Lavender has got to be one of my all time favorite scents, from the actual plants to essential oils I am a very big fan. When your looking at essential oils there are so many great uses, just be sure to go for a therapeutic grade oil and not your standard oil candle variety which tend to have added chemical nasties that you wouldn’t want to be putting on your skin. Here are a few of the very many uses for lavender oil. • Get a better nights sleep, apply to the bottom of feet or on a pillow before sleeping – Lavender essential oil induces sleep which has made it a common recommendation for an alternative treatment of insomnia. • Can be used as a bug repellent, simply apply a small amount to exposed skin – The smell is potent for many types of bugs like mosquitoes, midges, and moths. • Use to calm reaction to a bee sting or bug bite – the anti-inflammatory qualities will reduce the irritation and the pain. • Find your Zen. Lavender essential oil has a calming scent which makes it an excellent tonic for the nerves and anxiety issues. Therefore, it can also be helpful in treating migraines, headaches, depression, nervous tension and emotional stress. •Give yourself a little pain relief – known as an excellent remedy for various types of pains including those caused by sore and tense muscles, muscular aches, rheumatism, sprains, backache and lumbago. A regular massage with lavender oil can also provide relief from pain in the joints. • Add a few drops to your bath for an amazing relaxing blissy experience • Apply to wrists or inhale when traveling to ease motion upset • Lightly apply to soothe sunburned or scalded skin • Apply to back, hands, or feet of a restless or agitated child • Use to calm and soothe diaper rash • Calm sensitive skin and soothe pores after hair removal • Apply to dry, chapped lips before applying lip balm • Use with peppermint for a healthy scalp massage • Add to lotion for a stress-relieving hand massage 
Namaste Xx
Category: wellness
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Lavender Love Affair
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The Dali Lama – How I start my day
I believe a good morning is the beginning of a good day. If we wake up in the morning and are happy, even if we face small irritants, we can cope with them.
If we wake up in a bad mood or are unhappy, even the smallest problem will make us angry. Mental attitude is very important.
So, train your mind through meditation, and let your mornings be the best time to bring peace into your lives. We must remain in the ‘thoughtlessness’ zone if we want to be calm. Focus on how to create a happy life.
Ask yourself every morning, if you wish to live a meaningful life or a frivolous one. Don’t think about the past or future. Every moment is an opportunity to create a life with peace and compassion.
We need hygiene of emotions. Reach out to others, it will make you self confident and give you inner strength. When we show concern, we will be able to win people’s trust, and this trust creates friendship of a lifetime. It helps us develop inner peace, we create peaceful families, peaceful cities and peaceful societies. Doing things for others will reduce your stress and give you good physical health.
Try not to bring conflict in your morning and your day. If there is conflict in your relationships, try to resolve it with a dialogue. Talk. Don’t distance yourself from people and create barriers; living a self-centred life leads to stress and anxiety. Live simply. Some days will be difficult and some easy, but if you spend your days with purpose, you will be mentally satisfied.
His Holiness the Dalai Lama, SPIRITUAL LEADERArticle from The times of india
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When you begin to love yourself
If you asked 10 people from completely different cultural backgrounds to define love you would probably get 10 different definitions. Yes of course there would be some common themes running through their definitions but love is going to mean something different to all of us which will mean that how we express that love will also vary.
For this reason I think that self love is going to vary from person to person as well. There’s no set way to love yourself more. What one person needs to feel love another will see no value in.
Cultivating self love starts with gaining a deeper understanding of yourself. Start with asking yourself what beliefs or behaviors work against your definition of love. Maybe it’s negative self talk or abusing your body with excessive alcohol. Without judgement make a list of things you do and think that are not coming from a place of love. Can you then gradually begin to let go of these things to create more space for kindness towards yourself (it can feel super liberating to burn a list of things you’d like to let go of, I highly recommend letting this one burn).
To keep things balanced also create a list of the things that you can do to practice self love. Ask yourself what makes you feel special, at peace or exuberant. Maybe it’s getting a massage, being in nature or going for a run. Keep this list somewhere that you can see it and make it a priority to make time for the things that speak to your soul.
This beautiful poem by Charlie Chaplin beautifully articulates the magic and realisation that can begin to happen when you love yourself.
As I Began to Love Myself
by Charlie ChaplinAs I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is “AUTHENTICITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody As I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it “RESPECT”.
As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it “MATURITY”.
As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment. So I could be calm. Today I call it “SELF-CONFIDENCE”.
As I began to love myself I quit steeling my own time, and I stopped designing huge projects for the future. Today, I only do what brings me joy and happiness, things I love to do and that make my heart cheer, and I do them in my own way and in my own rhythm. Today I call it “SIMPLICITY”.
As I began to love myself I freed myself of anything that is no good for my health – food, people, things, situations, and everything that drew me down and away from myself. At first I called this attitude a healthy egoism. Today I know it is “LOVE OF ONESELF”.
As I began to love myself I quit trying to always be right, and ever since I was wrong less of the time. Today I discovered that is “MODESTY”.
As I began to love myself I refused to go on living in the past and worry about the future. Now, I only live for the moment, where EVERYTHING is happening. Today I live each day, day by day, and I call it “FULFILLMENT”.
As I began to love myself I recognised that my mind can disturb me and it can make me sick. But As I connected it to my heart, my mind became a valuable ally. Today I call this connection “WISDOM OF THE HEART”.
We no longer need to fear arguments, confrontations or any kind of problems with ourselves or others. Even stars collide, and out of their crashing new worlds are born. Today I know THAT IS “LIFE”!
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Yoga Teacher Training – week 1 Ahimsa – Nonviolence
If I were to ask you how often you behaved violently what would be your answer?
Violence is often associated with psychically hurting another person but what if I expanded the definition of violence to be behaving in a way that is not kind to others or yourself.
Once you start exploring the ways that you are unkind you can start to become aware of your own personal patterns you can begin to treat yourself and others with more kindness and compassion.
Here are some if the ways that we practice violence.
Negative self talk – How often are you your biggest critic? Do you beat yourself up about mistakes or tell yourself you’re not good enough in same way? Our inner monolog can really set the tone for how we experience our lives. Be careful with how you talk to yourself. Stop and ask yourself am I coming from a place of kindness?
Unkind words to others or about others – Do your words hurt others? Either directly (to their face) or indirectly (gossip) Always stop to consider what your intentions are before you speak. Your words should be kind and honest even when they are strong and direct.
Your relationship with food – Do you stop to consider how the food you put in your body is nourishing you? It’s violence towards yourself to continually over indulge or starve yourself. Love yourself enough to really care about what you eat.
Expecting too much from yourself – We like to set goals and challenges for ourselves which is great, it keeps us moving forward but when we only focus on the steps necessary to achieve the goal and stop being open and present to the journey we not only don’t get to experience the beauty of the journey but we may push beyond our tipping point. Pushing yourself without stopping to listen to your body is what causes sickness and injury. It’s our body’s way of forcing us to slow down. Be mindful of the effect working too hard in the gym or the office has on your body.
Lack of balance – When you over commit yourself and don’t allow enough time to recharge you may burnout or become short with others. Balance is going to be different for everyone and so you will need to tune in and ask yourself what do I need to create balance in my life…maybe it’s having healthy meals, spending in nature, getting “me” time, getting enough sleep, finding time for meditation, having social media free days, getting a massage, making time for exercise or even clearing out the clutter in your life it’s important to know what you need and make time for it.
We’re never going to be able to be completely nonviolent in all of our words and actions all of the time but we can be more conscious of our personal patterns and make small positive changes in our lives for the benefit of all.
Namaste
Xxxx
My soul honors your soul. I honor the place in you where the entire universe resides. I honor the light, love, truth, beauty & peace within you, because it is also within me. In sharing these things we are united, we are the same, we are one.
Rambling Yogi 