Once again a year has ended and a new one has begun. It really is a good time for starting again. As we contemplate how we will make this year the best one yet, we come up with all sorts of resolutions and promises to ourselves. How do you intend to change things for yourself? Have you made plans to do what you can to have a healthier, happier life? I intend to experience joy on a daily basis this year. My plan is to learn to experience and truly appreciate what is all around me. After all, that is the first step in achieving real prosperity and true happiness.

Granted, it is sometimes hard to feel cheerful in the dead of winter when the cold and dark become so pervasive. We really are affected by the long periods of darkness that we experience in winter. That melancholy feeling that is part of the syndrome known as seasonal affective disorder or the “winter blahs” can bring us down mentally, emotionally and spiritually. It also affects us physically.

Try some cheerful aromatherapy in the home to chase away the blues. One of my favorite “starting over anew” blends is a combination of lemon grass (Cymbopogon citratus) and French lavender (Lavandula angustifolia). I make an undiluted blend of the two to use in many recipes. You can put a few drops of it in the home aromatherapy diffuser to create a cheerful ambience in your dwelling. To make auto fresheners for your vehicle, cut a shape out of thick blotter paper (from the art supply store) and thread a string through it. Place four or five drops of the essential oil blend onto the blotter for a wonderful natural smelling auto. The blend can also be used to enhance the scent of herbal bath bags for a real aromatic treat. Following are some ideas that may inspire you to get the New Year off to a healthy, optimistic start.

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) is also anti-inflammatory in nature, so it just may just help to sooth those nagging aches and pains that make you feel frustrated and down. Lemongrass essential oil is distilled from a tall perennial aromatic grass that is native to Asia. The scent of this essential oil is pleasant and calming. It is found in massage blends that are formulated to fight cellulite. Lemongrass is also great in baths and for scenting the home. I use dried lemongrass as a culinary herb. It helps to promote digestion and in Asian culture added to many medicinal foods. I love luscious lemongrass. I add dried or fresh lemongrass to Thai soups and use in many tea recipes.

Lavender is the “angel” of the healing oils in my opinion. On all levels, lavender has a use. For the skin, it can’t be beat when applied neat (undiluted) to minor burns, cuts, scrapes and pimples. Its scent calms the mind and soothes emotional stress. Lavender cleanses the aura and opens up the crown chakra, letting inspiration and inner guidance come through. Try a drop on the top of the head or on the forehead prior to meditation or visualization exercises. You will be amazed! Lavender essential oil can be added to the bath without diluting (it takes only four or five drops) to make a soothing therapy for the stress-out executive as well as the cranky overtired child. Lavender essential oil is a must for the natural medicine cabinet. It has a multitude of uses.

Ritual bathing is an ancient practice and is a wonderful way to set your intention for a happy and healthy new year. Ritual bathing goes beyond cleansing of the body. It involves the emptying of the mind to make room for visions and inspiration to come in from your higher self. It’s all about purification and rebirth. The intention is to renew the mind, the emotions and the soul. Adding aromas to the bath with herbs and essential oils heightens the experience of the ritual bath as certain receptors in the brain are affected by various scents. Scientist believe that there are parts of the brain that help us relax, parts that make us feel pleasure and even areas that are involved with our spirituality. Things that we smell can certainly have a great effect on us. Aromatherapy can help you to relax, uplift and set the mood for setting good intentions.

Cheerful Lavender and Lemongrass blend

A one-dram (one-eight ounce) glass screw top bottle

40 drops lemongrass essential oil

30 drops French lavender (or lavender of your choice)

Mix the essential oils well in the glass bottle. This undiluted blend can be used on bulb ring diffusers, in tea light candle diffusers, on thick blotter paper and hung from the rear view mirror to deodorize the car. The blend must be diluted before applying to the skin. For bath oil add forty drops to your favorite vegetable oil (I use almond oil) and combine well. Use one tablespoon of this diluted oil blend for a bath. For bath salt, add forty drops of the undiluted essential oils to one tablespoon of honey or vegetable glycerine and mix well. Next, add this mixture to two ounces of salt combining thoroughly with the handle of a wooden spoon. Epsom salts, sea salt, kosher salt or Dead Sea salt can be used for bathing. You can also combine different salts to create your own special detoxifying blend. This recipe makes two regular sized baths or one giant tub bath.

Whether you are immersed in warm water or sitting quietly in an armchair in contemplation, aromatherapy can help you to relax, renew and set good intentions for the upcoming year. Allow the scents to envelope you with aromatic pleasure. Clear your mind of the toxic thoughts and emotions that create disharmony and consequently, disease in your life. Start your year out with good intentions. Even on the gloomiest days of icy January, there is something around you that is deserving of appreciation. You can find it every day. See yourself as the person you really are – full of life, full of optimism and full of inspiration. Happy New Year!

Karen Stokes, RN Herbalist is a member of the American Botanical Council and the Michigan Holistic Nurses Association. She can be reached at (248) 515-9863 or karen.stokes@yahoo.com.