by Nancy Nottingham

Used in the bedroom, natural aromatics can coax our minds to a state of contemplation and reflection. They comfort us and allow our minds to drift off to sleep. They can also arouse us, inspire us, and help us heal.

Make a dish of potpourri with the dried plant material of your chosen scent, then add a few drops of the essential oil to the bowl. Light a beeswax candle scented with pure essential oils or a candle-based diffuser, which heats a small bowl of scented water. Place a cotton ball with a few drops of essential oil close to the bed orbetween your pillow and its case. Spray the bedroom or linens with a spritzer made from ten drops of essential oil per ounce of distilled water.

• Relaxing scents such as lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, and linden blossom are popular in the bedroom.
• Floral scents such as rose and jasmine lighten the heart and bring out our sensuality.
• Warming scents such as sandalwood, frankincense, and vetiver add a sense of enchantment and combat nervousness and insomnia.
• Air purifiers with antibacterial and antiviral properties such as eucalyptus and bergamot help battle winter colds and flu.

reprinted with permission from 

© 2007 Green Home, Inc.