Letting go of beliefs and old habits can be painful at
times, especially when we emotionally feel comfortable living with them!
Getting out of the comfort zone and adopting new values and taking action to
support those new values is often fraught with uncertainty, self questioning
and even inner resistance.
However, over many years I’ve learned that stagnation is
also painful. There is often too much of a comfort zone in doing the same thing
that’s always been done. Repetition means routine and a certain measure of
feeling safe.
When it comes to letting go of major beliefs or habits the
initial result may be unsettling but generally the long term outcomes may prove
to be hugely beneficial. It’s been my learning that letting go is a gradual
process. Letting go of one habit or belief is soon followed by no longer doing
something that’s been a regular part of one’s lifestyle. Being creatures of
habit we much prefer to be gentle rather than harsh in actions and treatments
that have a personal impact.
It’s been over twelve years since I stopped using perfumes.
At the time I made the decision it was a challenge to let go of the Chanel No.5
and other expensive bottles of perfume acquired over time. Yet, simultaneously,
it was with a huge sigh of relief I emptied the shelf on which they stood
because I knew that as lovely as those pricey scents were they were not healthy
for my body due to the fact that perfumes contain carcinogenic ingredients.
At the same time I stopped using popular chemical laden
scents in my home and car, replacing them with essential oils scents. On my
very infrequent forays into regular supermarkets - I prefer to shop at health food stores and
food co-ops – I find the smell of the scented products in the laundry detergent
and cleaning products aisles overwhelming. It’s the same with gardening stores
and the extensive range of toxic chemicals for weed control, etc!
Scents and Sensitivity
Sandi Gauvin in a recent article in the Alive magazine cited some disturbing data around the impact that chemical
laden scents have on human health and wellbeing. A study in Denmark found that “42 per cent of the population experienced
symptoms involving their eyes, nose, mouth, throat or lungs after exposure to
frangranced products”.
Reactions to scents can range from mild (sore throat,
nausea) to intense (migraine, allergy reaction). Some reported reactions
include: headaches, skin irritation, anxiety, loss of appetite, fatigue,
concentration difficulty, coughing, shortness of breath, etc.
Gauvin goes on to say “more
than 3000 fragrance ingredients have been reported in various consumer product
studies, and a single fragrance in a product can contain a mixture of between
50 and 300 chemicals”.
What’s even worse is that researchers have found that these
fragranced products emit a large number of volatile organic compounds, which
are all carcinogenic and hazardous air pollutants.
Scents and the BioPhoton Field
My book The New World
of Self Healing, recently released as an eBook and available from all eBook
outlets, clearly explains what damages to the BioPhoton Field. In my book I
refer to this as the Energy Field – is purely a matter of semantics!
Toxins, including chemical toxins, damage and destroy the
sensitive energy field. Over time the damage then permeates from the energy
field into the physical body. Researchers are finally admitting that chemical
toxins are implicated in breast cancer!
Intuitively I’m aware that toxic chemicals are heavily
implicated in a whole range of illness conditions including Alzheimer’s,
multiple sclerosis, many cancers, asthma and other respiratory conditions. Also
possibly Parkinsons, fibromyalgia. I also get a sense that many of the
so-called mental disorders such as depression, bi-polar, schizophrenia, etc may
be affected significantly by carcinogenic chemical toxins.
Reducing Scented Product Usage
Switch to cleaning products that are scent free. Even better,
use cleaning products that are genuinely ‘green’. They may cost more though the
long term health benefits will ultimately result in fewer medical costs.
Better still, purchase cleaning products that don’t rely on
liquid or powered cleansers. I prefer using the micro-fibre cleaning cloths
made by Norwex (www.norwex.com) because a wipe with the cloth is all that’s needed, thereby
eliminating the need for cleaning solutions.
Fragrance free products are supposed to have absolutely no
discernible odour. When a product is labelled ‘unscented’ it may still contain
small amounts of fragrance. This may actually be a masking agent that is added
to the product, which hides the scents in other ingredients contained in the
product.
Eliminate air fresheners and candles that contain heavy
scents. Instead use therapeutic grade essential oils in a diffuser for room
freshness. Use beeswax or soy (non-GMOI) candles. Whenever possible pick a
bunch of scented flowers and enjoy the natural scent they emit.
Purchase an air purifier for use in your home. You’ll be
surprised at the difference it can make.
On sunny days open the windows and let fresh air circulate.
If you happen to live in an area where there’s outside air pollution then
definitely invest in air purifiers for your home.
Instead of perfume apply a small dab of your favourite
therapeutic essential oil. My personal preferences are either Young Living or
doTerra essential oils. These oils are therapeutic, they heal, induce calmness
of body and clarity of mind. And, best of all, are not offensive to other
peoples’ olfactory senses!
Read labels carefully. Many so-called green products are not
as environmentally friendly or safe as first appearances would have you believe.
My personal rule of thumb is that if a product has long and unpronounceable
ingredients listed in its composition then don’t buy. Sometimes the ingredients are listed by
botanical name with the commonly known plant name beside, and these are less
likely to contain volatile toxic chemicals.
Natural does not mean it’s safe for the human body. Uranium is
a natural mineral yet it’s certainly not something we would ever consider
using. Familiarize yourself with the toxic chemicals that are found in everyday
personal and household products, and look for healthier substitutes. A Google
search will certainly provide sufficient bedtime reading for weeks to come!
A Day At A Time
When implementing changes in any area of your life it’s much
easier to take it a day at a time, rather than attempting a complete makeover
instantly. By taking smaller steps and experiencing the benefits of those
changes you’ll be inspired to continue.
Feeling overwhelmed and uncertain in undertaking a major
changeover is not beneficial and is more likely to result in reverting to
previous habits and practices.
Gradually, however, unwelcome and unwanted symptoms of scent
overload will diminish and a feeling of improved health will validate the
changes undertaken.
Nowadays when I walk past retail stores selling candles,
lotions and body creams, and other heavily scented products my stomach recoils
because it immediately recognizes that these scents contain chemicals that are
detrimental to my health.
Next time you walk past a retail outlet selling heavily
scented products take a second to note your body’s reaction. It’s only a subtle
reaction, though it’s sufficient to let you know that your body does not like,
want or need to be exposed to these products.
In the meantime, take time to smell the roses and to
appreciate their amazing scent. Once you do you will no longer be attracted to
the luring enticements of chemically made toxic scents!
