Posture Perfect
Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing
Poor posture can damage your health, and make you look and feel older than you are. But says ANASTASIA STEPHENS, a few simple exercises will strengthen core muscles and boost your wellbeing click here to read

Every breath you take
Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing
In the search for quick-fix pick-me-ups, we often ignore how vital our lungs can be. But by breathing consciously, we open the door to improved health and wellbeing says ANASTASIA STEPHENS click here to read

Natural Defences
Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing
We all want to help ourselves stay healthy during the coldest months of the year, but which supplements work? Medical herbalist ANASTASIA STEPHENS has the lowdown click here to read

Posture Perfect

Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing

Poor posture can damage your health, and make you look and feel older than you are. But says ANASTASIA STEPHENS, a few simple exercises will strengthen core muscles and boost your wellbeing

At this very moment, are your shoulders back or slumped forward? And when you stand, are you engaging your abdominal muscles? The chances are, particularly if you sit at a desk all day, your posture isn’t great. And if you think it isn’t important, think again.

Physically, bad posture can lead to all sorts of aches and pains – headaches, back and neck pains, a predisposition to sports injuries, anxiety, and even bad digestion.

Meanwhile, good posture keeps you in balance, physically and psychologically. ‘How you hold yourself, has an impact on how you feel,’ points out Ilia Dauossi, member of the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique. ‘When we’re downhearted, we slump our shoulders, and our heart is literally facing down. When we’re proud, we stand tall, shoulders back and facing the world.’

The key to good posture is the strength and balance of the very muscles that make up our core, or centre. And if you have core stability, you’ll be relaxed, invigorated, and physically more capable. ‘Core muscles are like the roots of a tree,’ explains Julie Ruggins, London-based ballet and pilates teacher. ‘They’re the powerhouse and the key to the proper use of the whole musculoskeletal system. Without a strong and stable core, a ballet dancer wouldn’t be able to leave the floor, let alone balance on one leg.’

Core muscles include the muscles of the trunk, pelvis, hips and abdomen, as well as smaller muscles along the spine. Weakness in this system can lead to tension, imbalances and strain. But when core muscles are strong, they provide a firm base for the entire body. ‘A balanced and centred core, means you’ll hold your body well,’ says Rowan Dellal, yoga teacher at the Harbour Club in Notting Hill, London. ‘This will enable life energy and blood to move freely along the spine and nourish the whole body.’

Above all, core strength and balance allows relaxation, giving a sense of overall ease and stability. So how do you build a balanced core? ‘Core stability doesn’t just come from strengthening muscles in isolation,’ warns Dr John Willson, physical performance researcher at the University of Delaware in the US. ‘You create it through a combination of strength and movement. Then your muscles and nerves learn to coordinate together in an intelligent way, a way that balances you in every day life.’

So what are the best techniques for building and strengthening your core?

YOGA
The ancient Indian practice of yoga uses breath to create awareness of posture, balance, strength and tension. Specific poses or asanas, work on core muscles, building strength and flexibility. Breathing and conscious relaxation helps release physical and psychological tension in the core and elsewhere.

Core builder? With hands pressed to the floor, arms straight under your shoulders, hold your body straight like a plank. Extend the heels of your feet as much as possible to engage the stomach muscles. Also try the chair pose: with your feet hip-width apart, bend your knees as if going to sit on a chair behind you. Hold your arms up, in line with your spine. Inhale and exhale deeply, into the abdomen. Both these exercises will balance and strengthen your core.

PILATES
Pilates builds the body’s core strength and posture through a series of stretching and conditioning exercises. Devised by Joseph Pilates at the turn of the century, the technique was used to help dancers recovering from injury. Now sportsmen and celebs like Madonna and Liz Hurley use it to keep physically strong and toned.

Core builder? This technique will align your spine, helping you engage your core muscles in everyday life. ‘To engage your core muscles, your pelvis needs to be in neutral alignment with the spine,’ says Julie Ruggins. Find this point by lying down on your back with knees bent. Place the palms of your hands flat on your lower abdomen. Gently rock your pelvis forward and backwards and gradually come to a point where your abdomen is flattened. You should just be able to fit a hand under the small of your back.

ALEXANDER TECHNIQUE
This is a 1-1 method where an Alexander Technique teacher observes how you sit, stand and move. Using touch and awareness exercises, you’ll be guided into ways of moving your body with more ease and less strain. Much of the focus is on releasing unnecessary tension, and teaching the body to move in better ways.

Core builder? Whenever you can, take a relaxing deep breath and tune into how you are holding your body. If you are holding any tension, see if you can let it go. See how your posture changes as you imagine a piece of string running through the top of your head, down your back.

BALLET
Ballet works on strengthening and lengthening muscles in exercises that create physical resistance. Core muscles are built up specifically through dance moves that challenge your balance.

Core builder? To strengthen all core muscles, stand on your toes for 20s while gently pulling in your abdomen. Rest and repeat for 5mins. Holding a wall for balance if necessary, lift one leg slowly up in front of you, then behind and to the side as far as possible. Hold for 5-10s in each position and repeat with the alternate leg.

FINDING YOUR CORE (CENTRE)
People who sit still for long periods tend to under-use their core muscles, so are often not aware of them. The following exercise will help you identify your core muscles while strengthening them.

‘Inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth, gently draw in your abdomen, moving your navel inwards towards your spine,’ says Julie Huggins. ‘This will create a gentle contraction in your abdomen, which holds your spine in a healthy position. Do this as often as you remember throughout the day. It will improve your core stability and posture.’ You should also avoid habits that will throw you off-centre and strain your core.

These include sitting cross legged for long periods, carrying bags over one shoulder and cradling the phone between your cheek and shoulder. In particular, slouching leads to lazy stomach muscles and tense back muscles – remember, when standing, to gently pull your abdomen inward and upward.

CULTIVATING CORE AWARENESS
A key factor in maintaining a centered posture is awareness. ‘Whenever we are physically or emotionally challenged, we tighten our core,’ explains Rowan Dellal. ‘We then fall into bad habits such as shallow breathing and slouching. Before we know it, we’re off centre and feeling tense.’

You cannot ‘force’ your core to give up tension,’ she says. The key is to breathe gently and deeply and be as soft and open as possible.

Keep the core muscles as relaxed as you can. ‘Key indicators of the state of your core are the anus, base of the tongue and eyes,’ adds Dellal. ‘If either is tense, it is likely your entire core will be tense. When you consciously relax them, you’ll find your whole core and your breathing, also becomes more relaxed.’

INFO
To find an Alexander Technique teacher, contact the Society of Teachers of the Alexander Technique, www.stat.co.uk, tel: 020 7482 5135. For info on pilates, www.pilatesfoundation.com, tel: 07071 781 859. For ballet classes nationwide go to www.danceweb.co.uk ; in London contact www.pineapple.uk.com, tel: 020 7 836 4004. For info on yoga and classes, contact the British Wheel of Yoga at www.bwy.org.uk, tel: 01529 306 851.

Every breath you take

Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing

In the search for quick-fix pick-me-ups, we often ignore how vital our lungs can be. But by breathing consciously, we open the door to improved health and wellbeing says ANASTASIA STEPHENS

Take a deep breath, right from your belly. As you do this, notice the gentle movement of your chest and abdomen. More to the point, how do you feel?

In yoga and meditation classes across the globe, thousands of people are probably practicing this simple exercise right now. If you’ve ever done it, you know the benefits are fairly immediate – your stress levels take a dive; your heart beat slows. You feel calmer and more spacious, and all those thoughts hurtling through your mind, miraculously begin to evaporate.

The yogic practice of pranayama is the closest you can get to an ancient science of breathing. Encompassing a huge variety of breathing exercises, the Indian yogis have studied, through direct experience, just how breathing affects wellbeing, consciousness and physical health.

The point is, our breath is a function we can learn to regulate and develop to improve our physical and mental health. It’s something that the scientific world is now acknowledging - and gathering medical evidence to show benefits.

In a recent trial at the University of Colorado in the US (check) patients with hyptertension were encouraged to slow their breathing with the help of Resperate, a special monitor. Their blood pressure subsequently fell by 15 points – enough to have a marked impact on their cardiovascular health. Another study, published in the Medical Journal of Australia found that a controlled breathing method called Buteyko, helped asthmatics control their symptoms and reduce their medication.

A vigorous breathing method called Oxycise, has even been found to aid weight-loss by increasing oxygen supply to tissue, which in turn, helps the body metabolise fat. In a recent study, Dr Robert Girandola, professor of Exercise Science at the University of Southern California, found women burned 140 per cent more calories with Oxycise than when riding an exercise bike for the same length of time.

But how can breathing have such profound effects?

On the most basic level, breathing helps to provide enough oxygen for all the cells in the body to function correctly and to ensure thorough elimination of waste products such as carbon dioxide. Increased oxygen intake is also particularly important for the correct functioning of the kidneys, liver and spleen, while slowing down your breathing is beneficial for your heart.

‘Most people are stressed – their sympathetic nervous system is over-active and their bodies pump out too much adrenalin,’ says Dr Jane Flemming, London-based GP. ‘It means their heart rate and blood pressure is higher than it could be and digestion suffers. However breathing slowly, into your abdomen, calms the nervous system almost immediately, meaning that heart rate and blood pressure decrease. Digestion is linked to stress, so good breathing improves this too.’

Breathing has direct connections to emotional states and moods too - observe someone who is angry, afraid or otherwise upset, and you will see a person breathing rapidly, shallowly, noisily and irregularly. Vitally, by breathing consciously, you can influence your emotional state, for the better. ‘You cannot be upset if your breathing is slow, deep, quiet and regular,’ points out Dr Andrew Weil, author of Breathing: The Master Key to Self Healing. ‘You cannot always center yourself emotionally by an act of will, but you can use your voluntary nerves to make your breathing slow, deep, quiet and regular, and the rest will follow.

This brings us to a vital point. As any yoga teacher will tell you, breathing is the bridge between consciousness and unconsciousness. ‘The amygdala, the primitive brain at the top of the spine, controls unconscious functions like breathing, fight-or-flight and body temperature,’ explains Howard Napper, yoga-teacher at London’s Triyoga Centre. ‘When we breathe without awareness, we’re using the unconscious brain. But when we breathe with awareness, the neocortex of our brain takes over. This is an area connected to consciousness.’

Breathing consciously relaxes us physically and mentally, says Napper, calming our thoughts and opening us to a sense of spaciousness. In this space, we’re more likely to act, rather than react, and feel positive rather than negative. It’s little wonder that many cultures have linked breath to our spirit. ‘The words for spirit and breath are one and the same in many language,’ points Napper. ‘In Sanskrit the word is prana, in Greek it is pneuma, in Latin it is spiritus. Look at our own language - inspire means ‘to breathe in’ and ‘to be filled with spirit.’

Unfortunately, most of us, most of the time, don’t breath consciously. And when we hit a stressful situation – as most of us do with daily regularity – breathing becomes shorter, sharper and shallow. Emotionally and physically we pay the price almost immediately.

‘If you are not breathing correctly, your body can be robbed of oxygen, leading to a host of conditions,’ says Dr Jane Flemming. ‘Your skin can suffer as it is not receiving enough fresh oxygenated blood. Your muscles can tire easily during a workout as they are not getting the right amount of oxygen. You can feel constantly tired and lethargic because there are not enough vital nutrients being carried in the blood.’

Breathing incorrectly can also affect the levels of carbon dioxide - or CO2 - in the blood. While oxygen is important for our bodies to work properly, CO2 is just as vital. A certain level of CO2 is necessary for your cells to maintain the correct level of acidity and to function effectively.

This bad breathing is often a learned habit. When we are babies, we all take deep, relaxing breaths from our abdomen - watch your children when they are asleep to see how their stomach rises and falls rather than their chest. As we get older, stress switches on the 'fight or flight' response and we take short sharp breaths to help prepare for the 'fight' we will have to face. But prolonged periods of stress mean we constantly breathe like this, only ever using the top third of our lungs.

This causes us to breathe as if we were permanently hyperventilating. The result is a poor exchange of oxygen and CO2 in the bloodstream, depriving our bodies of both vital gases. A lack of CO2 can make you feel 'spaced out' and can lead to panic attacks, insomnia, dizziness and extreme fatigue, while lack of oxygen can rob your organs and muscles of a proper blood flow. Hyperventilating also increases the heart rate, leading to palpitations and contributes to feelings of anxiety and being out of control.

The only way to get breathing back on track is through conscious breathing. In everyday life, slow abdominal breathing, even for a few minutes, can get your body and mind back on track. 'Try to slow your breathing down to eight to ten cycles per minute without breathing from your upper chest area,’ says Dr Flemming. ‘Instead breathe slowly and smoothly right down to the bottom of your lungs. The best way of doing this is to expand your tummy and just let the lungs expand. Then relax and air will be squeezed out naturally.’

You can also use specific breathing techniques to influence your physiology in different ways. The Buteyko Method, for example, involves taking shallower breaths through the nose, and has been found to help people with lung conditions such as asthma and emphysema.

‘It’s based on the idea that asthmatics hyperventilate, exhaling too much carbon dioxide,’ explains Theresa Hale, founder of London’s Hale Clinic an author of Breathing Free, a book explaining the benefits of Buteyko. ‘This causes the airways in the lungs to go into spasm, triggering the symptoms of asthma. The Buteyko Method limits the amount of CO2 you expel, which in turn relaxes the muscles round your lungs.’

Yoga uses a range of different breathing exercises in different postures. Called pranayama, these exercises are believed to nourish your body and connect you to your energy source.

Techniques include controlling the movement of your diaphragm, changing the pressure and sound of your breath and manipulating the lengths of inhalation and exhalation. ‘Some methods involve breathing in and holding the breath in your chest area for around 10s, before exhaling,’ says Howard Napper. ‘This holds the life-force around your chest and heart and is energizing to that area.’

Other methods involve exhaling sharply from the abdomen – that helps to strengthen the diaphragm, flushes stale air out of the bottom of your lungs and is invigorating. Deep, slow-breathing, is relaxing and if you’re lying down, can send you to sleep. Ultimately, he says, once you master your breath, you can master your life. ‘Different breath-awareness techniques are there to help you master your body and mind in many ways, on many levels.’ So, stop what you’re doing for just a second, and inhale…

BREATHING FOR CONSCIOUSNESS: Consciously follow your breathing in the many circumstances of your life. As you inhale, simply be aware that you are inhaling. As you exhale, simply be aware that you are exhaling. Try this practice for 10 minutes at a time at least three times a day. It will help free you from your automatic thoughts and emotional reactions and live with more receptivity in the present moment. With roots in Buddhism and other spiritual traditions, this practice is useful at helping you detach from strong emotions such as anger or anxiety.

BREATHING TO DETOX: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Then, making short sharp contractions in your abdomen, expel the breath from your lungs. Between the exhalations, don’t inhale, just let the air fill your lungs naturally. This flushes out stale air from the bottom of your lungs, strengthens the diaphragm in increases prana, chi, or ‘life energy.’

BALANCING LEFT & RIGHT BRAINS: Sit comfortably with your back straight and place your right hand in front of your face. Breathe out through both nostrils and then block off your right nostril with your thumb. Breathe in through your left nostril to a slow count of four. Then block off your left nostril with your ring finger, release your thumb and exhale through your right nostril.

Next, breathe in through your right nostril, block it with your thumb, release your ring finger and exhale through the left nostril. This completes one 'round' of breathing. Begin with three 'rounds' of breathing every day - which should last roughly one minute - and increase the time gradually over a few weeks. The exercise helps balance the left ‘logical’ hemisphere of the brain with the right ‘creative’ brain hemisphere.

Natural Defences

Psychologies, Health & Wellbeing

We all want to help ourselves stay healthy during the coldest months of the year, but which supplements work? Medical herbalist ANASTASIA STEPHENS has the lowdown

WE use many of our most healing medicines every day as seasoning or for extra spice without knowing anything of their incredible potential. Yet medical research is now proving what traditional herbalists have known all along – that many common plants have profound health benefits.

There’s now compelling medical research to show that if you have flu, garlic can speed your recovery by as much as 50pc, the Indian spice, turmeric, is a highly effective anti-inflammatory medicine and, should you want to balance your blood-sugar, then look no further than the cinnamon pot.

These exciting discoveries however, are in fact, rediscoveries. Archaeological records show evidence of local plants being used as medicines by ancient Egyptian and stone age cultures over 6000 years ago. These traditions have been passed down to us and refined through Chinese, Tibetan, Ayurvedic and Native North American medicine systems. In Britain, plant healing was administered by local wise women until the practice was virtually eradicated by witch hunts in the 17th Century.

Yet it’s only been in the last 50 years that we’ve really ‘forgotten’ what plants can do. ‘We lost faith in nature - granny’s ‘cure-alls’ and remedies were suddenly dismissed as unscientific and superstitious,’ explains Susi Kaiser, Medical Herbalist at the University of Westminster.

But all that’s turning around – and drugs companies are taking notice. ‘We’re discovering plants can help conditions more effectively than medical drugs and with significantly fewer side- effects,’ says Dr Jen Tan, medical researcher at the herbal manufacturer, Bioforce.

‘Also, unlike orthodox medicines which contain a single active substance, plant extracts contain hundreds of molecules which work together to produce a ‘holistic’ effect on the body’s tissues. Some molecules act to prevent side-effects, while others may combat inflammation, soothe membranes and fight infection.’

Overall, it means that a single herb or spice can act as 3-in-1 or even a 10-in-1 medicine. Tumeric is a classic example. Researchers at UCLA have shown this Indian spice can effectively treat inflammatory conditions such as Alzheimer’s, arthritis and psoriasis. It’s even being tested as a treatment for skin and breast cancer.

So what super-medicines are hidden in your kitchen and how can you use them to benefit most?

SAGE (HOT FLUSHES)
GOOD FOR: This cooling, drying herb is a great ‘anti-sweat’ remedy for night sweats and excessive perspiration. Containing phytoestrogens and astringent compounds, several trials show it can reduce hot flushes in menopausal woman by up to 40pc. Sage also contains anti-microbial essential oils – gargle fresh sage tea at the first sign of throat infection to stop it spreading.

HOW TO USE IT: For hot flushes and sweating, infuse 1-2 teaspoonfuls of sage leaves in hot water for ten minutes. Drink three times daily. For sore throats, boil two teaspoons of leaves in 500ml of water for 15 minutes. Gargle for 3 minutes several times a day. Avoid in pregnancy.

THYME (CHEST INFECTIONS)
GOOD FOR: Two essential oils in thyme – thymol and carvacol – make this a powerful herbal antibiotic. They’ve been found to kill bacteria responsible for most chest infections, loosen mucus and promote expectoration, helping to clear the lungs. If you’re susceptible to gum infections or caries, drink thyme tea or gargle regularly - thymol has been found to kill oral bacteria in minutes.

HOW TO USE IT: For chest infections, infuse 2-3 sprigs of fresh thyme in boiling water for 3-5 minutes. To gargle, boil 2-3 sprigs or three teaspoons of thyme in 500ml of water for 10 minutes. Avoid old dried thyme with no scent – the medicinal oils will have evaporated.

GINGER (CIRCULATION)
GOOD FOR: You can’t beat ginger for boosting circulation – researchers have found molecules in ginger called gingerols and shogaols pump blood to tissues throughout the body. Herbalists commonly prescribe it for poor circulation, muscle cramps and period pain. They also use ginger to ‘pump’ nutrients and other herbs to tissues throughout the body. Ginger has an anti-sickness effect making it useful for nausea and increases the secretion of digestive enzymes, improving the absorption of food from the gut.

HOW TO USE IT: For a digestive and circulation booster, cut 5-6 fine slices of fresh ginger, macerate with a fork and boil in water for 5-10 minutes. Add generously to curries and stews.

GARLIC (FLU)
GOOD FOR: A classic ‘cure-all,’ garlic combats gut and lung infections, lowers ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol, and thins the blood, reducing the risk of dangerous blood clots. It also reduces the risk of stomach and colon cancer. Garlic’s health benefits derive from more than 100 sulphur-containing compounds, especially allicin, which kills a wide range of bacteria and viruses responsible for gut, lung and skin infections. One trial in the Journal of Infectious Diseases found regular intake of garlic halved recovery times from colds and flu.

HOW TO USE IT: Bad news for your social life - it’s the pungent smelling molecules that are most powerful, making fresh garlic eaten raw or cooked, your best option. Chop a whole clove into a salad, soup or dressing to ward off illness.

TURMERIC (INFLAMMATION)
GOOD FOR: Prized in Indian medicine for conferring health and beauty, science has confirmed this spice is a powerful anti-aging and anti-inflammatory medicine. Acting as a ‘super-antioxidant,’ turmeric neutralises free radicals, unstable molecules which attack and damage cells to cause ageing. It’s equally, if not more effective at calming inflammation as mainstream drugs, without side effects – according to Gregory Cole, Professor of Medicine at UCLA, the spice has shown to slows the progression of Alzheimer’s disease and significantly reduces arthritic swelling. Studies at the University of Texas have shown the spice blocks the growth of a skin cancer and stops breast cancer spreading to the lungs.

HOW TO USE IT: For a therapeutic dose that lasts 3-4 hours, add 1-2 teaspoons of dried turmeric per 150g curry, soup or stew.

CINNAMON (BLOOD SUGAR)
GOOD FOR: Even out sugar cravings and hunger pangs with a sprinkling of cinnamon –a study at the Human Nutrition Research Center in Maryland found that just half a teaspoon a day significantly reduces blood sugar levels. The active molecule MHCP mimics insulin, helping diabetics control their disease. Traditionally cinnamon was used to help digestion – essential oils in the spice boost digestive secretions. It’s also been found to lower ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol helping to keep your arteries clear and squeaky-clean.

HOW TO USE IT: Half a teaspoon of cinnamon is all you need so slow sugar release into your blood and improve digestion – sprinkle a generous helping on your museli or next non-fat latte. Try soaking a stick of cinnamon in your tea.

CHILLIES (FAT BURNING)
GOOD FOR: Use chillies to give your calorie-burning a boost. Capsaicin, the chemical that gives chillies their pungency is thermogenic, meaning it heats the body. In doing so, it speeds up all chemical reactions, including metabolism which, Canadian research has found, is raised by up to 30pc. Scientists have discovered that adding chillies to food creates a feeling of satiation, meaning you’ll feel content after eating less. Capsaicin is also strongly anti-bacterial, so will help you rid any infections.

HOW TO USE IT: Apart from being heating, capsaicin is irritating – so eating too much really does ‘burn’ you. Add this to curries but eat only as much as you can take.

LAVENDER (MOOD)
GOOD FOR: Romans scented their baths with it and Tibetans still make an edible lavender butter to treat nervous disorders and depression. That’s because essential oils in lavender have sedative and mood-boosting qualities. In one study, researchers tracked brain wave measurements in people who inhaled lavender oil. They found it promoted sedation and relaxation comparable to some prescription sleep medications. Lavender may soon prove to help breast cancer too. Researchers at the University of Wisconsin recently found that when rats with breast tumors were given lavender extract, they began to shrink in size.

HOW TO USE IT: To improve sleep, steep 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried lavender flowers in a cup of hot water for 5 minutes or add 3-5 drops of essential oil to a bath. For nervous tension and mild depression drink lavender tea three to four times daily.

CORIANDER (WATER RETENTION)
GOOD FOR: If your feeling bloated coriander may have the answer – in animal studies the dried seed has shown to act as a ‘diuretic,’ helping you eliminate excess water from the body. Essential oils in the leaves boost appetite and improve digestion, while molecules called flavonoids improve blood circulation – exactly what you need if you’re embarking on a long journey or flight.

HOW TO USE IT: Sprinkle fresh leaves on your curry or add to salad for a digestive and circulatory boost. To rid uncomfortable water retention, drink coriander seed tea three times a day (crush seeds with a pestle and mortar and simmer 1-2 teaspoons in 200mls of water for 3 mins). You can also add crushed seeds to sauces, curries for an aromatic Asian edge.

PEPPERMINT (HEADACHES)
GOOD FOR : Helping digestion isn’t the only thing peppermint’s good for. This versatile herb’s been shown to ease headaches, improve mental performance and may even help fight cancer. Rubbing drops containing peppermint onto people’s foreheads, researchers at the University of Kiel’s Neurological Clinic found it helped headaches by acting on nerves to numb pain. Peppermint also reduced muscular tension and anxiety, boosting mood and mental performance. Another trial at the University of Maryland Medical Center found peppermint enhanced the action of chemotherapy drugs – meaning that one day, it might help doctors combat cancer more effectively.

HOW TO USE IT: To ease a headache, add ten drops of peppermint essential oil to 50mls of carrier oil, and rub generously around your temples. Bruising some fresh leaves and putting them in a muslin bag by your pillow at high will help relieve nervous tension and anxiety.




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