Beautiful Lavender ~~Essential Oils and more!

I love lavender and the smell of this beautiful flower instantly relieves stress for me. I have a lavender pillow that I keep near my bedside. When I am restless I simply pick up the little sachet and breathe in the wonderful smell! I also use the essential oil in my healing sessions. I usually put a small dot in between the eyebrows on the forehead(third eye chakra)during the Quan Yin Meditation.

The name lavender comes from the Latin root lavare, which means "to wash." Lavender most likely earned this name because it was frequently used in baths to help purify the body and spirit. However, this herb is also considered a natural remedy for a range of ailments from insomnia and anxiety to depression and mood disturbances. Research has confirmed that lavender produces calming, soothing, and sedative effects.

Lavender is native to the mountainous zones of the Mediterranean where it grows in sunny, stony habitats. Today, it flourishes throughout southern Europe, Australia, and the United States. Lavender is a heavily branched short shrub that grows to a height of roughly 60 centimeters. Its broad rootstock bears woody branches with erect, rod-like, leafy, green shoots. A silvery down covers the gray-green narrow leaves, which are oblong and tapered, attached directly at the base, and curled spirally.

Human clinical studies have reported that lavender essential oil may be beneficial in a variety of conditions, including insomnia, alopecia (hair loss), anxiety, stress, postoperative pain, and as an antibacterial and antiviral agent. Lavender oil is also used together with other forms of integrative medicine, such as massage, acupuncture, and chiropractic manipulation.

When life takes a toll on you and your nervous system...sit down, light a candle and breathe in the beautiful fragrance of lavender. Your whole mood and attitude will shift for the better!