Awaken your senses to improve your health and well-being with natures aromatic liquids called “Essential Oils”. Health is much more than the absence of illness. It is a state in which you are in balance; your mind is clear and your emotions are at peace. You are in tune with your environment and feel nourished by your surroundings. Don’t allow life’s circumstances to simply mold your existence, or just float around in the waves of life. To be in good health, we must take control. It is our body, isn’t it? To be in control we must be aware, or conscious. This is where it all begins.
“If you believe you have some control over your life, and that you have the ability to make choices instead of being a passive recipient of medical care, or the victim of bad luck or bad genes, then you are more likely to make the changes that are going to do you good in terms both of your behavior and the direct effects of your mind on your body.”- Valerie Ann Worwood, The Fragrant Mind
By including Aromatherapy into our lives we can deepen our self care practice by intensifying our body-mind connection.
Here are 8 essential oils that can enlighten your senses*:
1. Sweet Orange and Blood Orange
Deliciously refreshing, orange is bright and uplifting. Used in aromatherapy for enhancing the mood and calming the system. Need to create a cheerful ambiance? There is nothing better than a little orange in the air. On a physical level, orange is detoxifying, skin clearing and an overall body tonic.
I love the blood orange variety as well for its sharp and tantalizing aroma! It can be used in place of sweet orange as both have similar properties.
Blends well with: Bay, Black pepper, cinnamon, ginger, ylang ylang, lavender, clary sage, juniper, patchouli, marjoram, litsea cubeba, coriander, frankincense, geranium, bergamont, grapefruit and other citrus oils.
2. Lavender
The most widely used oil in Aromatherapy brings calmness and happiness to the body and mind, while lifting away worries and agitation. It is wonderfully calming, uplifting and soothing to the heart and mind. Commonly used in stress relief formulas to release tension. Add a drop to your pillow at night for a good night’s sleep.
Blends well with most essential oils including: Bergamont, clary sage, geranium, peppermint, rosemary, orange, marjoram, lemon, petitgrain, ylang ylang.
3. Eucalyptus– Crisp, clear and cooling aroma used in holistic medicine to “open the breath”. When inhaled it is a powerful respiratory tonic used for colds, coughs and topically it can help with muscular aches and pains. Eucalyptus helps to clear the mind when there is a lack of concentration, cluttered thoughts and mental exhaustion. It’s no wonder everyone loves Eucalyptus!
Blends well with: Lavender, Lemon, geranium, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram, pine, spruce, fir oil, geranium oil, cedarwood, peppermint, grapefruit, cypress, ginger,and melissa.
4. Geranium– Ease mental stress and worry, while lifting the spirits with the “flower of constancy”. Strong floral aroma, yet soft and sweet at the same time. Geranium is considered among Aromatherapists as an oil to promote overall balance. Geranium has a way of transmitting feelings of strength and security, therefore used to calm both chronic and acute anxieties as well as depression; especially involving exhaustion and fatigue due to over-work. It is used to reconnect us to “feeling life”.
Blends well with many oils including: Bergamot, Lemon, Grapefruit, Lavender, Clary Sage, Orange, Peppermint, Frankincense, Jasmine, Rose, Ylang Ylang, Roman Chamomile and Eucalyptus.
5. Ylang Ylang
The name Ylang Ylang means “flowers of flowers”. Its aroma is captivating, euphoric and sensual. It beautifully relaxes the body and mind, opens or “expands” the heart to release negative emotions while promoting creativity, peace and inner trust. It soothes and reduces anxiety and anger and is considered a natural depression remedy as it incredibly calms the heart and eases the mind.
Blends Well with: Lemon, orange, litsea cubeba, clove, ginger, grapefruit, lavender, geranium,clary sage, vetiver, bergamot, petitgrain, tangerine.
Read more: Essential Oils Spitlight: Ylang Ylang
The sweet lemony scent kind of reminds me of lemon gelato. Commonly known as May Chang, it is uplifting, regenerating, energizing while creating a calming effect to the mind and may help with promoting deep sleep. The oil from its ripe fruit is widely used in citrus-type perfumes, soaps and other body care products.
Blends well with many oils including: Lavender, Geranium, orange, basil, clary sage, ylang ylang, ginger, bergamot, and other citrus oils. Read more: Litsea Cubeba- Sweet Lemony Bliss
7. Peppermint
Peppermint is awakening; it clears the air and the mind by stimulating mental clarity. Take the edge off of your tension and relax an overworked body. Because of its anti-spasmotic properties, peppermint literally helps to relax muscle tension and relieve pain when diluted properly and applied topically onto sore, tight muscles.
Blends well with: Basil, Pine, Lemon, Lime, Orange, Lavender, Eucalyptus, Ravensara, Grapefruit, Rosemary,Geranium, Juniper, Black Pepper, cypress.
8. Frankincense
Frankincense is healing to the psyche- Comforting, releasing emotional blockages, burnout, exhaustion, anxiety, depression nervous tension, and disconnection. It is anti-inflammatory and used in skin care for its regenerative properties, nourishing aging skin and helping with scar tissue and wound healing.
Blends well with: Cedar, Fir, Spruce, cypress, sandalwood, bergamot, vetiver, pine, clary sage, coriander, lemon, patchouli, tangerine,Lavender, Geranium, Ylang Ylang.
Don’t forget to check out our Guide to Using Essential Oils for an easy reference on blending and more.
“As for the garden mint, the very smell of it alone recovers and refreshes the spirit.” -The Roman naturalist, Pliny ?
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
