Love is in the air!

I recently spent a glorious sunny morning making hydrosols from the Roman Chamomile (anthemis

Roman Chamomile

nobilis) and rose-scented geranium (perlagonium graveolens) harvested from my garden.

I love the fact that even in the deep winter I will be able to go to my very own Apothecary Store and bring out amazing therapeutic waters to use at home, in the office and with clients.

I use the hydrosols in a diffuser to create a calm, soothing atmosphere in my treatment rooms, it is also wonderful to use in a spray for an anxious child.

One client kept the lavender hydrosol mist spray I made for her in the car for the school pick up, creating a calm space for the kids to off-load stress.  It's proved so popular all her children now have their own bottles - and one has all her friends at school asking for some!  I love the fact that children are discovering the gentle power of natural aids to well-being.

My 'Muji' Diffuser

Another client going through chemo uses her hydrosol spray to settle her when she feels fearful and has found it also  helps her with the nausea.

Being a big advocate of the power of dreams, I've also blended a Sleep Mist to help create a relaxing, calm environment for deep sleep.

Hydrosols can be added to lotions, skin products (rosewater face mask!), soaps and laundry. These therapeutic waters are gentle and safe to use with children and babies. plus they can be used in food dishes and even cocktails (quite keen on trying the martini recipe I've found)!  I'm also having fun at the moment researching and developing products for babies in anticipation of my first grandchild!

The Apothecary is open!

They used to be thought of as the by-product of making essential oils and were often disregarded as waste after harvesting the oil that gathered on the surface of the water.  Recent research however, along with some ancient texts has confirmed the healing properties in the water soluble aromatic compounds contained in the plants.

Making hydrosols from my own chemical-free plants is one of my favourite things to do in the world.  As I watch the process unfold and breathe in the amazing aroma of each distillation I am filled with gratitude and wonder for the natural world.

So when you come to the Relationship Training Centre, you'll know by the gentle aroma that love really is in the air!

Still Here

I have been known to sink a few glasses of wine in my time and whilst my new passion has a link with alcohol, I am using it for a different kind of therapeutic water.

Here is a photo of my new baby having her first outing.  She is a 10L Alembic copper still and is the mothership for production of wonderful aromatic, healing waters called Hydrosols (also known as hydrolats or therapeutic waters).  You've no doubt heard of Rose water, Lavender water, even Orangeflower water - whilst they have wonderful, evocative names they can often just be made from water with a chemical fragrance added to give it a nice smell.  A hydrosol is made through a distillation process and contains the therapeutic compounds of the plants, they can be used as safe, gentle aids to health and well-being.

I had some lovely Rose Hydrosol in my apothecary store, which I use to make the Sleep Mist for the Dream Apothecary.  Daughter no2 came down from London recently and was immediately hit with hayfever.  I gave her a small spray bottle of the hydrosol and told her to spray it in her face and breathe it in.  The sneezing stopped immediately, her eyes stopped streaming and immediately the madly itchy throat was soothed.  Brilliant.  Now she has it nearby at all times - plus the fact that it is also a wonderful skin tonic and soothes her complexion is an added bonus!

My first home product was Lavender Hydrosol. OMG! The aroma in my kitchen was so intoxicating I  kept expecting the swarms of bees and butterflies to invade.  Also the fact that the lavender was harvested just outside my kitchen door and moved a mere 6 feet indoors for distillation means this lovely, therapeutic water has a teeny tiny carbon footprint - so is good for the earth as well as body and soul!

I often supply my clients with Hydrosols and aromatic blends of essential oils to help support them in managing stress and anxiety.  This batch, however, is being used in my diffusers at the office and home, filling the air with the gentle aroma and allowing the therapeutic properties to create a calming, welcoming atmosphere
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How to avoid going Christmas Crackers - Daily tips for staying sane in the run up to Christmas.

Tip No. 7

Create a calm, welcoming and relaxing atmosphere at home with this festive room spray.  Fill a plant spray bottle with 300mls of water and add essential oils:  

2 drops Mandarin: evokes good memories, stimulates the digestive system and conveys joy and positivity 

1 drop Cinnamon: warming, inviting and stirs the appetite

4 drops Pine good for fatigue,  opens up the respiratory system and helps reawaken our instinctive connection to life.

Spritz the rooms regularly and breathe in the therapeutic effects of the oils.  

If you want something to help you stay relaxed and to calm feelings of anxiety, put a couple of drops of geranium oil on a tissue and inhale whenever you feel the stress levels rising.  

The secret to happiness.

In my experience most people are unhappy not because of their relationships but because they are living a disconnected life. The unhappiness shows up in relationships because that's where we experience the distance, but the source of discontent is much deeper.  We are unhappy because we are disconnected from our true nature and are not fulfilling our purpose.  We have no vision.

Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life? Mary Oliver

As human beings we all share one purpose: to be happy. If we're not happy that leads us to our second purpose; to heal the source of our unhappiness.  The by-product of healing emotional wounds and limiting self-concepts is the happiness of feeling confident to express yourself more authentically and able to share your unique gifts and talents with the world.

Blended to resonate with your creative vision

Everyone has a vision - you may not recognise it, you may not have given it that name, but you have one. The best way to know if you are on track with your vision is to check-in with how happy you are.

Your vision will become clear only when you can look into your own heart.  Who looks outside dreams, who looks inside awakens. Carl Jung

A Vision is a dream that builds the path to your highest potential. It is precious, fragile, a quiet whisper of the spirit, and deserves to be honoured.

To manifest your vision means dropping old defences and giving up trying to do things alone. Whether we are motivated to follow our dream through desperation or inspiration, it is a vulnerable process and we could all do with support and friendship along the way.

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. Napoleon Hill

To help people anchor their vision I take them through a coaching process and then, using my skills as an aromatherapist, we build the right combination of essential oils needed to create a personal Vision Oil.  Each blend is made to suit the individual. The essential oils access the limbic region of the brain, associated with the fight or flight response, and work to soothe anxiety and stress and remove the inner blocks that prevent the flow of ideas and creative action.

These organic, hand-blended oils are absorbed physically through the skin and aromatically via the in-breath, working gently on the emotional body. The essential oils are complex, multi-layered and aromatic, their therapeutic aromas ease emotional stress and make room for creative vision to flourish.  They can be used during visualisations, meditation or simply put in the bath or applied to the body.

They are chosen to resonate with your creative vision, allowing the deepest part of your mind to move away from fear and remember the true meaning of your 'wild and precious life'.

And they are made with love.

If you are ready to achieve your Dream, book a Vision Coaching session and get your own personal Vision Oil Blend FREE! Contact: kim@relationshiptraining.co.uk or 07789 408378.  Skype sessions available.