I like this story on how five simple blends came about, or maybe I like my version of the story. Original version of story in March 2010 Massage Magazine. 

A man working a nursing home facility has a friend that is an aroma therapist. He asked her if she would be able to come up with very simple solutions to help out with the problems of sun-downing, insomnia, pain, mental fatigue, and loss of appetite that he dealt with every day with his Alzheimer’s patients. And if she wouldn’t mind, something for the staff as well to help them cope.  

A drop of oil was placed three times each day on a tissue and put in an upper pocket of the patient as to their needs.

​With consistent daily use of the oils all problems became quiet. 

Appetite Stimulant               Grapefruit & Clove

Restore Peace        Grapefruit & Frankincense

Insomnia & Pain                Lavender & Bergamot
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Promote Alertness              Orange & Rosemary
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Care Giver Relief (staff only)            Orange, Cinnamon, Lemon, Ylang-ylang

I have heard locally that a senior in long term care was given a wheat bag that was scented with lavender to be used for her arthritic hands. It was noted that she is also calmer now.

Be Healthy. Stay Healthy. Massage.
kimdeering.com/blog

This is the lemongrass story. Sometime in 2010, G and I both ran into articles about lemongrass. Lemongrass sounded great. Lemongrass can heal infection and support the over all general good health of the body. 

G has had chronic bladder infections for years. I bought  four good teas that have lemongrass in them. Stash Meyer Lemon, Stash Lemon Ginger, Twinings Lemon Ginger and Presidents Choice Lemon Ginger. Using four tea bags, one from each tea box, the tea was steeped to full strength in an insulated "go cup". G drank it at 8pm. The next morning she found that the urine was not cloudy for the first time in a very long time. 

This was the start of getting a healthy bladder.  G continued to  drink the very strong tea three times a day, every day. She added the Bells Lifestyle Bladder and Yeast Infection blend of herbs (also available at our local health food store and Riverside Drugs) to the daily routine. And still to this day, G has not had any recurrence of the tell tall sign of cloudy urine. She takes one capsule of Bells Lifestyle Bladder and Yeast Infection to maintain her bladder health and to support not getting up in the night.

Lemongrass is an amazing healer. It is a known medicine used to prevent the growth of some bacteria and yeast, relieve pain, reduce fever, muscle cramps, headaches, stomach ache and the more serious inflammatory bowel disease. 

There have been studies that show lemongrass has a positive effect on  staphylococcus and streptococcus. 

Lemongrass will fight cancer by causing cancer cells to self destruct without harming healthy cells.

The lemongrass essential oil is an antifungal, antibacterial, antiseptic, febrifuge, antimicrobial, analgesic, antidepressant, nervine, and invigorates and strengthens the body.

When I feel the first slight scratch to my throat I brew up very strong cups or many pots and drink tea until I feel better. I find it usual just takes the day or a few hours to feel better.  

And yes I do put all three tea bags in one cup. Very strong and very healing. No, you do not use the tea bags again. A fresh set of three tea bags in every cup. Yes that is a lot of tea. And yes it does keep me healthy. No you do not need to drink it hot. If you wanted to give it to children I would maybe not use the spicy ginger and just use only the lemon myer from Stash. Stash teas are foil wrapped to maintain the freshness of the herbs. 
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I think it is a win win for you, me and the tea companies. The tea companies blend teas to taste good. A good tasting tea is easy to drink. The right tea will aid me in my need to be and stay healthy.  "Put on the kettle for tea. I drink to our health."

Be Healthy. Stay Healthy. Massage.
kimdeering.com/blog

http://www.israel21c.org/fresh-lemon-grass-fields-in-israel-become-mecca-for-cancer-patients/

1. Trigger points in muscles sending pain to the breast tissue areas. Feels like long drawn out pain, or maybe best described as a 'think I'm having a heart attack'.
2. Congestion and or inflammation caused by drainage pathways being blocked by tight clothing or a wrong sized compressing bra, tight muscles or inadequate lymph movement from contracted tight muscles. The congestion can be felt as sharp pain and there might be a sensation of itch that is not just dry skin but a sign of tissue being stretched from the inflammation.
3. Injury directly to breast tissue. Trauma to the breast like a hard hit to the breast during sports activities can cause fascial sticking. This pain may feel like a pinch and you may not feel the pain of the restriction until many years later when the breast tissue is loser and hanging or pulling away from the point of impacted fascial restriction.

I have experienced all three types of breast pain. Trigger point pain, congestion and inflammation pain and trauma induced fascial sticking pain.

For me Breast Massage is necessary along with having a fellow massage therapist work out the trigger points of the surrounding muscles of the body twice a month so that there is proper drainage and movement of the fluids of the breast tissue and all the muscles. For more discussion and location of the many trigger points that are causing pain to the breast look at the booklet on this site Your Daily Massage Guide For Breast Health

Breast tissue is delicate and should not be handled in the same way you would massage an arm, back or leg. Apricot oil or grapeseed oil  or coconut oil with essential oils makes the massage experience enjoyable. 

For Immediate Pain Relief
​I have been using a blend I call A4 for years with my clients and myself to help reduce the painful inflammation already occurring in the body, or from a therapeutic massage that can create inflammation and reduce the potential after massage next day pain, and for potential arthritis or inflammation of my own overworked hands.
 
The Four Essential Oils of the A4 blend are:
Wintergreen and Birch are like adding a topical aspirin. Reduces inflammation and reduces pain. 
Clove is an analgesic and antispasmodic that works to reduce pain. You may have heard of people using clove for a tooth ache.
Rosemary is also an analgesic, antispasmodic and a strong warming oil that can burn when used without a carrier oil. 

Kim Deering's Breast Massage Oil Blend
For Breast Massage I like the health supporting blend of the following twelve essential oils in a blend of base oils of apricot and grapeseed. 

To support the health and movement of lymph, blood and mood:  
Geranium, Cypress, and Ylanylang.
For health and protection of skin, lymph and support the elasticity of tissues:
​Lavender, Frankincense, and Marjoram 
Anticarcinogin properties: Bergamot, Peppermint, and Lemongrass 
Reduce fascial restrictions and scar tissue: Sage, Thyme, and Rosemary 

This is the Breast Massage routine that is working for me.
http://www.kimdeering.com/your-daily-massage-guide-for-breast-health.html

Have a look at other articles I have written on breast health and massage.
www.kimdeering.com/blog/category/breast%20massage

Massage for the breasts is about taking preventative action to keeping the breasts and the body healthy so that there are no problems developing.
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​Be Healthy. Stay Healthy. Massage.
kimdeering.com/blog

Talking to people lately I realized I needed to post the links to the article on the research of citrus fruit oils to prevent breast cancer.  The oils, limonene, found in the skin of citrus fruits, protects the body by accumulating in the fat tissues.

The conclusion is to increase the daily consumption of lemons, oranges, and grapefruit for both men and women.  

Orange and lemon oil can be massaged into the breast with coconut oil as a carrier oil at 10 or 20% dilution.

Citrus fruits are a tasty way to be healthy, stay healthy and massage.
kimdeering.com/blog
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http://www.kimdeering.com/blog/help-for-your-breast-congestion
​http://tisserandinstitute.org/citrus-oils-and-breast-health/
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3692564/

I have created a simple massage oil blend with the help of the input of clients and a few hours of research on my part.

The Challenges: 1.Find an essential oil blend that is warming and pain killing for chronic inflammation, similar to what you have with chronic injuries and arthritis. 2. Does not reactivate like commercial products that reheat when you sweat or get wet.

The initial willing clients (forgiving victims if I got it wrong) endured their usual therapeutic massage with a new scent in the air. Massage oil was blended with four aromatic essential oils of Birch, Clove, Rosemary and Wintergreen.

The vote is in with the following comments; reduction in inflammation and pain, loving the smell, smells a bit like an old fashion liniment, the clove smell blends nicely and is the more dominant scent, able to increase range of motion past an extreme pain point, love the clove smell, comforting scent, didn't hurt the next day after the massage and nicely warming. 

I am happy with the results. This massage blend is now available for purchase at the clinic. Cash sales only $20 for 60ml.
kimdeering.com

This special blend of twelve essential oils has improved my son's immune system, conquered a lingering cough/chest congestion of a friend, improved the cough of a smoker and has given added protection to myself.

What are the twelve essential oils synergistically working together that have the best potential to take on the tough bacterias, staphylococcus, streptococcus and what ever else is trying to bring us down? Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, Frankincense, Lemongrass, Lemon, Myrrh, Myrtle, Pine, Peppermint, Rosemary, Thyme, and Tea tree. 

 This blend is made of 4 equal parts. One part essential oils (I measure out the essential oils first to see what volume I am working with), one part Castor Oil, one part grapeseed oil, and one part Apricot oil.

I admit this is not a perfect blend. I have exceeded the 3% ratio of essential oils to base oil, thus the reason for some separation. You should definitely give it a shake before using. I like this concentration. It smells great and gives that tingle to the feet. The dominant scent is often the lemongrass, and then again it often is the cinnamon. The essential oils  work wonderfully together.

Have a look at a reflexology chart to understand the connection you are making to the body's various organs. Massage feet and add socks (optional) to hold in the oils for a great night of slumber. 

Massage the feet every night for one week and see what a difference there is for you. And yes, you can massage other parts, hands, arms, back, legs and chest.  

If you are interested, I do have Twelve For Health available at the clinic. 60ml bottles for $20. Cash sales only.
kimdeering.com