This class will address a wide array of mental and emotional issues and what essential oils may be used to support balance and well-being.  There will be discussions of different reactions to various oils and how to narrow down the appropriate single or blend to fit that particular individual.  The class is experiential - dress comfortably, please avoid using any perfumes or scented personal care products, plan on smelling numerous essential oils and learn new ways to nurture your client, your loved oneand yourself. 

Co-taught by Cynthia Loving and Marie Anderson-Whitehurst, this promises to be a fun and fact-filled introduction to the more subtle uses of aromatherapy, which can be used in daily life and as a valuable addition to a massage/bodywork therapy practice.  This class is open to all.

Marie is a Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Certified Hypnotist and an Aromatherapist.  

Cost: $125.  7 NCBTMB CE's available to Massage and Bodywork Therapists.

To register, click here.

Frankincense (known also as olibanum) is a tree that grows 9 to 22 feet tall in Somalia, Ethiopia, China, western India and north-eastern Africa.  It has many narrow leaves and its flowers are white or pale pink.  The trunk of the tree is incised, which allows a white resinous liquid to slowly exude.  This resin then hardens into "tears", which turn to an amber or orange-brown colour.  These tears are collected, graded, and some are used as incenses, and others are then steam distilled to produce the essential oil.

The historical uses of Frankincense are quite interesting - it was used in the daily and religious lives of the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans and Persians.  The Ancient Egyptians used it as a ritual incense, and charred it to produce "kohl" - a black powder used by women as an eye-shadow and eye-liner!  Frankincense is one of the gifts to Jesus from the Magi, and is mentioned 22 times in the Bible.  It is still used today as a primary ingredient in incenses used as Sabbath day offerings, and some Muslims still today cense themselves with it weekly to gain protection from evil spirits and to attract angels.

Today, the essential oil of Frankincense is used to treat bronchitis, asthma, sinusitis, laryngitis, conditions of excessive mucous, dry and mature skin, scars, wrinkles and wounds that are difficult to heal.

Frankincense really shines, however, in its more subtle uses.  It is extremely calming, and is very effective for anxiety and causes one to breathe more deeply and slowly.  It is also used to quiet nightmares, relieve nervous tension, and to help free oneself from things that she/he may be over-attached to.  Grief, panic, exhaustion, resistance, apprehension and self-destructiveness are all issues that Frankincense can assist with.  "Sundowning"(agitation due to changes in light at sunset or sometimes sunrise, a condition that many people with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia have difficulty with is often relieved through the use of Frankincense. 

Frankincense's properties are:  anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antiseptic (prevents/inhibits the poisoned state caused by microorganisms in the bloodstream), astringent (tonic/restorative, tightens and removes excess oil from the skin), carminative (settling digestion, relieving gas), cicatrizant (promotes healing through forming scar tissue), cytophylactic (increases white blood cell activity to defend against infection), digestive (promotes/aids food digestion), diuretic (aids production of urine, promotes urination), emmenagogue (causes and/or assists menstruation), expectorant (promotes removal of excess mucus in the respiratory system), metrorrhagia (uterine bleeding other than normal menstruation), sedative (quieting, soothing, tranquilizing), uterine tonic  (strengthens or revives the uterus), and vulnerary (wound healing by external application).  To learn more, click here.