Author Archives: AyurvedicOils

Ayurvedic Treatment For Insomnia

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‘Ouch! My days appear dragged…My nights are making me an owl…..Even my simple breakfast takes much time to digest…..I’ve started developing dark circles around my eyes…..I always feel exhausted and worn-out. What’s happening to me?’ I often hear these lifeless statements from many of my friends and colleagues. If you are experiencing any one of the indications listed above, then listen you are suffering from insomnia.

According to Ayurveda, insomnia is the basis for angst, nervousness, gloominess, depression, obesity, hypersensitivity, stress, deprived immune system and constant worrying. These symptoms can also be called as the siblings of insomnia. If left unnoticed you’ll more or less be encircled by a shadowy atmosphere where even your bright white dress might look completely black to your eyes??? Only a spiritual healing of an Ayurvedic treatment can perfectly save your head from insomnia and its siblings.

What is insomnia? Insomnia simply means sleepless nights when you are still lying on your bed waiting for a profound sleep to knock your night. People suffering from insomnia experience difficulty in falling asleep and slog to enjoy the comfort of a lasting sleep.  There’s nothing as dreadful as insomniac nights. By the time you are struggling, striving, tossing and turning on your bed, you’d quickly realize that the Sun has come up to serve its purpose. Oh My God! What a kind of irritation it is? How worse it is to stay awake while the entire home sleeps peacefully?

Reasons behind insomnia: What causes insomnia? Is the biggest question in this context. Ayurveda states that insomnia branches out from vata predominant emotions in people who have a medical history of constipation, unbalanced eating habits, improper digestion, regular dehydration and few other health disorders. Sleep is completely natural in Ayurvedic terms and this common sense science recommends human beings to sleep before 10:00 PM at night and wake up before 6:00 AM. This is because our body naturally influences the secretion of melatonin hormone from the pineal gland, when the natural light starts fading and induces sleep. Intake of caffeine-based drinks, hectic routine, siesta, intake of excess alcohol, late night meals and other in the wrong lifestyle changes alters the natural secretion of melatonin and ends up in insomnia.

Ayurvedic treatment for insomnia: According to Ayurveda, good sleep and rest known as ‘Nidra’ is one among the three vital pillars of human health. Taking up an Ayurvedic routine and following it right in your daily lives will gradually make your system complete and your life meaningful. Ayurveda, the natural wisdom has a bunch of fruitful remedies for treating insomnia and few other serious health conditions caused by acute and chronic insomnia.

  1. Healthy and nutritious diet: Ayurveda always insists on the intake of a healthy, nutritious and balanced diet with fresh fruits and green leafy vegetables. After your first Ayurvedic consultation, your Ayurvedic practitioner will help you in identifying your predominant dosha and guide you with a healthy diet containing the food items that would suit your inherited constitution in a hale and hearty manner.
  2. Abhyanga or the Ayurvedic massage: An enlivening Ayurvedic massage can give you all that you need for a calm and composed living. It has proven benefits and is in practice for more than 5000 years. A relieving massage with Ayurvedic essential oils and other medicated oils aids in reducing pain, muscular tension, nervousness, stress, enhances your blood circulation, soothes your nervous system, rejuvenates your mind and helps in alleviating anxiety, fatigue, stress, depression and other mood fluctuations paving way for an entirely new system that will certainly help you in getting a good night’s sleep.
  3. Shirodhara: It can be called as a revivifying treatment useful in treating mental exhaustion, neurological disorders, sinusitis, loss of memory, tension and insomnia. It stimulates relaxation of muscles and increases the concentration power. This therapy engages gentle pouring of oils or other medicated liquids on the forehead for a specific time from a specific distance.
  4. Use of Ayurvedic essential oils: Ayurvedic essential oils have a natural fragrance that calm the senses and soothe the mind gradually. The mesmerizing aroma along with the therapeutic properties like anti-depressant, calmative, soothing, sedative, relaxing and revitalizing help considerably in treating insomnia. You can either add few drops to your bath tub for a warm refreshing bath before going to bed or add two to three drops of essential oil to your pillows to bring in calmness or place a cotton ball near your pillow with few drops of mild essential oils that can help through the entire night in inculcating warming thoughts. The best and most effective Ayurvedic essential oils for insomnia are Lavender essential oil, Clary sage essential oil, Ylang Ylang essential oil, Sandalwood oil, Neroli oil, Roman Chamomile oil, Bergamot essential oil, Marjoram essential oil, Rose essential oil and Basil essential oil.
  5. Soothing physical exercises, yoga and meditation: Regular physical exercises, yoga and meditation are vital for your harmonized living. Everything should be done methodically, preferably in the early hours of the day that has a greater impact on your positive thinking, dynamism, clarity of mind and improves your self-confidence.

Always end up your day with a small prayer before going to bed. This really helps a lot. There is no use in worrying or staring at the ceiling when the complete city sleeps in silence. Come on! The gift of sleeping right and tight at night just demands these simple and startling steps. Enjoy your sleep and all I have to say you is ‘Good night, sleep tight, don’t let the bedbugs bite’. Bye! Bye!

Thought for the day:

Insomnia is a gross feeder. It will nourish itself on any kind of thinking, including thinking about not thinking.    -By Clifton Fadiman.

Suggested reading:

  1. NATURAL INSOMNIA TREATMENT Best Essential Oils to Use for Chronic Insomnia, Sleep Disturbances, Night Fears & to Restore Natural Sleep Cycles
    By KG Stiles
  2. Beat Insomnia Quickly (Bullet Guides) By Sara Kirkham
  3. Overcoming Sleep Disorders Naturally By Laurel Vukovic
  4. Sleep Tight: Sleep well tonight and every night By James M Brunton

Reference Links:

  1. Insomnia by Wikipedia
  2. What Is Insomnia? What Causes Insomnia? by Medical News Today
  3. Ayurvedic Cure for Insomnia by Onlymyhealth
  4. Melatonin by University of Maryland Medical Center

Citronellyl formate

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Citronellyl formate is an organic compound present in the essential oils of Geranium, Rose, Basil, Lovage root, Mandarin and Kumquat peel oil.

It is an ester of formic acid with the molecular formula C11H20O2. Citronellyl formate is also known as citronellyl methanoate, citronellyle formiate, formic acid citronellyl ester and so on.

Attributes of Citronellyl formate:

Citronellyl formate is a colorless liquid, which is clear in nature. It owns a floral, sweet, green, citrus aroma and fruity flavor. It is a combination of fruity flavors of apple, peach and berry.

Flavoring and fragrance ingredient:

It is used for its flavor and fragrance in perfumery. It is used as a flavoring agent. Citronellyl formate and citronellyl acetate present in the Kumquat peel oil contribute to the characteristic smell of the oil. This is witnessed in the study named, ‘Characteristic odor components of kumquat (Fortunella japonica Swingle) peel oil.’

Antifungal activity:

A study titled ‘Antifungal Activity of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium Species) Essential Oil and its Six Constituents’ was carried out to determine the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Pelargonium species and its main constituents.

It was found that Citronellyl formate which is one of the constituent of the essential oil of rose-scented geranium species possess antifungal activity against candida albicans and Cryptococcus neoformans, which causes candidiasis and cryptococcosis in humans.

In the study ‘Antimicrobial Activity of Geranium Oil against Clinical Strains of Staphylococcus aureus’, it was stated that Citronellyl formate is one of the main constituents that is accountable for the biological activity of the Geranium oil.

Antitumor activity:

Citronellyl formate exhibit marginal antitumor activity, which is evident from the study, ‘Studies on the chemical components and anti-tumour action of the volatile oils from Pelargonium graveoleus.’

Reference Links:

  1. Citronellyl formate by the Good Scents Company
  2. Antifungal Activity of Rose-Scented Geranium (Pelargonium Species) Essential Oil and its Six Constituents
  3. Studies on the chemical components and anti-tumor action of the volatile oils from Pelargonium graveoleus
  4. Characteristic odor components of kumquat (Fortunella japonica Swingle) peel oil.
  5. Antimicrobial Activity of Geranium Oil against Clinical Strains of Staphylococcus aureus

Ayurvedic Essential Oils for Adding Strength to Toddler’s Health

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Babies who learn to walk are called Toddlers. What an awesome sight it is to see your little one take up his/her initial steps with interest and adventure!! We being adults have a lot to learn from toddlers who never give up even though they fail hundreds of times, while they are trying to walk. Every single day during this stage, generally when they are 1 or 2 years old, i.e. the time connecting infancy and childhood is incredibly imperative in a child’s life, as it gets to grow in a plenty of ways. What toddlers actually need at this stage is the love, strength and support from their parents along with certain healthy practices that make them grow with a sturdy foundation for their lifetime. Nutritious food, hygienic habits and an energizing massage with Ayurvedic essential oils can give them the real power in strengthening their muscles and nourish their skin.

Ayurveda and toddlers:  Ayurveda states that this is the phase for complete physical, emotional, social and intellectual development for children. A baby is considered as an individual in Ayurveda from its birth itself. Ayurveda treats every newborn as a unique creation with distinctive state of body and mind, known as doshas namely vata, pitta and kapha. Every one of us will have one or two doshas as predominant in our character with the remaining one as less important.

Vata babies are generally lean and find it difficult to gain weight, prone to colic and constipation with dry skin. These fearful babies do not sleep well and can be easily disturbed during sleep. They are extremely brilliant in learning new things.

Pitta predominant toddlers have a good appetite and they may tend to suffer from digestive disorders like diarrhea and heartburn, skin problems like eczema and rashes, due to the imbalance in pitta dosha. With a strong body, these babies have an average weight. Pitta toddlers have a tendency to get angry very easily and are really active during the day with a moderate sleep at night.

Attractive, chubby and mesmerizing babies, often under limelight are all the ones with high proportion of kapha in their constitution. These toddlers are really close and attached to their moms than anyone else. They share things with other babies and are the well-behaved ones unlike the toddlers with vata or pitta predominance. Kapha toddlers are often hungry and have a deep sleep with less response to noise and other disturbances. Kapha imbalance might end up in cold, cough, obesity, sinusitis, sluggishness, lethargic behavior etc.

Identifying the doshas in your children with their behavior will help you greatly for being the best parents in attending to your toddler’s health concerns wisely.

Ayurvedic essential oils for Toddlers: Essential oils are just the purest element of a plant just like a baby who is a purest form of innocence and love. These oils when used with care and precaution will help your toddlers in many aspects while they are still learning to grow in a multitude number of ways. The most appealing and the safest Ayurvedic essential oils for toddlers are:

1. Lavender essential oil: How can someone forget lavender oil, the therapeutic properties and its gentle healing remedies when it comes to babies especially? Diluting 2 drops of Lavender essential oil in 2 tablespoons of Almond oil or Jojoba oil can act as the best massage oil for toddlers. This blend helps in nourishing their skin and augments the strength of their muscles. It induces good sleep and it is a perfect choice for fuzzy toddlers with vata predominance, often having difficulties in sleeping. Few drops of lavender essential oil can also be added to the diffuser mainly before bedtime. Diaper rashes, skin problems, fever and sleep disorders especially during illness can be assisted with the help of lavender oil and its calming aroma.

2. Roman Chamomile essential oil: Most of the mommies might have come across this situation, where you might not know why your baby is actually crying and if it is going to be the nighttime then it’s gone, as it would spoil the peaceful sleep of the entire family. The best Ayurvedic essential oil that can help you in such worst case scenarios is Roman Chamomile essential oil. Add a drop of this oil to your baby’s pillow or to a cotton ball and place it inside your shirt, near your shoulders. When you try pacifying your toddler, the warmth of your body along with the gentle aroma of Chamomile oil will help them sleep peacefully.

3. Tea Tree essential oil: Tea tree oil is extremely good for toddlers, especially at times of treating cold, earache, tonsillitis and other pain related to babies of this stage. You can bank upon this miraculous oil for treating skin problems like itches due to insect bites, diaper rashes, healing bruises and cuts that are common among toddlers who are deeply vested with their journey excavating new things every day. With its effective anti-bacterial properties, one drop of tea tree oil added to baby wipe solutions can protect your baby from harmful germs, bacteria and other infectious bodies.

When your toddler steps ahead his/her life with 1 2 3…… you support them with these oils, 1 for Lavender, 2 for Roman Chamomile and 3 for Tea tree oil. Sounds great to me and it will be spectacular indeed to you also, when you start using these greatest gifts of nature to your loved little ones. Give my love and Muahhhhhhhhhhh…………To the little Princes and Princesses of your families.

Disclaimer: Consult with your Ayurvedic Practitioner before using Ayurvedic essential oils for your toddlers as pure essential oils are highly concentrated and may harm your babies if used without proper consultation.

Thought for the day:

What good mothers and fathers instinctively feel like doing for their babies is usually best after all.                            -By Benjamin Spock

Suggested Reading:

  1. Seven Secrets to Raising a Happy and Healthy Child: The Ayurvedic Approach to Parenting By Joyce Seyburn
  2. Perfect Health for Kids: Ten Ayurvedic Health Secrets Every Parent Must Know By John Douillard
  3. Aromatherapy For Babies And Children By Shirley Price

Reference Links:

  1. Ages & Stages – Toddlers by Urbanext, University of Illinois Extension
  2. Healthy Mother and Baby Through Ayurveda by Green Kiddie
  3. Essential Oil Care for Children and Babies by Abundant Health