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Eucalyptus: The Way to Smoother Breathing
By: Nur Syahid
The eucalyptus is a popular Australian remedy that was first introduced to the world by the aborigines as a treatment for many kinds of ailments. Its uses range from treating wounds, suppressing colds, relaxing the mind to repelling insects. History In the 19th century, the Director of the Melbourne Botanical Gardens introduced the eucalyptus plant to the West. Upon which, cultivation of the tree has spread to Europe and North America. Ecology The eucalyptus is a tall, evergreen tree of the myrtle family that is mainly found in Australia and Tasmania. It bears pendent leaves and umbels of white, red or pink flowers. Its value lies in its timber, gum and of course, its oil. One of its species, known as the blue gum eucalyptus, is found in the United States. It has a trunk that grows to 300 feet or more and is covered by peeling papery bark. The leaves, when young, are opposite, sessile, soft, oblong, pointed and have a hoary blue colour. When matured, they are alternate, petioled, leathery and shaped like a scimitar. The flowers are solitary and white, with no petals, many white stamens and a woody calyx. Aroma The eucalyptus has a clear and sharp piercing aroma coupled with a sweet undertone but bitter taste. Like peppermint oil, it feels cool to the touch. Health Notes A prominent quality of the eucalyptus is that its cooling effect makes it a febrifuge (substance that reduces body temperature), which is recommended for most kinds of fevers. The antiseptic nature of the eucalyptus leaf has made it the ideal remedy for most viral infections, respiratory problems, burns, blisters and wounds. Its characteristics are aplenty, from decongesting, analgesic, antiviral to deodorising. When the oil is burned, it is effective in killing most airborne bacteria and viruses. It improves blood circulation and therefore relieves muscle aches and pains. Its piercing scent, which is also similar to peppermint, helps to relieve breathing congestions caused by colds and hay fever, which is common in most households. Being an expectorant, eucalyptus is good for relieving chesty coughs. Its smell may also be used as an insect repellant. The calming effect of eucalyptus also offers emotional benefits to the users. It has a stimulating effect on the nervous system and helps calm a person emotionally. Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/
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How to Benefit from the Mind-Body Connection
(excerpt)
You are about to gain insight into the
mind-body connection. The number of
people who truly understand these principles on our
planet are relatively few.
There is an undeniable connection between our minds and
bodies, you can learn
to use this fact to your benefit.
Dr. Bernie Siegel, author of "Love, Medicine and
Miracles" was once a
distraught cancer surgeon until he
began to understand the greater principles
of the mind-
body connection. He felt dragged down by the artificial
barriers
that existed between patient and doctor, and the
helplessness he often felt as
a result of his inability
to effectively serve those patients. Eventually, those
barriers
were disintegrated by Dr. Siegel's recognition
and growing understanding of the
mind-body connection and
how it could serve his patients and himself.
Dr. Siegel, or Bernie as he began to have his patients
refer to him, had some
startling realizations as a cancer surgeon. He found that
there were actually
quite a few people in the world that successfully beat
the statistics on cancer
survival. He began to recognize that a patient's ability
to defeat something as
serious as cancer had to do with the patient's mind and
attitude about their
disease.
If you would like to see the rest of
this article, please go here:
http://www.tobeinformed.com/repository/mind-body.html
copyright 2004 - David Snape
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