Let's see..the lavendar essential oil really does relax me. I use it in the bath, I put it on my baby's Taggie and her blankets where she sleeps every night. For my last 2 births, I used it in a diffuser in the hospital room and it really helped me then too. I've used to do the guided medidation with a friend of mine, with an Ex too..they both would also do Reiki on me. I worked in the health food industry for several years so most people I would meet or knew were into all that stuff. I went to this ranch in New Mexico once and did all kinds of things there, some yoga stuff..anyway it all relaxed me a ton. Oh and in accupuncture there is something they call 'happy needles' and WHOA, do those ever work.
I've had those done several times and then I knew the guy that opened the place next to where I worked, so I could go there sometimes on break for a treatment. Talk about crazy. They put them in your head and it's like you've been injected with something and everything just goes jello, it's nuts, I love those.
Someone mentioned happy camper, that never did much for me but we couldn't keep it on the shelves and some people swore by it. I always have Rescue remedy on hand for me or the animals and I've found in times of great stress or trauma, that does help. Lemon essentail oil is also supposed to be relaxing if you have the A blood type..there are difference scents for different types.
I have some prenatal yoga vids too and I never did them more than a couple times, I'm so bad. But when I was pg the pain in my legs and back started so early, it was just h*ll to even walk. The times I did do it, I loved it and it really worked. Stomach breathing is very good. Most people chest breathe and mouth breathe which isn't the right way to breathe either. I noticed before I was conscience of stomach breathing that I was breathing very shallow and it still is something I usually do. But I've even had bad stomach aches before and started to breath in deep through the nose, make sure your stomach rises and out through the mouth, I've had pain go away doing that, not to mention it's super relaxing to me.
I burn sage on occasion but not for relaxation so much, I personally really like the smell of it burning. My friends would always burn it during meditation or Reiki for cleansing and in combination with that, it was comforting.
A lot of people do Valerian, I never had that do much for me. Someone else mentioned Kava, hubby loves that one. Another tincture called Motherwort can be used for stress also, but you have to be careful because apparently it can become addicting. I got it for labor pain last time and things went to fast for me to use it. I used it a couple months ago for stress and anxiety and it was a very noticeable effect.
Well enough rambling. I hope you find something that works for you. I know what it's like, and I have a lot of anxiety as well, ocd too, it gets hard. I went through PPD after my first baby so I know how that one is too. But after being on an antidepressant at one point (for different reasons) and having used xanax during that time too, I swore I've never take another drug. I'd rather face it head on feeling like myself.
