Tea Time with Buddha

Probably one of the best things that has happened to me as a result of managing the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace on 1000 Markets, is being continually exposed to such a wide variety of amazing artists and craft people.  I know I say that over and over...but it's really true.

For quite awhile now I had been witnessing a very enjoyable parade of work from artist PattyMara Gourley come in and go out of the marketplace.  PattyMara is a very lively, vibrant, inspirational California/New Mexico artist who expresses herself quite skillfully through a wide variety of mediums.  Silk painting, poetry, collage and ceramics to just name a few.  I think in over the year's time I had seen her make little of everything, except teapots.  So I emailed her one day and asked her about it.

My husband and I have collected teapots on and off for years going back to when I taught art classes at Craft Alliance Center for the Visual Arts in St. Louis, and somehow got talked into becoming a docent for one of their International Teapot Shows.  I learned more about teapots during that time period then anyone ever needs to know during their lifetime, but also developed a deep appreciation for the art form as a unique style of individual expression.

PattyMara got back to me.  Yes, she did make teapots but had not done so in a long time.  OK, that's fine...but I told her if she ever got around to making them again in the future, let me know.  I honestly thought that was the end of it until I saw a posting from her on Facebook one day that she was doing some new ceramic work, and among the pieces...teapots.  OK, I thought... I was going to have to keep an eye on her.

The story then took a couple of interesting, creative turns.  Some time passed and I read (again on Facebook) that PattyMara was coming along very well on her teapots and had evidently commissioned our mutual friend Manny, who designs jewelry (Mannybeads), to make some cairn stacks that she was going use on the pieces.  humm  I was trying to visualize that....(without success).  In fact every time I tried to even imagine what a PattyMara teapot would even look like, I just had no idea.  Knowing her it would probably end up pink and purple *with stars* and I had no clue how Manny was going to fit into it all.

Tease pictures of the teapots in process were eventually posted. The Buddha faced pot that I saw reached out and touched my soul.  Hey Patty, I wrote...I'd be really interested in that Buddha Teapot when you get it finished.... OK, was the reply....I'll email you before I list them.  I never heard back from her.

Well the pots were eventually listed online for sale.  They were not pink or purple, but instead a beautiful earthenware color that comes from the New Mexico Mica Clay that PattyMara uses for her ceramic work.  Manny's turquoise cairn stack complimented the top of the Buddha teapot perfectly.  The 2nd teapot PattyMara constructed was every bit as lovely.  No Buddha face, but another wonderful cairn stack and recycled silk threads from an old sari that had been wrapped around some bamboo for the handle.

In passing one evening I logged into 1000 Markets and showed my husband, Alan, the teapots.  I mentioned how much I liked them and I thought that maybe one would make a nice addition to our collection.  He liked both of them but really thought the pot with the wrapped handle was pretty unique.  Of course I couldn't get past the Buddha face.  Alan said he really didn't care which one we got, he liked them both....so my choice. I said I would give it some thought and then...completely forgot about it.

A week or two later I saw PattyMara's announcement on her Facebook Fan Page.  The Buddha pot had sold.  Well crap, I thought.  After all this, I really blew that opportunity.  Our Anniversary happened to be coming up and a few days later my husband told me that a package would be arriving soon...not to open it.  I was honestly kind of surprised that he even thought about ordering a gift, but once again I forgot about it (eye roll)...until it arrived... humm....from PattyMara Gorley.

Alan put the delivery on the table in the living room and it stayed there for a good week.  When I asked about the package, his response was...."what package?".  At one point I even posted on my Facebook page about the package.  What could it be?  Everyone was begging me to open it.  Of course I was already about 99% sure what it was, and although I was dying to see it...I let it sit.

Buddy and I opened the package with the wonderful Buddha teapot on my anniversary.  Buddy, one of our 3 Pugs, likes to be involved when any delivery boxes are opened (ever since someone sent him a sample of Bark-Scotti a few months ago).  The teapot is even more stunning in person then in the pictures.  The construction very solid, the Buddha face even more poignant.  I can tell it comes from a very well seasoned, experienced potter.

The inspiration behind the teapot is quite interesting... In PattyMara's own words

"I have found inspiration for this teapot from the Yixing tradition of China's Sung Dynasty, which also uses unglazed, burnished clay with a high mica content. In the strict Yixing tradition only one variety of tea is used for each pot so that after a time, one can just add hot water to brew tea from the accumulated flavoring."

Eventually Alan and I will make tea in the pot.  We need to settle on one particular variety though so that we can continue the tradition.  For now, I think I'm going to let this special teapot spend some time with me in my studio. Something tells me that it has already formed a cross cultural kinship with Kenny Scharf's three eyed dog, Dogeyeguy...my Matryoshkas, Tibetan bell and of course the Milagro Crosses.
And I wouldn't expect anything less from a PattyMara piece of art!

~ diane


To see more of PattyMara's work, you may enjoy reading:
Day of the Dead (El dia de los Muertos) 

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Buttermilk Drink for the Thirsty Traveller

There was a time when walking was one of the most prevalent modes of travel in India. When train services were scarce, when cars were only for the super rich, when only a few could afford a bicycle, folks traveled by foot--whether visiting a relative across the town or a village away. Southern summers can be hot with daytime temperatures often as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Leaving an earthenware pot filled with water or better still, with a freshly made buttermilk drink, on the front verandah of the house or the street corner or at the village entrance is an old tradition in Southern India--a way of saying welcome and take a rest to the hot and tired traveler even if he was a stranger.


A lot has changed in India in the last two decades. Single family homes with front porches are increasingly replaced with multistoried gated condo communities. Long distance travel is now done via planes, trains, buses and cars and, public transportation, auto-rickshaws and two-wheel scooters are the modes of local travel. Yet, one thing still remains the same--the hot summer and the need for cold water to quench the thirst and to cool the body. And, the tradition of providing free buttermilk drink continues while adapting to the new realities of travel and condo living.

At the condo community where my sister and mother live, my sister has set up a spot under a large shady tree where a pot filled with fresh buttermilk awaits all who drop in during the day. These are mostly service personnel like the watchman, janitor, pushcart vendors, maids, the guy who comes on the weekend to iron the clothes and others. To these folks who commute by bus or bike to work and then toil in the hot sun, the cool drink offers a refreshing relief. Every morning around 10 o'clock, the buttermilk drink is prepared in our kitchen and then poured into the pot and set up in the yard. By late afternoon, it is usually all finished.

Preparing the drink is extra work for our housekeeper and my sister spends about 45 rupees ($1) per day on the milk for the yogurt (not a small amount for India). Yet, it is a nice way of saying thank you to the men and women servicing her community.


Recipe for Buttermilk drink

Ingredients

Fresh homemade yogurt (or store bought yogurt) half a cup
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Freshly ground cumin to taste
Salt to taste
Freshly ground red pepper flakes (optional)
Fresh coriander finely chopped

Using a whisk churn the yogurt and dilute it with water. For half a cup of yogurt, add approximately a quarter cup of water. The yogurt should be diluted to a water-like consistency but without losing the taste of yogurt.

Add all the ground spices and salt. The taste of the spices and the salt should not overwhelm the taste of yogurt.

Chill in the refrigerator.

Sprinkle the coriander on top before serving.

~ Indira Govindan
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We'd like to thank Indira for continuing to share her blog entries and travel adventures with us.
You can read more wonderful selections from Indira's blog at http://dharmakarmaarts.blogspot.com/ and also view her jewelry and artwork located in her shops on etsy.

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Beltane Blessings

We originally ran this blog post last May 1st on the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace Blog on 1000 Markets.  Everyone loved it so much I decided to post it again this year.  Thank you so much Nellie and Emily for such a beautiful piece!

It seems that everyone I talk to is impatient for warm and sunny days, tired of the cloud cover and chill air of the darker half of the year. I'm certainly ready to celebrate the green growth of spring! This desire to feel sun on our skin and soil beneath our fingernails makes Beltane - or May Day as it is generally practiced today - such a comfortable, accessible holiday. May Day is widely and openly celebrated through the British Isles, as well as in many places in the US. People dance around the May Pole, sit by bonfires, and gladly toss their winter worries away as they look ahead to brighter days. Dreams come back to life, as we draw upon the fertile energy of the day.

Traditionally, Beltane was celebrated by the Celts with much dancing, drinking, music, merriment, and romance. It was one of the two most important of their celebrations - celebrating the light half of the year. The name Beltane is believed to mean "fires of Bel" and honors the ancient sun god Beli, or Belanus. Druids looked after the Beltane fires, by which people and their livestock would pass, with the belief that they would be cleansing themselves of the illness or misfortunes they may have experienced through winter, and perhaps blessing them with good fortune for the months to come.
We can light our own bonfires, and we can honor any deity we like... We can make a May Pole or just make some music... what I think is important if we are to celebrate Beltane today is that essential message of taking a deep breath of fresh spring air, embracing the renewed life of warmer seasons, purifying ourselves of our past troubles, and looking with openness to the growth ahead.

About the artwork... This is the beautiful May Queen by Emily Balivet. Please take a look at her shop, for exquisite mythological goddess art.


~ Nellie Levine

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Happy Birthday Mind Body Spirit Marketplace

It's hard to believe that it was a year ago today that the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace was launched on 1000 Markets.  A group of people, who did not know each other in the least, came together for a brief, intense period of time and worked harmoniously to create something they felt strongly about. This group maintained that a specific market segment and view point was not being represented on the site.  So they pooled their knowledge and skills and with minimal assistance from the administration, created a space that would welcome and embrace everyone and their specialized products, regardless of their religious and spiritual beliefs.

The day MBS Marketplace was launched, the numerology of the day, month and year added up to 11.... the Master Number "Illumination".  The number 11 expresses itself through the "development and expansive participation in the community in subtle but pervasive ways".  It has the "potential to bring inspiration into people's lives".

Diane Fergurson,  Nellie Levine, Sapna Mehra and Abby Horowitz all continue to watch over  MBS...each contributing, observing, and supporting it in their own way.   No matter what the future may hold for the Mind Body Spirit Marketplace,  its founding members would probably all agree that they made a positive difference in the lives and education of others.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Below is a copy of the original Marketplace statement:

Hello and welcome to 1000 Markets’ Mind Body Spirit Marketplace. Our intention behind creating this site is to not only offer quality products to the public that have been designed to nurture, inspire, heal and honor our spirit….but to also provide an education and communication platform where people can learn more about the diverse interests and belief systems of others.

We want this site to be an enjoyable, informative destination for everyone.  We hope that our participating merchants will be active in the forums and also contribute their knowledge and expertise to the blogs.  Just looking through some of our merchants, there are so many 1000 Market members who are quite accomplished in their respected fields. We hope you will take the time to share some of your expertise with us.  Artistic and/or spiritual.

The MBS Marketplace is going to feature regular book reviews. These reviews will posted on the site in two locations. Once under blog, as a blog post, and again in the discussion forums.  We feel that this will aid our readers in keeping track of the material that is reviewed and also provide a them with a better visual option for participating in book topic discussions.

Our community bulletin board is up and in place.  If there is an event, lecture, course series or organization that you would like to share with us… please post it.  It doesn’t matter what state you live in.

We appreciate any suggestions that you have for improving the market.  The Mind Body Spirit Marketplace is a positive site and everyone is welcome.

Thanks for stopping by



Artwork by Diane Fergurson  Mandala #28  "Finding Direction"

How are You Feeling? Positive and Negative Ions

Winter Winds by Jude McConkey

I was in the elevator with a group of people going up to our weekly qigong class today when one of our class members started talking about how completely tired and strange she had been feeling lately.  Not at all like herself.  As if on que I started talking about how this was probably due to the positive ions in the atmosphere because of all the storms and unusual weather we have had recently.  Of course after I had finished everyone was looking at me like I had two heads... not knowing in the least what I was talking about (something I've gotten use to over the years).  That's when I decided that this topic deserves at least a small blog post to help introduce people to the subject of ions and health.

Simply put, there are two types of ions in the atmosphere and they effect our health and how we feel.  Positive ions build up in the atmosphere just before a storm.  They can actually make you feel bad and many times people will find themselves irritable, really tired and jumpy for no apparent reason.  People who have migraines have also found that often their headaches are triggered during this time.  Large amounts of positive ions in the atmosphere are also becoming suspect for more serious health issues too. 

Negative ions accumulate in the atmosphere following a storm and have long been associated with improvements in mood and physical health. Research conducted in the last few decades has begun to support the view that negative ions can actually have a positive effect on health.  There has been a lot of interesting weather/health/ion related research done in Japan, for example.  It's also a big topic associated with green living and environmental health. You can google around on the web to find out more about it.  It's really quite fascinating.

Of course the more sensitive a person is, the more profoundly they may feel the effects of weather changes and the impact of the related ions.  Some years ago when I first read about this subject it was like a light clicked on...it made all the sense in the world to me since I had always felt mood and sensory reactions to the weather changes.

There are little things you can do to help buffer the ion situation in your own home.  Certain brands of air purifiers can be used, and also having a small fountain in the room where  you work can will help increase the negative ion count around you.  I've read where this can be especially beneficial if you are sitting working on a computer all day...as I am now... (some claim that computers emit positive ions)..... humm, figures... 

~ diane

The photo used in this blog piece is by the fabulous photographer, Jude McConkey.  Her piece "Winter Winds" can be found in her shop on Etsy.

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Do You Live Near a Real Witch? I Do...

We'd like to thank Grace  for this great blog contribution!  Enjoy!

Do you live near a real witch? I do. Grace Sherwood - The Witch of Pungo, Virginia. Grace.....no relation to me Grace, I promise but I think I do have the potential to be a great witch!

More than 300 years ago, Grace Sherwood was accused in 1698 of bewitching; ruining a neighbor's crop, killed livestock and conjured storms. She was* trailed by water* by the Virginia Princess Anne County government on July 10th, 1706. They tied her thumbs to toes and dropped her into the Lynnhaven River near what is now known as Witchduck Point. I live only a few minutes from Witchduck Point. You can see her bronze statue placed at Bayside Sentara Hospital on Witchduck Point Road.

Well, back to the story, Grace Sherwood floated back up the water a sign of guilt.
That was considered proof she was guilty because the pure water cast out her evil spirit, according to the belief system of the time. If you were a witch, you would float and would not die. If you sink and drown, then you are a mortal and innocent. She was put into prison was eventually released. She lived quietly until 80.

Was she into witchcraft? Her neighbors thought so. They thought she was a witch who ruined crops, killed livestock and conjured storms and had taken her to court many times. She was also accused of using her powers to cause a neighbor to miscarry. Even though she was actually known as a healer... using the herbal crops that she grew...and a midwife who loved children and animals.

"I be not a witch. I be a healer," said Sherwood according to historical record. "Before this day be through, ye will all get a worse ducking than I."
Told you I love living so close to this legendary witch :)


Thank you so much for reading
Grace

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Essential Oils and Skin Care: Bugs

 Continuing our series: 

Today I would like to begin a more in depth look at the use of Essential Oils in skin care.

When I originally started this piece, I planned to do it in one week. After looking at my outline though, I actually have several topics under the Skin Care/Essential Oils umbrella. I could either make one extremely long piece or I can divide it into smaller posts. That is what I have decided to do. 

It is truly incredible when you realize just how many benefits Essential Oils have, especially in skin care. They can be used to treat everything from acne and anti-aging to athletes foot, from sunburn and mosquito bites to warts. I realize discussing warts is far from glamorous, but there really is no limit to how many different types of conditions can be helped by the use of essential oils.

I actually have chosen today's topic because it's one most of us will encounter as we head into the warmer months: mosquito bites. In fact, today while I was outdoors with my boys, there was a whole family of tiny mosquitoes lurking around already. I have a couple bits on my arms and they were "bugging" the kids as well.

As we head into summer, Mosquitos are appearing more frequently. I know in the evening if I am sitting out and am near my hedges at all that those little buggers fly out and bite me. When the boys are bitten, they scratch in their sleep and wind up with big marks.

If you've checked out the ingredients, though, in the most popular bug repellants, you feel as though you're caught between a rock and a hard place. You don't want to suffer from itchy mosquito bites, but you also don't want to spray yourself (or your precious children )with formaldehyde releasers and potentially contaminated with 1,4 Dioxane (as found in the Avon Skin So Soft IR3535 Bug Guard) or DEET (as seen in many OFF products).

So what can you do? Make your own!

I have been using this mixture for the past few springs and summers and it really works. I actually just made up a batch this afternoon for sitting out in the evening.

Here is what you will need:

*Lemon or Lemongrass, Rose Geranium, Cedarwood & Citronella Essential Oils

*Vodka (any kind, no need to splurge for this recipe)

This one is super easy. If you don't want to order the Essential Oils online and have to wait a few days for them to arrive (if you need it for this weekend, for example), go to your natural foods store and buy them there. Otherwise, I do suggest Mountain Rose Herbs for quality Essential Oils.

This recipe is one to eye ball. You absolutely do not have to have a certain number of drops to get it right. You just need a ratio of about 10 parts vodka to 1 part essential oils. How much of each oil? I am heavier on the citronella and rose geranium. It really doesn't matter, which is great if you're low on a certain oil.

I am using a 4 ounce bottle for this today. I am eyeballing it--it's about 2.5 tbsp. of essential oils to a cup of vodka. I keep this in either a cobalt or amber spray bottle. Store out of direct sunlight (a dark cabinet is fine).

Combine by shaking gently. Now you have a gentle bug spray! Spritz on skin and in air. Avoid getting it in the eyes, as with any product. Please do not consume orally.

This also does well at repelling other bugs, like no see-ums, flies, sand gnats, ticks, and more.

Next week, I will discuss the use of Essential Oils to treat oily and acne prone skin.

Note: I am sure the question, "Will I smell like vodka?" may have crossed some readers' minds. The answer? No. Vodka is nearly colorless and odorless to begin with. Once the Essential Oils are added, their scent will take over. I am recommending vodka for this because the alcohol in it both stabilizes the  scent of the oils, as well as helps preserve the shelf life of the formula. If you do not have vodka in the house, distilled water will be fine, but will need to be thrown out after a few short weeks.

--
~Karley

Karley Ziegler Mott


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Book Review, "The Return of the Children of Light: Incan and Mayan Prophecies for a New World"

We are please to have a guest book review written by Mind Body Spirit Marketplace member Christina Dudley of Capricorn Soap Company.  Thank you very much Christina!  Sounds like a good read!

What does our future look like?  Are we progressing toward new horizons in our evolutionary process? Or are we regressing to a more base and debauched state, becoming a more primitive and darkened mankind?  These are the questions we need ask ourselves, especially if we are seekers of the Mysteries of Life.  These questions are brought to light and perhaps even answered by Judith Bluestone Polich in her work "The Return of the Children of Light:  Incan and Mayan Prophecies for a New World".

The book begins by telling the story of an Incan priestess and her fictional journey through the levels of priesthood, mirroring the historic renderings of what modern archaeologists believe were referred to as the Virgins of the Sun.  As we follow the story of the progression her enlightenment, Polich provides us with a rich array of background and historical data while at the same time entertaining and uplifting us.  The reader is easily drawn into the text.  By the time he or she has finished reading the brief fictional narrative, the remainder of the story beckons like a great mystery to solved.

Polich’s next task is to make the reader ask the questions: What does our future look like? And, exactly where are we headed?  Polich describes her own experience with the spiritual realms, taking into account a broad readership with Judeo-Christian upbringing.  She describes her own epiphanies and awakenings and provides detailed references from a variety of spiritual canons to back up her claim   that we are approaching a new day, a new age, and a new moment, wherein we will either claim our heritage as sons and daughters of the great light, or we will deny it  - the choice is ours alone to make.

This text was a delight to read and its relevancy is unquestionable for our time.  Not only is it entertaining, with its brief fictional narrative and personal anecdotes from Polich herself, but it demands the reader ask herself or himself the question:  what choice will I make?   "

Christina M. Dudley
Fine Soap Artisan
Capricorn Soap Company
http://www.capricornsoapcompany.com


The Return of the Children of the Light:  Incan and Mayan Prophecies for a New World by Judith Bluestone Polich was published by Bear and Company
This book is available at Amazon

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Essential Oils: Cold Relief

We continue our series on Essential Oils.  This week Karley Ziegler Mott discusses cold relief and shares some of her all natural recipes with us!

We have been discussing the use of Essential Oils the past couple of weeks in Aromatherapy. Last week we discussed ways to relax and relieve stress. Today, I would like to talk about easing the symptoms of colds and congestion through Aromatherapy.

I am going to share with you two great recipes to treat common symptoms such as stuffy and runny nose, congestion, cough, post nasal drip, etc.

Aromatherapy Milk Bath:

Today, we're going to indulge in a soothing bath treatment to help you with cold symptoms

When I'm in need of some R & R, I like to enjoy a milk bath. My favorite when I am feeling under the weather with a cold, congestion, or flu-like symptoms is my "decongestant" milk bath, which can be made in a large jar and refrigerated, or in small jars for one treatment. You can use mason jars, canning jars, or any clean and dry jar. Rinse out those plastics and feel free to reuse it to make this as well.

Why

a milk bath? Milk contains lactic acid, a form of alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). It helps to gently exfoliate the skin, and milk will also soften and nourish.

I like to use aromatherapy as much as I can to treat symptoms of stress and illness. It is being used more and more by alternative health practitioners to treat stress when used as a complementary therapy with traditional Western medicine. Of course, I believe in going to the doctor regular and in vaccinations to prevent illness, but I take a holistic approach along with traditional medicine.

This will fill a 4 ounce jar:

Start with 1/4 cup of goat's milk (you can buy Meyenberg Goat's Milk in many grocery stores or natural food grocery stores right in the refrigerated section. I really prefer the fresh version as opposed to powder. Powdered goat's milk doesn't work as well, in my opinion, as the fresh.

You can also use organic whole milk or buttermilk.

I then use 1/8 cup of steeped peppermint or chamomile tea. You can skip this and just use milk if you don't have any handy.

Then add in some fresh or dried peppermint. I use enough to fill a teaspoon. You can use more or less.

Add in about 15 drops of peppermint essential oil, 15 drops of eucalyptus essential oil, and 10 drops of lemon essential oil. All are available at Mountain Rose Herbs or at your local natural foods store. Locally, Wegmans even has most of these in the Nature's Marketplace section.

Gently mix these with a wooden spoon and pour into your jar. You will most likely have room to add more milk before you put the top on.

I let this steep for a few hours. I then pour it under running hot water in the tub & light a couple of candles to soak away my cold symptoms.

This blend will store in the fridge for a couple days.

When you're ready to settle in for the night, I recommend using this homemade congestion relief balm:

Just use this as you would Vick's. It is especially effective when you rub it into your feet and cover with cotton socks. Do not put in your nose or mouth or near other mucous membranes.

This will make enough for about a 1 ounce jar, give or take a bit either way depending on spillage (which I often do).

4 teaspoons of Grated Beeswax (I use a cheese grater for this)

2 t. Shea Butter

8 t. Coconut Oil

2 t. Sweet Almond Oil

Essential Oils Needed: Eucalyptus, Rosemary, Lavender, Tea Tree, Sweet Orange

Note: If you do not have these supplies, read on. You can use cocoa butter or mango butter in exchange for shea. As for the oils, you can substitute rice bran, sunflower, safflower, soybean, olive, etc. Hemp Seed and Grapeseed are nice, too.

Melt the beeswax and oils over low to medium heat in a saucepan. Most recipes say you need a double boiler. You really do not to make this project at home.

Let cool for a moment when melted. Now add in your essential oils: 5 to 10 drops of eucalyptus, and up to 5 drops each of lavender, tea tree, and rosemary oils followed by 3 drops of sweet orange or lemon essential oil.

Pour quickly through a small funnel right into your pots. If you do not have one, you can carefully pour using a small pot if you have one.

Let cool. I let these sit for about 3 hours before capping.

Apply to the chest and to the feet? The feet? Yes! Anecdotal evidence suggests that applying congestion relief products to the feet and putting cotton socks over them helps the essential oils to penetrate and do their job more effectively. I do this on my boys and on me and it really helps us!

~As always, seek a medical professional for any symptoms you may be experiencing as I am not a doctor. This is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure any disease or ailment.

--
~Karley

Karley Ziegler Mott

Editor, Chic & Green™:
On Twitter:
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Chic & Green™ is a TODAY Show (NBC) Network Blog, an MSNBC Going Green Blog, and has been named a "Best Green Blog"!

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Related Posts:
Introduction to Essential Oils
Essential Oils and Relaxation

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