Singing Dragon and Handspring Blog

Use it or lose it! A bodyworker’s guide to self-rehabilitation after injury – by Noah Karrasch

Singing DragonFebruary 27, 2014 0 Comments

Many years ago when I first met Susan Findlay, owner/director at NLSSM school of massage in London, she told me she would like me to offer a course on knees. I responded that I didn’t feel I did good work with knees, but focused on getting better hips and ankles; then knees seemed to get better on their own. Her response: “If you’re not comfortable with knees, that’s the course you need to teach!” At the time I wasn’t pleased with her response but I’ve come to see the value in it since.

I’ve recently given myself an opportunity to test my theories about bodywork much more strongly than I might have liked. A few days ago I severely injured my right knee… working for several hours on a friend’s cold concrete floor, with lots of kneeling and twisting. After several hours with just the right twist, I heard a loud ‘pop’ and felt that my knee was very unhappy. As far as I could self-diagnose, it seemed I’d either damaged my lateral collateral ligament or torn the lateral aspect of the meniscus. Either way I couldn’t put weight into the knee, couldn’t bend or flex, and couldn’t get comfortable for quite some time.

Anyway, what an amazing opportunity to self-rehabilitate! And I’m pleased to say it’s working: 48 hours after the initial shock, I was back to about 75% function in that knee, and continuing to feel stronger by the hour. I think the ‘formula’ that’s working for me gives us all something to think about. While I can now negotiate lifting myself up a step through that leg and knee, I can’t yet sink through the knee without a great deal of pain, and I don’t see the value of too much pain.

So what’s working? Why am I getting better, without MRI’s and surgery? Can we all get better with a bit of self care? I think we can, but we’ve got to do a bit of work instead of expecting the work to happen to us.

1. I’ve not pushed myself too fast or too far… there’s very little twisting involved, and precious little bending and flexing yet. On day three there’s finally a bit of flexing and extending the foot on a stair step. Only gradually should we trust ourselves to give a bit of flexion while still doing most of the lifting work through your arms, if your toes, knees or hips are complaining. You’ll have a pretty good sense of what’s too much and what’s just right in terms of the paces to put yourself through. The big toe pushups from my book Meet Your Body remain the single most important piece of work I can recommend to rehabilitate one’s entire deep line, but especially the knee.

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Meet Your Body by Noah Karrasch – featuring the big toe push up and other exercises for releasing trauma in the body

2. I’m always interested in breathing, or at least in staying relaxed while I work to rehabilitate, and I invite you to look at the same. Current Heart Rate Variability studies suggest that a great deal of basic health is predicated on remembering to breathe in and out, regularly, approximately 6 times per minute. This causes a greater HRV which facilitates heart function, strengthens the immune system and reduces inflammation among other wonderful features. When we push too far and too fast, we stop breathing. It’s that simple.

3. I tend to want to look for longer lines of transmission in my body. We’ll rehab ourselves faster if we’re as interested in what’s happening in that big toe on that same side foot, and how it relates to what’s going on in our low back, as we are in what the knee itself has to say. While stretching the big toe hinge by holding onto a table and lifting into the toes, can you also keep your low back back, while stretching your head to the opposite side and looking behind you? Can you see the value of trying to find lines of holding and getting breath through them to help find that most important holding spot and release and resolve it?

4. Finally, I do subscribe to the ‘use it or lose it’ school of thought. I’ve seen too many frozen shoulders or creaky knees where patrons told me that it hurt if they moved, so they’d simply quit moving. Well, how does one expect to get better if one hides from the challenge? While I can understand the thought process, I can’t condone it. We must move through pain and fear to get to the other side! For too many of us too much of what we call debilitating pain is simply fear-based lack of movement into and through a problem spot. Consider that movement can be seen as oiling rusted hinges throughout the body; they won’t start moving freely right away! It will take a bit of time and energy to make them work smoothly again.

And so far, this experience of rehabbing a very scary knee injury is bearing me out on these thoughts. I believe my experience could be duplicated by most of us…those who are serious about getting better, first need to decide to get themselves better. It seems we’ve become a generation of people who expect others to fix us and take responsibility for us. A surgery might be easier, but more likely a 4—6 week recovery from a surgery just isn’t as efficient as a 2—3 week recovery from the work one does for oneself… can more of us begin to think this way? Can we use the simple principle “Use it or lose it” more of the time? Can we decide to first assess what’s going on in our body, second, remember to keep breath flowing through it, third, slowly ask the body to come back to balance, and last, to keep on keeping on without overdoing? Such, I think, defines the ability to heal self.

So, the good news: another learning experience, another healing, another opportunity for me, and possibly you, to practice what I preach. While I wish we didn’t find ourselves in these situations, I truly believe we can still find our way out of them. By slowly returning to a regular climbing of stairs, full range of movement through the knee hinge, and general attentiveness to the way we ask our bodies to work, we can heal. I believe all of us could be inspired to slowly but with purpose, move into and through the pain and fear, and return to function and joy.

Noah Karrasch is a certified Rolfer and licensed massage therapist, and holds a teaching degree from the University of Missouri, Columbia. He teaches core bodywork skills throughout the midwest and also works with the Wren Clinic in East London. Noah has written two books on bodywork: Meet Your Body and Freeing Emotions and Energy Through Myofascial Release.

The Compleat (not Complete) Acupuncturist

Singing DragonFebruary 6, 2014 0 Comments

When people look at the beautiful cover of Peter Eckman‘s new book, most think that the printers have made a terrible, embarrassing mistake. They have not. In the dedication of The Compleat Acupucturist, Eckman apologises for “stealing” the title from Sir Isaak Walton’s The Compleat Angler. In 1653 Walton wrote:

in this Discourse I do not undertake to say all that is known, or may be said of it, but I undertake to acquaint the Reader with many things that are not usually known to every Angler; and I shall leave gleanings and observations enough to be made out of the experience of all that love and practise this recreation, to which I shall encourage them. For Angling may be said to be so like the Mathematicks, that it can never be fully learnt; at least not so fully but that there will still be more new experiments left for the trial of other men that succeed us.

In the following apologia (not apology) taken from the book, Eckman explains how this treatise on integrating the various disciplines of Oriental medicine into a whole coherent model, with pulse diagnosis as a common thread across different traditions, uses the same spirit of acquainting the reader with things not usually known.

APOLOGIA1

The archaic language of the title is intended to convey the author’s somewhat “tongue in cheek” approach to the notion of “completeness.” It is certainly not the intention to claim that this treatise covers all or even most of what informs the practice of the art and science of acupuncture, nor that the author is asserting any special claim of mastery. Rather, the idea of “compleatness” refers to the goal of integrating various notions of Oriental medical theory and practice from such diverse sources as India, Korea, and Japan, including their interpretation by Western practitioners, into the discussion of a subject that is often tacitly limited to the Chinese tradition. As will be repeatedly emphasized in the text, the author is not arguing for the superiority of any one style of acupuncture practice, nor disparaging any of the traditions that may not receive as much attention as others in this book. It is the author’s view that, ultimately, all the teachings and traditions of Oriental medicine are aspects of the same shared perception of the nature of reality, in health and illness, and are to be honored for their part in elucidating the nature of the whole.

Another reason for choosing the word “compleat” is that it suggests, to the author at least, the archetypal symbol of the circle, with all its associations, and harkens back to the initial publication some 30 years ago of Closing the Circle,2 jointly written with Stuart Kutchins. The present treatise can be seen as the fruit of the premises first presented there, manifesting here as a practical approach to the clinical practice of acupuncture, in this case based on the art and science of pulse diagnosis.

This treatise is also an attempt to create a more unified theoretical foundation for Oriental medicine.3 Whether it will be possible for someone to discover a unifying theory that covers both Eastern and Western medicine is a subject best left for future investigators.

The Compleat Acupuncturist is available now from the Singing Dragon website.

1 From the Greek, meaning the defense of a position against attack.
2 Eckman, P. and Kutchins, S., Closing the Circle: Lectures on the Unity of Traditional Oriental Medicine. Fairfax, CA: Shen Foundation, 1983.
3 “Most of the really great breakthroughs in science are unifications. Newton’s laws of motion unified the sky and Earth as ruled by the same physics; that was radically different from the earlier Aristotelian concept, in which the two realms were separate. Einstein’s laws of relativity unified space and time.” Owen J. Gingerich (a science historian at Harvard), quoted in Chang, K., “Quakes, Tectonic and Theoretical.” New York Times, January 15, 2011. Available at www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/weekinreview/16chang.html, accessed June 18, 2013.

Patting to treat shoulder pain and back ache – extract from Qigong and Chinese Self-Massage for Everyday Health Care by Zeng Qingnan

Singing DragonJanuary 30, 2014 0 Comments

According to traditional Chinese medicine, pains in the shoulder and lower back are usually caused by qi stagnation and blood stasis in the meridians and collaterals, which result in the invasion of wind-cold into the affected areas. The four patting steps described in this extract from Qigong and Chinese Self-Massage for Everyday Health Care are designed to promote blood flow and counteract the cold syndromes with heat.

Read the extract…

For more simple exercises to treat everyday health issues such as insomnia, stiff neck, headache, joint pain, and even grey hair, read Qigong and Chinese Self-Massage for Everyday Health Care.

Zeng Qingnan is a well-known health professional based in China who has many years’ experience of teaching Qigong and Chinese massage for maintaining good health.

Holding Calm Within, Concentrating Attention Beyond: Asperger’s Syndrome and Lake Meditation – by Chris Mitchell

Singing DragonJanuary 20, 2014 1 Comment

People with Asperger’s syndrome are known for a liking for solitude, particularly if they feel that they can’t be understood or don’t feel accepted within the social world. Though a person with Asperger’s Syndrome may be quite content in such a setting, they may not initially be aware that it can lead to excessive isolation. However, where such a preference can help develop social skills is through adapting qualities from spending time in solitude into social environments. To enable this, one must see solitude as a place to step back from the flow rather than as a place to hide. Since being diagnosed with Asperger’s Syndrome, this is an aspect of my condition that I feel I have gradually begun to notice more. I am more aware of how solitude affects me and others around me, including how my Asperger-related tendencies have an effect on others as well as how the moods of others affect me. When stepping back from the flow in a natural setting, particularly in a forest or by a lake and applying my focus to the present, I am able to see how various inter-connected factors cause different effects to happen, as well as being able to observe and be present with the qualities of adaptability and receptiveness that nature has.

When practicing lake meditation, a meditation technique that can be practiced by an actual lake or just with the lake image in mind. One begins to notice the receptiveness of the surface of the water contained in the lake, and the lake’s responses to constantly changing factors including responding to wind with ripples, which produce a sparkling effect when reflecting sunlight or moonlight. On a clear day, from a good vantage point, the depths of a lake can sometimes be seen. Lake Wastwater in Cumbria is one such lake where the depths of the lake, including what the lake is comprised of, can be seen from the ascent of nearby Scafell Pike. With continued and focused attention, one also notices that the surface of the lake changes colour in accordance with the weather, dark when cloudy and inviting in reflections under clear skies.

It is important to expand your attention during your practice to consider how factors that affect the appearance of the lake also affect how we feel within the body. How we feel within affects how we present on the outside. For instance we may shiver when temperature drops or a when a draft blows in or ‘jerk’ when caught in a gust of wind. But rather than allowing such occurrences to become an interruption or a distraction to the extent that they lead us to giving up the practice, it helps us to notice and acknowledge any impulses we have to react. In turn, this helps one notice how when we act on our impulses we find ourselves on ‘automatic pilot’, almost being controlled by them.

When we transfer the qualities experienced during lake meditation to social situations, we notice how factors affect our moods and feelings. Like the surface of a lake changes colour in response to light, facial expressions in people often change in shape and form. People’s complexions can change in between moods and a change in mood and feelings brings about different actions and responses. As a person with Asperger’s Syndrome, I sometimes feel like I am an ‘actor,’ in that I learn non-verbal social skills from observation. But to enable appropriate acknowledgement and response in a social situation, it helps to be able to maintain the calm beneath one’s external presentation, relating to the calm water beneath the surface.

Taking a step back from the social world into solitude to practice lake meditation can help a person develop observational skills that are helpful in developing non-verbal social skills. To be able to be present with such observations, as well as to be able to apply attention when listening and retain the calm beneath the surface are qualities that when applied to social situations can enable social connection, acceptance and inclusion.

Chris Mitchell is the author of Asperger’s Syndrome and Mindfulness (2012) and Mindful Living with Asperger’s Syndrome (December 2013) both published by Jessica Kingsley Publishers.

Singing Dragon New Titles – Autumn/Winter 2013-14

Singing DragonJanuary 3, 2014 0 Comments

The Singing Dragon new titles catalogue is available to view online and download. It features our complete range of titles coming to you over the next few months. There is plenty to look out for including new books on acupuncture, Chinese medicine, Qigong, Daoism, yoga, and complementary therapies.

All the titles, author names, and covers are interactive; just click on them to be taken to the book or author page on the Singing Dragon website.

How to open your heart – by Rosemary Patten

Singing DragonJanuary 3, 2014 2 Comments

We are full of complexities, a myriad of different functions that completes us make us part of the human race. Our bodies crave order and the status quo, yet our heart wishes to be free, joyful and loved. We are looking for that special something that unites us with nature and the heavens. Yet we become distracted with challenges of life, we twist and turn looking for that spark of our existence.

The Universal life force energy that unites us is drawn into us by seven main energy centres or chakras. Our heart is the link between earths’ energy and the heavens. When our heart is in balance we can love, be joyful, and can cry when life around us is tough. We can live each moment with pleasure, accept ourselves in the now and forgive our weaknesses.

People who have in the past inflicted pain and have indeed broken our hearts should be forgiven. We know in our heart that it is their failure to understand, they have taught us strong powerful lessons that we need to know. When we understand the people who have hurt us, we free our hearts from the pain and our heart has been healed. When we stay in conflict, we only continue to be unhappy. This negative energy emulates out to people, the world, the planet and the Universe. Everyone around us receives our signals as hostility toward them, people move away from us and our isolation grows as we push the hurt deep down inside us.

How can we forgive such terrible hurt? We are who we are and we cannot change, our scars are there, tight in our heart, locked deep. They are almost physical in the pain they inflict, too frightening to bring to the surface and assess. But if we do not allow ourselves to cry, to feel that which we shut away, and then let go with understanding and compassion, we will not be that person we want to be. The pain will not go away unless we release it and forgive those who have rendered us immobile.

We must forgive ourselves for hanging onto a hurt that takes our breath away- the breath of life. Start to see with different eyes, a world that is sacred and all things beautiful. We must learn to emulate our love outwards and love will come to us. There is no effort involved as our thoughts are more and more positive. We experience love in all its different forms; love of nature, art, music, mankind and the love of that special person. Love our amazing planet and love the Universe that created us and loves us back.

How can we regain this balance between heaven and earth? When you are aware of your thoughts, it releases negativity. Thinking on the following affirmations confirms your intention. We will attract positive thoughts towards us, a higher vibration that raises us up towards the heavens. The heart is the link between our higher self and earth, beginning our journey greater understanding.

How to open your heart

Affirmations – choose two of the following or use your own personal affirmations:

I release all feelings of guilt and start my journey to peace and love.

I accept myself and know that my heart is mending.

I can cry and can release those feelings of hurt.

I am surrounded by the beauty of nature and this makes my heart sing with joy.

I forgive those who have broken my heart they also are on a journey.

I embrace change and look forward to exciting new challenges.

I only surround myself with people who bring joy into my life.

Try to be aware of your thoughts, allow negative thoughts to come to the surface. Never suppress them, as they are low vibration and will be heavy. Picture in your mind’s eye a red balloon and place the negative thoughts into the balloon, allowing them to drift of up into the sky.

Whenever possible, change any thought to a more positive vibration by putting a spin on it. For example ‘I am dreading work today’ could change to ‘I am dreading work today so I will meet my friend at lunchtime, always enjoy her company. I am lucky to have such a good friend’. Now there is a reason not to dislike work, as you are now more optimistic!

Once you start bringing your thoughts to a conscious level you will feel you have more energy. The journey of forgiveness towards those who have hurt you in the past has begun. By healing yourself you will truly open your heart and bring true love and joy into your life. That joy and love can then spread through to all who come into contact with you.

Rosemary Patten is a master Reiki practitioner, aromatherapist, reflexologist, and author of Japanese Holistic Face Massage. She lives in Kent, UK.

Yijinjing Qigong Exercises from the Qing Dynasty

Singing DragonJanuary 3, 2014 0 Comments

This extract from An Illustrated Handbook of Chinese Qigong Forms from the Ancient Texts features Yijinjing exercises taken from a text by Pan Wei from the late Qing dynasty (1644-1912). Yijinjing is a type of dynamic Qigong for limbering up the tendons.

Click here to read the extract.

The exercises featured are designed to improve metabolism and promote flexibility. Yijinjing is attributed to Bodhidharma, the founder of the Chan school of Buddhism in China, during the Northern and Southern Dynasties (420–589). As it is easy to learn it has long been a popular form of exercise. Many styles emerged as it was spread and passed down, but the common practice at present is the set of exercises compiled by Pan Wei.

An Illustrated Handbook of Chinese Qigong Forms from the Ancient Texts features authentic exercises from throughout China’s history. Twenty-six sets of pictures relating to Qigong, Daoyin, diet and living habits are included, each set introduced with a brief overview of the origin, development, changes and practice modes of each method. The book is available to buy from the Singing Dragon website.

All-natural facelift: Relax away wrinkles and sagging— ‘Vital Face’ featured in Woman’s World Magazine

sdusaDecember 11, 2013 0 Comments

We’re thrilled to announce that Woman’s World Magazine, with a circulation of 7 million, has featured our book, Vital Face: Facial Exercises and Massage for Health and Beauty by physiotherapist Leena Kiviluoma in the December 9th issue!

Here’s a snippet from the article:

“Turn back the clock—and feel more relaxed? It’s not only possible, it’s easy to erase lines, creases and stress without pricey products! The key: ‘Giving your face a mini-lift’ says physiotherapist Leena Kiviluoma. ‘With precise massage and stretching techniques, you can reduce tension in your face, making your skin look smoother, and relaxing your whole body!’

The science behind the moves:

Increasing blood circulation
Draining away bloat
Strengthening facial bones
Stimulating collagen production

These exercises create age-proofing changes in and beneath the skin.”

To read the complete feature on Vital Face, click here.

Vital Face is a fully-illustrated handbook that guides the reader through stretching and massage techniques to relax the facial, neck and shoulder muscles, with particular emphasis on the jaw, where tension is often held. The exercises address health issues such as teeth clenching and grinding, pain in the face, jaw, head or neck, and can even improve the effects of Bell’s Palsy. They also achieve positive cosmetic results such as reduced facial lines and healthy glowing skin. The English language edition is published by Singing Dragon.

Calm Children with Qigong Walking Meditation – by Lisa Spillane

Singing DragonNovember 26, 2013 3 Comments

During the holidays, when homes become busier and children are inclined to get over-excited, qigong can help you and the kids in your life to release stress and feel more balanced. The techniques are easy to learn and they can bring positivity to all kinds of daily activities. For instance: wrapping presents, decorating, eating and household chores can all be done with an awareness of how to use your posture, breath and intention to feel more relaxed and balanced in the present moment.

The walking meditation below is ideal to do with kids who need calming down. It’s a wonderful way to cultivate awareness of what’s happening in your inner and outer environments. When children practice it, they discover that it’s possible to find a calm place within themselves when they need to. They gain a deeper understanding of how the mind and body are interdependent and they learn ways to lovingly connect to the world around them.

Walking Meditation

This walking meditation focuses on the heart because in Traditional Chinese Medicine the heart is associated with impatience and over-excitement. With qigong meditation negative energy is released from the heart and then it’s recharged like a battery, with fresh, positive energy that generates calmness, joy and vitality. Don’t worry if you can’t fit all of my suggestions into your walk, even just doing the warm up will help to calm kids down.

Begin by stretching, shaking your arms and legs and tapping yourself all over. Then, gently swing your arms together, raising your heels as your arms go forward and bouncing down on them when they swing behind you. Smile and have fun with this. Breathe normally and imagine tension from your body going into the earth.

After a few minutes of that, start walking. Smile and breathe deeply through your nose, allowing your belly to rise on the inhale and using your tummy muscles to gently pull it in on the exhale. Keep your shoulders down and relaxed and let your arms gently sway. With each step be aware of your toes and heels touching the earth. As you inhale, imagine energy from the earth flowing up through your feet to your belly. Exhale tension. Then, turn your attention to the palms of your hands and feel the tingling of energy as it travels from there to your chest and then down to your belly. Keep smiling and walking at a comfortable pace.

Feel loving energy all around you from the beautiful things that you can see and feel.

What do you hear? What sounds are close? What sounds are far away? How does the air feel? What does it smell like?

When your mind wanders keep bringing it back to the present.

Next, stop and stand in a circle, put your hands on your lower stomach and have a good belly laugh. Having kids with you will be a major advantage at this point. In qigong laughter is called the “second heart” because the pumping action it causes in the diaphragm boosts the body’s blood flow. Laughing is a great way to let go of steam and release impatience from the heart. Imagine you’re exhaling impatience and tension as you make a “ha, ha, ha” sound.

For more Qigong meditation for children, see Lisa’s book Six Healing Sounds with Lisa and Ted.

Now, clasp your hands (with fingers interlocking) behind your back and stand up straight. Look forward and walk for a couple of minutes. This exercise is called Emperor Walks Heart Opens and it feels particularly good if you’ve been indulging in too much time sitting on the sofa. Breathe normally and imagine energy from heaven flowing through the top of your head and traveling all the way down your body.

After that, walk normally, continuing to be conscious of the lovely aspects of nature that you can see, feel, and hear. Smile, take a deep breath and inhale love and joy into your heart. Give it a loving rub and keep smiling. Think about your heart smiling and turning bright red (like Santa’s suit). On the exhale, make a long slow “haaw” (rhymes with “saw” sound) imagining impatience and tension leaving your heart as dark smoke and going back into the earth. Repeat this another two times.

Finally before you go back inside, stand still, place your hands in a prayer position, close your eyes, smile and breathe slowly and deeply into your belly. Thank your heart for the work that it does and for helping you to make wise decisions. Imagine love, joy and patience is radiating from it to the rest of your body. End by sending a blessing of love to someone.

Happy holidays!

Winter – Scented Seasonal Support – by Jennifer Peace Rhind

Singing DragonNovember 26, 2013 0 Comments

Photo: Singing Dragon author Jennifer Peace Rhind

Author photo: Robert Taylor

For many of us winter, can be a season of contrasts – dark, cold and wet weather that dampens the spirits, or dazzling blue skies with crisp clear air, sparkling frost and snow, which energises and invigorates us. Here, we will take a look at some wonderful scents that we can enjoy throughout the winter, and harness the benefits of aromas which can balance these seasonal contrasts.

During the overcast, cold and damp days when it can feel that it never really becomes light, we can turn to warming aromas of the pungent spices – black pepper, ginger, and turmeric. Traditionally, these are remedies for dyspepsia, nausea, colic and diarrhoea, bronchial congestion, poor peripheral circulation and for joint and muscle pain and inflammation. In contemporary aromatherapy, their essential oils are indicated for the same reasons, and are externally applied and inhaled. For some aromatic seasonal support, these spices can be added to soups, stews and casseroles to add flavour, warmth and character – and don’t forget to enjoy their aromas as you grind, crush and chop, and cook with them, as the preparation processes and cooking heat release the fragrant volatile oils! Additionally, you might like to sniff their essential oils and explore their effects on your senses.

Black pepper oil has a fresh, dry, spicy and woody aroma, (‘dry’ means ‘not sweet’). If you are feeling overwhelmed or fatigued, its scent can warm and invigorate your senses, and impart a feeling of resilience. Ginger essential oil has a pungent, rich, warm and spicy aroma; you will also notice a lemony impression and then woody and green nuances. Ginger has a role in both traditional medicinal and spiritual healing practices, and its fragrance can stimulate the senses, warm the emotions, and clear the mind –ideal for days when you might be feeling the effects of cold and dismal weather! Turmeric is also a member of the ginger family, it has a pungent flavour and yellow colour and its essential oil has a fresh, spicy and slightly woody aroma. Traditionally it is used to purify and protect and you might find that its warm aromatic scent will uplift the spirits and ease you into a mellower frame of mind.

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Jennifer Peace Rhind’s card set of meditations upon scent.

So, how can we reinforce the positive feelings related to the bright, crisp winter weather – which provides such a contrast to these dark and wet days? When the weather is clear and frosty, we can perhaps take a walk in a coniferous wood. We might not, at first, notice the beautiful scents of the trees, partly because our sense of smell can be affected by the cold conditions! A walk in the woods is, in itself, one of the best antidotes to the seasonal blues; however we can also explore the aromas of the coniferous essential oils. There is a vast array of oils to choose, obtained from the needles and twigs, and sometimes cones, of species of pine, fir, spruce and several others. Typically, a coniferous odour is aromatic and woody, but you will find subtle variations. For example, longleaf pine has a harsh, disinfectant-like note, while dwarf pine is sweet, woody and with a balsamic nature (…but it should not be applied to the skin as it can cause irritation). In contrast, Siberian fir is pine-like, sweet, coniferous and fresh, with lemony nuances; balsam fir has a pronounced, sweet coniferous forest scent and grand fir has an orange-like note. However, what these coniferous oils have in common is their effect on the senses. They are excellent for bringing a feeling of freshness into the environment, and for dispelling anxiety and fatigue.

Sniffing and inhaling the aromas of the coniferous oils can also offer some relief from respiratory congestion – they are useful decongestants for the sinuses and bronchial tubes – so here we have another aspect to aromatic winter support. Many essential oils can be very comforting and alleviate some of the symptoms of colds and flu. These are the oils with ‘medicated’ odours, and they often have antimicrobial properties. For example, the well-known eucalyptus oil is rich in a constituent called 1,8-cineole which can help improve blood flow to the brain, and indeed inhalation of its vapours can often relieve headaches. Eucalyptus is best known as an expectorant, and so it helps with respiratory congestion; however, there are some other essential oils that can also be effective. You might like to try cajeput (from Melaleuca cajuputi), niaouli (from M. quinquenervia) or ravintsara (from the Madagascan Cinnamomum camphora leaf). Cajeput, with its pleasant but strong, camphoraceous, sweet odour is regarded as a panacea in its native Malaysia. Niaouli is native to Indonesia, and has a strong, sweet and camphoraceous/eucalyptus odour; in France it is more popular than eucalyptus, and is used in aromatic medicine. Ravintsara essential oil has a fresh, clean, eucalyptus-like scent, and it is not only noted as an expectorant but also as a bronchodilator. Additionally, it is helpful for insomnia, it is an antiviral with tonic and uplifting qualities – and so ravintsara is an excellent choice for helping us through these typical seasonal maladies.

So, this winter, why not harness the therapeutic effects of these scents? Savour the fragrance and flavour of warming spices in your food and drink, walk in the woods and breathe in the clear, invigorating scent, or bring the forest into your home with the branches and twigs of the beautiful conifers. Even this small selection of essential oils can offer so much seasonal support – simply through our sense of smell they act as mood elevators and enhancers – but should you succumb to winter ailments they can also bring comfort and relief.

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