Natural healing tips! 6-10-02 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Corns

Here are two remedies for those bothersome corns on your feet.

Soak common ivy leaves for a couple of days in apple cider vinegar, or for several hours in lemon juice. Soak your feet in hot water, then apply two or three leaves to the corn and tape securely into place. Repeat this until the corns are soft enough to lift out.

Or, put a corn pad on the corn at night and fill the little opening in it (over the corn) with crushed garlic. Tape over and around the pad and repeat this each night until the corn softens and comes out.

Toenails

Fungal infections of the feet and toenails can be treated with tea tree oil. Soak your feet in a hot foot bath with Epsom salts and around ten drops of tea tree oil. Keep your feet clean and dry and make sure they get plenty of air, since moisture contributes to the growth of fungus. To keep your feet from getting another infection, try a bi-weekly warm footbath to which you have added a tablespoon of lemon or a couple of tablespoons of cider vinegar.

Candles

Although both candles and incense will scent your room, incense is much stronger, which is why many people don't like using it. However, the scent you get from incense is usually more reliable. In other words, if you like the smell of the stick of incense, that's usually how it will smell (only stronger) when you burn it. Candles often smell great when you purchase them, but end up with almost no scent when you burn them. If you prefer the lighter scent of candles, find a brand with a reliable scent (purchasing just one candle of a particular brand and burning it is the only way to find out), then stick with that brand for your aromatherapy needs.

Pregnancy

Pregnant women need to take extra care over which herbal remedies they use during their pregnancy, and should never use a remedy without telling their doctor first, in case there are conflicts with other medicines. Several herbs markedly stimulate the uterus and should be avoided for that reason. Here is a list of some of the herbs to be avoided during pregnancy:

Barberry Goldenseal Juniper Male Fern Mandrake Pennyroyal Poke Root Rue Sage Southernwood Tansy Wormwood

Blackberry Vinegar

I got this recipe from a friend of a friend, but she swears by it for sore throats. You will need:

1 1/2 pounds of blackberries 16 ounces apple cider vinegar 1 pound of sugar

Wash the blackberries, removing all stalks, then put them in a oven-ready dish and cover them with the vinegar. Cook this in the oven on a very low heat for a couple of hours to extract the juice from the blackberries. After this, strain the mixture into a stovetop pan and add the sugar. Bring this to a boil then lower to simmer for about five to ten minutes, skimming off any scum on the top. Allow it to cool and funnel it into clean screw-top jars.

You can make this into a tea to ward off colds by adding a couple of spoonfuls to a glass of hot water with lemon and honey. Or take a spoonful in a little water for sore throat gargle.

Plants For Fresh Air

Most green house plants will clean up a variety of pollutants in your home or office. Spider plants and heartleaf philodendron are good at removing formaldehyde from your air (from carpeting, fiberboard, plywood, resins, and natural gas). Also effective at this are azaleas, mother-in-law's tongue, poinsettias, and ficus. English ivy, marginata, and golden pothos combat benzene (found in tobacco smoke, synthetic fibers, plastics, and detergents). Peace lilies and dragon trees can clear up TCE (from paints, varnishes, and wood finishes). So surround yourself with these plants and others for healthier air where you live.

Liniments

Liniments are made to be absorbed through the skin and must never be consumed, but only used externally. The most common type of liniment is one used for aching muscles. To get the herbal remedy into the muscles and ligaments, liniments are made of a mixture of the herb with alcohol or apple cider vinegar, and sometimes are made with an herbal oil. Here is one recipe for a warming and relaxing liniment.

Mix equal parts of Lobelia and Cramp Bark with a little Cayenne and one quart of rubbing alcohol in a container that can be closed. Let this stand for a week, shaking it well every day. Strain the mixture at the end of the week and store it in tightly sealed bottles. Rub a little of this into your tired muscles to relax them.

Inner Connections God gets the Glory...He gave the Gift

Don't Just Stick To Essential Oils

Most aromatherapy guides talk about the use of essential oils. While essential oils are the purest form of scent, don't forget about the other things that can affect your mood through smell. For example, aren't most people fond of the smell of baking bread? This smell makes you feel warm and homey. If you need to feel safe and secure at home, just bake a loaf of bread, rather than reaching for those oils. Also, if you have a favorite perfume that always makes you feel good, spray that around your house. You don't have to go out and purchase an expensive set of essential oils to gain the benefits of aromatherapy!

Don't Just Stick To Essential Oils

Most aromatherapy guides talk about the use of essential oils. While essential oils are the purest form of scent, don't forget about the other things that can affect your mood through smell. For example, aren't most people fond of the smell of baking bread? This smell makes you feel warm and homey. If you need to feel safe and secure at home, just bake a loaf of bread, rather than reaching for those oils. Also, if you have a favorite perfume that always makes you feel good, spray that around your house. You don't have to go out and purchase an expensive set of essential oils to gain the benefits of aromatherapy!

Steam Treatment For Oily Skin

First bring about four cups of water to a boil. Take the water off the heat and allow it to cool down until it is just steaming. Pour this into a bowl you have heated slightly (you can put it in the microwave on high for about 10 seconds to warm it up). Add one or two drops of tea-tree oil and one or two drops of lemon oil to the bowl of steaming water. This facial sauna can help clear oily skin or acne. Remember: You shouldn't do a steam treatment more than once every two weeks, or you could eventually wind up with even more acne.

Honey In Your Bath

If you have problems relaxing at night, a warm bath can really help to ease those muscles, clear away the stress of the day, and help you make the transition from the frantic pace of your daily life to a comfortable and restful sleep. Baths before bedtime have even been clinically tested for their ability to alter your brain chemicals and make you sleepy. Try this good-for-your-skin bath to help you sleep. You will need:

3 tablespoons of Honey 5 drops of Lavender oil 1 bag of chamomile tea

Steep the chamomile tea in a cup of warm (not hot) water. Add the honey and mix this in, then add the lavender oil. Pour this in your moderately warm bath water, then soak for 10 to 15 minutes. You can drink a cup of the chamomile tea as well (but without the lavender oil!), for extra relaxation.

Aromatherapy For PMS Symptoms

If you suffer from Pre-Menstrual Syndrome, you can help your other medications or herbal remedies work better by utilizing aromatherapy as well. First prepare a cup of chamomile tea. Place one or two drops of one of these essential oils in your fragrance warmer, or light a candle or stick of incense that has one of these scents: lavender, sandalwood, frankincense, or cedar. You don't want the scent to be overwhelming, but light - just enough to notice it. Get yourself comfortable, sip your chamomile tea, and meditate on an image that brings you peace. You should relax for at least half an hour.

-- Anonymous, June 23, 2002