How to use joss and incense

"Incense and joss sticks are a convenient way for you to enjoy the aromas of fragrant plants whose essential oil can be extremely expensive."

Incense has been used for centuries to infuse the atmosphere of churches, temples and homes with scent. The word "incense" was first used to describe the resinous gums from certain trees but is now more widely used as a general term to describe any aromatic substance derived from grinding up dried plants. Incense can also be referred to as "joss."

The plants used to make incense are generally those whose essential oil is extremely expensive and difficult to extract; these are the plants whose fragrances tend to be strong and often overpowering in undiluted form.

Stimulate your senses
Burning incense can have a strong emotional effect. The delicate smoke and sweet aromas can also be used to create a relaxing or romantic mood, aid meditation, help disinfect living spaces, and mask unpleasant smells. Burning incense or joss is an inexpensive way to infuse your home with rich, potent scents.

Techniques of Herbal Medicine

Guide to herbal rememdies

"Herbal medicine uses many medical terms. The glossary below will introduce you to most of the expressions you'll come to understand completely over the posts."

Techniques of Herbal Medicine

• Compress- A cloth soaked in an herbal infusion and pressed over a wound.

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   Decoction- A hot or cold liquid made by boiling twigs and roots.
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  Ointment- A cream infused with the juice or essential oil of herbs.
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  Infusion- A hot or cold drink made from leaves and flowers of herbs.
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  Poultice- A bag of healing herbs that is pressed over the affected area.
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  Syrup- A decoction or infusion sweetened with honey or sugar.
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  Tinctre- A medicine of saokd herbs in alcohol. Avoid during pregnancy.
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   Tonic- A drink that stimulates the lymphatic system and blood circulation.

The Magic of Herbal Remedies

"With some essential herbs and the right know-how, you can make medicinal and beauty treatments."

Herbal remedies are easy to make, inexpensive and extremely effective for a whole range of symptoms and ailments. They have fewer side effects than over-the-counter tablets and medicines, and strengthen your immune system as they heal- without using chemicals. In up coming posts you will learn how the natural ingredients in your kitchen can alleviate health problems, ease indigestion and period pains, treat a cold, or cure a case of jet lag.
Old Wisdom for a New World. Just a little herbal knowledge, you'll soon be able to use potent natural ingredients to revitalize a weary mind and body, and escape the daily stresses of the modern world. You'll also find out how to make luxurious beauty treatments, such as hair conditioners, skin, exfoliants, face packs and hand creams.

A home for your herbs

All you need to start making your herbal remedies is a pestle and mortar, a tea cup and some natural ingredients.

You can buy dried herbs from many outlets, but they'll have a limited shelf-life unless properly stored. The natural ingredients you store up will last for months in the right containers.

Ensure your herbs are kept in a cool, dry , dark place.

Containers should be sterilized before use to avoid contaminating your herbs.

Airtight dark-glass or ceramic containers are ideal for storing parts of plants.

Using Candle Vaporizers

Candle vaporizers consist of a small bowl of oil and water suspended over a candle. The heat from the candle cause the oil to vaporize and evaporate into the air.


1. Fill the vaporizer bowl ( Homedics ARM-CAN1 AromaSpa Flameless Candle Aroma Oil Diffuser ) with water, and add in three to five drops of oil. As the candle heats the bowl, the oil evaporates more quickly.
2. Use a scented candle to blend your favorite aroma with the oil vapors.

" As candle vaporizers don't need electricity, they can be used anywhere."

Great for Beginners! A collection of 14 essential oils in one set, each 10 ml.100% pure and natural therapeutic grade essential oils, nothing synthetic.A complete set for anything from personal care, spa, household and pet care.Get a great discount for buying whole set. You will use them all and it's a great starter kit to get familiar with the assortment of essential oils.

The Magic of Spiritual Experience

"Strange and wonderful in their own right, spiritual experiences can also offer unique opportunities for self-discovery and personal growth."

Spiritual experiences come in many different guises- what ties such occurences together is their potential to help you explore your inner self, leading to personal insight, growth and fulfillment. A well-known type of spiritual experience is a "vision," where you see, hear and feel a being or scene. Visions are all-encompassing and can make you loose awareness of your actual surroundings. A "visitation" is similar, but involves the appearnce of a spiritual being such as an angel within context of the real world. Visions and visitations are influenced by Cultural Background. For example, many Roman Catholics have had visions of the Blessed Virgin Mary.


A spiritual experience can also take the form of sensations or emotions induced by a person or a place. Priests and other people noted for their wisdm and compassion often have the power to spark spiritual sensations in others. Such people are sometimes acclaimed as gurus but anyone from a teacher to a grandparent can invoke these experiences.


Hope this was some what informational, i try to give the best information on every post. Have a blessed day!

Searching for a Spiritual Experience

Throughout history, people have sought ways to get in touch with their spirituality and understand the lessons is has to offer.

Throughout history, people have sought ways to get in touch with their spirituality and understand the lessons is has to offer.

Spiritual experiences can come upon you unbidden, at a time or place where you least expect them. There is also ways to enhance or induce your experience(s).

A traditional method- as used by Shamans, witch doctors and medicine men- is to subject the mind and/ or body to an extreme state. This could include chanting, fasting, taking drugs, exposing the body to heat or cold, and so on. The aim is to induce an altered state of consciousness, for example an ecstatic trance. The near-death experience is an extreme example of altered consciousness brought on by trauma or illness. It is not advisable to follow these methods, however, since they are extremely dangerous. There are other, gentler, paths toward spirituality, including Meditation- a self-directed practice for relaxing the body and calming the mind. Any type of meditaiton has the ability to bring on a spiritual experience. Techniques such as visualization can help, as can meditating in a specific location or with a particular individual.

Another way is through dreams. Visions and visitations are more likely to come to you in your dreams than at any other time. Get into the habit of keeping a dream diary (in which you must write as soon as you wake up), and practice visualization techniques to enhance your dream recall.

Last is trance, many people argue that a hypnotic trance can induce spiritual experiences, particularly through the use of the controversial hypnotic regression technique- is a mental state or set of attitudes and beliefs usually induced by a procedure known as a hypnotic induction, which is commonly composed of a series of preliminary instructions and suggestions. This technique claims to uncover memories of your previous lives. Trances can also be self-induced- a technique often used by Shamen to meet spirit guides such as animal spirits or ancestors.What does it all mean? The true challenge of a spiritual experience is to discover its meaning and significance. Often such implications may be hidden, only to become apparent later, but you have to work them out for yourself. Almost everyone who has a spiritual experience reports that they feel profoundly changed. May you have one, view it as an opportunity and a blessing. Open up your mind and body to a spiritual level and induce to the experience; let go!

"Harmony and peace, love and joy surround me and indwell me. I am safe and secure." -L. Hay

 

Check out some amazing books i've read and have inspired me so much. I tried to find them as cheap as i could for you guys. Thanks for stopping by and if you have any questions feel free to comment.

 

Vaporizing Essential Oils

You can simply a few drops of your favorite essential oil out on a saucer or add it to potpourri. Any of the following methods will help it to evaporate more quickly."

How to use vaporizer oil

• You can use undiluted essential oils in a vaporizer, or buy special vaporizer blends. In both cases, you need to add up to five drops to the vaporizer bowl.
• Lavender is considered a relaxing as well as a sensual essential oil and it helps you to unwind, soothes pain, and helps create a romantic mood.
• Bergamot is an energizing essential oil and it helps you wake up in the morning.
• Cost: Essential oils are as low as $2 a bottle. Check it out->

Please note: oils that are ready-blended for use in massage are usually not suitable for use in vaporizers.

Making Aromatherapy Compresses

You'll  find that making your own aromatherapy compress is an easy and effective way to apply healing essentail oils to the skin.

Compresses are a simoke and useful way  of treating a wide range of conditions with essential oils. A piece of clean cloth, a bowl of water (hot or cold, depending on the condition you are treating), your essential oils and some plastic wrap are all you need to make an aromatherapy compress.

Effective healing

Applying a hot or cold compress alone is known to be beneficial in treating sprains, bruises and muscular aches and pains. By adding essential oils, with properities specific to the condition you need to treat,  your homemade compresses will have even greater therapeutic effects. When you make a compress, try to remember to keep the size of the cloth in proportion to the area being treated.

Provide immediate relief for everyday, minor injuries by making your own compresses using essential oils; feel the pain ease away...

How Vaporizers Work

Our ability to smell is caused by tiny molecules wafting in the air. When we breathe in these molecules, they are recognized by receptors in the nose. The information is then carried by nerves to the brain, including the areas responsible for emotions, behavior and memory. The smell molecules also dissolve into our bloodstream, allowing their active properties to start working.

An aromatherpy vaporizer quickly fills your room with wonderful aromas.

Evaporation

Vaporizers heat essential oil, speeding the rate at which it evaporates. This means that the scent molecules pass into the air more rapidly, enabling you to breathe in more "scent" in a shorter period.

Convection Currents

As the vaporizer warms the essential oil, it also heats the air around it. As hot air rises, this causes the air in the room to circulate, spreading the tiny molecules around the area more quickly.

Using Steam Inhalation

"The faster oils evaporate, the faster you can breathe in their healing properties. Combine them with steam to cleanse your skin and clear your airways."

One way to reap the benefits of essential oils is to inhale them as steam vapors. This can be achieved by adding a few drops of oil to a bowl of steaming hot water or to an invigorating morning shower. Steam's Cleansing Properties Even without the addition of oils, steam helps to open your skin's pores, aiding the expulsion of  toxins and clearing blockages caused by your body's natural oils. It also assits in breaking down mucus in the nasal passages and sinuses, clearing congestion. Steam inhalations are therefore aspecially effective for treating skin conditions such as acne, and clearing phlegm and catarrh build up in the respiratory tract.                       

 Warning: Steam inhalations are NOT recommended for asthma sufferers.

The Best Oils to Use in Steam Inhalations

Choose oils that have strong decongestant and detoxifying properties.

Eucalyptus soothes inflammation in the respiratory tract, while its antiviral action clears catarrh.

Ginger has antiseptic, expectorant and stimulating actions.

Grapefruit is good for detox; stimulates the lymphatic system.

Juniper Berry has detoxifying and diuretic properties.

Lavender promotes the growth of new skin and helps to balance oil production.

Lemon cleanses and purifies

Tea Tree stimulates your immune system to fight off viral infections by activating white blood cells. Also strongly antiseptic, so good for skin.

Preparing a steam inhalation

Steam inhalations are easy to prepare and, with the addition of a few drops of the essential oil, can be used to relieve a number of common ailments.

1 FILL BOWL: Fill a large heatproof bowl with steaming hot water. You could do this at your kitchen table, or you may prefer to use your bathroom sink.

2 ADD OILS: Add 5-10 drops of essential oil to the steaming water. There is no need to dillute them eamy with a base oil first, as the water will act as the carriers.

3 INHALE THE STEAM: Using a towl to seal in the vapors, lean over the bowl. Take deep breaths  continually for about 10-minutes.

An invigorating steamy shower...

Help to banish aches associated with flu and stuffy colds with a steamy shower that clears your head as you wash.

STIMULATING STEAM

Add the following essential oils to a handful of lemon shower gel.

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  2 drops Eucalyptus
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  2 drops Rosemary
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  1 drop Sandalwood

Rub this cleansing was over your skin and deeply inhale the fragrant steam to benefit from the oils' decongestant properties. Add essential oils to your morning shower to help clear your head.

Skin Cleansing

Your skin produces a natural oil, know as sebum. If this is allowed to build up, the pores can become blocked and infected, leading to pimples and blackheads. A facial steam encourages the pores of the skin t.o open, allowing these impurities to be released and gently cleansed away.

BANISH SPOTS AND BLEMISHES

Using a facial steam alone will improve your skin, but adding the following essential oils will increase the benefits and further enhance the appearance of your skin:

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  3 drops Lavender
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  2 drops Lemongrass, lemon, or lemon verbena

Or you could use:

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  5 drops Juniper
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  5 drops Tea tree

Clearing a blocked head

To relieve a blocked head and nose, fill a large bowl with very hot water and 10 drops of 2-3 different oils. Inhale vapor deeply.

COLD FIGHTING OILS The following oils have properties that make them especially useful for fighting respiratory infections. Try mixing a few together in a steam inhalation to fight the symptoms of a cold:

Grapefruit- fights fever and has invigorating effects.

Lemon- is reowned for its detoxifying properties.

Pine- is an especially effective decongestant.

Rosemary- is antiseptic and decongestant.

Thyme- is great for clearing blocked sinuses.

"If you don't have essential oils handy, a few slices of lemon plus fresh or dried herbs will work just as well."

Using Aromatherpy Vaporizers

"You can use aromatherapy vaporizers to fill your home or office with the uplifting and relaxing aromas of your favorite essential oils."

Aromatherpy vaporizers are a quick and easy way to make your environment smell beautiful. In simple terms, they gently heat essential oils, turning them from a liquid into a vapor, which then wafts through the air, filling your room with a delightful smell. Home Comforts Vaporizers may be used anywhere in the home or office. They can help lift your spirits and relax after a hard day at work. Their effects are subtle, and are better suited to raising your mood a little than to healing or focusing your concentraion during meditation. You can buy vaporizers in most shopping malls, or find elaborate designs at new age stores and festivals.

Choosing the Right Scent

 " There is a bewildering array of aromatherapy fragrances to choose from, but it's easy to get the hang of picking the one that's just right for you."

Some fragrances will ease you off to sleep, others will help to wake you up in the morning. Some relax you, easing away stress and anxiety; others are revitalizing and will pick you up for that important job interview. You can soon get to know each plant's individual properities and its healing effects. Follow your nose... oils that smell very similiaroften have a very different effects. Lemon is a stimulant, yet lemongrass is a sedative. Rosemary and peppermint, on the other hand, smell nothing alike, but both are excellent for fatigue. In future posts will also cover dozens of aromatic plants in detail, explaining their active qualities, the ways that you can use them and even the folklore and myths associated with them. Meanwhile, the list provided below with help you choose the scent that's right for you.

"Orange, which reminds us of the Sun, produces an oil that will brighten your mood and complexion."

Once bottled, all essential oils look very much alike. The key to telling them apart lies in understanding the plants from which they've been extracted. Smell is the primitive of our senses, and the one that is most closely linked to our memories and emotions. When we think of our mother's kitchen, or a beautiful day at the beach, smell is often the first thing that springs to mind. We can use these scent memories when choosing aromas to create specific moods. Fond Memories are linked to scents, not everyone will enjoy the same ones.

Lavender is often considered uplifting, but if it reminds you of a cranky old aunt it's unlikely to be very relaxing! Luckily, as most condintions can be eased by a number of diferent oils, you'll always be able to find one that's the right scent for you.

Woody smells that remind us of the outdoors can be helpful in easing urban stress. Strengthen the association in your mind by burning incense coils in your garden on calm summer evenings. Relating the two will increase relaxation when you burn the specific incent you will relate it to that specific outdoor enjoyment.

Aromatherapy and your body

Some essential oils work better on specific areas on your body than others. Use your quick checklist to find out where each oil is best applied

The active ingredients of essential oils can ease muscle tension, improve your mood, boost your circulation and clear respiratory problems such as hay fever, stuffy noses and sore throats. By rubbing your oils over or onto the affected area, you will begin to feel their healing effects almost immedediately.

TO EASE HAY FEVER: Chamomile, Eucalyptus
TO RELAX SORE AND ACHING MUSCLES: Frankincense, Ginger, Sweet Marjoram, Rosemary
TO EASE STOMACH/ PERIOD PAINS: Aniseed, Clary Sage, Juniper Berry, Lavender, Marjoram
TO EASE STOMACH UPSETS: Ginger, Mandarin, Peppermint
TO HELP OILY SKIN: Cypress, Lemon, Mandarinree, Tea Tree (also good for acne)
FOR HAIR: Cedarwood, Cypress (for oily hair), Rosemary (for dry hair), Tea tree (for dandruff)
TO EASE HEADACHES: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Rosemary
TO CLEAR A BLOCKED NOSE: Bergamot, Eucalyptus, Ginger, Rosemary
TO EASE A SORE THROAT: Frankincense, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Tea tree
TO EASE ECZEMA: Chamomile, Geranium, Juniper berry, Lavender
TO MOISTURIZE DRY SKIN: Beragamot, Chamomile, Jasmine, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang ylang
TO IMPROVE CELLULITE: Juniper berry, Geranium, Rosemary


Aromatherapy Massage
Combine aromatherapy with massage to get the best out of both natural techniques. Rubbing healing oils into your skin allows their active ingredients to pass directly into the tissues of the affected area, while healing massage strokes also work to alleviate pain and stiffness, as well as improving circulation. A quick and easy was to get the benefits of essential oils is to ass a few drops to your usual body lotion or moisturizer and then rub it into the affected area.

 

The Magic of Aromatherapy

"You can harness the healing and uplifting qualities of plant fragrances to help you relax, unwind and even help treat minor aliments."

Aromatherapy is the art of healing with "essential" oils distilled essences that have been extracted from plants. Care to find out how beneficial aromatherapy can be? Add a few drops of lavender essential oil to your next bath. Immediately you will notice the difference. The lavender oils rising instantly, the relaxing fragrance surrounds you and creates a peacefulness and tranquillity. Lifting your spirits, soothing stress and promoting relaxation. Relaxing in a soothing, fragrant bath will improve your mood as well as your skin.
These can be used in massage and inhalation techniques, added to bathroom products such as skin creams, soaps, shampoos, bath gel, and to create room fragrances.
Aromatherapy also involves the use of incense (in loose, powdered form or as as joss sticks), potpourri, steam inhalations, fresh flowers, and scented candles. Below shows you how to use all of the above to raise your mood, improve your sense of well-being and treat ailments.

How it works through the nose. When we smell a fragrance, we take it's healing molecules into out bodies. Heating essential oils and burning joss sticks vaporizes the oil so that we can breathe in its molecules easily. Through the skin essential oils applied to the skin are absorbed into the bloodstream to take the immediate effect.

"Harmony surrounds me. I listen with love to the pleasant and the good" -L. Hay

Getting started with essential and blended oils. The most commonly used method is essential oil. You can buy small bottles of oil from many stores and shopping malls. Some stores sell ready-blended massage oils. These don't need to be diluted, but aren't suitable for use in vaporizers. Undiluted oils can seem expensive, but you need to use only a few drops in most applications. Undiluted oils can be used in vaporizers, steam inhalations and baths, and can be diluted in a carrier base, such as avocado oil or unscented shampoo, for use in massage, shampoo, toning and moisturizing. Dilute up to 10 drops of oil in 30ml of carrier base before using it on your skin. If massaging, rub your massage oil into tired muscles to feel an instant benefit.

Next is scented candles, these are a great way to get relaxing, stimulating and sensual aromas into your atmosphere. They mostly help with your mood and emotions, not so much your body. Their effects are subtle and work well over a long period of time, such as a quiet evening at home, rather than providing quick results. Fragrances such as citronella and lavender are excellent insect repellents. Use candles scented with these aromas while you're sitting outside on warm summer evenings. A more intense way to fragrance your environment is to use essential oil in a candle vaporizer. To do this, half-fill the vaporizer bowl with water, and add up to five drops of oil. Light the candle beneath the bowl and enjoy.

Another excellent way to fill your room with uplifting scents is to burn incense or "joss" sticks. The fragrances used to make joss sticks and incense are usually very expensive to buy as oils. This is simply a more economical way of enjoying their benefits. Light joss and incense beside a scented candle, vaporizer, or other joss sticks to blend the different aromas. As joss sticks burn, they will leave beyond hot ash. Always be sure to place your joss stick on a surface that will not be damaged, or buy a special holder that will catch the ash as it falls. You can also stand your joss sticks up in a potted plant or dish of sand. Incense especially useful for creating a very spiritual atmosphere for meditation, prayer or yoga.

"Decorative glass beads, a potted plant or window box, or a small glass of sand all make the ideal holder."