Lavender: A Powerful Tool for Thousands of Years

July 24, 2017

One of the oldest essential oils known to man is “Spikenard”, or “Naardus” which is actually the Greek word for Lavender. Spikenard, or Lavender, has been around and used for thousands of years, as documented in many different ancient texts.

In the bible, Mary rubs Jesus’ feet with a “pound of nard”, to which “the house was filled with the fragrance of perfume”! Using Lavender oil has been a practice for both religious and medical reasons for thousands of years, and there are plenty of reasons for why its use is continued today, and we’ll cover many of them in the following paragraphs.

First and foremost, it’s very common for people to use Lavender oils as a means of reducing stress and anxiety. Lavender oil has a unique effect on the limbic system that triggers a calming effect on the nerves, and this is often evidenced during massages or aromatic practice. In addition, there have been a handful of clinical studies that have shown Lavender to improve symptoms of depression in many patients. [1]

In addition to being effective physiologically, researchers in China and Romania have found that the use of Lavender oil increases the production of at least 3 different antioxidants in the body [2], meaning Lavender can also assist the body in resilience to disease! Most often, these effects can be achieved through diffusion, like using a Corked diffuser, but sometimes folks use Lavender topically behind the ears for a similar effect.

Headaches are also a common reason for anyone to use Lavender oil. Many people around the world suffer from headaches, including migraines, and are looking for a means to deter their headaches without using prescription or over-the-counter drugs. Great news! The European Journal of Neurology released a study showing that the inhalation of Lavender oil through diffusion curbed the headaches of many people with migraines. So, next time you’ve got a headache, look into using a Trance diffuser as a remedy.

Having trouble sleeping? Lavender can help with that too. Studies on patients with insomnia showed that several men and women saw immediate improvements [3] in their insomnia symptoms after diffusing Lavender oil before going to bed. If you’re in need of a better night’s sleep, you might want to try Lavender oil!

On top of having many physiological benefits, Lavender is used often in homes as air freshener and as a perfume, rather than using a traditional perfume or cologne. Interestingly, people have also been known to use drops of Lavender oil in recipes like teas and dressings as well as baked goods!

This is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the wonderful effects that Lavender oil can have on your life, but it’s a really great place to start. If you’re suffering from any one of the above symptoms, it’s always recommended that you seek the advice of a licensed physician. However, as a supplementary remedy for these symptoms, Lavender can be a very powerful tool!

[1]https://www.hindawi.com/journals/ecam/2013/681304/ ;

[2] https://draxe.com/lavender-oil-benefits/ ;

[3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16131287