What a joy to receive a copy of The Healing Power of Scent written by my friend and colleague Ellen Rowland. Ellen is a practicing Aromatherapist and soon to be Herbalist who takes us on a personal journey of her story with plant medicine. She... The post The Healing Power of Scent – BOOK REVIEW appeared first on From The Seed ..read more

Coughs and colds are inevitable part of life and as the season changes to Autumn we seem to be more prone to catching a cough or a cold.   Why does this happen?   There are a few factors that heighten us catching a cold... The post essential oils for coughs & colds appeared first on From The Seed ..read more

I love that smell, don’t you?   But did you know it has a name?   And that name is Petrichor.   I have memories of that smell right back from my childhood and was always fascinated by this pungent, yet sweet aroma that would... The post What is that smell after rain? appeared first on From The Seed ..read more

  Peppermint, Mentha piprita, believed to a natural hybrid between Watermint and Spearmint is a very popular essential oil. Renowned as a digestive aid, good for muscular aches and pains, clearing to the sinuses and great for relieving headaches, It also has the ability to... The post Peppermint – the best essential oil for keeping cool! appeared first on From The Seed ..read more

How important is smell to you? Obviously,  to me, as an aromatherapist it’s pretty vital. But how does smell work and why do we need it?   Smell is one of our five senses: taste, touch, sight and hearing being the other four. Often though, smell is considered not that important, but let me set that record straight! Like most other animals we use smell for communication, although a lot of this goes on without us realising. Did you know for example that we are attracted to certain people because of their particular smell?  We used to rely on smells a great deal more before we had ..read more

May heralds the start of exam season for families up and down the country, It could be GCSE’s, A level’s, final degree exams, SATS or just end of year tests…whatever you are facing, there will be some anxiety floating around for sure! Essential oils are an easy and effective way to reduce some of the stress and anxiety. Using a diffuser is a great way to create an atmosphere for concentration, aid sleep or reduce anxiety.   You can also use your essential oils in the bath to aid a restful nights sleep. Or you could create your own aromatherapy inhaler. You can purchase ‘empty’ inhale ..read more

You’ve been so looking forward to a week off over Christmas but as soon as you stop work you start to feel a bit ropey and before you know it you’ve got a full-on snotty nose and can’t taste your Christmas treats!   SO WHY DOES THIS HAPPEN WHEN WE STOP WORK?   There are a number of reasons, the most common is that when we are working hard our stress hormones (mostly adrenalin) is fueling our body as it/we knows we must keep on going for that deadline, project, exam…. whatever it is, we keep at it, then, when we stop it all goes a little haywire and as said above we can become ill. So ..read more

  I recently had two clients come for an aromatherapy massage that had NEVER had a massage before, no pressure then! I have some clients who have been coming to see me for years, some for over a decade and others who come for a short time to alleviate a concern, physical or emotional and then merrily go on their way. Whoever I do treat, I am always honoured and humbled by the trust that people put in me. The two newbies loved their treatment by the way, and one of them fell fast asleep, a massive compliment! You can’t say that often about your job, but a client falling asleep is a true si ..read more

Stress! Stress is a much-used word. It blazes at us from news articles, jumps out from Insta posts and appears in well being themed magazine articles. Friends, colleagues and clients talk about feeling stressed and doctors write this very familiar word on sick notes. Employers, or at least good ones, have workplace well being policies which are at least partly designed to reduce employee stress levels.   But what does stress mean to you? Like so many other emotional and physical health conditions, stress does not affect everyone in the same way. The Mental Health Foundation describe stres ..read more

As we approach the end of Menopause Awareness Month, I thought I would talk to you about the benefits of massage during your menopause….   During peri-menopause oestrogen produced from your ovaries declines, but did you also know that during perimenopause and post menopause your adrenals take up the slack of oestrogen production? It’s a slightly different oestrogen from the one your body makes from the time of puberty within your ovaries, but it’s wonderful that the body has this back-up ready for you once menopause is under way. However, stress will deplete that production.   You’ve ..read more