Using Aromatherapy

Using Aromatherapy in Your Life

Changing Seasons

Do you suffer from congestion when seasons change? Many of us need help making the transition. Sometimes diffusing blends that fight airborne germs can be helpful. Attitude Adjustment with Cajeput (a type of Tea Tree), Palmarosa, Lemon and Geranium is great. Likewise, adding a drop of Black Pepper or Ginger essential oils to your favorite body lotion is also helpful. These have a nice warming effect when gusty fall winds are chilling you to the bone. Remember a little goes a long way with pure essential oils.

Useful essential oils for nasal inhalations include Rosemary, Eucalyptus, Juniper, and Chamomiles. It's simple to just add a few drops to a tissue or cotton ball & inhale whenever you want a head-clearing or sinus-congestion relief. If you suffer from dry, scratchy throat warm water with a drop of Lemon oil and a bit of honey can work wonders. More indoor heat means less humidity. Remember to drink extra water.

There is always lots of pressure as the holidays approach. Essential oils may help you counter some of the stress. Lavender essential oil is wonderful for stress relief. It's great as an inhalation straight from the bottle. Or try adding a few drops to an unscented body lotion and use it after your morning shower. Mix a few drops into Epsom salts & pour those into your evening bath water.

Fighting the Blues

Be kind to yourself. Here is a formulation for fighting those blues:

4 drops Lavender essential oil
4 drops Ylang-ylang essential oil
1 drop Geranium essential oil
1 drop Bergamot essential oil

You can mix these oils together & put them in a diffuser or an oil burner. Or mix them with Epsom salts & take a long bath after a dreary day at work. Perhaps you have some unscented lotion to which you could add a few drops of this blend. That could be just the right thing to use after your morning shower to ward off the mental hassle of the morning commute.

Some people respond better to a spicy blend, rather than a floral/citrus combination like the above blend. For them try the Spicy Vanilla Blend. Vanilla is very calming & the scents of Cinnamon, Cloves & Nutmeg take the chill out of gray winter days. It's great to inhale from a tissue, put in a diffuser, or mix with unscented lotion or massage oil.

Easy pick me-ups with essential oils include: massaging the Heart Chakra with a little 4th Chakra Blend, or listening to music that stirs your soul while enjoying the scent of Winter Revival Blend. This special blend contains the essential oils of Fir Needle, Lime, Orange & Spruce.

Repelling Insects

The last push to go camping or boating compels us to be outdoors as much as possible. To keep the bugs away from your picnics & your skin try lemon-scented essential oils. These could include Eucalyptus citriodora or Litsea cubeba if you like the exotic or just plain Lemon essential oil & that old favorite, Citronella. The key to using these essential oils safely is to dilute them for direct application to your skin.

Or place a few drops on cotton balls & carry them in your pockets. Try a few drops on the bill of a baseball cap, on your shirt collar, even the laces of your hiking boots. You can even place drops along the borders of your picnic blanket or tablecloths. Peppermint is effective against ants. A little goes a long way & too much will ruin the taste of your food.

Sun & citrus oils do not mix. To avoid a photo-sensitive reaction from citrus essential oils, stay out of the sun for several hours after applying Lemon, Orange , Bergamot or other citrus essential oil to your skin. The previous suggestions of diluting or applying to clothing or cotton balls will eliminate that problem while repelling insects.

A late summer season with 90°F heat can be made more tolerable with a spritzer of peppermint water. Simply add a few drops of peppermint to a small spray bottle filled with distilled water and use to refresh. I particularly like to spray the back of my neck, inside of my elbows & knees for heat relief.

Keeping up with pesky chores

Preparing food, cleaning house, tending to pets, kids and spouses, those are just the beginning when it comes to chores. In addition, our office, sports equipment, cars, & laundry all require our attention. Essential oils can help cut through the dirt and help lift your mood, all at the same time. A favorite is Lemon essential oil. Just a few drops in a natural liquid soap cuts through grime in kitchens and bathrooms. Used when doing laundry, it freshens both in the washer and the dryer.

And talk about a mood elevator, Lemon can lift you right up to the top with its refreshing scent. However, use caution with Lemon essential oil. Be aware that its heavy-duty cleansing power can also eat through plastic. Some people find it irritates their skin. And never, ever use it on skin that will then be exposed to the sun as it can be photo-sensitizing and even photo-toxic.

Balancing your chakras

Here are a few tips on chakra balancing using essential oils:

Threatening/fearful situations relate to 1ST CHAKRA - ANGELICA

Lack of creativity or stymied creativity relate to 2ND CHAKRA - YLANG-YLANG

More courage or stronger will relates to 3RD CHAKRA - CYPRESS

Having an open heart in a difficult situation relates to 4TH CHAKRA - ROSE

Communication problems relates to 5TH CHAKRA - CHAMOMILE (either ROMAN or GERMAN)

Lack of inspiration or wisdom relates to the 6TH CHAKRA - ROSEMARY

Inviting spiritual guidance relates to the 7TH CHAKRA - FRANKINCENSE .

These simple hints could prove very effective if you consciously inhale the suggested oils with the intention of over-coming emotional blocks.

Keeping Resolutions

Do you have trouble in keeping up with resolutions, whether it was to lose weight, becoming more organized or to stimulate your mental activity? Sometimes using essential oils can help. It's really easy:

Peppermint can help with appetite control. So can Black Pepper essential oil. Inhaling from a tissue throughout the day can curb your appetite if weight loss is your goal.

How about resolutions to become more organized? Rosemary, Lemon & Basil essential oils all help stimulate mental activity. They also are energizing, perhaps giving you an extra boost to finish sorting through files or clearing clutter.

Thinking that more time at the gym is in order? Want help with sore muscles that might slow your fitness progress? Some essential oils that help ease overworked muscles include Lavender, Rosemary, and Eucalyptus & Peppermint. They can be applied through massage or in a bath.

Boosting Your Willpower

Need to boost your will power in general to help stick with your resolutions? Try the 3rd Chakra & 6th Chakra blends.

The 3rd Chakra, or Solar Plexus, is about will, desire, & manifestation. The essential oils in 3rd Chakra Blend include:

Black Pepper
Ginger
Lemon
Spanish Sage
Rosewood

The 6th Chakra, or Third Eye, is about wisdom & following your dharma or path in life. Being on the right road & having goals that support your progress are keys to success in all aspects of life. The 6th Chakra Blend includes the essential oils of:

Basil
Citrus
Lemon
Peppermint

In addition, having the support of loved ones is also important in keeping your resolutions. You might encourage them to support you with a gift of 4 th Chakra Blend. This blend is for encouraging loving feelings. The 4 th Chakra contains the essential oils of:

Jasmine
Melissa
Palmarosa
Rose