In the same way that certain fragrances, like baking bread or fresh roses, evoke a pleasant memory for you, herbs also evoke pleasant associations of memory. Our noses are said to be the most direct route to our minds and recollections. The subtle fragrances in the Dream Pillow blends are mixed to give you pleasant, interesting dreams, a good night's sleep and to promote other aromatherapy uses.
Herbs have been used in bedding for centuries. Considering the hygienic practices of old I am sure that our ancestors used them more often for keeping critters out of bedding as well as keeping the smells both in the bed and on the body a little more bearable. There are records of people creating dream pillows for a better nights sleep in the 16th century. Physicians in past centuries used herbs in little pillows, called 'comfort pillows' in the sick room to ease nightmares and help with relaxation. Today we may use herbs, essential oils and even small stones in our dream pillows.
The How to:
A pillow can be as simple as cutting a piece of muslin into a rectangle or square of the desired size and sewing so that three sides are closed. When I sew a pillow, rather than stitching all the way around it, I like to leave one end completely open and sew Velcro on the open end. I can refresh the herbs and oils in the pillow without trying to rip stitching out or throwing the pillow away and starting from scratch. Now I simply turn the casing right side out I'm ready to add the desired herbs and essential oils.
You may wish to cover muslin pillow with a light weight, washable "casing" as well. I find this is nice to do and in this way you can have any pattern you like. you can even have several and change them from time to time as the mood strikes. I do this by making a casing that slips over the end of the pillow just like a regular bed pillow. You can do this by sewing around three edges of a two rectangular pieces of fabric that are about one half inch wider and about an inch to an inch and a half longer than your muslin pillow. Sew them with the right sides of the fabric together. Next turn the casing to the right side and turn the rough edge inside and stitch close to the edge-you may wish to roll the edge twice so it will not unravel. This casing may be washed according to the fabric manufacturer's directions.
You may wish to skip the casing if you use your pillow inside your own bed pillow casing. I, myself, like to make a small eye size pillow that I can rest right over my eyes where I can inhale the wonderful fragrances, so I like the little casing. This way if the essential oils I am using get on the original muslin pillow they will not be in direct contact with my skin. This is especially important in the delicate eye area.
If you have a large pillow and are finding that you wish to use a filler I recommend using buck wheat hulls for larger sizes and flax seed for a smaller eye size pillow. You may wish to use up to half filler when making a pillow.
Other than the recipes, the way you put a pillow together will not vary with its use. Mix all herbs and fillers together in a clean bowl or on a large clean work surface. Drizzle your essential oils and blend VERY well. Put into your muslin pillow and stick the Velcro together to close. Slip your casing over this if you are using one and enjoy!
The Why
The key here is aromatherapy. Now I realize that aromatherapy is a real "buzz" word today and there are folks who kind of roll their eyes and think it is a bunch of "hooey." I have explained aromatherapy in the past to some of my students and found that the simplest explanation is usually the best. So here goes:
Herbs and plants all have their own very special and unique qualities. If you were to break each one down into its simplest form it would look a lot like the periodic table of elements! With each of them having their own special and unique composition. When you inhale the fragrance of the plant or an essential oil that has been made from the plant minute particles from the plant flow through your nostrils and are absorbed by the mucus membranes and into the blood stream, as well as, directly into the brain via the olfactory glands. Know how cocaine works? We know that sniffing and getting "high" from the chemicals being absorbed in the nasal passages and lungs is possible and so it is not hard to think of aromatherapy in this way. You inhale and receive the herb or plant's beneficial properties in the same way that people might use drugs or other substances in a not so beneficial way.
Well that's my simplified version any way!
Care:
Although you may use your dream pillows without any kind of special care, in order to make them last longer, I suggest that people put it in a plastic zipper storage bag or a closed container like those sold by Rubbermaid or Tupperware. Keeping it is a relatively cool place out of direct sunlight will assure you of an even longer life. If you think about it this only makes sense. You would never think to store your herbs for cooking in an open container. If you did they would become dusty and stale in a relatively short period of time.
You may also re-fresh your pillow periodically by adding more essential oils. If you have made your pillow as explained above with the Velcro opening you merely have to open the Velcro end and drop in new essential oils, close it up and "squish" the contents of your pillow around to spread the oils through out. You may also drop essential oils onto the outside of the pillow if you have made the pillow without an easy "re-open" area. Just remember not to do this unless you have an outer covering for your pillow, as you do not want full strength essential oils coming into direct contact with your skin !
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Creating Dream Pillows
Dawn Thebarge
copyright 2001-2009
