Using Affirmations for Healing

Photo by place light.

When you are ill, stressed, or in pain it is very easy to become negative about things improving, especially if you have been feeling this way for a long time. Using affirmations during these times can help you feel more positive and can even help you along your healing journey.

Affirmations are positive statements that describe a desired situation, for example, “It is easy for me to relax completely”. They allow you to consciously harness the power of positive thinking counteracting any negative thoughts and beliefs that you may have.

Below is a list of example affirmations for healing.

I am healthy - I am stress free - I love and care for my body and it cares for me - I am free from pain - I am filled with vitality and health - I am in control of my health and well-being - I am healthy in all aspects of my being - I am filled with energy to do all the daily activities in my life - My mind is at peace - I accept healing of my mind, body and spirit

Affirmations should be repeated many times (around 20 is a good guideline but you can repeat them as many times and as often as you like). This helps to impress the positive words on to the subconscious mind. Always believe that what you are saying is true and is happening now in the present. The more you believe, the stronger the affirmation becomes.

You could try repeating them first thing in the morning and again at night when you are in bed. Another great time for you to use healing affirmations is during a holistic treatment or when you are relaxing in a hot bath. You could incorporate them in to drawings or pictures and display around your house, write them in your journal, and even use them in conjunction with meditation and visualisation techniques – close your eyes and see yourself in your mind’s eye as a healthy, vibrant person, free from pain and stress, at the same time as repeating your affirmations.

Sometimes results happen straight away, but more often than not, it takes longer for the affirmations to take effect. Sometimes it might take days, weeks, months, or even longer, depending on your goal, how long you have held the negative thought or belief, how often you repeat the affirmations, and your desire to change.
You might like to use one of the affirmations above or you could even write your own. If you are going to write your own affirmations, make sure that you use the present tense, use the most positive words, and make them as short and precise as you can.

I regularly use a set of affirmations which stem from the Reiki precepts which I find very helpful – “Just for today, I am free from anger, I am free from worry, I am humble, I am honest, I am compassionate towards myself and others.”

Now you know the basics of what affirmations are, how they work, and how to write them you can apply them to other areas of your life – Affirmations for love, joy, relationships, daily living, spirituality, career, prosperity, forgiveness, stress relief – the list is endless!

The Wonder of Tiger Balm

Photo by Robbie1.

I first came across Tiger Balm a few years ago when holidaying in Thailand. I purchased the white version. I never used it while I was there but I wish I had as it would have stopped the itching of all the mosquito bites I had!

I haven’t stopped using it since I came back though. It has so many uses – a lot more than it says on the pot. I carry it with me everywhere.

There are two varieties of Tiger Balm available – white and red. Each has the same ingredients but the amount of each differs. The red version also contains Cassia. Tiger Balm Red is the original product and is better for stronger pain. Tiger Balm White is a gentler product but is still very effective.

Tiger Balm White has the following ingredients: - 8% menthol, 11% camphor, 16% dementholised mint oil, 13% cajuput, and 1.5% clove bud. Tiger Balm Red has the following ingredients: 10% menthol, 11% camphor, 6% dementholised mint oil, 7% cajuput, 5% clove bud, and 5% cassia. Some of these oils are used in aromatherapy.

Let’s look at these oils individually.

Menthol. It reduces itching giving relief from insect bites and stings. It is an analgesic so it can be used to relieve minor aches and pains such as muscle cramps, sprains, headaches and similar conditions. It is a decongestant helping with colds, coughs, respiratory problems and sinus conditions.

Mint. Because of its antiseptic and expectorant properties, it is beneficial in the treatment of colds and flu, insect bites and stings, asthma, and other respiratory problems. It is ideal for treating headaches, relieving nausea, motion sickness, and dizzy spells. It is an antispasmodic making it useful for cramps, muscle spasms, and tension.

Cajuput. Like the menthol and mint, cajuput oil cools down the body and helps with infections and fever. It is also a decongestant and an antiseptic helping with respiratory conditions. Not only can it give relief from itchy insect bites but it can also be used to ward off insects. It is helpful in skin conditions such as acne and psoriasis. Due to its analgesic, antispasmodic and anti-neuralgic properties, in can be useful in treating muscular aches and pains, gout, muscle spasms, cramp, headaches, period pain, joint pain, sciatica, neuralgia, arthritis, and rheumatism.

Clove Bud. Clove bud oil has very similar properties to the oils already mentioned. It is an analgesic, antiseptic, antispasmodic, anti-neuralgic and an insect repellent. It can also be used for acne, bruises, burns and cuts, and keeping infections at bay. It helps lift depression, improve memory, and helps lethargy. It is excellent for toothache – massage the outside of your jaw with some clove oil or tiger balm to ease the pain.

Cassia (also known as false Cinnamon). It is very beneficial for arthritis, rheumatism and other muscle and joint aches and pains. It can also help with fever, coughs and colds, and other respiratory problems. Cassia is found in the Tiger Balm Red.

When these essential oils are combined in Tiger Balm (or if you blended them yourself) they create a synergistic blend enhancing their properties especially the ones which are common to all the oils, for example, decongestant and analgesic.

Tiger Balm is for external use only and should not to be taken orally. Avoid contact with the eyes. It should not to be used on children under 2 years of age.

Tiger Balm contains no animal products and is not tested on animals. So no it DOESN’T contain Tiger!

So as you can see, Tiger Balm can help with a wide range of ailments from insect bites, to headaches, colds and flu to muscular aches and pains.

For further information on Tiger Balm, visit the official
UK Tiger Balm website.