In the loving kindness meditation, Metta Bhavana, one extends love to oneself first, and then in increasingly larger circles, extending loving kindness to others in the room, in the building, in the city, the country, the world and finally, the universe. But it starts with loving oneself. This Valentine's month, I encourage you to practice self love. This can be accomplished in many ways, some of which I will describe here. Rose essential oil is generally thought of as an oil of the heart and unconditional love. A bath with rose petals and lit by candles is a great way to bring some peace and serenity into your life. Another oil which is one of my favourites is rose geranium. It is a balancing oil: helping level out the emotions. Burn some in a diffuser to bring some aromatic relief into your space. There are a number of other oils with ‘rose’ in the name, each with their own wonderful traits. Palmarosa is a grass grown in India and has a lovely, fresh light scent. It is used extensively in skin care and also used to treat stress and anxiety, just like rose, but at fraction of the price. Jamarosa is another grass, used extensively in the perfumery trade. All the oils listed here are also good antiseptics to diffuse during cold and flu season. Rosalina is a heart chakra oil that acts in the same way, but more gently, than tea tree: as a respiratory antiseptic, for example.I encourage you to come visit and experience our essential oils firsthand! If you are wondering how to incorporate meditation into your life, we offer classes Wednesdays at noon and Sunday evenings. If you are experiencing blocks that you can’t seem to shake, our wellness clinic practitioners can assist you. Make 2018 the year of taking care of you. And the rest will fall into place.
©2018 Heather Garrod is a Certified Aromatherapist and owner of Planet Botanix at 301 Bank St near Somerset. She gives workshops on creating natural bodycare and has been creating natural bodycare for over two decades. The shop offers natural alternatives to commercial products and features a holistic therapy clinic. www.planetbotanix.com