Essential Oil doTERRA

It's not often (and actually almost never) that i am talking about a specific brand but I have to make an exception for this amazing brand of essential oil: doTERRA.

I've been using essential oil for a while now. I've been using them mainly topically for massage or pressure point or in my product too like the skin balm. But this brand got me back to work with essential oils even more and I know I will be able to reach a whole new level in therapy. I hope to be able to do a clinic in the future to introduce the use of essential oils with horses. That's another project!

For now I have a lot of fun bringing the oils to my mare and see what she thinks. I have an anxious mare and I started to use the doTERRA blend Serenity. I rub a few drops into my hands and apply it on her chest, knees, poll and ears. It seems to really calm her and she loves the smell.

I love how her eyes soften.

If you don't have doTERRA , well first I can always sell some to you :) or for a calming effect you can use the following essential oils in the same way: lavender, chamomille, Ylang Ylang, Bergamot.

Brahmi Oil - Part 2: Study Cases

This post follows Brahmi Oil - Part 1: Presentation

Study Case #1: I used Brahmi oil on a mare that was showing a high Pitta condition (anger, irritation). She loved it at first sight (and smell). It helped her to relax toward a peaceful state.

Study Case #2: I used Brahmi oil on a daily basis on a horse with a wound on back and belly from fly bites. After one week of treatment the skin was clean and soft and we could see the beginning of hair growth. After two weeks of daily treatment it was fully recovered with no more traces of wound.

Study Case #3: I gave Brahmi oil to an owner whose horse had a fresh scar from deep cut. It required 14 stitches.

After the wound closed she started to apply the oil daily on the scar for several weeks. Today (a few months later) there is no trace of the scar. The hair grew back, the skin is soft. Of course a really good care of the wound during the healing was an important part of a clean recovery.

Adding a few drops of citronella and lavender essential oil in the Brahmi oil will also act as a repellent during the healing period.

Brahmi Oil - Part 1: Presentation

Brahmi oil is an ayurvedic therapeutic herbal oil. It is a blend of Brahmi herbs in a base of sesame oil (can also be coconut oil). It is a Pitta soothing oil. It calms and clears the mind. It enhances a peaceful feeling.

Indication:
Brahmi oil is used to treat conditions as mental imbalances and problems, emotional disturbance, nervous exacerbation, insomnia but it is also beneficial  for treating skin and hair.

Benefits:
The oil has for effect to:

• relieve from tension and anxiety
• soothe the brain providing a calm state of mind
• promote alertness and awareness
• help to relax physically and mentally
• promote healthy hair (nourish, strengthen and condition)
• heal damaged skin tissue and soothe irritated skin
• promote cellular regeneration.

Application and direction:

• Massaging the pole of the horse with a few drops of oil will calm a horse and show effects on the mind.
• Massaging the navel area, using circular motion around it for about 5 minutes (nabhi marma point) with Brahmi oil will be good for Pitta caused heat and stress in belly.
• Applying oil on scar and closed wound (bites and fly bites, fresh scars, scratches, saddle sores, ...) will help the skin to heal and hair to grow back.

Mahanarayan Oil

Mahanarayan oil is an ayurvedic therapeutic herbal oil. The one I am using is a blend of thirty three herbs (all safe for horses) in a base of sesame oil.
It has the qualities of nourishing, strengthening and rejuvenating. Even if the smell of the oil carries also those qualities it is not an aroma oil.

Mahanarayan oil is used to treat conditions as rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis, cervical or lumbar spondylitis, frozen joints, backache, strains and sprains, musculoskeletal inflammation disorders.

The oil has for effect to:

• strengthen nerves, muscles and ligaments
• soothe sore muscle and aching joints
• relieve muscle and joints stiffness
• reduce inflammation
• enhance blood circulation
• balance the Vata dosha.

In case of arthritis it will act directly on the joint pain and stiffness, the restricted movement and the distortion. The oil will slowly help to restore a normal joint function.

Use of herbal oil with horses

Ayurvedic massages are known to use lots of oil. Unfortunately it is difficult to apply it with horses as it means a very large amount of oil to cover the full body. But it doesn't mean we cannot use some!

I've started to use therapeutic herbal oil in my practice of equine massage. Whenever I feel there is a need because of an injury, a trauma, a condition or just by intuition I will use oil on specific area. Some cases where I used it are:

• sacroiliac joint recovery from injury
• flexor avulsion fracture
• arthritic leg joints (hock and fetlock)
• neck muscle stiffness and pain
• hip trauma (muscle and joint)

I use organic ayurvedic oil, a blend of herbs in a base oil and every time the horses just loved it. I always have them smell it and explain what I will do and ask for permission. As for now they always showed a lot of interest in it; actively smelling the aroma with ears upright, eyes bright. Sometimes they even came to the bottle that I carry in my tool belt, showing it to me.

Whenever I can I warm up the oil and apply it warm on the area to treat. I then use circular stroke alternated with friction to help the absorption process. The oil mixture is absorbed into the bloodstream and takes effect from there.

As I said they are therapeutic oil with healing properties. One that use the most is the Mahanarayan oil but I will write a full post about it (there).