Learn Aromatherapy Today!

Introduction to Aromatherapy course

Many think that Essential Oils are a mystery. I too find them incredible. The enigma surrounding essential oils holds many back from delving deeper. I'd like to give you permission to delve deeper - there is no reason why you can't buy your favorite oils and start mixing them into your favorite body oil - today!!

But, I understand your hesitancy. You'd rather use only a few oils at a time, knowing exactly how they smell, exactly how they make you feel. Some are even fearful of ruining a recipe or using them in the wrong way. The beauty is that Essential Oils are so useful, that in a brief tutorial you can dispel any fears you have of essential oils, their uses, how to blend and how to use them on the body. In essence, you can easily become an effective Aromatherapy guide.

Since 2005, I have been teaching, blending, and recommending Essential Oil formulations for clients such as National Clothing Lines (Essential Oil Perfumery), Prominent Leaders, acute symptoms, emotional disrepair, etc. all in the hopes of reaching out to more people and sharing my knowledge of the Clinical, Medicinal, and Energetic effects of Essential Oils on the body.

In a very short 2 hour presentation, I aim to give you enough knowledge to go forth and do your own blending for your purposes in effective and intentional ways. From there, you may want to continue learning about aromatherapy in my Advanced Aromatherapy course that I will be offering this summer.

So, please join me on June 6th at an exciting new spa, Indigo Fusion Spa and Gallery, from 10-12am for only $45 (an amazing discount from my usual rate!) where you will learn:

• Scent design & Blending
• Efficacy of Essential Oils and their effects on the body (musculoskeletal, hormonal, nervous system, skin, and emotions)
  
• Choosing vibrant essential oils effectively - recognizing purity of essential oils
  
• Safe Essential oils for: Pregnancy, Elderly, Children, Infancts, Hospice, Massage, etc.

Learn general principles of Aromatherapy includingapplication for use in skincare, bodycare, mental health, physical ailments, and spiritual/life goal setting.

This workshop teaches you history, current uses, developments, where to purchase oils, how to detect quality of oils, how to create formulas/remedies using essential oils, and contraindications of oils.

Leave class with your own custom-made product for your health or treat a friend!

When: Sunday, June 6, 2010

10am - 12pm

Cost: $45

Where: Indigo Fusion Spa & Gallery, UDist Seattle

Phone: 206-910-6460

Address: 4714 University Way NE Suite #111

Seattle, WA 98105

To register: email Carol at: carol@solaceessentials.com

Pangaea Organica Coffee Roaster Visit

Today, I visited the coffee roasting facility at Pangaea Organica! It's in the back of a retail store front in Wallingford. I parked on the street and walked toward the facility through a side path with clues of coffee beans, burlap bags, brew pots, hoses and such greeting me along my way.

Rick Riehle, Owner of Pangaea Organic, welcomed me into the kitchen which smelled soooo good! I was instantly taken away to another place in my mind's eye - coffee is very ethereal for me for some reason, capturing my creative and solace-filled mind. For most, there's something visceral about the smell of very rich, complex, Ethiopian and Brazilian Coffee.

Here's a jug of coffee beans that Rick then brewed in a french press with a very special method - he says don't stir the coffee, let the water organically synergize with the beans - very similar to how I blend essential oils! He is very meticulous about recording the specs of every shipment of coffee beans and the picture above shows his notes which follow every jar - nothing is unlabeled.

He brewed some coffee for me to try before we started roasting. It was from Brazil: Cooperativa dos Agricultores Familiares de Poco Fundo. The taste was very complex, earthy, yet had notes of chocolate on the finish, if you can imagine.

Next, we headed downstairs to the roasting facility where he explained the method of air roasting. The difference between Pangaea’s coffee and other coffee roasters is that they roast their coffee on a bed of hot air, characterized as convection roasting.

It’s similar to popping corn which creates a light, fluffy snack, called , as we know, popcorn.

When you roast coffee beans this way, the beans tumble in hot air and roast the beans evenly preventing any of the beans from being burned.

Most coffee companies roast in a drum roaster, where the beans tumble around against the surface of a super hot drum. This causes the beans to char and create a ‘bitter’ taste in your coffee. Who wants that? Hot air roasting brings out the fresh flavors, unique personality and essence of each coffee bean.

Plus, when Pangaea roasts, there’s a coffee bean chaff (outer layer) left over which is light-weight and lends itself well to compost. So, instead of throwing it away, they donate it to the local Tilth where they use it in the mulch! This is a much more conscious and efficient way to process the coffee by-product.

The coffee that Rick and I roasted today will be used in the new Solace Essentials Body Scrub. Here is a picture of the beans. Mmm… they smell great and look really nurturing for the skin! These beans are not roasted fully, creating what’s called a White Bean coffee. It’s a lot more conducive to a bodyscrub being that it’s lighter and less rich in smell, but still high in anti-oxidant capabilities.

I can’t wait to get this batch of coffee back to Solace Essentials to put in the body scrub. It’s going to be great!

Recently, Rick also put me in touch with a coffee roaster in Nepal who also grows herbs for essential oils. Stay tuned for more posts about my Nepalese Essential Oil adventures!!

Breathe deeply (from a Coffee/Essential Oil Body Scrub!) and find your solace.

Best wishes,
Carol

New Inventions at Solace Essentials

At Solace Essentials, we have some exciting new products coming down the pike. Stay tuned...

You may be asking, "Why?" The short answer is that I get inspired.

I came across an article today from the GCI (Global Cosmetic Industry) about creating inspiring bodycare us (http://tiny.cc/wfl3i). I am an avid reader of this publication because it tells me about the up and coming new ingredients that are popular and the trends we should expect to see. It's interesting to note that in every issue there is a huge section on organic and using whole ingredients in bodycare, rather than broken down molecules treated with other molecules.

When I was talking to my contact at Whole Foods today, we discussed the value in not only eating whole, and locally available foods, but also doing the same in our bodycare. I couldn't agree more!

Which leads me back to telling you why I have created some new products. Back in November, I was at a trade show for the WA Dental Services and I randomly met a cool new business owner from Pangaea Coffee, Rick Riehle. I knew instantly, he was the real deal. He imports fair trade organic coffee from cool places like Persatuan Petani Kopi Gayo Organik Cooperative in Indonesia, and Unión de Ejidos Comun de Caficultores Benificio Majomut, Mexico.

He sampled Solace Essentials products and was instantly hooked! He then expressed interest in collaborating on a product with Solace. After brainstorming and ruminating about coffee and aromatherapy for 4 months, it finally hit me - yes, all of my senses were screaming! And, I recognized that familiar feeling of being inspired.

I decided it would be an incredible addition to our Shower Salts, which will now be called "Body Scrub". Coffee, as it turns out, is a great partner with essential oils. And coffee has incredible anti-oxidant benefits for the skin creating healthier, more vibrant cells and offers a gentle exfoliating addition to the Dead Sea Salts. Coffee also firms skin, reduces redness and reduces the appearance of cellulite. So, smooth that scrub all over your body for best results. (Please remember to wash the tub with a quick swipe of soap afterward to keep yourself from slipping!).

Next week I will visit Pangaea Coffee to see their roasting facility in Wallingford. Stay tuned...