CALMING AND STRENGTHENING

left: Sugar scented with dried lavender flowers will add an exotic aroma to sweet recipes.
right: Add chamomile flowers to bath oil for a pretty and beneficial effect.

Everyday life is full of pressures and it is easy to feel stressed, irritable and out of control. When our nerves are on edge, our immune system is weakened and we are more likely to succumb to infection or to suffer from stress-related disorders.

Lavender is one of nature's greatest "cure-alls" - it's a soothing tonic for the nervous system, capable of calming stormy emotional states and rebalancing the mind and body. If you suffer from tension headaches, try rubbing lavender oil on the temples, or you could try an old remedy - Queen Elizabeth I of England drank copious of cups of lavender tea to treat her frequent migraine headaches.

Chamomile is also known for its gentle, soothing properties. The ancient Egyptians dedicated the chamomile plant to the sun because of its ability to reduce feverish conditions. This gentle yet strengthening herb is particularly useful in treating inflammatory disorders of the digestive tract and sensitive skin conditions, such as eczema, which are often linked to tension and anxiety. Try adding a few drops to a base oil an using in massage and hot compresses.

The delicate fragrant flowers of the Seville orange tree produce a bitter-sweet oil, neroli, that is especially valuable for easing anxiety. Neroli helps to promote confidence in stressful situations: to calm jittery nerves before an engagement, or to cope with public speaking or interview nerves, take a handkerchief sprinkled with a few drops of neroli and sniff it beforehand.

Sweet marjoram also calms nervous tension and has a strong sedative action. It can be comforting in times of grief, and its warm and woody aroma makes it particularly appealing to men who have troubling sleeping - use judiciously, however, because it is also reputed to quell sexual desire.