I’m not much of a woo-woo person but there are some alternative practices and methods that I support wholeheartedly mainly because I’ve tried them, they work. Acupuncture, hypnosis and aromatherapy – all of them worked for me. Maybe I’m easy or suggestible (I am so not); cynicism is my first reaction to anything even remotely woo-woo but sometimes I suspend disbelief and go with it.

Aromatherapy, specifically lavender, is my go-to soother.  It is actually one of the essential oils that even the medical establishment acknowledges as having a calming effect and can be helpful with sleeplessness.  (There are links at the end of the post if you are interested in what the ‘experts’ have to say.) Essential oils will not cure any illness but they will alter moods, and sometimes that’s all you need.

Whenever a friend expresses that they are stressed or having trouble sleeping I send them something made with lavender essential oil – most times a candle, often sachets and most recently, cologne.

As I was preparing to write this I started researching lavender and my oh my does it get complicated and I won’t bore you with the details of types and places, it is more information than anyone really wants to know, unless you are contemplating becoming a lavender farmer. I will say that if you use essential oils then you must bite the budget bullet and get the best because a lesser grade or a diluted essential oil will, quite frankly, stink (literally and figuratively).

But the scent of lavender and the various colors of purple are a bit of an obsession with me.  A fairly new obsession I might add. Until I was in my early 50’s the color red and scents like Obsession, warm spicy scents (before Obsession I wore Tabu, Shalimar and Coriandre) were my identity, now it’s purple and lavender.

I believe in an essential self and that as we get older that essential self manifests itself more and more over the self that we created when we were young. When we longer have anything to prove we can be who we really are – I’m lavender scented purple.

Aromatherapy Links:
Medical News Today, Healthline, Mayo Clinic, Web MD, Wikipedia