Essential Oils for Green Healing
by Laurel Kerr

Now that winter is here, we're all concerned with flu season and the misery of succumbing to colds and viruses—especially an issue if we have school-age children. Modern science tells us that the increased use of antibiotics and antibacterial products is creating resistant super bugs. Environmentalists warn that our water supply is contaminated with antibiotics that we think we're just flushing away. And our bodies are taking a toll from the continued use of manmade chemicals. It's time to go back to the natural green healing techniques that have come down to us through the ages, because they're safer for us and the environment—and because they work.

Legend has it that, during the height of the Plague years, four French thieves who robbed the bodies of the dead used a carefully-guarded formula that protected them from the dreaded disease. When they were arrested, they were offered a lighter sentence if they would reveal their secret, which they did. Although the ingredients may have been rare then, today they are commonly available, and the formula can be used in many ways to keep you and your family healthy. It turns out that there is real science behind their choice of ingredients, which actually contain powerful germ-busters: clove, for example, has the highest known antioxidant capacity of any plant, and is considered a powerful immune-enhancing antimicrobial.

Make Your Own Formula

If you are going to make your own blend, be sure to use all-natural therapeutic-grade essential oils, not fragrance or perfume-grade oils, or you can purchase the formula already made.

Use equal parts of the following essential oils: clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus radiata, rosemary. Note: We recommend that you consult your medical practitioner before using essential oils. Here are some uses:

Full Strength:

• one drop on thumb, on roof of mouth for headache

• one drop on tongue for sore throat

• several drops on soles of feet to protect against colds and flu

Diluted:

• several drops in a carrier oil (you can use olive oil, jojoba oil, almond, or whatever you prefer) may be applied to chest and throat for bronchitis or congestion

• one drop in a tablespoon of water may be used as a gargle for sore throats

• several drops in a steam inhaler are good for congestion

• several drops in a diffuser will help to kill airborne molds and germs

• several drops in a bucket of cleaning water can be used to mop floors and wipe surfaces to kill germs and molds

• several drops may be placed in a spray bottle with water to spritz doorknobs, telephones, toilet seats, etc.

Healing Technique

You can also use essential oils as part of a simple healing technique that offers immediate and dramatic relief. I recently performed one of these on a client who was suffering with the flu. When she came in, she was flat and exhausted, with a sore throat and extreme congestion in her sinuses and chest. The results of the technique were amazing: her sore throat and congestion immediately eased, and by the end of the session she was positively buoyant. What a difference! The technique is simple, involving application of essential oils to the feet and spine; the entire process takes about an hour and includes a warm body-wrap that clients have described as wonderfully relaxing. Some of the oils used were thyme, oregano, marjoram, and basil.

Laurel Kerr has been in private healing practice for twelve years. She is a certified Brennan Healing Practitioner and a devoted student of the body-mind-spirit connection. If you would like to reach her for more information about essential oils or healing sessions, contact her at laurelk19@aol.com.