG results. Lawless goes on to suggest that while neroli and rose do indeed stimulate the brain and uplift the spirit, they also reduce the heartbeat and the blood pressure and soothe the nerves.18



Page | 20

Fatigue and Exhaustion

The kind of fatigue I am referring to here is not your ordinary tired and achy feeling but that deep depletion that occurs over months or even years. It’s not due to one single cause that wears you down but multiple causes that result in physical and mental exhaustion. Recovery will not come with taking a weekend off in order “to relax.” Doctors Steve and Sandi Amoils tell us that this kind of recovery takes time and concerted effort at meditation, relaxation, exercise, supplements to rebuild, restorative sleep, and a decrease or even elimination of stimulants like caffeine, chocolate, junk food, and alcohol. Don’t forget—healing therapies can also have a profound effect in transforming fatigue and exhaustion—acupuncture, energy healing, massage, and using frequency specific microcurrent—to restore normal function by restoring adrenal and thyroid function, balancing the autonomic and immune systems, and reducing inflammation.19

As I read the recommendations of these integrative health doctors, I realize that we have a secret weapon in transforming this depletion and exhaustion and it is our essential oils. One of the nutritional recommendations the Amoils make is for frankincense in a supplement. Frankincense has been shown to support normal cell regeneration, and promote healthy immune function. There are a number of supplement producers in the market today that recognize this very fact and boost their herbal supplements with powerful essential oils like frankincense, thyme, orange, clove, oregano, and many others.

How does one use the oils to boost immunity and restore energy? The French approach to essential oils is to get the oils into the body any way you can while the British approach is a more cautious one, recommending only a diluted form for massage, plus diffusion. Since this profound exhaustion from stress did not happen overnight, a few massages with essential oils will not reverse it. I suggest that you find a medical practitioner who understands integrative health care who can make recommendations on internally using essential oils to restore and



Page | 21

rejuvenate. The more profound the signs of exhaustion, the more time you will need to devote to self‐care.

As for diffusing essential oils, there are many that have been recommended as stimulating scents. Kathi Keville and Mindy Green in their book Aromatherapy, a Complete Guide to the Healing Art came up with a list of stimulating scents: clove, ylang ylang, cinnamon, lemon, cardamom, fennel, and angelica. They also include peppermint and eucalyptus. They cite many studies involving scents and alertness in order to overcome fatigue.20 Again I want to emphasize that once a person has entered that third stage of stress where hormonal levels have shifted causing extreme fatigue and exhaustion, simply diffusing oils or applying them on the skin is not enough to restore and rejuvenate. Oils, however, can help reverse the downward spiral of hormonal imbalance that results in chronic illnesses.

Stress and Chronic Pain

Steve and Sandi Amoils make a wonderful analogy that really speaks to the phenomenon of chronic pain. It’s like, they say, “a red light stuck in the ‘on’ position on the dashboard of your car.” It’s a warning that something is amiss. If you are like me, I go to the dealership for a diagnosis of the problem. Sometimes they can’t fix it so they say “just ignore it—it doesn’t mean anything.” Only I know it does mean something. Chronic pain is just like that—a warning sign. The body is in a hyper‐vigilant state which, in itself, becomes another source of stress, inflaming muscles and nerves and draining the body of energy. Pain sends a message up to the brain which should recognize it and send back an inhibitory message to switch off. However, this inhibitory message is affected by your levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters like norepinephrine. Chronic stress depletes these neurotransmitters, which means the body cannot switch off the pain which leads to vicious cycles of pain. These integrative physicians point out two mechanisms in the body.



Page | 22

Stress leads to depression which amplifies pain which leads to more stress and depression.

Pain causes muscle spasms which leads to more pain.21

Fibromyalgia is a common condition characterized by long‐term, body‐wide pain and fatigue. This problem is usually accompanied by sleep disturbances, memory and mood disorders. There may be both pain trigger points (affecting a localized area) and pain tender points which may be all over the body.

To treat chronic pain, you need to view the whole person—what is working and what is not. Pain is a complex interaction between various systems and is affected by stress and neurotransmitters, metabolic inflammatory and immune problems, and by hormonal imbalances.

How can essential oils help? They have the ability to access the parasympathetic nervous system in easing chronic pain. Many oils are analgesic in action; some are aphrodisiac, antispasmodic, anti‐inflammatory, sedating, and calming—all helpful attributes for chronic pain. Over all, pain is the body’s way of telling us that there is not only a problem but that it is time for a change. Our essential oils can help transform pain into wellness.

Essential Oils for Chronic Pain22

Analgesic Oils Wintergreen Sweet Birch Lavender Cypress Fir Marjoram Peppermint Ginger Rosemary cineol Valerian

Basil Clove Copaiba Lemongrass Helichrysum Cedarwood Elemi Idaho tansy Sandalwood Spruce

Antispasmodic Basil Peppermint Lavender German and Roman chamomile

Rosemary Sage Marjoram Spruce Balsam fir



Page | 23

Anti‐inflammatory Oregano Mountain savory Thyme Frankincense Melaleuca Eucalyptus Lavender Myrrh German and Roman chamomile Copaiba

Wintergreen Dorado azul Spruce Eucalyptus blue Tarragon Patchouli Ocotea Peppermint Balsam fir

Aphrodisiac Sandalwood Rose Cinnamon bark Clary sage Ginger

Jasmine Patchouli Neroli Ylang ylang

Sedating and Calming Lavender Ylang ylang Rose Melissa Orange Cedarwood Bergamot

Sacred frankincense Clary sage Jasmine Melaleuca ericifolia Myrrh Benzoin Tangerine

In Summary

This ebook was probably more than you wanted to know about stress and its effects on the body/mind. The key is to pay attention to the messages your body sends you all the time. Oils can help, but they are not a substitute for pharmaceutical drugs and will need time to help correct your acid levels. Taking command of your life is your responsibility and only you can recognize your symptoms and do something about them before you become chronically ill. You probably noticed that I barely referred to stress and emotions, but paid more attention to our secondary physical responses. Where you first experience stress is in your feeling world according to the HeartMath Institute.23 Stress starts with a feeling—you feel tension, irritation, or worry and then it is downhill from there into stronger emotions of frustration, anxiety, or anger. That equates to overload and exhaustion. So in another ebook on Stress and the Emotions, we will go into greater depth on how we can transform stress into healthy, positive feeling and creative energy. Stay tuned—it’s all about the heart.



Page | 24

Footnotes 1Ingrid Martin. Aromatherapy for Massage Practitioners, p. 198. 2Shirley and Len Price. Aromatherapy for Healthcare Practitioners, 3rd Edition. p.253. 3Martin. Ibid, p. 198. 4Bill Moyers. Healing and the Mind. 5http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_signs.htm 6Steve and Sandi Amoils, Get Well and Stay Well, pp.74‐75. 7Candace Pert. Molecules of Emotion, pp.242‐244. 8Elizabeth Anne Jones. Awaken to Healing Fragrance, pp.xi‐xii. 9Robert Tisserand, The Art of Aromatherapy, p. 117. 10Valerie Ann Worwood, The Fragrant Mind, p.192. 11 Worwood, Ibid, p. 193. 12Jennine Stromkins. The Autonomic Nervous System and Aromatherapy, p. 10. 13kurt Schnaubelt, Advanced Aromatherapy, The Science of Essential Oil Therapy, p. 103. 14Pert, Ibid, p. 274. 15Vicki Pitman, Aromatherapy, A Practical Approach, p. 179. 16Amoils, Ibid., p. 50. 17Martin, Ibid., p.203. 18Julia Lawless, Aromatherapy and the Mind, pp. 84‐89. 19Amoils, Ibid., pp.85‐87. 20Kathi Keville and Mindy Green, Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, pp.30‐31. 21Amoils, Ibid., pp.174‐175. 22This list was compiled from Connie and Alan Higley, Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2012 edition. 23Doc Childre and Deborah Rozman, Transforming Stress, pp. 4‐6.



Page | 25

Bibliography

Amoils, Steve and Sandi. Get Well and Stay Well, Optimal Health through Transformational Medicine. Ashland, OH: Integrative Medicine Foundation, 2011.

Childre, Doc and Deborah Rozman. Transforming Stress, The HeartMath Solution for Relieving Worry, Fatigue, and Tension. Oakland, CA: New Harbinger Publication, Inc, 2005.

Higley, Connie and Alan. Reference Guide for Essential Oils, 2012 edition. Spanish fork, UT: Abundant Health, 2012.

Jones, Elizabeth Anne. Awaken to Healing Fragrance, The Power of Essential Oil Therapy. Berkeley, CA: North Atlantic Books, 2010.

Keville, Kathi and Mindy Green. Aromatherapy, A Complete Guide to the Healing Art, 2nd Edition. Berkeley, CA: Crossing Press, 2009.

Lawless, Julia. Aromatherapy and the Mind. San Francisco: Thorsons, 1994.

Martin, Ingrid. Aromatherapy for Massage Practitioners. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, 2007.

Moyers, Bill. Healing and the Mind. New York, NY: Doubleday Dell Publishing Group, Inc, 1993.

Pert, Candace. Molecules of Emotion, The Science Behind Mind‐body Medicine. New York: Touchstone Books, 1999.

Pitman, Vicki. Aromatherapy, A Practical Approach. United Kingdom: Nelson Thornes Ltd, 2004.

Price, Shirley and Len. Aromatherapy for Health Professionals, 3rd edition. Britain: Churchill Livingstone, 2007.

Schnaubelt, Kurt. Advanced Aromatherapy, The Science of Essential Oil Therapy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1995.

Shutes, Jade and Christina Weaver. Aromatherapy for Bodyworkers. Upper Saddle River NJ: Pearson Prentice Hall, 2008.

Stromkins, Jennine. The Autonomic Nervous System and Aromatherapy. New Westminster, BC, Canada: Chelsea Printers, 1998.

Tisserand, Robert B. The Art of Aromatherapy. Rochester, VT: Healing Arts Press, 1977.

Worwood, Valerie Ann. The Fragrant Mind, Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood, and Emotion. Novato, CA: New World Library, 1996.

how essential oils can help us deal with stress.ebook.2012...page | 4 introduction life itself...

Documents