But here’s an interesting possibility – we know that everything is made up of energy and that thought creates energy, which can then lead to manifestation… So, even though I showed up without essential oils, I felt I could, just by intention, bring the oils’ healing energies into the room. After all, energy is nothing more than frequency and essential oils certainly vibrate at a high frequency. So that’s what I did. I held the intent of the healing vibration of the essential oil as a resonance in my hands, then transmitted the frequency to my friend using a ‘hands-on healing’ technique. I have worked with essential oils for over 20 years and know them so intimately that not only do I consider the oils my friends, but also I know exactly what frequency signature each vibrates on. So it was easy for me to feel the oil’s vibratory signature resonate through my hands.

Using essential oils in an aroma lamp when someone is in the process of passing over can be intense for the dying one, especially if they are on strong drugs that make scents more potent and difficult to tolerate. I’ve heard that patients on chemotherapy and other chemical cocktails have a hard time with powerful scents like perfume and disinfectants. Although essential oils are pure and not chemically based, they still can be overwhelming when someone is trying to gather up their energies to leave this world. In cases where burning oils isn’t appropriate, it would be wonderful to invoke the healing frequency of an essential oil and hold that resonance around the person without the smell. One way is to put a drop or two of essential oil onto your palms and rub the energies into your hands; the scent will dissipate but the frequency will still remain energized in your palms. You can then hold your healing hands on or close to the loved one to ease their passing. It’s all in the intention and anyone can do it! Essential oils that will encourage detachment from the physical body during transition are jasmine, rose, geranium, neroli and lavender. These oils have a gentle persuasion, almost a quiet invitation to release, rather than a demand to let go. Even *frankincense*, which usually is so forceful in pushing a situation towards resolution, can be soft and caring around a deathbed, so is appropriate to use.

One of the things I did for my dying friend was a visualization of a cleansing ritual. I have understood from my study of the death process, that often when there is a lot of pain at the end, the person transitions with their ‘pain body’. It’s as if the pain has been so intense or of such long duration or has been so identified as part of the person, that an energetic body is created that mirrors the body of pain. This then becomes an individuated energetic body called the “pain body”, which when/if they come back in their next life, will often come with them causing the same pain miasm to be present in the future body. It’s as if the cellular memory of the energy body carries the disease or trauma with it and it manifests in a later life. In this visualization, I wanted to separate the pain body from the spirit that is transitioning. In my mind’s eye, I imagined a beautiful waterfall or a sparkling shower of Light. This water is impregnated with the vibration of a cleansing essential oil and as I see it flow down and over the person, the pain begins to wash away and dissolve under the cleansing vibration. I usually repeat the flow of water over the body many times, sometimes changing the essential oil frequency that I am using. The oils I might choose to use in a cleansing ritual are lemon, tea tree, rosemary, eucalyptus, vetiver and melissa.

Often, when one is transitioning, there is a lot of fear and trepidation in the room. Those gathered around the one dying are usually running their own fears about death and mortality. Having a space outside the room with an aroma lamp burning calming essential oils can help quell the tide of fears. Some comforting oils that work with fear are chamomile, lavender, geranium, marjoram, bergamot, frankincense, neroli, and sandalwood. These will encourage peace and strength in those supporting the one dying. Other oils such as fennel, ylang-ylang, elemi, peppermint and cypress can certainly calm the nervous system and relax the frayed mind to bring back equilibrium and balance.

Grief is natural at the time of passing. Loosing a loved one, acknowledging the impending emptiness, knowing you’ll never be able to hold them again can bring on deep despair. Oils that help in this movement forward are Sudanese black rose, neroli, rose otto, melissa, frankincense, rose Maroc, and geranium. Dotting a hankie or a tissue with these oils either singularly or in combination and then sniffing them can ease the burden of the emotion and lighten the spirits. And of course, these essential oils can be used in the bath, in an aroma lamp, in massage oil or added to a face/body cream for support in any of the stages of grieving. In Chinese Five Element theory, the lungs are associated with grief. It is common for a person who has experienced a deep loss to contract the flu or other lung ailment within 6 months to a year of the trauma. This seems to be the body’s way of energetically clearing out the effects of the emotional contraction in that organ. Oils that help expel phlegm and congestion are tea tree, eucalyptus, cajuput, sandalwood, peppermint and rosemary. Steam inhalation (head over a bowl full of oil impregnated hot water) works wonders to clear mucus and inflammation of the pleural cavity. Rubbing the chest with essential oils in a carrier oil also assists in breaking up stagnation in the lungs as does immersing in a warm bath of oils.

I felt very blessed to hold witness to my friend’s journey to the Light. Her passing taught me so much about transitioning from body to Spirit and how graceful the letting go process can be. I love her dearly and know she is still very much alive in her clear, beautiful Light body. This shell we call the physical body just houses us for a while, but the magnificence of the Soul goes on forever. Blessings, my dear friend. Shine on!

The post Facing Death with Aromatherapy appeared first on Suzanne Bovenizer.

<txp:image id=”551″ class=”imageright” />A sanitary environment is the first step to keeping healthy. Essential oils can be put in a spritzer bottle and sprayed around surfaces, doorknobs or anywhere hands touch regularly. Some effective disinfectant oils are *bergamot, eucalyptus, juniper, lavender, rosemary, tea tree and sage*. Essential oils can also be burned in an aroma lamp. An aroma lamp is usually a small bowl filled with water with 5-8 drops of essential oil added, which sits over a tea candle. The heat from the candle evaporates the water and tiny molecules of essential oil become suspended in the water vapors, which then fill the room. <txp:image id=”552″ class=”imageleft” />By inhaling the mist, you ingest the essential oil into the nasal passages, which then kills off germs in the nasal cavity, trachea, bronchial tubes etc. The essential oil vapors are also able to destroy germs floating through the air, say from a sneeze for instance. So by humidifying the room using essential oils, you can alleviate the introduction of most germs. The best essential oils for an aroma lamp are *lavender, eucalyptus, camphor, cajuput, rosemary, pine and clary sage*. (Please note that if you are on homeopathic remedies like oscillococcinum (which by the way really knocks out symptoms if taken at the very onset of any inklings that you are about to get sick), then the stronger menthol oils will antidote the remedy, in which case it is best to stick with lavender. On the other hand, lavender is a sedating oil and may not be the best choice for an office area since it will make you sleepy and unfocused. Lavender is best for the bedroom area, whereas rosemary, pine and eucalyptus are better for cleansing work places.)

If the flu has already invaded the body and you are at the scratchy throat part of the progression, then gargling with warm salty water infused with essential oils is next on the list. Place one or two drops of *tea tree, eucalyptus, lemon, garlic, ginger, sage or thyme* essential oil on a teaspoon of salt, then dissolve that in warm water and gargle every hour so soothe the throat and help reduce inflammation. Colloidal silver is also an excellent addition to this solution for gargling. If the flu has progressed to chills with a fever, the best oils to reduce the fever are *chamomile, black pepper, peppermint, hyssop, lemon and tea tree*. These oils can be applied by means of a cool compress to the head or a few drops can be added to mineral salts and put in a lukewarm bath. If you are listless and can’t muster the strength for compresses and the thought of undressing and getting in a bath seems ludicrous, then make sure you have essential oils burning in a vaporizer or aroma lamp in the bedroom to assure a constant flow of germ-killing molecules around you.

If you have reached the achy joints and sore muscles stage, then the best way to apply essential oils is through massage. Up to 6 drops of essential oils in a carrier oil can be rubbed onto the sore, achy places and then covered with a heating pad or warmed towels. The best oils for massaging stiff sore areas are *camphor, eucalyptus, ginger, black pepper, rosemary, marjoram, cypress and lavender*. If you have asked a care-giver to massage you, please insure that they wear a mask to protect them from any rogue germs. The mask can have *lavender, rosemary, tea tree or any of the camphoric oils* sprayed on it for further health insurance.

And lastly, if the flu has progressed to the congested, mucousy stage, then massaging the oils onto the chest and burning them by the bedside in an aroma lamp will help break up the catarrh. Some recommended oils for congestion are *sandalwood, eucalyptus, cedarwood, peppermint, rosemary, frankincense and hyssop*. Another very useful method is the old head over a bowl technique. Fill a bowl with hot water and put a few drops of the above essential oil into the bowl. Place a towel over your head and lean over the bowl, breathing the vapors in deeply. It is amazing how quickly you can clear up congestion with this method.

Usually there will be a period of extreme tiredness and fatigue following the last leg of the flu, which I’ve heard can last for a couple of weeks. Proper nourishment, rest and detoxifying baths are important to rebuild health. Some essential oils you can add to bath salts (Himalayan salts are excellent for post-flu recuperation) are *basil, clary sage, eucalyptus, hyssop, lemon, rose, rosemary or thyme*.

So, when deciding whether to get the flu vaccine or not, I’ll quote Herb Newborg in YourSpine.com E-zine that “According to the official U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website, “it is estimated that more than one million people became ill with novel H1N1 flu between April and June 2009 in the United States.”

Unfortunately, 302 people died because they were not healthy enough for the innate intelligence of the body to perform its natural function: develop mild symptoms as a result of the infection, produce natural antibodies and quickly return to health with protection against any future recurrence of the infection.

While this loss of life for 302 unhealthy people is tragic, the story that is not being told amid all of the swine flu and vaccine promotion hype is the fact that between April and June, 2009, at least 999,698 Americans had the perfect, normal, natural reaction to the virus that the innate intelligence of the body was designed to produce. They suffered no long-term adverse effects and lived happily ever after. “

Essential oils go a long way in helping the body’s innate wisdom in self-healing. May you be healthy throughout the flu season!

If you are feeling unwell and wish to listen to a guided visualization on self-healing, click this “link”:http://www.suzannebovenizer.com/meditations/visiting-the-healing-temple.

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