Documentos de Académico
Documentos de Profesional
Documentos de Cultura
OILS AND
MEDITATION
ESSENTIAL
Polair Publishing
P0
w1111.
First published
April 2007
A catalogue
Dedtcat ion
I 1101dcllike to dedicate this book to Ylana 1lavward, who \\'a\ my teacher ofmeditation
in 1975,ILwas on her ninetieth birthday that I 1'11fr,hcdthis book.
, sckuo, 1'/('(/g111111/s
I cannot adequately thank my husband. Roi'. for hi:..patience in helping me with the computer. I
should like Loacknowledge my gratitude LoGabriel ,\lojay. Principal of'l'hc Institute olTraditional
I lcrbal \ ledicine and Aromatherapy. wirh whom I st uclicd in 199). I le aw me deeper insights in Lo Lhe
qualities of essential oils. including their energetic (vihnu ional) propcrt ics. and many olthc keynotes
used for the essential oils discussed in this work. For the hriel'lii,torical overview ofthe use ofplant
materials. T111:1Rm11TllF.R
IP\' 1101ii.;11001--.by Shirley Price (Thorxou. 199)) has been invaluable. Thanks
arc also due to Coli11111layll'arcl lor hi:..hclplu! suppor: and advice.
CONTENTS
ituroduttion
rllchcmy and Essential Oils
")
Spiritual Oualirics of
1lcdilalion Oils
1\11gclim roof
Balsa111j1r
Cedatwood
Cha 1110111
ilc
Ci1111a11w11
f'.11m~vptus
Ever!asti 11g
Fninkinccnsc
Ci11ger
I lyssop
/as111i11e
l.aventlcr
.\Ia ntla ri 11
.\Ir~v Cha 11g
.\ ~vrrh
,\'ard
.Yero/i
II
II
11
1-1
Patcuoul!
15
Pcppcn11i11l
Pinc
Hose
ffoSi'/11(/1)'
16
16
18
10
11
23
Sandalwood
4
Conclusion
rlppe11dix
1-1
16
29
31
31
3-1
36
38
-10
-II
-13
-I)
-17
-18
51
53
56
59
62
63
Introduction
Tl IE IDEA for this lit Liebook arose from more than
thirty years experience or using essential oils as an
aid to meditation and in my work as a clinical aromathcrapist. for most of this Lime I have been Leaching and facilitat ing workshops in several t herapcut ic
areas, especially yoga. relaxation and meditation.
massage and aromatherapy, and 'Connecting with
Angels'. r usually use essential oils in a diffuser or
vaporizer to enhance the atmosphere in the room.
Essential oils vaporize cleanly and release their
aroma without smoke or ash. People often ask me
to supply the particular blend or oils used. This is
easier said than done. since I usually make a unique
blend for Ihe pu rposc or the even l, so it can be di I~
Iercnt each Lime. Jn 2006. I was asked Logive a Lalk
al the Summer Festival of" the White Eagle Lodge
electroencephalograph
lo measure the rate or brain
waves. In meditation, the rate or the brain waves
alters. To quote lrom a scicntifi report in another
book in this series. 'Evidence that meditation leads
lo an increase in alpha waves is extensive .... A characicrist ic brai n-wave pal tern or Jong-term mcditators
includes strong b11rsts of frontally dorn inan I I he! a
rhythms. during which mcditarors report peaceful.
drifting. and generally pleasant experiences with intact self-awareness.'
There arc several ways of' using essential oiJs as
an aid Lo meditation. They can he evaporated over
water using a lea liglil or in an electric diffuser or vaporizer. The~ c:111be used di rcctly on the body. -for
example. on the chest over Ihe heart chakra or the
third e~c(eyebrow cen Ire), on Ihe inside or Ihe wrists
or inner anklebones where the pulses arc. II'used directly on the skin, essential oils should be diluted
first in some vegetable oil. like almond or jojoha, as
*From
11111~11:ri1T1TI01\1101<~~hv James
(Polnir Guides.2006).
6 ESSENTIALOILSAND MEDITATION
l~alrzcll.i\ I J)
Ihcv
are very powcrfu I and can irri talc the skin when
used near. In all cases. use only a sale amount of' two
or three drops.
\\'e find that it was only in the twentieth cent my
that oils were extracted and used for their aroma.
hence the coining of' the word 'aromatherapy'. I listorically, the whole plant was used. as in herbalism.
The word aromatherapy has recently come lo be
used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals as a selling
attract ion. I lowevcr, the earliest evidence for using
plan ls is found in cave pain Lings in the Dordognc region or France. da: ing from about eighteen thousand
vears ago. These paintings arc thought lo show hall'
plan ls were generally used for medicinal purposes.
There arc many ways to obtain aromatic extracts
from plants. These include expression of' the peel. as
Ra. the Egypl ian sun god. There arc several recipes
for kyph: and it included such ingredients as wine.
honey, raisins, myrrh. cardornom, juniper. mint.
cypress, spikenard, cassia and cinnamon. Ii was reputed lo heal the soul. The Egyptians were not the
only people who used aromas or resins in religious
ceremonies. Assyrians. Hahylonians, Phoenicians,
I lchrews, Chinese. Greeks and Romans. as well as
Christians all burnt resins like frankincense in their
religious ceremonies.
When Moses led the Hebrews out of Egypt, he
would have taken his knowledge about oils, herbs
and spices to Israel. Lie was brought up in the palace of' the pharaoh, as Ihe adopted son or a princess.
and would probably have known about Ihe religious
use ofoils and perfumes. Several oils. such as hyssop,
myrrh. frankincense and spikcnard, arc referred Lo
in the Old 'lcstament. Olive oil would have been the
usual carrier oil at that Lime in the xtiddlc liast. In
Ihe Book or Samuel. the prophet anointed Saul as the
lirst king or Israel. Soaking resins or other plan I matcrial. such as Rowers. stems, leaves or roots, in vegctuhlc oil uni ii it absorbed the resins and essences.
could make rragranl oils for religious use. Sometimes
the juice or flowers and plan ls would be squeezed
out into the carrier oil.
8 ESSENTIALOILSAND MEDITATION
their religious and medicinal USC. Hildegard or Bingen grew lavender for its oil, and frankincense and
pine oils were burned lo combat the plague. France
became famous for its perfumes.
In the twentieth century, investigation began
in Lo the healing properties of' essential oils. and the
term aromatherapy came into use about 1950. Escnrial oils arc used in beau Lytherapy, massage, clinical aromatherapy and as a supplement lo spiritual
healing. All of these therapies work on body, mind
and spirit, seeing the body in a holisLic way. Used in
massage, or in baths or as compresses, the molecules
of the essential oils arc quickly absorbed through the
kin by means of' the hair follicles and fine pores. Ln
inhalation .. as on a tissue or from a vaporizer, they
are absorbed through the olfactory nerve and into
the Limbic system and then circulaLccl Lhrough the
nervous system. Often essential oils can get straight
to the emotions or places that need healing. Different essences have different proper! ies, on which arc
based the traditional herbal use. Traditional talcs of
the way in which gods, goddesses and archetypes arc
associated with plants and herbs also provide clues
to their spiritual use.*
*For much or this information. I have drawn Oil Shirley
Price's A1to~1.1T11E1t1P11101tK1100K(Thorsons. London. 1993).
or roses because. when she ll'CIS ten years old (sixt )'
years previously). her father died. She was forbidden lo cry bu! allowed lo throw roses into Iris grave
al the burial. Likewise. the seen! or orange blossom
(neroli) can instant ly I ransport
a woman back in memory Lo her
wedding day, or jasmine to warm
summer nigh Lson holiday in tropical countries. Ccdarwood or pine
oil can bring the memories or eelebration during ihe winier season,
with their warming scents.
\\'c can all become alchemists.
Through the heaviness and difficultics of Ihe material life darkness
can be transformed into light, into
the gold of the spirit By knowing
darkness as well as lighL. we arc able lo experience
transformation. B111 this can only he experienced
wit Ir love and joy. th rough our foeLingsand emotions.
not by the cold analysis or the chemist or by following formulae. So, as Paracelsus said. love is the only
Lhing that opens our hearts. Our daily work needs Lo
be done in a spirit oflove andjoy. and this attitude is
also the one Lobring Loour work with essential oils.
from the subtle body. where the chakras arc. into the
phvsicul bodv, The seven major chakras are connected
Lo the spine. They connect with the physical body
Lhrough the endocrine glands, which arc the physical
counterparts or the chakras. The spine, which is like
a tree-trunk, or slall; supports your body. The nerves
and circulation svstem in ihc physical body and the
uadis in the subtle body are like the branches and
Iwigs lhat radiate out and carry energy around lhem .
The Iirmcr and stronger the spine is, lhe bcucr the
posture is, and the better is the circulation or nut ricn ls
and subtle life-forces that flow around our bodies.
The ancient ~oga texts inform us that there is a
subtle energy called pmna contained in the air we
breathe and in lhe pure food we cal that nourishes
our bodies. Ln the east. it is called qi or chi. The I lebrews called it iuarch. The Creeks referred lo it as
p11e11J11a.All lhesc words carry a sub! lcr message
about breath than the English word docs. The lilcforce. then, is carried around the body in the blood
circulution and the subtle cncrcv
throushti Lile tuulis
U.1
and chakras. The chakras arc 'attached lo the spinal
working wil h you to use the plan I.* Shower the plant
with love from your heart. assuring it you will use iL
011111
for ihc hishcst
<rood. Trusl what .vou arc Laid bv"'
,/
~
Cl
it. Be open lo any pictures, thoughts, colours. feelings or ideas that come Loyou.
6. \\'hen the med ital ion is complete. focus
your alien lion back lo your breathing. Deepen your
breath and start Lolisten Loany sounds around you.
Feel your ICeLon lhe lloor, rub your hands Logelher lo
create warmth and then cup them over your closed
eyes . xlassagc your brow, checks. jaw and chin and
then open your eyes and stretch your body. \\'rile
down what you experienced. Some or the ideas and
meditations I used in this book came Lo me manv
years ago. but insights arc no! lost ifwritten down.