Why I Chose doTERRA

I was introduced to dōTERRA 2 years ago by my friend Ashley who shares similar deep-rooted values with me. I love and trust her to the core, so I knew she was sharing something special with me. That first experience with dōTERRA essential oils at Ashley’s house turned my attention toward using their oils with my family at home and with clients in my practice. 

I never intended to distribute the oils and natural products though. Obviously, I have changed my tune since then! 

Here’s the main reasons why I took the plunge to start something new…

1. I love their purity and efficacy

I’ve used essential oils for over 20 years. However, it wasn’t until I started using dōTERRA that I realized the huge difference in quality among different brands. I had no idea that a label of 100% purity on oils at the health food store means nothing, and that they can still be diluted and adulterated.

DōTERRA created their own testing standards called Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade which go beyond the requirement for the Certified Organic label here in the U.S. This purity must be why the oils have been so effective for my family’s health issues. They work well for my acupuncture clients too, and are actually preferred over Chinese herbs to sustain the acupuncture effects in between treatments.

I’ve seen first hand how these oils help clear ear infections, relieve constipation, regulate menstruation, resolve pain, promote restful sleep, and much more.

2. I love their sustainability efforts

Essential oils are highly concentrated aromatic compounds derived from plant parts. For just one 15 mL bottle of lavender, about 3 pounds of lavender flowers are needed. You can see that if we’re not careful, producing essential oils can threaten plant populations.

This concern was brought the magazine, Mother Earth Living in Sourcing Sustainable Essential Oils (May/June 2018). The author talked about spikenard, sandalwood, rosewood, atlas cedarwood, and frankincense, which are all endangered species. Then, she suggested one choose brands wisely to ensure they’re using sustainable farming practices. But to my horror recommended that everyone avoid all Multi-Level Marketing oil companies (like the model dōTERRA uses).

Setting the Story Straight

I was really upset with their blanket statement to avoid MLMs because dōTERRA’s sustainable farming practices is one of the major reasons I love them so! Immediately after reading the article, I wrote to the editor, expressing my concerns and how I feel they did not do enough research. I shared the video below on how dōTERRA is managing spikenard production very well and are completely transparent with their farming practices.

Spring is my favorite season of the year for many reasons. #1 is that I love planting and eating Spring vegetables and fruits!

Right now my garden is still very young, but I’m getting many seasonal foods in my weekly organic CSA and am eager to try out some new meal ideas in the kitchen.

Here’s some recipes I collected that I’m determined to try this weekend! You should try them too, and please let me know what you think!

Breakfast

Paleo Pancakes with Superfood Toppings by Further Food

It’s a good idea to eat a filling breakfast to prime your metabolism and sustain you well until an afternoon lunch. Seasonal fresh berries lighten up this meal and you’ll be getting a huge dose of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

Lunch

Apple Walnut Rainbow Chard Salad by An Edible Mosaic

This salad is a hearty, stand-alone meal! In Spring, we naturally eat lighter foods and have more digestive power to eat colder, raw foods. As long as you don’t have GI issues like bloating, loose stools, or gas (which would indicate that your digestion is not strong enough and you could use help with digestive enzymes or herbs), this is a great Spring meal.

Dinner

Poached Cod in Spring Vegetable Broth by The Hungry Goddess

The lean protein, flavored with fennel pollen, lemongrass and seasonal vegetables make this the perfect Spring meal. You can order fennel pollen if you can’t find it in your health food store.

If you can’t find lemongrass either, you can substitute with a drop of lemongrass essential oil to add the flavor to the broth (only Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils that are safe for ingestion). It’s good to have this oil in your toolkit since it has many health benefits, in addition to improving digestion, like toning skin, soothing sore muscles, elevating your mood, and repelling insects.

Hurray, it’s Spring! Here in California we have a beautiful display of wild flowers, green grasses, and blossoming trees galore. Unfortunately not everyone can enjoy these gorgeous spectacles. The winds stir up their pollen and many people end up indoors dealing with runny, itchy or congested noses, scratchy throats, and watery eyes from seasonal allergies.

Claritin & Benadryl may be your saviors to get through this season, but then you need to deal with the possible side effects which can be just as miserable as the allergic response (headaches, sleepiness, nervousness, rashes, GI issues, or more serious conditions like jaundice or enlarged prostate glands).

I can tell you from personal experience that you don’t have to choose between seasonal allergy symptoms & drug side effects. I’ve had to deal with a major dust mite allergy and hay fever for most of my childhood & young adult years.

Below is a picture of me in Maine when I was visiting my Father-in-law & his girlfriend in 2008. My sinuses became extremely inflamed when their neighbors cut a field of grass. I remember spending a few days inside, alternating self-acupuncture treatments and clearing my nose with a saline rinse (with the neti pot that I pack on every vacation). I was able to enjoy our visit without a visit to the pharmacy.

This was the last time I remember having ANY allergic reaction and that was 10 years ago.

It was not one thing in particular that helped my body heal. At that time in my life I made a huge shift in diet, supplements, self-care practices, and therapies. If you’re interested in taking a natural approach to managing allergies, you’ll likely need to try a few different approaches.

Here is a list and explanation of the therapies that helped me. I’ve also included a few new ideas that have worked for friends & clients too.

Why Support Menstruation Naturally?

Regular periods with little-to-no-discomfort signify good health and fertility.  Why don’t we celebrate this dance between hormones that help create potential new life?  Yes, there is the inconvenience and possible mess.  But the main reason most women dread their period is because pain and other symptoms of imbalance accompany it.

Treating symptoms with conventional medicine is challenging.  Medical doctors do not have answers for women experiencing difficult periods other than birth control pills and pain medications. Both types of pharmaceuticals have major, negative, long-term side effects.  It’s always best to consult with your doctor first to rule out any serious issues.  Usually though, natural medicine is safer and more effective.

Essential Oils for Menstruation

For those seeking to manage the mild symptoms of menstruation naturally at home, essential oils are a fantastic option to explore. Below are the oils you’ll want to keep handy to manage the most common complaints.  They’ll help during your flow, and also during the premenstrual phase and ovulation as well.

The essential oils can be used topically on the area of discomfort (3-4 drops diluted in ~ 1 T of carrier oil). They can also be diffused to help balance emotions that are often at the root of many physical complaints.  Feel free to blend them together too!

Geranium

(Pelargonium graveolens)

A sweet, harmonizing oil, geranium has been used since ancient times for regulating menses and for menorrhagia (excessive blood loss during menstruation). It continues to be a valuable oil for PMS symptoms such as agitation, nervous tension, cramping, headaches, backaches, stressed-adrenals, etc.  It can help resolve endometriosis as well.

Try this technique for painful or irregular periods:

Spread a drop of geranium on your foot arches, layer with castor oil, and cover with a sock. This covers important points in the Kidney and Spleen acupuncture channels on the foot that help regulate menstruation. The castor oil has an invigorating effect, helping to move blood & ease stagnation (which shows up as pain).

• Mild cases: apply 2x/day for 10-14 days, then 1x/day for 30 more days
• Moderate: apply 2x/day for 30 days, then 1x/day for 2 more months
• Severe: apply 2x/day for 3-4 months, then 1x/day for 4-5 more months

Clary Sage

(Salvia sclarea)

Clary sage is regulating oil that is known for calming nerves and cooling inflammation. It helps with dysmenorrhea, PMS, headaches, frigidity, and depression. It also soothes the GI organs, resolving bloating and gas.

Ylang Ylang

(Cananga odorata)

Ylang ylang is a sedative for the nervous system, yet a stimulant for the circulatory system. So, it’s very calming, yet invigorating for the blood and musculature.  It relieves tension, improve libido, regulate hormonal balance, and can lift a woman’s spirit.

True Lavender

(Lavandula angustifolia)

Everyone is familiar with lavender, as it’s considered one of most versatile essential oils available. It can help a woman immensely with menstrual discomfort. It’s indicated for PMS, headaches, migraines, cramps, depression, nervous tension, insomnia, and even gas.

Some of you may have heard that lavender has estrogenic effects and should be avoided by men. That is a myth addressed in this article by well-known Aromatherapist Robert Tisserand: Lavender Oil Is Not Estrogenic

Sweet Fennel

(Foeniculum vulgare)

Lavender does not have estrogenic effects, but fennel DOES. It can actually increase milk supply in mothers, is valuable in the transition to menopause, but should be avoided by pregnant women.

Women experiencing amenorrhea (skipped menstrual periods) as well as dysmenorrhea benefit from Fennel. It also helps with gastrointestinal problems many women experience during ovulation and menstruation such as constipation, stomachaches, nausea, and flatulence.

Roman Chamomile

(Chamaemelum nobile)

Roman chamomile is one of the safest essential oils, yet it is also potent and has a huge therapeutic range.

It helps cycling women with dysmenorrhea, headaches, migraines, nervous tension, and also with calming the mind and spirit.  Thereby, it helps support a restful night sleep.

If you experience difficult periods, I hope you’ll consider using essential oils as a natural remedy to ease your discomfort. Perhaps you can appreciate this special time in your life even more.  Essential oil brands differ greatly in quality and thereby efficacy though. You can view my recommendations here.

I’m eager to hear how essential oils are helping you manage your menses!  Let me know if you have any questions in the comments!  And if you enjoyed this article, please share with friends who can use this advice as well.

I think we all do. Our attitudes to life affect our emotions, and many of us don’t see the connection between our emotions and general health.

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), emotions and our vital energy (Qi) are the bridge between our physical and spiritual well-being. We know that many physical diseases actually have an emotional imbalances at the root.

In Yoga, we investigate the emotions in deeper meditative practices to create inner harmony.  In turn, we create physical ease. This gives space for the mind to open up to profound spiritual experiences, connecting us to others, and to the beauty of life in general.

Insight from these Eastern practices is desperately needed here in the West where:

• psychotherapy is still considered “quackery” to some
• we complain endlessly about our health, circumstances, & politics, yet don’t take action to improve situations or try new approaches
• we like to place blame for our misfortune
• many have poverty consciousness and an unhealthy relationship with money
• sarcasm and cynicism are considered funny and cool personality traits
• stress and busyness are valued and intimately linked to our self-worth

How Our Attitudes Create Stress, Disease, and Disconnection

Much of our attention on health is with diet and physical health.  You may have the cleanest diet, and yet, if you’re caught up in the rat race, your body’s stress response can keep you in the sympathetic “fight or flight” mode.  This emotional imbalance increases adrenaline, cortisol, and other stress hormones.  They flood your system, lowering beneficial gut bacteria populations, and proper immune response.

This can lead to:

• chronic pain
• recurrent illnesses
• poor sleep
• gastric distress
• allergies
• high blood pressure
• heart disease
• unintentional weight gain
• unintentional weight loss
• depression/anxiety
• memory problems
• low libido
• fertility issues

Stress is relative and is a personal habitual reaction to stimuli. We can all be in the same traffic jam, yet have a different response because of our different inner attitudes and awareness of how we’re reacting.

“An emotion in excess, an inappropriate reaction, a self-destructive passion, an emotional response out of proportion to a situation, or a single automatic habitual response to many different life events all can be signs that the human being has lost his or her capacity for harmonious reactivity.”

– Ted J. Kaptchuk, O.M.D. from The Web That Has No Weaver

Manic elation, worry, sadness, anger, and fear are all normal in the human landscape. But if we hold them in, allow them to fester, or even let them become a major part of our personality, they can create disease from the TCM perspective.

Sun Si-miao (590-682 C.E.), a great physician of the Tang dynasty wrote that people suffer illness “because they do not have love in their life and are not cherished.” I think this notion is still relevant today, but that it’s self-love that’s lacking in many people and we have a hard time cherishing our own body, mind, and spirit which causes suffering.

How Do You Change Your Attitude and Achieve Health?

Yoga, Meditation, and TCM are wonderful ways to work with the energy of emotions to help one heal on all levels, but the person receiving still needs to participate.

If you’re laying on the table receiving acupuncture, you’re yielding to the treatment, trusting that energy is flowing where it needs to.  Following the treatment plan provided by your practitioner is also a way you’re participating in your health by adapting to a positive lifestyle change.

In a yoga class, you’re working with a personal intention, paying attention to emotional cues that are linked with your breathing, and not just going through the physical motions.

Participating in your emotional well-being means that we adjust our inner attitude to breed:

• Positivity
• Hope
• Trust
• Curiosity
• Equanimity
• Joy
• Insight

These are the “higher vibrations” we were referring to in Chakra Meditation: Radiate Out What You Want To Attract.

Adopting a Positive Attitude is a Conscious Choice

If we’re constantly evaluating how we’re feeling and pause often before reacting, we can see how we have some control over the outcome. We can then take responsibility for that outcome.

I just want to share a personal example here to drive my point home…

Yesterday I had the most amazing morning.

After sleeping in, I meditated and expressed gratitude for one more day of life. I took my son to a playgroup at the beach while I worked at a café a little down the road. It was a productive, yet relaxed day. On the way home, my son and I had some lovely conversations. I vowed to myself that I was going to keep this content feeling going throughout the day.

So later on when I discovered that a bird had crapped all over the side of my car, or when I had to deal with disorganized parking at gymnastics, and then with slow traffic on the way home from that, I did not take any of it personally. I did not take on any physical tension.

Today was a different story.

I had to wake early to get ready to teach a yoga class. People were expecting me to be on time and to be creative. I snapped at my son a few times as I was trying to get him out the door. Tension started to build in my body because I wasn’t feeling prepared for class. Luckily, there was some residue from my brief meditation that made me pause. I remembered the day before and knew that it was possible to stay calm again, even though I had more obligations. As long as I stayed calm, I knew creativity would spring from that.

Sure enough, I taught a pretty good class and the rest of the day went well too!

So believe me, you can experience more health and joy in your life if you make the conscious choice. Meditation, Yoga, TCM, psychotherapy, hypnotism, and aromatherapy can all give us a greater perspective on our emotions, inner attitudes, energy, and holistic health. They help us see more clearly how we need to change to release limited beliefs that keep us sick and disconnected.

Can you imagine what the world would be like if we all had this awareness? The change in that direction starts with you…

Qigong or “Life energy skill” is one of the 5 branches of Traditional Chinese Medicine. It’s understood that all transformations in our life happen under the influence of Qi/energy: birth, aging, and death of everything within our world including humans, animals, water, wind, forests, deserts, rocks, etc.

Ancient masters developed Qigong techniques to help people live in harmony with their environment. They combined breathing techniques with movement, creative visualization, and intention to improve health and personal power.

Just like the healthy habit of purging your home of clutter before bringing in new furniture & other items, the same is true in our approach to self-regulating Qigong practices. You must clear stagnant and stale energy first, then add in new energy and regulate it so it’s smooth. You may experience stagnant energy as pain in the body, uncomfortable emotions, and a restless mind – what we also call STRESS!

“When living things start to lose their Qi, they lose their vitality”

– Jerry Alan Johnson, Ph.D. from Chinese Medical Qigong Therapy, Vol. 1

In the video below, I lead you through a very simple clearing Qigong protocol that is especially useful when you’re needing to wipe away the stress from your day. And if you’re interested in learning more Qigong practices, this protocol should be done first before including any others.

My teacher, Sarah Powers, is fond of saying that people turn to meditation when they are utterly sick of themselves.  They commit to the practice when they realize that their habitual ways of being are getting them nowhere in life. Meditation, especially Vipassana or Insight Meditation, shows us where disharmony exists in our lives.  It gives us tools to pull us up and out of our personal mess.

How I Was Introduced To Meditation

If you really want to know more about my personal mess, you can read my original post on my introduction to meditation. Basically, I had a really difficult time obtaining my college education and racked up considerable credit card debt.  I adopted really bad lifestyle habits and endured several shallow, heartbreaking relationships. Despite all that, I was doing really well in my full-time job. I placed all my energy there, and it’s where I received the most help.

My supervisor suggested that I attend an “Intro to Meditation” workshop my co-workers were having after hours. I remember feeling self-conscious.  I noticed that everyone was at least 10 years older than I, and wondering why in the world she thought to include me. But I respected her immensely and opened my mind fully to the experience.

Mindfulness ~ A Sensual Experience

What happened next, was not what I expected. I thought we would just sit as still as possible and try to empty our minds.

Instead, the instructor invited us to pick up a single raisin from many that she had on the tray. First, we described the raisin to each other. We noted it’s size, it’s texture, it’s color, and it’s smell. Then we let our mouths salivate.  We chewed the raisin, tasted it, felt the change in it’s structure as it turned to liquid, and swallowed the syrupy goodness. Our senses were alive and these simple details became important as we put them in the foreground of our awareness.

I experienced a raisin as I never had before! And I appreciated my body for the pleasure of it’s sweet taste. Then it occurred to me: if I had overlooked the simple details of eating, what else was I missing in life?

As I was mindfully eating the raisin, I was calm, focused, and felt less shy when we shared in the group afterwards. Somehow I had tapped into a well of confidence and felt a greater connection to the people in the group. It didn’t matter anymore that these people were older than me, different from me.

How Meditation Changed My Life

This seed of experience was planted in my consciousness long ago. It took many more years of hardship before I really understood how meditation could help me. It was around the time I started practicing yoga too, when meditation became a larger part of my life.

I immersed myself in the practice and found my teachers. At that point, compassion, patience, and understanding replaced the desperation, self-loathing, and worry that I clung to as a young adult.

Eventually I discovered my life purpose as an alternative health practitioner & educator. I now have a healthy relationship with money.  It flows into my life easily.  I give it freely to people and causes that I value without feeling any loss. I have a loving, respectful relationship with my husband and we have the most beautiful, inquisitive child. I’m aware when stress builds in my body and have natural, healthy ways to relieve it.

The Place of Meditation In My Life Now

Of course that’s not the end of my story! Life is not always rainbows and roses. I will never be “done” with this inner journey as long as I’m alive.

It’s still hard to prioritize a formal sitting practice when I have so many other obligations. But even just mindfully sitting a few minutes here and there helps. When I’m overly reactive to things happening around me, when relationships with friends feel strained, or I’m feeling unsatisfied in my business, I can usually trace it back to a disconnection in my inner life. This then helps me reprioritize meditation. And I do this over, and over, and over.

I am so grateful for this practice.  Meditation changed my life by connecting me to consciousness in a deep and meaningful way. 

If you’re feeling inspired to begin a meditation practice but don’t know where to start, check out my website’s Yoga & Meditation page. There are several guided meditations, all approximately 15 minutes, that can help get you started.  

If you like this article and the meditations, please share this resource with your friends!  I’d love to hear how you’re doing with them in the comments too!  Well wishes to you…

I love my work as a Licensed Acupuncturist, but I have to be honest – acupuncture is only my 2nd favorite modality. The one that gets me excited, that I use whenever given the opportunity, and that adds the most benefit to clients who are needing extra nourishment, is moxibustion.

What’s that?

Moxibustion, or “Moxa” for short, is the burning of the mugwort herb, Artemisia species, next to acupuncture points. It’s a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) modality that is just as old and revered as acupuncture, though less known here in the West. That may change though, as TCM is becoming more widespread. Already, researchers have declared that heat therapy in general is a promising technique, especially for low back pain. But that’s just one of the many conditions that moxibustion can effectively treat.

In the classic Chinese text Huangdi Neijing Lingshu (Miraculous Pivot of the Yellow Emperor’s Internal Classic), it states that moxibustion should be used when a disease fails to respond to acupuncture and herbs.

From a TCM perspective, moxibustion treats “cold” conditions that benefit from heat and greater circulation of qi (vital energy) and blood. It is tonifying and nourishing to the core, feels wonderful, and has a distinct aroma that most people find relaxing. It’s used to prevent disease and increase longevity.

A respectable amount of modern research shows that moxibustion has a positive effect on all human physiological systems, has analgesic effects, can boost immunity and affect the rate of aging.

The most popular conditions where moxibustion use is indicated include:

• Joint/muscle pain

• Stomachache

• Menstrual cramps

• Diarrhea/colitis

• Hemorrhoids

• Asthma

• Epilepsy

• Low immunity

• Autoimmune issues

• Poor circulation, cold hands & feet

• Ending a cycle of repeated colds & flu

• Ear infections

• Encouraging breech babies to turn

• Fatigue/Lethargy

• Depression

• Bed-wetting

• Insomnia

There are several ways to use moxa. TCM practitioners use the dried wool on the tops of acupuncture needles to warm a point or can place a small cone of moxa on salt, ginger, or another base that has therapeutic properties which is directly against the skin. But the easiest method is using a moxa stick which looks like a cigar. It’s burned without fire, like incense and situated close to the point needing to be warmed. It’s held there with an in and out “pecking motion” for several minutes.

What is really great about this therapy is that a practitioner can teach clients how to use a moxa stick and they can do it easily at home on themselves or with the help of a partner.

There are definite concerns about inhaling the smoke from moxa. And I always ensure that I have proper ventilation before using it. However, the amount of time people are typically exposed appears to not be a problem.

This study shows that there were no adverse effects to Heart Rate Variability (HRV) when participants were exposed to routine 25 minute exposure to moxa smoke. HRV is a measure of sympathetic nervous system stress that is typically triggered with tobacco smoke & air pollution. Further studies are warranted, but this study actually suggested that the smoke might have positive effects on the autonomic nervous system.

Are you intrigued and want to learn more? I’d love to answer any questions in the comments. For those of you who’ve tried moxibustion, please let us know about your experience!

This oil, derived from the rind of the fruit, has both calming and uplifting properties. It’s perfect for when one is feeling anxious or depressed. Like most citrus oils, you must stay out of sunlight, avoiding UV rays for up to 12 hours after topical application.

Lavender

Lavender is one of the oldest oils, used by Romans & Egyptians when bathing, cooking, relaxing, and as a perfume. It’s a must-have for modern people who experience restless sleep. In addition to diffusing and spreading across the bottom of the feet, you can place a few drops on a cotton ball and place under your pillow when you’re ready to snooze.

Marjoram

It’s not just a tasty culinary herb! The essential oil of marjoram supports the nervous system, having a sedative effect and also eases sore muscles. Apply it to the back of the neck or wherever tension is showing up in your body.

Blue Tansy

The chemical chamazulene creates the brilliant blue shade of Blue Tansy, also known as Moroccan Chamomile.  Blue tansy can be diffused to uplift your mood or be massaged into the skin to relax muscular tension.

Cedarwood

Cedarwood is a very grounding oil that can help move tense energy down and out from the neck, shoulders, and upper back when applied to the feet.

In order to receive the greatest benefit, it’s important to use “Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade” essential oils. Unfortunately, due to loose regulation, there are many oils on the market that have been adulterated even though the labels say they are 100% pure. Visit my Natural Health Products page for my suggestions and support.