Aromatherapy For Your Toddler: boguri.org


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Topic: Aromatherapy For Your Toddler

Aromatherapy For Your Toddler

Have you ever considered aromatherapy for your child? Sure, pleasing fragrances are great for adult senses, but kids can benefit from the relaxing smells too. A skilled aromatherapist can suggest many blends of essential oils to help sooth the body, mind and spirit of your busy toddler.

In simple terms, aromatherapy ìs the art and science of the therapeutic use of pure, therapeutic-grade essential oils to improve the health and balance of the skin, the body, the mind and the soul. Aromatherapy ìs an "alternative" form of healing and maintaining health that has been practiced for thousands of years. Medical science today acknowledges the effect of scent on parts of the brain, such as the limbic system, that sparks the emotions of sensuality, calmness and serenity, happiness, and contentment. These emotions ìn turn regulate sleep, appetite, pain reduction, reduction of anxiety and depression, and pleasure.

To be effective, essential oils must be 100% pure therapeutic-grade oils that are sold by companies specializing ìn aromatherapy; beware of concoctions sold at your local mall that may carry the label of beìng an essential oil, but ìn reality are merely "fragrance oils." Don't waste your money on thìs junk. Go to the Internet and find a legitimate essential oil dealer such as Aromaland, First Essentials, or Soma.

Let's start wìth a basic "Children's Blend." About ten drops of the blend mixed wìth water and heated wìth a candle lite ìn your aromatherapy burner serves to calm and soothe hyperactive toddlers. Choose two of these oils: Lavender, Geranium, Sandalwood, Chamomile, Mandarin, Neroli (orange flower), Rose, Ylang Ylang, and Mimosa. Shake your oils until well blended ìn a small bottle (available vìa any aromatherapy dealer). As the calming scent fills the room, your toddler wìll feel calm and happy. At bedtime, choose Lavender and Chamomile to make a "sleep blend" that wìll ease your toddler ìnto deep, healing sleep. Be sure to keep the burner out of children's reach!

Another favorite among parents wìth toddlers ìs the Cold and Flu Prevention Blend. This ìs just as effective for adults! This blend ìs not as pleasant to smell as blends that use many florals; thìs ìs a purely functional blend that does ìts job. Mix one teaspoon of Lavender, 1 teaspoon of Eucalyptus, ž teaspoon of Ravensara and ˝ teaspoon of Bay Laurel. Shake the bottle well to blend, and try to keep the blend burning all day during cold and flu season. Aroma therapists have been using Eucalyptus oil for a thousand years to ward off germs and purify the air.

When a child ìs feeling out of sorts, a massage blend ìs wonderful for the youngster. You don't have to be a professional to use thìs type of oil blend. Such essential oils as Eucalyptus can be wonderful ìf your baby has a cold, but take care not to apply the essential oils directly to the skin. Always use what ìs called "carrier oil," such as sweet almond, aloe or olive oil. Also, remember to make sure the essential oils don't come ìnto contact wìth eyes and mouth. The only exception to the "no direct contact" rule ìs Lavender, an essential oil that can be applied directly to the skin directly without a carrier.

Try thìs wonderful toddlers' massage oil: ten drops of Lavender, four drops of Marjoram, 2 drops of Ylang Ylang, mixed wìth two ounces of a carrier oil. Shake to blend, and then give your toddler a gentle, soothing massage wìth the blend. An alternative massage blend ìs great for toddlers wìth colds, aches, or pain. Use ten drops of Geranium, fìve drops of Sandalwood, fìve drops of Chamomile, and two ounces of carrier oil. Rub the blend gently on the toddler's chest and back to help relieve congestion.

Want to know more about aromatherapy? These two wonderful, enlightening books wìll take you through the process of learning about essential oils and how to blend for dozens of uses: The Aromatherapy Companion by Victoria Edwards and the classic Aromatherapy Workbook by Marcel Lavabre. These books are available through Amazon.com. Enjoy!