To Martin Watt

[Guest guest]

I wish I could have met you much earlier in my life.

 

 

Dear Martin

 

I was drawn to your website a year or so ago. And I have to admit you

have given me a healthy sense of fear around using essential oils. I

have never had the fininacial means to purchase them let alone use

them. But I have been drawn to them since I was a young girl. Even

if it was clove and cinnamon oil at first (knew nothing about their

safety or non safety at the time); when I took my first massage and

reflexology workshops at our local YMCA.

 

I appreciate the extensive work that you have done and to educate

people. I come from a science background. To me it means you really

care! And caring does not always constitute being nice. It sounds

like you take a tough love approach and I admire that. I don't always

agree.

 

I have to keep reminding my daughter to take care not to use too much

of the lavender oil I gave her. She is honest to goondess terrified

of other people's colds and flus and since she is going to University

everyone around her that coughs and sneezes is a reality she knows

real well. She could die from contracting one of them.

 

I myself am not sure what I am looking for in essential oils. What

initialy drew me to them years ago was massage. And now it seems more

I would like to use them not for cures but to help my body recover

from lifes bumps and bruises etc...

 

And simply to be able to enjoy smells ... I loved what you said about

how the real thing is the best!

 

My brother in law always said I made the best herb tea. I never had a

recipe I'd just go out into their herb garden pick some and make the

tea like it was second nature for me to do it. I always read every

herb book I could get my hands on. It did not matter if I practiced it

or not. I just loved to take it all in.

 

At some point in my life I wanted to be a massage therapist and

herbalist but life never dealt me that hand.

And a part of me just feels it is important not to let dreams die ...

no matter what I have been dealt.

 

I traumatized my daughter once when she had her first flare of

Systemic Rheumatoid Arthritis. She wanted a bath. She was delrious

from a fever and in incredible pain. Could barely move any part of

her body. I ran her a bath and put some Melissa bath soap in it

(lemon scent). She did not like it. It was very bad timing. That is

what I mean we learn from our mistakes sometimes.

 

It was something to see her use the lavender oil this year. She

admits there were times when she could not even stand to be touched.

 

And one of the things I was able to do for her was massage. I still

do it for her. It gives her relief. We even do yoga and belly dance

together sometimes. It helps me to see her noticing she can make a

difference in her own quality of life. She needs a lot of that and so

do I. Right timing and trying to get it right ... when we are right

on the mark ... it feels good.

 

I did not know it was important to me what happens to trees and plants

like Sandalwood and Rosewood. I am sad for those species.

 

I have a fondness for whales also but not for their ambergis.

 

You are an inspiration to me and I think of you as a some kind of a

wood spirit. A real one in the flesh.

 

Thanks so Much for your work and wisdom.

 

The other day I was in the Mandala Book shop in our neighbourhood and

they had some perfumery from the Tahj a Mahal ... I tried the Amber

.... tester ... it was an aged blend of essential oils ... subtle ...

not harsh, not overbearing ... the scent still lingers on my shirt and

I had put the drop of oil on my hand. Wow!

 

I used to wear lots of perfume growing up. These days I would not

dare walk out the door with perfume on.

I have often complained about other peoples hygienic products

especially on the bus and I have felt like storming off of them and

walking.

 

However, I would use a perfume such as that one, sparingly.

 

I use shea butter and a drop of essential oil on my skin where it is

dry. And african black soap or an aruvedic soap. I am cautious and

careful with these things because I have sensitivities. I do really

like raw shea butter. My aging skin needs it.

 

A visit the ocean with a close friend. And when I stay there my skin

is never dry. And being in my skin near an ocean in like heaven to me.

 

I have had an aroma massage a few times with different therapist and I

loved it (they each had specific skills). One lady made a blend for

menstrual cramping for me and I have never had relief as I had when I

was using the sample she gave to me. It meant a lot to me at a time

when I did not know such alternatives existed to prescription pain

medication that never worked for me. She took a whole hour getting to

know me before preparing my blends and giving me the massage.

 

Her massage centered around lymphatic drainage. And at that time my

lymph nodes were basically pretty full. And I had a great deal of

pain afterwards. I was bent over double for severl hours ... I tried

walking and eventually past out from the pain. That was something

that that lady in particular did not factor into her massage. So for

me it was a wake up call ... that I had had to much all at once. I

will never forget that.

 

I had a physcician show me how to do lymphatic drainage and simple

accupressure on myself ... and for the first few weeks I had bruises

but they went away. Just touching skin on my legs gave me bruises

that is how bad it was. I had been caring for my daughter without

caring for myself and my family history of arthritis and bad estrogen

in our bodies from crap in the environment of Michigan (where I am

from).

 

Since I started back into an yoga, excercise routine and taking better

care of myself I have noticed a huge difference. I enjoy moving to

drum rythms. Returning to things I did not know I enjoyed the most.

 

Plants and Trees mean a lot to me. And those that take care to

protect them.

 

 

 

Pamela