Healthy and Green Living

Taking care of your heart can feel like a day at the spa with these tips. Choose just the right essential oils to meet the specific needs of your own heart (do you
need rose or neroli?), and learn how to do a dry brush massage to get your skin glowing and your circulation flowing.

Dry Brush Massage

Dry brush your whole body 5-10 minutes before your shower or bath, especially in the morning. Start at the soles of your feet; then up your legs, then on both sides of hands and up the arms, then your back and abdomen, then your neck chest and shoulders, ending at the heart. Note: Do not dry brush the face.

Use only a natural bristle brush.
Brush in small circles vigorously until skin is glowing.
Clean and dry the brush every day.
Shower or bathe after brushing.

Benefits include:

• Removes dead layers of skin so the skin can release impurities easier.
• Stimulates circulation.
• Rejuvenates nervous system.
• Stimulates lymph and immune system.
• Rejuvenates skin.

Aromatherapy for heart health

• Massage with essential oils of lavender, peppermint, marjoram, and rose may help to strengthen heart action.
• Essential oils that that may offer help for clogged, hardened arteries include rosemary and juniper.
• Essential oils that may aid circulation include basil, geranium, lavender, neroli, pine, thyme, marjoram and clove.
• Add essential oils to massage oil, an inhaler, a mister or a bath.

Caution: Do not use essential oils if you are pregnant or have other health concerns without first discussing this with a doctor. Just use a few drop of essential oils at a time, and blend them with a carrier oil, such as olive or almond.

Massage or other bodywork like Reiki treatments, once a week, is recommended. It relaxes, de-stresses, boosts circulation and facilitates emotional release, like long-held sadness, repressed anger or other emotional tensions.

Additional tips

• Take care of your teeth and gums. Gum disease is related to heart disease.
• Don’t cross your legs when sitting. It cuts off circulation.
• Get up from your desk every hour.
• Walk or exercise in the country, in the woods or in a park, away from traffic.
• Quit smoking!