What makes you feel joy?

What a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and even Thursday! Joy from sunshine, the clarity of autumn and the first little frost in the morning to awaken and bring a smile on my face. The changes of the seasons are a joy to me. A tiny drop of joy is necessary for every day. Everyone has personal experiences about the stress reducing and feeling of well being that joy and laughter bring. Joy is catching and enough drops make a stream.

We are at the end of September and still the sun is warming and bringing light. So far the the darkening of the evenings and the mornings has not been a strain. Though in the evenings already before 10 pm it feels as if one should have gone to sleep a long time ago because it has been dark for so long. It would not be a bad idea to go to bed before ten o’clock. The Chinese philosophy keeping well says that we need those two hours sleep before midnight to keep up our health.  It also helps to get up a little earlier in the morning to start the day without rushing.

What makes you feel joyful? A smile on a child’s face, a warm hug, exercise, good food, a new make-up, a good book. Look for and do the things that bring you joy. Joy gives energy and keeps you healthy.
Joy brings a smile on your face and activates the facial muscles. Smile is a beauty treatment, a continuous face lift. Look in the mirror and see for yourself!

Learning something new can also bring joy. Autumn is a particularly good time for that. My harvest of learning this autumn so far has been to listen to top professionals at the Turku University of Applied Sciences ”Hot Stones of  Wellness business”  and at the Hameenlinna Univesity of Applied Sciences ”Approaches to Multisensory-work” international seminars. It is truly inspiring to listen to experts, who are dedicated to and burn for their work, and be lit  up and be thrilled by the knowledge and insight as fruits of their hard work.

In Aromatica we have been given joy by all the people who have been enthused by the UMG-Wellness therapist course starting in October. The course is full and there are aleady many waiting for the next one to start.

Joy and autumnal light 
Ulla-Maija

What you can do for your own wellbeing

Autumn is coming and with it all the horror scenarios about the flu epidemics. How many of us now worry again about “should I take the jab, have my children take it, or my old mother”! What ever you decide, you will feel guilty. Wouldn’t it be nice if the papers would start the day with happy, good things.

I read some writings by a wise lady about how we each have something that fires us to do and to act. She advised to be still and listen – even for a short moment – to what is your personal burning flame, that draws to action. Once again, as so many times before I realized, that I my wish is that every one of us would trust ourselves and the power of our bodies to upkeep and enhance our wellbeing. I want people to be well and healthy!

I then started to study the, oh so conflicting, reports by the experts about the benefits and problems of inoculations. Of course those thoughts and information that supported my own understanding of WHAT YOU YOURSELF CAN DO FOR YOUR OWN WELLBEING, sank best into my consciousness.

When we grow potatoes or salads of flowers, we go to an expert and demand the right kind of nourishment for the plants. We want our plants to grow, to be full of goodness for us or to bloom beautifully. Animals are fed with carefully planned and selected diets for them to produce more and the kind of food that the grower wants. There are also always new kinds of “nourishment and protective substances” made for our machines. What about us people, whose bodies are infinitely complex organisms with all the feelings and thoughts affecting it? Often those who so happily and readily give us pills and inoculations one after another say that one cannot influence health or lack of it with food, vitamins or other supplements.

I disagree. I am very much of the opinion that our protection against all kinds of bugs is a strong immunity. This we should support in all possible means. Naturally produced food is one of our very best building blocks. Some years ago I read an article headed “ Do not eat anything that your Grandmother would not recognize as food” Simply the closer to the original substance our food is and the less it has been processed the better chance you have of getting the building blocks for a strong immune system.

Just now at the time of ripening harvests is the right time to fill up with energy with antioxidants and vitamins. All colourful fresh vegetables and fruits are packed with them. From fish oils you will get the necessary fatty acids and vitamin-D and vitamin-C and E will also boost your defence mechanisms.

Any kind of movement and exercise will strengthen our metabolism and heart and help to balance our moods. It also helps us to sleep better and reduce stress levels. Stress too is a great drain on our immune defences.

Take the reigns in you own hands, think, find out and act and you will feel better both physically and emotionally.

Wishing you health and joy
Ulla-Maija

Spa matters form home and beyond

The Finnish spas have changed noticeably over the past ten years. I have been following their progress whilst developing UMG-Wellness treatments and products for their customers. Some Spas have reacted to the reducing number of the veterans and developed their approach towards offering wellness services.
Again we are facing a big change as the Spa users become more knowledgeable about what is on offer and grow more demanding on quality. The ability and will to change are the prerequisites for the Spas for staying in the run and for increasing the number of clients.

Wellness and Spa are a rapidly growing service in the world. Following these trends I have noticed over the past two years that all around the world clients are increasingly aware of the professionalism of the staff. Also the flow of the treatment from the first contact with the client to the comfort of the treatment room are under demanding inspection. The pleasing memory and the effect of the treatment and fulfilling the given promise must continue beyond the treatment room all the way home in the form of a self care product.

Another trend in the Spa world is ecology. The changes in the global climate have awakened the clients to choose those Spas and treatments that take into account the different aspects of how it effects the ecological systems of the whole world. This also means that the closer home one finds a favourite Spa the more likely the eco-aware client is to choose it.

The visual change in the Spa architecture and interior design shows how exotic moods and images are borrowed from all corners of the globe to all corners of the globe. Simple beauty from wood, strength form stone, soft shapes and fabrics, flowing water designs and the subtle and inspired use of the colours of the rainbow are the building blocks of the Spa. Esthetics are high in the development of the Spa worlds.

My visit in a Spa in England is a good example of the various aspects of good service. An architecturally peaceful looking building stood in the midst of lush greenery. Inside soft aromas, gentle music and harmonious space awakened my senses and invited forward.

On entering every member of the staff lifted their eyes to give a welcoming smile. Beyond the reception, before the dressing rooms was a beautifully framed text that welcomed into the silent space where every ones privacy is respected. From there on the silence was tangible, only the distant sounds of flowing water kept company. The treatment rooms greeted with flowers, candles and welcomed in with carefully prepared treatment beds. Complete well planned treatment rituals help the client from the first moment into a calm and restful trusting feeling from which you awake when the door closes behind you on leaving. The pleasurable satisfied feeling continues for the rest of the day and resurfaces at home each time when using the product recommended by the therapist and purchased from the spa shop at the end of the treatment.

Welcome August

In some languages the names of the months are written with a capital letter. This morning I felt that it should be the case also in Finnish, as each month has it own “personality" and aroma. In the summer months the aromas are easier to recognize than in the autumn and winter. June is full of apple-, rowan- and meadowsweet flowers and the sharp freshness of the nettles. July smells of drying hay and meadow grasses and in August the aromas anticipate the ripening seeds, berries and fruits.

On the week-end before mid-summer we held the phytotherapy course which is a part of the UMG-Wellness therapist training. As is usual on the phytotherapy courses we visited the Pharmacy museum by the river Aura here in Turku. The old tools used by the surgeons, the different distillation equipment and the dried herbs that are so dry and old that they have become unrecognized all awaken the curiosity of the students. This year we could not visit my own herb garden due to the fact that our house was in the middle reparations. In stead we went to visit the herb garden at Turku university botanical gardens in Ruissalo. There we found several aromatic plants that essential oils are distilled from around the world.

We pondered on which herb would be the best for self care for each of the students as homework. Having decided on them we all, including me, wanted to try out the cleansing programme worked out by Leila. We will be comparing the results in the autumn when we meet next.

Try it
- Yarrow tea for general cleansing and stamina.
- Meadowsweet footbath or compress for excess fluid.
- Nettle powder improves immunity.
- Bilberry unsweetened will normalize the intestinal function.

If herbs are not your thing, try the Lady Grace products. You will be getting similar physical benefits plus emotional uplift and wellbeing plus a delightful scent to your body. Energy boost for vitality and Fluid balance to reduce fluid retention.

In the summer time one tends to eat differently and less regularly than normal and the body reacts! You feel bloated and your elimination is sluggish. This in the end will often lead to cellulite. To prevent this use Aromatica’s cellulite gels. They are powerful in reducing centimeters and getting rid of the cellulite and excess fluid as well as activating the elimination of waste. You will feel better fast.

In July we visited the new Vierumäki Resort and Spa. It is a beautiful, stylishly restful and definitely international standard with friendly and professional staff. So far I have trained them in the Stress neck massage treatment method and for later in the autumn we have planned the cellulite treatment training. Near the Spa reception there is a small shop were you can find Aromatica’s Sport- and Lady Grace products among others. You can find the large variety of activities and programmes offered by Vierumäki and Vierumäki Resort & Spa at http://www.vierumaki.fi.

The uncommonly warm summer has nurtured us Finns as it has done to the rest of the Europeans and smiles have been easy. The sun will still be caressing, giving its light and strengthening us for a few weeks yet though the days are drawing shorter. Now the forests and the gardens are full of ripening fruits. We can fill our tanks with their vitamins and flavonoides in store for autumn and winter to keep us feeling well and satisfied by nourishing our senses and bodies and by improving our immune defences.

Wishing you gentle, warmly aromatic summer sensations

Tending the summer needs

Summer here in Finland means light night and day, abundance of scents, feeling good and vigorous movement.

Sometimes there just is too much of even the good things. So to keep up your summer feeling I have picked for the subject of this blog some products that I have developed.

For the moment my favourites of course are the Lady Grace products. The deliciously soft and feminine scents caress our feelings even if we are not particularly aware of being in need of it. I did mention in some earlier blog that they are like precious perfumes – and you can use them as such. Give Positive Spirit lotion a try, it will drive off the summer blues if they happen to come on.

I picked another two Lady Grace products that, in addition to bringing on a good mood will also give you physical wellbeing.

When there is an abundance of light one really does not want ot go to bed. Sometimes the next day may demand activity and then you will need the Energy boost lotion. Roll it on your calves (they are the ones that move you along), lower back (when your lower back is tired you are tired and nothing feels like anything) and finally onto your chest and throat so you mind will also get wings.  

I love reading and doing sudokus when I have the time. The problem is that when one concentrates deeply the postures one settles in can be difficult to say the least and cause tension in the neck. So Tension Neck lotion is just what the doctor ordered, it eases the discomfort in the neck muscles and brings about a feeling of calm like summer sauna by the lake. 

In the summer time particularly with the children small mishaps are bound to happen;  grazed knees, splinters in fingers, stings or bites by bugs. For all of these Tea-tree Plus is the answer. It is plus because we have added to the essential oil of tea tree some lavender eo. to care and nurture the skin, olive leaf extract for it antiseptic qualities and diluted it in the right proportion for safe, easy  and effective use. You know essential oils are not to be used undiluted on the skin.!

For a keen mover, summer is the time to move more. Often we can get carried away in the beginning and do over our abilities with the result that no moving is possible for the next few days or even a week. Now I will tell you what happened to me last week end.

My daughter Maija Grace is the top  Zumba instructor in Finland ( though I may be biased in saying so) and last Friday there was a Zumba instructor course at her studio in Turku. Donna Giffen from England had come to do the training. I was one of those to be educated with Zumba! I must admit that after the first hour, the Master classm, on the Fiday morning, I ws not at all sure whether I was going to be able to keep up with the speed and tempo for two whole days … never the less the the last hour on Saturday went with the same gusto to the last jump. Today, Monday only my calves feel a little congested. I must admit that after the first hour I did utilise the Sport Power gel frequently during the two days on my calves,  thighs and back. Now I am an Official Zumba Instructor at the basic step level.

Once again even after all these years these nature’s magic drops have surprised me. I know Sport Power is powerful (I have developed it myself), but I never expected so great and positive experience from it.

Give it a try you, who like to put your body to test – and feel the boost

Every now and then we women want to do something fun and silly. Well I have always found the peat saunas much fun in the summer by the sea or the lake where you can wash the peat off the skin.
In our Aroma Vartaloturve  we  have added vegetable and essential oils to the peat, which is in its natural state only mechanically lifted from its original environment. It is refreshing to the mind and body, cleanses and cares for the skin and due to the vegetable oils it does not dry in the sauna and stick to the skin. Each 250g bag is enough for one whole body treatment.

And finally I want to mention Lavender water and the essential oil of lavender. They are the first aid for most everything. Lavender water cools and soothes the skin if one has enjoyed the sun too much. It is suitable for everyone from 7-years upwards. I do not recommend though that pregnant or lactating mothers, or little babies use essential oils on the skin. Moskitoes avoid lavender oil but it is not a 100%  repellent, but if one does happen to get you it is excellent to calm the irritation of the bite and itch. For the smallest in the family I suggest the use of the Tea-tree Plus, one drop carefully directly on the bite.

With these one should manage through the little worries of the summer. Sun, light and joy for us all.

The abundance of summer sensations

Here in Finland it means light day and night, it means an abundance of aromas and a feeling of joy. 

This week on Monday, the eve of summer, we started off towards Peurunka fitness and wellness centre in the braking light of the dawn at four am. Soon after five the sun was shining from the clear blue sky and awakened the spring green colour of the trees. Looking at it my thoughts brought back to mind other sensations of this spring. 

The last weeks overflowing rains soon after the leaves of the silver birch had swelled up into almost full size. After the rain I stood on the stars in awe of the clean colours of the garden and how the rain had coaxed the aromas of the silver birch out through the still fragile surfaces of the leaves.
The songs of the birds filled the air with the same abundance.

In Turku attached to the new library there is a Café that opens out to a bright courtyard where it is a pleasure to lunch underneath the light sunshades. At the next table sat a little boy enjoying a delicious looking and judging by the boy’s face just as tasty strawberry ice cream. I only needed to look at him and now writing about it my mouth starts to water.
  
Walking back along the riverside my nostrils were filled by the aroma of newly cut grass. But I did not hear or see the usual noisy mower. Some distance in front of me I saw a relaxed looking young man pushing what looked like an old fashioned ordinary mower. It made me feel good. No noise, no exhausts. Only the aroma of the freshly cut grass. 

Some small distance ahead was the Café that has the reputation of making the best and mos,  but I did smell the freshly brewed coffee. What is it that makes it smell so good…

Back to Linnankatu, less than 20 meters. What a change. There the aroma was exhausts and dust and the ambience the noises of the traffic and hurrying people.

At Jyväskylä, the mirror calm of the lake reflected the light of the sun that had risen high up the sky and brought my thoughts back to the moment and the approaching meeting with the clients.
A moment of thought and concentration on the coming meeting and freshen up the looks… 

Scents for feelings to soothe the hormones

Looking back to last weeks feelings I will bring back to mind the various emotions that we women go through with the  PMS. There can be anxiety, irritation, rage, weepiness, lack of sexual drive, need to be alone, need for silence etc. It is exhausting to control these feelings and when the control fails they can be baffling and cause unexpected situations ant home and at work.

The symptoms of  PMS have similar effect in our body as do stress. When women are stressed their limbic area in the brain is activated. This is the area of the brain that is linked with our sense of smell and we can use beautiful aromas to soothe our emotions.  Try how a scent or smell that you like very much will lift, calm, refresh, soothe or clear you mind, depending on the origin of the aroma that you have chosen.

Everyone of us have our very own specific scent map, that has developed during our lifetime from the aromas that we have met and the experiences linked with them, both good and bad. Thus smells evoke feelings in us even if we do not remember the origin of the smell.

In the tree  products related to the female hormonal cycle in Lady Grace wellness range I have built the total scent like a precious perfume to influence the emotions though the sense of smell.
In  each product every essential oil gives its character and hue to the aroma and influence on you.
  
As an example of the many different effects of the essential oils let’s look at the  PMS lotion.;
The orange blossom is “cool”. Its purpose in this is to clear thinking. Francinsense is warm and arid. It calms the mind by deepening the breath, It is a really old and valuable substance which is still used in the insences of the catholic and orthodox churches.A finnish saying informs that juniper cures all ills. It is like blue light that brightens and cleanses. Dr. Bach, the developer of the Bach flower remedies, says that pine helps to let go of guilt. There is strength and antiseptic power in the aroma. Peppermint picks you up and the sharp lemony scent of May chang will awaken joy. Finally Ylang ylang which has a reputation reducing the feeling of anxiety and anger.

Spread them onto your chest and throat first for your body to warm them and lift the aromas to you nostrils to ease your feelings.

It occurred to me that it would benefit many readers if I expanded the theme on last Wednesday’s blog about the fluctuation that the imbalances in the hormonal function creates in the female body and emotions.

Throughout the early part of this year I have been travelling around Finland telling about my Wellness book and the Lady Grace product range.  The two were launched together in February and go hand in hand - the book tells about “the what and how to prevent” the effects of stress and the products help to bring about the wellness feeling.

On my travels I have met women of all ages and all walks of life and my experience is that almost all women do have some disturbances in their hormonal cycle caused by the hectic lifestyle of this era. When I talk about the products that are developed especially to balance these disturbances (PMS, Fluid Balance and Lady Gold) I meet with bemusement, unease and even embarrassment. These reactions in turn baffle me and make me think whether we women are always aware what brings about the discomfort, tiredness, anxiety and irritation.

On the other hand I wonder whether the female image of today demands such perfection that we should remain perfectly calm and posed in all possible situations and during all stages of the month. We do have our hormonal cycle and it has a purpose in our lives and in the life of the human race and most of us have PMS (pre menstrual syndrome) at times.

Physically it may manifest itself as painful breasts, weight gain, tiredness, constipation, painful calves etc are often the result of too much fluid in the tissues. Once we can normalize the elimination of these fluids the unpleasant feelings will ease. 

Unusual pains and aches, tiredness and allergic reactions come up easier than normal during the last part of the menstrual cycle also we tend to be prone to other health problems during this last part of the cycle.
At the emotional side we experience anxiety, irritation, rage, weepiness, need to be alone, need to have silence around us, lack sexual drive and a myriad of other feelings.

All of these signs, physical and emotional, get worse when stress increases. I recommend you to try from the book, some of the many different ways in which to help bring regularity to the cycle an to  relieve the PMS because to bring about a more permanent change you may need to change some of your daily routines. You will find that the PMS eases once your bodily functions balance and your emotions calm.

More about this towards the end of the week. I thought to write about the powerful effect that  aromas can have on our emotions.

I am also happy to answer questions on the blog.  If you have a question, this same question is probably puzzling many others also. 

Complicated but clear

Today I am specially writing to our Lady Grace clients, because I had such a lot of positive comments on our work and products from a Gold Lady from Lahti.

For many years she has been using our 40+ product for her menopause. She has felt it to be a great help in relieving the symptoms and also in keeping the mucous membranes in good condition.  She bought my Wellness book and commented that whilst reading it she understood why she had not had the troublesome continuous urinary infections that had troubled her for years in the past.

The function of mucous membranes, anywhere in the body, is to protect the skin from irritation and infections. I write in my book that, when during menopause and after, it the mucous membranes dry they no longer protect the urinary opening. This means that the microbes that cause the infections have no problem entering the urinary track. This is one of the reasons for the urinary track infections so common during the menopause and also for the chronic infections so many older women suffer from.

Our client was worried about how she is going to keep herself well in the future as the production of 40+ is finished. We do have an answer for her and others like her in the new Lady Grace product range. Lady Gold lotion keeps the menopause symptoms at bay and keeps the mucous membranes healthy and in good condition.

Greetings from the north!

Our tournee last week to the northern regions to visit our clients was quite hectic – a lot places in a short time. It was really nice to see all the familiar people and to meet new ones and it warmed my heart to see the enthusiasm with which the Lady Grace and renewed Sport products are being welcomed.

We started by visiting Taina Paarmas at her Skin care center in Pikku Huopalahti. We delivered a jar of Timeless Beauty to be photographed for Hyvä Terveys magazine. Taina has a charming, calming clinic with a beautiful view over the bay and the park beyond it.
From there we continued to Peurunka and got there just in time for dancing. What a joy.

Early to bed and early up to meet Teija Hurtta and Riikka Laulaja tell them about the Lady Grace and Sport products. They said that they had been waiting for something new for their clients. Good for us for being so innovative. We’ll see you again towards the end of May to train the staff.  Satu at Kunnonpaikka, Siilinjärvi was already waiting for us for lunch when we arrived there. See you too again in May.

Marjo and Mika from Bomba Fysio in Nurmes have been extremely busy in the past month as they have moved the whole of their M&M fitness club to a new location. They do have the appropriate equipment for anything you can imagine in the line of bodybuilding and keeping the body trim. A clean and well fitted place, a pleasure to visit. We’ll be back again soon to hear more about your personal trainer programme.

Made it to Vuokatti, Holiday Club Katinkulta for the evening meal and then to bed. What a wonderful morning to wake up without the alarm clock. Erja had a busy morning and we saw her after lunch. Katinkulta has had some staff changes and it was nice to meet the new ones as of course those that we already knew. They all were hoping to have some new training so, we see you all in May.

We continued form there to Kajaani to visit Anita Kovalainen at AK clinic to meet  her clients at a special clients’ evening. Her clinic is especially stylish and functional. The dark wood complements the white curtaining, covers and furniture. They create a restful and safe environment where one can just let go.

Thank you all.

Count to ten

Many thanks to all the journalists who were inspired to write about my Wellness-book after its publication in February.

I have been studying the effects of stress for many years and also experienced its pressures in myself.  About 20 years ago a far advanced stress state was called Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. From then on I have been developing treatments, treatment- and self care products to strengthen the body and mind, so that we could keep up our wellbeing under the pressures brought on by stress. My Wellness – book is based on this same theme.

When something is obvious to oneself, one tends to think that everyone else knows it too. Perhaps this is why I was surprised that the “killer virus” stress was given so much attention in many daily papers. It seems my supposition was wrong. So at the beginning of my blog I will be looking into the different aspects of stress and give some ideas on what to do to handle them.

I have already had several positive responses from those who have found suitable and working methods from the book to relieve the effects of stress. At the end of the book there is also a chart with guidance to products to relieve such problems as sleeplessness, tension neck etc, which are very common results of long term stress.

To start with, try the boosted “Count to ten”- practice, when the pressures are overwhelming. This is how it goes; Count every exhalation from one to ten and return back from ten to one. If you lose your concentration and the count – do not stress about it - just return to the start. Allow the breath to flow freely so that the counting does not set the rhythm for your breathing, but do the counting in the rhythm of your breath. Feel the flow of the exhaled air in the nose and the lungs and feel how the tension eases.

Morning starts in the evening

This spring I fulfilled one of my dreams. I completed my Wellness-book. It was published in Finnish by Tammi in February. After twenty years of studying the effects of stress in theory and seeing them in practice in my clients and students I finally managed to squeeze my thoughts about wellbeing and feeling good, and about how one can keep stress at bay into this Wellness book.

Stress is a new ”killer virus”! Under pressure our body and mind lives in a continuous fighting mode. It puts a strain on all of the physiological processes in our body and brings on a feeling of panic in our minds and emotions. It causes unexplainable pains, problems with digestion, sleeplessness, depression. If we do not do something with these, they will cause more serious health problems later.  

There is one very simple way to cope in the everyday life by remembering that “morning starts in the evening”. How you feel in the morning has its roots in what you have done last thing in the previous evening. The routines in the evening are the foundation for a good nights sleep and the brightness and well being of the following day. So by ensuring that you evening routines are such that they help you to settle gently in to rest and invigorating sleep you will reap the benefits on the next day.

Mr. Zumba in Finland

I developed the UMG-Wellnes Sport products many years ago for all active movers. Many sports people and those suffering from muscle problems have experienced the relief and help that these muscle care products can bring. The Sport-set includes four products; Sport Power, Sport Balance, Cramp release and Tissue repair.

The world famous Zumba Super Star Alberto “Beto” Perez visited Finland 8–9.4.2010 and I was at both the Zumba-happenings in Turku and Tampere, I presented Beto the whole Sport-set and massaged his travel weary muscles before both the zumba-sets. At the end of his visit in Finland he had commented that only one Finnish woman touched him – twice.