Aromatherapy and you

I am an avid lover of aromatherapy oils. For me, they are a staple in my personal and professional life. I use them when I’m tired & when I’m wired. I use them when I can’t sleep, when I meditate or when I need to concentrate. I use them when I’m sad, when I’m happy and when I’m a crazed hormonal heap. I use them to relieve pain and swelling. I use them to relieve stress & anxiety. I can tap into the physical benefits or go right to the heart of each oil for deep emotional benefits. I pop a few drops into my beloved diffuser to keep the whole atmosphere (myself, my kids and the general household) happy and chilled. In work, I blend individual blends for each client to enhance their treatment and take it to the next level.

I love my oils (and I’m pretty sure they love me too)

But what about you?

How do you know which oils are right for you and why?

Well, it’s actually pretty easy, once you know how. Say, for example, you want a relaxing oil. Ok, I’ll save you the agonizing

read of the 32 essential oils that I can think of off the top of my head right now with the word “relaxant” under their names and instead I’ll ask you another question; ‘why?’ Why do you feel you need to relax? Here’s where it gets interesting and I get excited (I'm totally nerding out right now)

Do you need to relax because you have a high pressure job and find that, even though you’re tired at the end of the day, you just can’t switch off? In that case you’ll need something that’s not only relaxing, but that slows the breathing & heart rate while clearing your head of clutter and all those thoughts that just go round & around. Well the very gentle scent of Petitgrain might be just the oil for you! It’s a light scent and with a long history and a long list of benefits. Petitgrain is a relaxant which slows the breathing & heart rate (go figure) and is a gentle sedative for anger, irritation and anxiety. It eases out muscle tension and like a lot of citrus oils brings clarity of thought. It very gently eases out the coil of tension. The perfect oil for this scenario.

Maybe you need something relaxing because you’ve been at home with the kids all day and after 12 hours of noise, demands, food prep and imagination play (with a heck load of house work thrown in for the craic) you’re left with a special kind of mental numbness. Then Benzoin might be your evening savoir (although oils first thing in the morning to put a positive spring in your step might be a good idea too!) Benzoin is a thick resin with a deep, woody (kind of chocolate-y) smell. It’s like a warm hug, one which is comforting and soothing, one which gets rids of worries, fear and guilt, one which tells you, you kicked ass at this parenting thing today.

Or do you need something relaxing because you’re about to sit exams or go for an important interview? Rosemary & lavender oils are your go to! A 2007 study found that smelling these oils together decreased the levels of cortisol (stress hormone) in saliva [1]. Less cortisol means more relaxation. Rosemary & lavender do this while sharpening your concentration & clearing away mental fog (bonus!)

And there you have it, three very different scenarios with three very different oils. All relaxing, but in different ways. So the key is to root into the heart of why you need the oils. They are incredibly versatile. They work on the emotional, physical and spiritual bodies. They can affect the way you think, act and feel. And on that note, please use essential oils responsibly, they are tiny but mighty. I can’t stress it enough that if you have any questions, get in touch with a qualified aromatherapy practitioner. It’ll be worth it.

[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17291597

#Aromatherapy #itworks #stress