ABOUT THE AURA and THE AURA CLEANSE AND PROTECTION PROGRAM

One of the ways you could
see your aura. Thanks to
Gilbert Heim for this picture.

As the vibration of the Earth changes, more and more people are sensitive to “energy”. The best proof is in the exploding numbers of people who see or perceive the aura, who have premonitions, perceive angels or entities of various realms, and of people attracted to reiki, shamanic work, bioenergetics, healing work, channelers, aromatherapy, and so on. You may be one of them.

So what is that energy that people perceive but don’t necessarily see? The most common term used is “the aura.” As a kid, seeing light of different colours around the head of the priest during mass, I wondered why it was not gold and floating above his head like in pious pictures. Later on, as a teenager, I wondered why I saw this and what  was the role of the aura. Since the late 1990s, I studied and learned to work with it. A couple of weeks ago, 

GHOST BUSTERS: A STORY OF RELAXATION

Nervous tension is stored in the cells
 and makes the body nervous.
A good massage reduces that incredibly well.

This is the second article I write today. The other one disappeared on purpose under the delete button. I admit, at first I felt unqualified to share knowledge through this blog today because of judgements that I didn’t cope well with a strong case of Vata disbalance. And yet, as I wrote this, a voice inside told me this was not true.

The inner layer of defence said:  

“You took care of the physical bodies by:

CUBEB AND CANANGA ESSENTIAL OILS FROM BALI, OH LA LA

Bali, one of the jewels of Indonesia, is a world producer of
rice and a producer of fine essential oils.

After travelling, one of the most fun things to do is to talk to people who just came back from a trip. A student recently went to Bali and brought back cubeb and cananga (ylang ylang) essential oils. Thanks Chantal for this amazing sensory experience. The names sound so exotic don’t they! As are their scents! I wish they could cross cyberspace to reach your nose. So far, only nature has really mastered the ability to create perfumes that truly can touch the soul and give a sense of connection with the world and with the self. And at this time of year, these essences and other wonderful essential oils have the ability to generously keep us warm as the fall and winter seasons are already at our doorstep.

WHEN THE GOING GET DRY, GET THE OILS FLOWING

Oils come in all colours and textures.

Mother Nature has provided every area of the world with an abundance of oils. Why? Because they are absolutely necessary in our diet and on our body, especially for the maintenance and repair of the nervous system and the skin. Think of coconut oil and shae butter everywhere in the tropics, olive and sesame and almond in the mediterranean area, rice oats oils in Asia, canola, sunflower and grape seed in more temperate areas. People from northern countries, living above the tree line, found their source of oil

INNER AND OUTER BEAUTY: BALANCE AND SELF-CARE (FALL 2013 PROGRAM)

The Aroma Muses for the Arts workshops announced in the previous entry are only one part of Face to Grace’s calendar of activity. They're definitely for those who are seeking expansion and want to put on their wings. The core part of Face to Grace’s course program includes:

• Practical Awakening for those seeking help for sailing journeys regardless of weather
• Balance Your Emotions with Aromatherapy, both in English and French, offer tools when the tides of emotions are high.
• the 1-Year Biovedic Beauty Certification Program develops grace and flexibility, and provides countless tools on the journey of beauty.

All three include components on aromatherapy, ayurveda and much more.

AROMA MUSES FOR THE ARTS - A CALL TO BUDDING, AWAKENED AND FULL-FLEDGED ARTISTS

What is fearlessness for you? When and how does it come about? For most fearlessness is present when one is determined to go into the unknown or to meet a fear face to face. That could be in any area of life: relationships, self-inquiry, profession, creativity or exploring the world. It always is triggered by a need for freedom and expansion, from knowing that you can do more and be more fully who you truly are. The arts and aromatherapy provide a perfect platform to meet fears with curiosity and innocent fearlessness.

TEST YOUR MEMORY AND KNOWLEDGE OF AYURVEDA AND AROMATHERAPY

Here is a short quiz for the fun of it. Whether you have been reading my blog for a long or short while, enjoy testing your memory or sniffing out the answers through its various entries. For those who want quick answers, see below.

1. What are plants that support the female hormonal system?

• fennel
•  shatavari
• ashwanganda
• evening primrose
•  all of the above
• none of the above

RECIPE: LEMON VERBENA CLEANSING TEA

Although this fragrant recipe will suit all skin types, Kapha ladies and gents will enjoy it most. If you want to drink the tea, simply double the recipe. Great to improve digestion, which will also benefit your skin.

Ingredients:

5 leaves of lemon verbena

3 lavender stems with flowers

3 leaves of lemon balm

1 litre of water

Method:

• Make a tea with the following 3 fresh or dried herbs. 
• Let it steep for 11 minutes
• Let the tea cool off a bit
• When temperature is appropriate for your skin (warm enough to open the pores) soak 2 face cloths in the mixture.
• Quickly fold both facecloths in triangle shape, place first one tip up from nose to forehead, the second one tip down from under the nose to the chin.
• Make sure all areas of the face are covered.
• Add a small towel on top of everything if breathing is not an issue.
• Relax for 11 minutes.
• By then, the rest of your herb tea will have cooled off. Use it for a final rinse.
• OPTIONAL: Spray lavender hydrosol as a toner. If the day is cool, use ginger hydrosol instead.

YOUR SKIN CELLS HAVE SUCH GREAT MEMORY!

The human cell: no wonder it has such
good memory.

Skin cells have an incredible memory. You may have experienced this yourself. For example, years after having recovered from surgery or a trauma of some kind, you’re getting a treatment from an ayurvedic practitioner, a chiropractor, an acupuncturist or a massage therapist. Then seemingly out of nowhere, a memory blocking self-healing comes up through

MINI-QUIZ FOR A LAZY AFTERNOON

All answers to these questions are found in previous posts, but it's summer, so I made it easy to check the answers for those with a Pitta mind with answers below.

1. What gift did the magic pumpkin give Cinderella on the night of the ball?

1. almond milk to keep a rosy complexion
2. sparkle oil for her dancing shoes
3. a password to win the prince’s heart
4. pumpkin seeds to make beauty oil (answer in CINDERELLA'S CARRIAGE HAD A GIFt FOR HER... AND FOR YOU TOO!)

1. According to ayurveda, which constitution (dosha) is most likely to be upset during summer?

1. Vata (air and space)
2. Pitta (fire and water)
3. Kapha (water and earth)

3. To balance dry skin and hair, nervousness, insomnia and constipation, it is best to:

1. never miss an opportunity to go out and have fun.
2. decrease your consumption of crackers, increase oil in your diet and skin care, avoid stimulants and rushing.
3. go South during winter

4. What can cool off and heal sunburns?

1. aloe vera gel
2. plain organic yogourt
3. lavender hydrosol
4. all of the above

5. A shirodara is :

1. a full body massage by two practitioners
2. a massage of the forehead with warm oil to balance the Vata constitution
3. a massage of the forehead with cool milk to balance the Pitta constitution
4. 2 and 3

6. Which vitamin is essential to the life of a skin cell?

1. B3
2. E
3. Zinc
4. A

7. Which massage oil mix is most likely to help with sluggish digestion?

1. cumin, anis, ginger, cardamom essential oils with sesame oil
2. vetiver, eucalyptus and frankincense essential oils in coconut oil
3. cedar, birch and pine essential oil in petroleum jelly (Vaseline)

8. Which are the most effective ingredients to preserve the integrity of moisturizing creams?

1. essential oils
2. hydrosols
3. certain vitamins
4. jojoba
5. clay
6. 1, 3 and 4
7. 1, 2 and 5

9. Face to Grace offers courses on topics such as:

1. ayurveda, aromatherapy and energy work
2. yoga
3. ayurvedic nutrition
4. stress and emotions
5. a 1-year beauty certification program
6. all of the above
7. 1, 4 and 5

10. Pimples on the chin and lower area of the face indicate a Kapha disbalance.

1. True?
2. False?

****

ANSWER KEY:

1. (4); 2. (2) Too much of anything creates disblance; 3. (2) Number 3 could work, as long as you hydrate yourself and avoid stimulants, eg. alcohol and over-activity; 4. (4); 5. (4); 6. (2) All are good, but vitamin E is essential; 7. (1); 8. (6); 9. (7); 10. (1)

MOLD AND EMOTIONS: A DIRECT LINK

My visit to the coastal islands Saturna and Salt Spring Island, in British Columbia, continue to inspire me. The thing that struck me most, at least at first, was the incredible humid and rainy weather. But this type of weather was also awaiting here in Ottawa and in many other places in the world such as Germany, where the Danube is currently spreading out of its bed for hundreds of miles.

A voracious destroyer of life

Fascinating to see the strong forces
of growth and decay
at work in this park, close to Victoria.

In extreme kapha conditions, one of the most dangerous creature finds a haven:

CINDERELLA'S CARRIAGE HAD A GIFt FOR HER... AND FOR YOU TOO!

The author of the famous fairy tale never mentioned what happened during the carriage ride that brought Cinderella to the castle to meet her prince on that magic night.

This past weekend, I made a discovery that

TASTES, EMOTIONS AND AROMATHERAPY

Going back to old reference books often provides insights and inspiration doesn't it. As I was leafing through Dr. Frawley and Dr. Lad’s The Yoga of Herbs, a couple of paragraphs on tastes and emotions caught my attention.

“Emotions have a certain taste or flavor and affect the body according to their qualities. There are bitter emotions like grief, or astringent like fear

PANCHA KARMA IN KANNUR, YEAR 2

My friend Anamda receives a blessing and an offering
of turmeric from the
"priest" at this 500-year old Kovu (temple).

Although I doubted I would ever return to Kannur, here I am, reporting on my second pancha karma experience. In fact, the trip would turn out to bring much more than a great cleanse, swimming in the ocean and shopping. Mind you, the gold jewelry stores display incredible quantity, creativity and splendor.

FRANKINCENSE: NUGGETS OF GREAT POWER

Frankincense, a precious, affordable
and versatile gift!

Apart from shoveling snow, there are so many ways of warming oneself! You may like vigorous cardio-vascular exercises, hot yoga, a Cuban beach, or a warm cup of chai tea by the stove. I discovered a fabulous new and affordable way recently. Using frankincense. A student asked if it was possible to make tincture with the resin of the frankincense tree. Intuitively, I believe it was, but could not say yes outright so we both researched it. I had frankincense resin at home that I burn occasionally for meditation and its essential oil used in healing work to balance the seventh chakra. That was the extent of my knowledge. Thanks to Chantal’s curiosity we discovered a treasure worthy of the cave of Ali Baba.

HOT OFF THE PRESS: THE BOOK OF BEAUTY

It sometimes takes a long time to make a dream come true. This week, mine finally arrived in four boxes. My first official publication, The Book of Beauty: Making Skin Care Products with Aromatherapy and Ayurveda. When I was six years old, my mother bought me my first brand new book, Martine à la mer. Right there and then, I knew I wanted to become an author. I spent most of my career writing as a reporter, as a communications officer or in some other capacity but it did not meet this urge deep within. Now this one did and propelled me to start another one.

The Book of Beauty summarizes everything I learned over the past 15 years about making skin care products. I share with readers the basics of Ayurveda as it relates to skin types and provide a test that allows you to assess your own and other people's dosha or constitution with photos that support the teachings.

NATURE'S BOUNTY FOR YOUR BEAUTY: TURMERiC, NEEM, HENNA AND HIBISCUS

Comes February, I will be back in Kerala, India, for 21 days of pancha karma treatment and to learn more about ayurvedic use of medicinal herbs for health and beauty. Already familiar with turmeric, neem and henna, I discovered the wonders of hibiscus for amazing hair during my last trip.

Turmeric

North Americans are familiar with turmeric as