Relaxing: Aromatherapy

No, I'm not talking about that incense they burn in their basement on "The 70's Show" to mask the smell of burning weed.  I'm talking about essential oils like lavender, balsam fir needle and chamomile.  The blend I use is called Tranquility by Aura Cacia. 

Aromatherapy essential oils come in little bottles that just shake out a drop at a time -- because the stuff is pretty potent!  You can always just smell the stuff straight from the bottle...  This is good for surviving traffic jams. 

But, to really get the full benefits of aromatherapy, you usually use a ceramic vase-like thing called a diffuser.  You fill the top with water and add a few drops of essential oils, put a little tea light candle (unscented!) in the bottom and, in seconds, the air is filled with relaxing smells.

Just be sure to not leave it unattended while it's burning so you don't start a fire!  I think that would tend to undo the relaxing effects.

In the next sections, you're going to learn about all sorts of other relaxation techniques...  Keep in mind that you can always add some soothing aromatherapy to the mix to double the stress relief.