REDUCE PMS NATURALLY WITH THERAPEUTIC PLANT OILS

DO YOU SUFFER FROM A MONTHLY CYCLE OF MOOD SWINGS AND MENSTRUAL CRAMPS?

You are probably familiar with the term PMS.

But what does that actually mean?

Apparently up to 3 out of 4 women suffer from some or other symptom of Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (also known as Pre-Menstrual Tension) which includes:

• Water retention
• Sore breasts
• Heightened aggression
• Emotional lows/depression
• Increased feelings of impatience
• Anxiety
• Back/abdominal pain
• Headaches/ lack of focus

Extreme symptoms that disrupt normal life on a regular basis can lead to the diagnosis of medical PMS (though there are other things to be ruled out such as depression and thyroid disease).

Many women feel an unspoken pressure to find a way forward and overcome the inconvenience of their menstrual cycle

Among women, the various symptoms of PMS are so commonplace that many simply continue to operate as they absorb the extra strain into their already busy, demanding lives.

The common medical approach to diagnosed PMS is to use pain killers (which many women also self-prescribe), hormonal treatments (such as the pill), and anti-depressant medication - all of which can be significantly impactful for sufferers but they are basically designed to chemically alter a woman's body to allow her to continue as required.

There is an expectation to soldier on basically because our modern lifestyles are not set up around the natural rhythm of a body's cycle. We all have social and economic commitments that drive our choices and we tend to manage our time on a linear scale.

Just as nature, the planets, and the universe are made up of cycles of process, so are our bodies… down to the last cell.

How would it be to live in a place where everyone agreed that for a few days each month a woman deserved the time to nurture her own process?

We all learn in basic biology about the cycles of nature - how there are times for bountiful growth and creative process; times for gestation; and times for inertia and decline. The four seasons, the moon, the butterfly… there are infinite reminders all around us.

So how much sense does it make to refuse to work with our own patterns that actually allow us to predict when our most creative and energetic potential will surface?

If you observe your own cycle even a little, chances are you will notice that your most dynamic (energetic, sensual, vital etc.) time of the month happens around the time you ovulate. This is the time when we are often more social and positive. This is the time when we can even be surprisingly amazing and feel naturally motivated to create, produce and achieve.

This is the flipside to the dreaded PMS. But what if we look at it as two sides of the same process?

Doesn't every woman deserve the opportunity to nurture her body in a healthful, wholesome manner?

If you already insist on allowing yourself time for a hot bath and an early night away from the world when you have your period, then congratulations - this is the pathway to listening to your body and understanding a fundamental need for balance.

Down-time for processing - for physical, mental and emotional cleansing (and yes, a good cry does count) - allows us to sustain greater emotional, mental and energetic thresholds for the rest of the time. And it makes sense that when we allow for that side of the process to be fully realised, the symptoms will become less extreme.

Use therapeutic plant oils to help you restore a greater sense of well-being

To nurture this shift into an awareness of feminine health and embrace the natural power of your body's cycle, you can use pure essential oils and carrier oils.

These 100% pure plant extracts contain the natural agents of balance used in the plant world (including plant hormones) and our body integrates their molecules seamlessly into its own systems.

By using a combination of natural oils we can access analgesic properties for pain management; anti-anxiety and relaxant properties to help ease the classic emotional tensions and lows; plant hormones that help to balance our own endocrine system; and a range of cleansing and tonic qualities that can improve circulation, detoxification, and boost the efficacy of body systems in general.

Anyone interested in achieving a greater sense of feminine balance would benefit by becoming familiar with a number of great essential oils

Here are a few key choices:

Clary Sage, Salvia sclarea (organic)

This pure essential oil has a whole host of benefits that make it an ideal oil for women, including phytohormones (plant hormones that are believed to behave like estrogen in the body), blood-flow regulating properties; as well as relaxant, sedative and anti-depressant influences. It can be especially helpful for depression, mood swings, water retention, cramps and aches.

Geranium Rose, Pelargonium graveolens (organic)
In its purest, organic form, this essential oil is a wonderfully balancing oil. It too has phytohormones (see above) and a range of body tonic qualities. Specifically for PMS it is uplifting and cleansing and useful for cramps, aches, bloating and mood swings.

Chamomile German, Chamomila matricarias
Pure Chamomile German is well-known for its relaxing, soothing properties and it is a powerful cleansing oil too. It has various properties that help to calm the nervous system and ease aches and pains and can be particularly useful for cramps, depression, aches and anxiety.

Bergamot, Citrus auranthium var. (organic)
Bergamot is an uplifting and cleansing oil with soothing properties and general tonic effects. It also has a specific effect on digestion and can be used to promote the sensation of satiation, thus it is one to remember for food cravings, depression, aches and cramps.

Other oils that I would use for PMS are Lavender True, Neroli, Rose, Marjoram, Fennel, Ylang Ylang, and Cypress.

Plus, I would always recommend our synergy of pure essential oils especially formulated to promote overall balance to the female cycle: Feminine Balance (organic)

HOW TO USE ESSENTIAL OILS TO HELP YOU GAIN BALANCE AND REDUCE SYMPTOMS OF PMS

• Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil or a blend of essential oils to a palm-serving of carrier oil, such as organic, nutrient rich Evening Primrose Oil (that brings also soothing and balancing properties) or organic, nourishing Castor Oil (that is especially cleansing and detoxifying), and massage in a clockwise direction to the abdomen and also thighs, lower back and buttocks. Do this 2x daily, 10 days prior to your period.
• Add 5-10 drops of your chosen essential oil or a blend of essential oils to your evening bath, each day, 10 days prior to your period. Avoid the temptation to soak for a long time as your body will begin to reabsorb its own toxins - 15 minutes offers optimum therapeutic benefit.
• Apply 1 drop of Lavender, Rose or Chamomile direct to pulse points to aid relaxation and calm.
• Apply 1 drop of Ylang Ylang direct to pulse points to improve mood and energy flow.

Medicinal-grade essential oils must be 100% pure. At Absolute Essential we use certified organic or wild grown (sustainable) plants to produce our oils and all extraction processes are strictly controlled to produce the best quality oil with a maximum purity and therapeutic value. See more at Absolute Essential.