Sage spa

PMS

Found this funny joke about PMS. No matter what it says, PMS DOES exist. But maybe a little laugh will help. Coming in to Sage for our PMS/Cramps treatment will help for sure.

Aromatherapy: Essential Oils 101

 

The Best of Well Being "Coping with Stress by Barbara Chopin Lucks International Aromatherapy Journal 2002   Relaxed plants don't make much essential oil. They have little need to do so. Plants produce essential oils as a way of coping with environmental stress. Some plants respond to wind, cold disease, and drought by manufacturing essential oils that act as antifreeze, antibiotics, or as a water retention mechanism in the plant. The bitter taste of essential oils, along with their strong aroma, deter animals from eating the plant. Aromatic resins close wounds in trees, and prevent infection. Sweet seductive aromas convey the critical information that the time for pollination is now.   Put an aromatic plant in a patch of perfectly prepared rich soil and it will have a scent about as exciting as iceberg lettuce. However, let the plant thrash out an existence on a rocky wind-scoured hillside with foraging goats and it will produce a perfume of rare vintage. Even commercial production f aromatic plants does not use much artificial irrigation or pesticides. Moderate stress makes for more and better essential oils.   We humans distill these specialized stress busting essences to help us manage the stress in our lives. While a little stress can be a good thing for us, providing motivation and challenge, too much stress can be a killer. Here is what happens: Environmental Toxins (including the ones we choose to ingest), cultural/relationship stresses, and poor personal choices create an excess stress load in our bodies and minds. We simply load ourselves up with more than we can handle. The brain produces stress hormones in response to a steady dose of anxiety. These add to the pahysical and emotional toxins that accumulate in our bodies. The load impacts not only our enjoyment of life, but all of the systems of the body. Day to day stress tax the adrenal glands that were designed to respond to true "fight or flight" situations, not a grinding daily commute to an understaffed workplace. Adrenal exhaustion trashes the immune system. With our defenses down an all body systems strained by the stress, we e sick in our souls, mind, heart, guts, veins, joints and skin. The entire organism reflects stress overload. Essential oils can intervene at all levels of stress to "sickness" decline, and are most effectively used before physical illness manifests itself. However, we can not expect essential (or any other substantive therapy) to do the whole job. Truly effective stress management demands that we make good choices in our diets, rest, exercise habits, finances, and especially in our attitudes. With this in mind, lets look at the ways essential oils can support our own smart choices. Relaxing Flower Oils These sweet voluptuous aromas act directly on our central nervous system as we inhale them. They are a fast way to take the edge off the day. Our olfactory receptors are hard-wired to the limbic area of the brain.     Clinical tests have shown that simple inhalation of genuine Lavender oils (synthetics don't work like natural oils) triggers the brain to release serotonin, promoting relaxation during the day and restful sleep at night.     Ylang Ylang (oil) is used clinically to lower high blood pressure and Neroli (oil) is an excellent anti-panic oil. Rose and Jasmine are respectively tonic to the female and male reproductive systems. Not surprisingly, these natural botanical sexual attractants hellp to balance our own sexual hormones and can enhance sexual response, a great stress-reducer in it's own right.   Next Month: Protective Leaf and Needle Oils to combat stresses

Aromatherapy: Cinnamon

Cinnamon (Cinnamon zeylanicum) is a spice that comes from the bark of a tree familiar to just about everyone. Who hasn’t savored cinnamon paired with sugar on a cake, cookie or toasted bread? What about cinnamon in curry? We all love this spice.  But there is much more to cinnamon than you might imagine. This valuable spice was once a rare and priceless commodity. Countless thousands died trying to claim this rare spice for their own. Today, most of the ground cinnamon we purchase at the store is a mix of Cinnamon Zeylanicum mixed with Cassia Cinnamon. 

Cinnamon, originally native to Sri Lanka, is grown today in Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Mauritius, Réunion and Guyana,  South America, the West Indies, and other tropical climates. This spice first appears in Chinese text dated 2800 B.C. In the centuries that followed, caravans and fleets would risk life and limb in their pursuit of cinnamon- more valuable than its weight in gold and silver. - In a world without refrigeration, cinnamon’s antifungal and antibacterial properties were gold.

There are countless documented uses for Cinnamon. The Chinese claim it an effective treatment for colds, diarrhea and arthritis. Medieval physicians prescribed cinnamon for sore throats, embalming and general warming. Romans burned the spice to prevent ill airs thought to be the cause of sickness. 

Arabs, Egyptians, Romans, Dutch, Portuguese and English all fought for control of this spice at one time or another. Empires were built and lost the victims enslaved. Only in the late 18th century, after cinnamon had been successfully cultivated around the globe did the price of cinnamon plunge, and the wars over cinnamon finally end. 

The effective essential oil, made from a steam distillation process, in Cinnamon that makes up 1-4% of the bark is “Cinnamaldehyde”. The oil contains many compounds but the effective ingredient (65-75%) is Cinnamaldehyde. The essential oil displays antiviral, antifungal and antibacterial properties and is known as a good pesticide. Nontoxic, Cinnamaldehyde in strength can cause skin sensitivity and irritation. A minor compound of the oil (10%) is eugenol known for it’s antiseptic and analgesic properties. Cinnamon has been associated recently with improved cognitive function, and improved insulin response- helping in the absorption of glucose.

  _________________

¹ Arabic term amomon, meaning fragrant spice plant

²  http://homecooking.about.com/od/foodhistory/a/cinnamonhistory.htm. In the first century A.D. Piliny the Elder, writing in Rome, wrote that 350 grams of cinnamon were worth over 5 kilograms of silver.” 

³ http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/cinnamaldehyde/cinnc.htm

⁴ "As a sign of remorse, Roman Emperor Nero ordered a year's supply of cinnamon be burnt after he murdered his wife." 

⁵ http://www.indepthinfo.com/cinnamon/health.shtml

⁶ http://www.orchidboard.com/Home-remedies-for-ailing-orchids

Sage Spa's Custom Scent Bar

 

 

We believe that your session will be enhanced by engaging as many of the senses as possible. That's why we encourage all of our guests to visit our scent bar.

   Don't worry. We allow plenty of time for this process because we believe it is important. Picking an oil, or choosing a scent is not an intellectual exercise; you will know intuitively what you love. Select your favorite from aromatherapist, Susan Stratton's "Five Element Collection", or while supplies last, from her "Exotic Collection".

 

Susan Stratton is a New York State Licensed Massage Therapist, a Certified Prenatal Massage Therapist, and owner of Sage Spa. A former head of a University Dance program, Susan has 25+ years experience in massage and related mind/body fields of dance, movement analysis, yoga, and aromatherapy

Fragrances for the holidays at Sage

Fragrant Orchids & Custom Blended Massage Oils

Sage Spa Newc'Exotic Oils at our Scent Bar

This holiday season, Sage is offering a selection of 4 FREE, Exotic Massage Oils, all chosen from aromatherapist, Susan Stratton's private collection, to use with every holiday spa massage. Arrive early to sample these exotic fragrances at our scent bar, then pick your favorite for your session. These fragrances are our gift to you.

Happy Holidays!

Aromatherapy: Blood Orange, Sandalwood, Jasmine Enfluerage & Geranium over Roses

 

Blood Orange is a distinct member of the citrus family Citrus sinensis. Oranges originated in India (some say Vietnam), called na rangi in Sanskrit. The na rangi or naranja was translated as norange, and in English usage a norange was back-formed into the more acceptable "orange". The same thing happened in French and Italian, but in Spanish, oranges are still naranja. 

Blood Oranges were first discovered and cultivated in Sicily in the 15th Century. Known for their extremely dark red color, Blood orange possess a complex aroma reminiscent of fine wine, and bright citrus flavor.

Sandalwood comes from the Sandal Tree, known scientifically as Santalaceae Santalum Album and in Sanskrit as chandana. In English it is called White Sandalwood or Yellow Sandalwood depending on the age of the tree. An evergreen tree that grows only in the southern areas of India, Indonesia and somewhat in Australia, it grows to a medium height of 30 feet. After 15-20 years the oil collects in the heartwood, or the center of the trunk, but as the scent of sandalwood grows stronger, the color of the wood becomes more yellow. The value of the wood climbs higher the older the tree. It is considered at its peak at 60 years old.

When harvested the heartwood is ground into powder and then steam-distilled into oil for use in cosmetics, soaps, candles, medicines and perfumes. The hard, yellow, outer wood is mostly used for carving statues and decorative articles such as combs, beads and boxes.This a now rare East Indian sandalwood from the Mysore region of India.  There are many varieties of sandalwood but none can compare to the fragrance of Mysore.  The oil comes from trees that are at least 50 years old.  The oil itself is now 10 years old and has mellowed into a remarkable softness.  You will smell it on your skin for hours.The Mysore sandalwood is famous not only in India but abroad also. The sandalwood forest of Mysore is located in the southwestern part of India. 

The Mysore sandalwood is known for its superb quality, but fairly expensive due to excessive harvesting of limited resources.The most famous sandalwood of Mysore is Byakudan sandalwood, known for it's quality and unparalleled fragrance. Virtually all Byakudan is sold to companies in Japan. 

Sandalwood can be found in all types of products. The Mysore sandal soap, made from pure sandalwood oil extracts, is also very popular among women. Free of harmful chemicals, the soap helps to keep the skin soft.  Sandalwood incense is extremely popular worldwide, but especially in India. Sandalwood paste is used to keep oneself free from various skin ailments. Thousands of tourists from all over India visit Mysore every year and they are very fond of the various handicrafts made out of sandalwood.

Jasmine Enfluerage:

exotic, exquisit, tenacious, sensuously rich, supremely sensual, intense, slightly heady, narcotic, intoxicating, sometimes clawing, warm with oily leafy-green, fruity undertones, illusive, sweet and warm.

This night blooming flower is called "Queen of the Night" in India. Jasmine is a delicate flowering plant with many varieties.  Its scent has probably been described in the literature with more superlatives than any other single essence.  It has been described variously as heavenly smelling, 

 Although the jasmine flowers themselves are delicate and quite feminine, jasmine is often described as the King of essences and the King of Essential oils.  Others describe it as having an "almost animal quality" and being more masculine in its scent and nature than Rose (which is termed the "Queen of oils").Jasmine has an almost indescribable sensual and euphoric quality, attractive to both men and women, unlike rose preferred more by women. 

"Enfleurage" is a very specific old French method for removing the scent from jasmine flowers using lard and tallow spread over glass sheets. The process does not involved chemicals which produces an oil that is organic and with a particularly delicate perfume. Enfleurage is fairly time-consuming, but given ample patience pure results are assured.

"Geranium over Roses"

To create our rose geranium oil, leaves of rose geranium are distilled simultaneously with fresh petals of Damascus rose. The result is a fragrance that has both the rich and heady notes of the rose geranium, as well as many intriguing layers of soft delicate rose notes.

Rose Geranium Pelargonium graveolens is a species in the Pelargonium genus, which is indigenous to various parts of southern Africa, and in particular South Africa. It is often called geranium as it falls within the plant family Geraniaceae, although more correctly, it is referred to as Pelargonium. This specific species has great importance in the perfume industry. It is cultivated on a large scale and its foliage is distilled for its scent. The scent  inspires natural beauty & enjoyment, uplifts instantly & "tonifies" the mind & intellect in a powerful, nearly demanding attitude

Rose Otto Rosa Damascena

(Queen of the Oils)  Rose is considered the floral expression of love.  Rosa damascena (Damask Rose) can be found growing wild and/or cultivated in many places on Earth - b
ut there are only two locations

where growing conditions that can be called ideal - the Isparta Valley of Turkey and the Kazanluk Valley of Bulgaria.

Rose oil is made from rose petals, lots of them. It takes morethan one thousand roses to make just a few drops of rose oil, making rose oil one of the most costly oils  on earth."Otto" refers to the method of steam distillation, used to extract the oil from the delicate petals.Rose fragrance is one of the most chemically complex natural fragrances, consisting of over one hundred constituents, which is why rose is so popular with perfumers. While men in the Americas don't wear rose oil, rose is a very popular scent for men in Turkey, where the roses are grown.

 

.  

 
 

Perfume Notes: Mystery of the Sense of Smell

by AbdesSalaam Attar, perfumer

 In perfumery a mixture that smells different from its components is called an accord. However the nose retains its capacity to analyse the accord in order to detect each component. This is very stange.

Let us remark that the accord will be perceived as a smell of its own by everybody, but only the persons who know the ingredients will be able to analyse the accord. Analysis of smell requires the help of the evolved part of  the brain, particularly the orbitofrontal cortex and the language center.

I have met people who are able to detect the presence in a perfume of the smallest part of an essence that they abhor, rose or Frankincense for instance. Their nose does not detect the smell of rose or frankincense in the perfume, there is too little of that in the perfume to be detected, I know it well enough, having composed the perfume myself.

What they detect is the emotion that these smells associate. These persons did hate rose or Frankincense due to a trauma. They had been exposed to them in a situation of stress and distress and had memorized these smells associating them with the negative emotions lived during that situation.

Their nose acted as a detector, it detected the presence of the essence associated with distress and notified the danger they represented (according to their personal experience) by reproducing the record of the emotion.

The facts about the nose illustrated in these reflections are three:

• The nose has a synthetic perception of scents, thousands of aromatic molecules are identified as a single odour.

• The nose has an analytic perception of scents, and can be used as an instrument by the brain in order to split an odour in each of its components.

• The nose can act as a gas chromatography instrument, informing us about the presence of some components in a scent that are of particular relevance for our survival.

Read his Blog "Natural Perfumery"

New Custom Blended Oils for Spring at Sage Spa

 
 

"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses"

"A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives you roses."- Proverb 

To those who know her, it’s not surprising that Susan Stratton (Sage Spa owner) loves fragrance. Susan loves bodywork, everything wine, and nature too, especially Caribbean beaches. You might say that she's devoted her life to the sensual pleasures. That love of aromatherapy and fragrance led her to study with Jeanne Rose, Michael Scholes, and Light Miller. 

"Crown Chakra"

angelica root

white rose

orange flower absolute

mugwort

Fragrance is powerful, because it doesn’t require any thought, just experience. It speaks directly to our emotions, bypassing our intellect, and by doing so has the ability to affect our mood and body’s rhythms, much in the same way a great massage speaks directly to our emotional needs, without any long winded dialogue and analysis. It's no secret that massage and aromatherapy work in tandem to calm the mind.  Feeling stressed out? Let your body slow to the pace of fragrance. You just might be amazed and delighted.

"Heart Song"

lavender

geranium

rosewood

rose absolute

Over the past twenty years, Susan Stratton has created many unique fragrances, for her massage clients, she has even created custom fragrances specifically tailored to individual clients' noses.  These days, you don't have to hire her to create a custom blended oil, (she rarely has time for that kind of thing any more, though she loves it) you can sample her unique collection of FREE custom-blended oils at her “ Sage Spa Scent Bar. Plan to arrive early so you can spend some time to sample her custom oils, then choose the one you love best for your treatment. You'll be transported.

"Beautiful"

pink rose

spikenard

lavender officinalis