Emotional health, Essential Oils, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Mood Lifting Essential Oils for the Blues

Feeling low? Apathetic? Uninspired? Aromatherapy can be a safe and effective form of natural medicine that will help you feel better quick. Read on and watch the video below to learn which mood lifting essential oils will help you fight the blues and support holistic wellness.

The essential oils mentioned in this post and video are great to use in my stress-relieving self-acupressure guide. It will help you relieve tension, stress, and promote healing in body, heart, and mind. Click below to download for FREE.

How Essential Oils Affect Emotions and Mood

Emotions are actually information carrying molecules that bind to cell receptors in the brain and throughout the body. There’s three places where this neurological processing occurs: the mind, the heart and the gut.

Here’s some interesting facts that you may not know:

The great majority of the processing that occurs in the mind is subconscious! And most of the neurological pathways go from the heart to the mind – not the other way around. Also, 90% of the feel-good chemicals like serotonin reside in the gut.

When we’re feeling down, at least one of these areas is not being fed sufficiently. In addition to feeling anxious or depressed, we might also have head tension, confusion, apathy, lack of compassion, and painful, irregular digestion.

Essential oils, similar to emotions, are also information carrying molecules that bind to cell receptors in the brain and throughout the body. They balance the emotional responses in the brain, heart, and gut, allowing us to function better on all levels in life.

It’s simply biochemistry! Though everyone is different, in general these are the essential oils that match up with the emotions we’re trying to create, based on their chemical makeup.

My 4 Favorite Mood Lifting Essential Oils

There are four main essential oils and blends that I turn to whenever I’m needing a shift in mood and perspective. These are what I diffuse in my yoga classes and use on clients too, with fabulous results.

1. Lime Essential Oil

2. Peppermint Essential Oil

3. Elevation Blend Essential Oil

4. Adaptiv Blend Essential Oil

How to Use Essential Oils to Improve Your Mood

The quickest way to affect your mood with essential oils is by smelling them. When we experience an aroma, it’s perceived by the limbic area of the brain which is the oldest part of the brain. It’s also the place where we hold emotions and memories. So this is the place where we need to make a shift.

Experience essential oils aromatically by:

smelling directly from the bottle
putting 1-2 drops in your hands, rubbing them together before smelling them
using an essential oil diffuser (extends the experience for 1-12 hrs depending on the settings)
using diffuser jewelry like lava stone pendents (lasts 1-2 days)

Of course essential oils can’t take away the challenging experiences we face in life. But they do help us respond to grief, anxiety, and stress with grace and with the awareness that the intensity of the feelings will pass.

If you’re experiencing severe depression, it’s wise to seek the help of a medical doctor. Essential oils can always help, but in extreme cases, you’ll likely need more support.

You should also know that there’s a huge difference of quality among essential oils on the market. It’s important that you use a brand you trust. I only use and recommend dōTERRA Essential Oils since their commitment to quality and purity is unmatched in the industry. If you use lower quality essential oils, which are often synthetic or diluted with alcohol, you will not get the same results managing your emotional health.

I hope that you’re feeling more confident about using essential oils for uplifting your mood! I would love to know if you’re already using essential oils for emotional support or if you are eager to try what I’ve shared with you here. Please comment below with the oils that you find most useful. Well wishes to you…

Essential Oils, journaling, Meditation, Personal Development, Winter, Women's health

Winter Solstice Meditation – Guided Reflection & Renewal

This Winter Solstice meditation is a guided, relaxing mindfulness practice that will help you rest in the Winter darkness and renew your being with light on all levels. It’s also an opportunity to let go of what is no longer serving you, allowing space for focused New Year intention, and a rebirth of ideas to achieve your life goals.

Please like & subscribe if you enjoy the offerings on my YouTube channel!

Meditation Preparation

To set up, you’ll want to find a place that is dark and quiet. You may want to light a candle to represent the light inside of you, that creative spark that we’ll be stoking.

Essential oils can help calm your mind and create more focus. For this meditation I’m using Frankincense and Lemongrass. Frankincense helps lessen depressed and anxious feelings which tend to be more pronounced this time of year, prompted by the darkness. Lemongrass helps to clear negativity and uplift your mood. You can place 1 drop of each in your hands with a dollop of carrier oil and anoint your temples, heart space, and soles of the feet.

Have a pen and paper or a journal nearby where you can write down any insight that comes as we sit.

Also, you can briefly use the acupressure points in my free self-acupressure guide to help you relax. As you release tension, you’ll be better able to focus on the meditation process. You can download the guide below.

Winter Solstice Meditation Instruction

Center Your Attention

Come into a comfortable seated position on the floor or on a chair. If you’re using a chair, make sure your feet are fully planted on the ground.

Closing your eyes, take several deep breaths, consciously focusing your mind on the present moment.

Exhale out through the mouth to let go of physical tension. Once you’re feeling settled, allow the mouth to stay closed.

Center your attention by following the movement of the breath. Inhale through the nose. Feel the breath moving through the trachea, filling the lungs, and feel the diaphragm pressing down toward the pelvis, grounding you. Stay energetically grounded as you exhale and feel the breath moving up and out through the nose. Watch the ebb and flow of the breath.

Now see if you can make each part of the breath deeper, and longer. Lengthen the spaces in between breaths, noticing any emotions that come up in the stillness. It’s common to feel fear when empty, the same feeling that many people have in Winter.

We are microcosms of nature and energetic beings animated by breath. Consider this, each breath is keeping you alive. We need both the inhalation AND the exhalation, the life giving breath and the clearing release which creates more space for the next breath.

What Can You Release in Order to Create?

Now as you continue to breath deeply, let’s see how we can relate to the other aspects of ourselves. What can we let go of? What can we let rest in the darkness or even die away in order to make space for something more new, more healthy, or even more exciting?

Feel the full volume of the body pulsing with breath. Feel it’s fullness, emptiness, and the flow in between. Consider the health of your body and as you ask this question, see what comes up in this space:

“What habits can I let go of that will help my body be more healthy and vibrant?”

Sense the answer in your body.

Now connect in with your heart, your capacity to love and relate to others. Some relationships served a purpose in the past, but are no longer helpful. Ask yourself the following, or change the wording to fit what you would like to create in your heart instead:

“What relationships can I let go of in order to feel more emotionally spacious and loving.”

Watch the movement of the mind…

The mind can be the most challenging to shift. Many people are wired for self-criticism and negativity that their belief systems are very limited. Once your open to changing your beliefs, you have the greatest potential to create more happiness in your life. Ask yourself:

“What habits or beliefs can I let go of, can I let die, in order to experience more clarity of mind?”

Give yourself some time to let any thoughts bubble to the surface in answer to this question.

Letting go of the previous attachments in the body, heart, and mind may get you closer to spiritual connection. To explore further, you can ask yourself:

“What can I let go of to experience a deeper sense of myself, to connect with spirit”

Feel into your wholeness. Notice the warmth inside you, imagining a spark of hope in the heart that grows to a flame, and then to beams of light radiating out of your body in every direction.

Remember that this light sprung from darkness. We needed to let go and experience a symbolic death to some aspects of our lives in order to rebirth new experiences. We needed to visit the past and make peace with it in order to imagine new possibilities for the future.

Slowly Widen Your Awareness

Return your awareness to the breath moving through the central channel of the body.

Open up your ears to what you hear, notice what you’re tasting, smelling, and feeling against your skin. Finally, gently open your eyes.

Take some time here to make sure your attention is balanced, inside and out. Write down anything that came up for you during this meditation. This is a special time for reflection, but of course this is appropriate to do anytime of the year, not just the Winter Solstice. You can repeat this simple meditation practice whenever you’re feeling stuck and that you need to make a major shift in one layer of your being. When we meditate, we’re tapping into our innate wisdom that’s beyond the mind’s comprehension. It’s this place where we receive the most helpful guidance for living a joyful life.

Did you enjoy this meditation? Do you already meditate? Is it for relaxation or to receive guidance or other motivation? I’d love to know about it in the comments!

Boost Energy, Emotional health, Essential Oils, Natural Beauty, Toxin-free living, Women's health

The Most Loving Morning Skin Care Routine

Our skin is a reflection of the body’s inner harmony. As I’ve already shared in Natural Secrets for Beautiful Clear Skin much of our skin’s appearance has to do with how well hydrated we are, how balanced our diet is, and how well we’re avoiding and eliminating toxins. However, it’s also possible to experience holistic health by treating the outside of the skin too. I love to combine 2 ancient Ayurvedic practices for the skin that create systemic benefits. This morning skin care routine will nourish your whole body, boost your energy, and improve your mood!

Why You Should Adopt a Morning Skin Care Routine

Morning time (between 3-7am) is related to the Lung and Large Intestine organs, according to Chinese Medicine, which is also related to the skin. So it’s important to nourish the skin at this time to bring balance to those organs. The opposite is also true, that this is the best time to do a deep breathing practice and stimulate bowel movements to support clear, healthy skin.

Working with the skin can be both invigorating and calming, which is a wonderful way to start the day. Taking the time to connect with yourself with touch – a powerful form of self-love – is also a huge aspect of achieving holistic health.

Combining the Ayurvedic rituals of Dry Skin Brushing (Garshana) and Ayurvedic Oil Massage (Abhyanga) in the morning will jump start your body to work at it’s finest while also connecting to your heart and loving nature.

Benefits and Practice of Dry Skin Brushing (Garshana) and Ayurvedic Oil Massage (Abhyanga)

Dry Skin Brushing and Ayurvedic Oil Massage share these benefits:

Increased circulation of blood and lymph throughout the body, which improves immune system function
Greater removal of toxins and impurities from the body as lymph drainage is stimulated
Improved muscle tone
Beautiful luster on the skin
Stress relief
Feeling both invigorated and soothed in body, heart, and mind

Dry Skin Brushing exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores. Then the skin can absorb nutrients and health-b00sting elements from the carrier and essential oils used in the Ayurvedic Oil Massage.

Before getting to this morning skin care protocol, you may want to download my FREE stress-relieving self-acupressure guide that you can use in the evening, sandwiching your day with self-love!

How to Dry Brush Your Skin

Instructions

Use a brush with natural bristles. I prefer using a long-handled brush like the one featured below. I like to add a few drops of therapeutic-grade essential oil to the bristles so they immediately enter the skin after the outer layer is exfoliated away. (If you’d like to do your face too, make sure you get a soft brush made exclusively for dry skin brushing of the face – see video for instructions.)
Stand in the shower or tub so you dead skin cells are captured.
Brush lightly, starting from your feet and moving up in long strokes. All strokes should be moving from your extremities into your center, toward your heart, to improve circulation.
Create clockwise strokes across your abdomen, chest, and inside each armpit.
Avoid any areas where you have cuts, rashes, eczema, and burns. Go lightly over the breasts and abdomen, which tend to be more sensitive.
Before rinsing off, go to the next practice of Ayurvedic Self Oil Massage.

How to Perform an Ayurvedic Oil Self-Massage

This routine is very soothing for the body, heart, and mind. The ancient ritual of anointing your body with oil can be deeply spiritual as well, helping you connect with your inner Goddess.

The oil also helps protect your skin as it’s moisturized and should be used instead of any conventional lotions that are filled with preservatives and other toxic substances.

Instructions:

After dry brushing your body, choose an oil to use for the Ayurvedic Massage. Sesame seed oil is a great neutral oil that can benefit all constitutions. If you’d like to use an oil that is specific to you type of skin, choose from below:
- Dry skin (Vata Dosha) – Avocado, Olive, Coconut
- Red, sensitive skin (Pitta Dosha) – Almond, Sunflower
- Oily skin (Kapha Dosha) – Safflower, Corn
Warm the oil gently under hot water before massaging it over your entire body.
Start with the scalp (if you don’t mind washing your hair afterwards or just leave it in as a day-conditioner). Then continue to face, making upward strokes from jaw to forehead.
Massage down the torso and out to each limb. Spend some extra time massaging the belly clockwise, in the same direction as digestive flow. Also make sure your hands and feet are thoroughly massaged, which each contain important acupressure and marma points responsible for vibrant health.
Take a hot shower or bath to slowly remove the oil. It’s best that you only use soap on strategic areas that tend to smell like the genitals, armpits, and feet. The soap should be free of harsh, toxic ingredients since you’re skin will now be a sponge and pretty much a direct path to the bloodstream.
Dry off gently by blotting your skin with a towel.
For a sensual touch that is said to give you the aura of a saint, apply 1-2 drops of sustainably-sourced sandalwood, jasmine, or rose essential oils to your belly button, nipples, and temples.

I hope you can make time for this skin care routine every morning! Please let me know how it works for you, in the comments.

If you haven’t done so already, you’ll want to get my stress-relieving self-acupressure guide that will help you relieve tension, boost your energy, and improve your sleep in less than 10 minutes! You can add this protocol at the end of your day.

Follow brandy on pinterest

morning skin care routine

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Essential Oils, Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Natural Sleep Support, Supplements, Women's health

This Is Why I Recommend Copaiba Over CBD

When it comes to managing modern health challenges like chronic stress, anxiety, and inflammatory conditions, it’s best to take a natural approach. People now realize how dangerous it can be to become dependent on pain killers and mood-altering drugs. Cannabidiol (CBD), is a popular natural solution, but the lesser-known Copaiba essential oil is even better in my opinion. Here’s why I think it’s a clear winner when people are considering Copaiba essential oil vs. CBD for holistic health.

Why Focus on the Endocannabinoid System?

The endocannabinoid system has only been studied in depth over the last decade. Scientists discovered that there’s a nexus of cannabinoid receptors on cells throughout the entire body that interact with cannabinoids and can be key in managing disease. So far, they recognize two types of receptors.

CB1 receptors reside in the brain and link with Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychoactive chemical derived from the Cannabis sativa plant. This explains the “high” that someone experiences when they use it.

CB2 receptors cover cells everywhere else in the body. They receive two cannabinoids: Cannabidiol (CBD) which is also derived from Cannabis sativa and beta-caryophyllene which is largely present in Copaiba essential oil (also in black pepper, clove, melissa, and rosemary essential oils, but in a smaller amount) . CB2 receptors support the nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, and immune systems and are responsible for healthy inflammatory response.

CB2 activation does not create a psychoactive experience like CB1 receptors, so one becomes very relaxed but not “high”.

Many of our health issues these days are due to stress, or too much time spent in a sympathetic nervous system state (flight or flight) as opposed to the parasympathetic state (rest and digest). We also have issues with lowered immunity or auto-immunity. Then there’s pain and inflammation that have many causes. CBD and beta-caryophyllene from Copaiba essential oil both create beneficial systemic effects that help manage symptoms of these health challenges and increase our body’s capacity to heal.

Efficacy of Copaiba Essential Oil vs. CBD

One of the reasons Copaiba sets itself apart from CBD is that it’s cannabinoid binds directly to CB2 receptors! Beta-caryophyllene is quickly available for the body and has a long half-life, meaning it lasts long in the body.

CBD, on the other hand, binds indirectly after several internal processes, which means it takes longer to provide symptom relief. The longer activation cascade of CBD also make dosage confusing because the amount of CBD that’s activated is not always consistent. CBD has a shorter half-life than Copaiba’s beta-caryophyllene

Generally, a smaller amount of high-quality Copaiba essential oil is needed for beneficial effects compared to CBD. You get what you pay for in both industries. But even the more expensive therapeutic-grade brands are still a less expensive option than CBD because of the dose difference.

Research Supporting Copaiba Essential Oil

Exciting research shows that Copaiba essential oil can help with many health challenges!

Check out these studies to learn more:

How to Use Copaiba Essential Oil

Here’s some ideas of how you can use Copaiba essential oil for holistic health at home.

Aromatic

Place a few drops in a water diffuser to relax your mood. It blends well aromatically with Lavender, Douglas Fir, Frankincense, Peppermint, Clary Sage, and many other essential oils.

Topical

Combine 3-5 drops of Copaiba with 1 oz. of carrier oil like Fractionated Coconut Oil and massage into target areas of the body.

Another fabulous benefit of Copaiba is that it enhances the effects of other essential oils. Try these powerful combinations:

Blend with Deep Blue to massage into any painful or inflamed regions of the body
Add into moisturizer along with Geranium and Frankincense to care for blemished, dry, or wrinkled skin
Massage into soles of feet along with Vetiver to support deeper sleep.

Internal

Take 1-2 drops of therapeutic-grade Copaiba essential oil under tongue or in a vegetable capsule with olive oil to access all of it’s health benefits.

Have you used Copaiba essential oil? Please share your experience in the comments! I’d especially love to hear if you’ve been able to compare it to CBD. Which do you prefer? Well wishes to you…

Chronic Disease, Emotional health, Environmental Concerns, Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Organic lifestyle, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Why Is Everyone So Excited About Essential Oils?

There was a time in American history when essential oils were only used by traditional healers, massage therapists, and subculture flower children. But now, we have modern families, business owners, and even medical doctors using them in their homes and professions. Why is everyone so excited about essential oils these days?

Here are 5 reasons why I believe essential oils are back to stay! After reading them, you may decide to incorporate them into your lifestyle too!

Why essential oils popular?

1. We need alternative healthcare

Essential oil knowledge was lost when modern medicine became popular in the United States. This is because people used to think Western medicine was more evolved, and therefore should have greater respect. Some innovations, like life-saving surgeries and fertility procedures are truly miraculous. However, this standard of care is only focused on palliative measures. It doesn’t address the root cause of health imbalances. We need and expect more.

We’re realizing that Western Medicine is not making us healthier. We are wising up and asking:

WHY is this happening to me?

WHAT does my body need to be healthier?

HOW can I maintain health?

Nature, traditional medicines, alternative health practitioners, and your own intuition are the best guides.

Essential oils are gifts from nature that help support physiological functions, improve mood, control infections, and thereby add to our health.

2. Essential oils are effective alternatives to toxic products

We are living in a toxic soup that triggers many health problems in our population. Visit EWG.org to learn more about pesticides, herbicides, antibacterial agents, and other threats in our environment. They’re still legal in the U.S., even they disrupt hormones, destroy gut flora, decrease immunity, and cause cancer. Therefore, it’s up to manufacturers to remove them from their products or up to consumers to stop buying them.

Essential oils can clean our homes and bodies. Many families make their own home and personal care products using essential oils. There’s also some trusted companies who provide ready-made products using essential oils. These are safe and effective replacements to toxic conventional products found on grocery store shelves.

3. Essential oils have been used effectively for thousands of years

Did you know essential oils have been used from the beginning of history? Ancient Chinese, Indian, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations prized them for their beauty enhancing, spiritual, and therapeutic value. So even though they are new to Americans, that’s not so in the rest of the world.

Our culture is starting to respect older modalities like my profession of Chinese Medicine, as well as using Essential Oils. I would not call it a trend. Americans are just now seeing what has always been around – an awakening of sorts!

4. People want to feel empowered & resourceful with health choices

Many people these days don’t believe that “doctors know best”. It’s important to have a health practitioner as a guide or for a different perspective. However, most people have the awareness to know when they’re well or not though, and whether it’s an emergency. They know how to research and experiment with natural remedies and determine if they’re working.

Moms in particular, want to trust their instincts more. They want to be resourceful and feel empowered with their choices, just as our ancestors were. They know their children better than anyone else! It’s easy for them to use essential oils and they’re accepted well by their children. Experience shows them that essential oils work well to manage illness in the family and to boost their health.

5. There’s tons of research to support essential oil efficacy

Each year, hundreds of research studies validate essential oil efficacy. Here are just a few that show essential oils can improve one’s health naturally:

Certainly, the excitement behind essential oil use is backed by a compelling need! Do you want to try them out too? Visit my natural products page for more information on the oils I recommend. With over 20+ years of experience using them, I can help answer any questions you have as well!

Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural pain relief, Natural Remedies, Women's health

Learn How To Make This Natural & Effective DIY Healing Salve

What do you do when your kids get cuts, scrapes, bites and bruises? How do you handle an injury at the gym or another acute, but non-emergency challenge? Essential oils are a better option for tissue repair than antibiotic ointments that encourage our modern day problem of antibiotic-resistant superbugs. Essential oils can also help with muscle repair and circulation, helping the body to heal itself. Learn how to make an effective DIY natural healing salve so you can be prepared! You’ll be using it more often than you think!

My body was put to the test last week when I pulled a calf muscle in tennis class that left me unable to walk normally for several days. Even though it was extremely painful, I knew that it wasn’t serious enough to see a doctor and that I had everything I needed to heal myself. One of the greatest tools I used in my natural health arsenal was application of therapeutic-grade essential oils 2-3 times a day in the form of a healing salve. It’s been a week and my calf is already operating at ~ 90%!

Salves can be infused with dried or fresh herbs. Or you can use essential oils, which are much quicker and easier to incorporate! Salves are especially soothing because nourishing carrier oils are used to keep the herbs on the skin longer so the plant medicine can penetrate through.

I suggest using beeswax pellets, which are less complicated to measure than the block beeswax I used for this recipe. If you must use beeswax blocks, you may want to use a cheese grater to shave it off in smaller pieces since cutting the block with a knife is very difficult and you risk hurting yourself (and your knife!)

Listed below are some of the best essential oils for your healing salve (choose 1-4 for this recipe). I would suggest you combine them based on function, not necessary how well they smell together! Only use therapeutic grade oils. See my essential oil website page for more information about the brand of oils I stand by.

Essential Oils That Support Healing

Lemongrass – muscle tension relief & repair
Marjoram – muscle tension relief, soothes nerves, promotes relaxation
Copaiba – calms nervous system, powerful antioxidant, supports a healthy inflammatory response (contains betacaryophyllene which binds directly to CB2 receptors like CBD oil but without the psychoactive properties).
Peppermint – helps resolve pain
Lavender – one of the most versatile oils, helps relax muscles, supports healthy inflammatory response & tissue repair.
Helichrysum – supports the body with blood clotting and tissue repair
Myrrh – soothing for the skin, an ancient health aid
Cypress – increases circulation of blood & energy

Basic Healing Salve Recipe

Ingredients:

8 oz. cold-pressed organic coconut oil
1 oz. beeswax (pellets are best)
1/8 tsp. vitamin E (optional)
40 drops therapeutic-grade essential oils (I used 10 drops each of Lemongrass, Marjoram, Peppermint, and Copaiba)
8 oz. glass jar

Instructions:

Place coconut oil and beeswax in a double boiler and melt completely under low heat. Remove from heat and add vitamin E (if using) and the essential oils. Immediately pour into the glass jar. Allow it to cool completely before putting on the lid. Store in a cool location, where it should last 1-3 years.

beeswax coconut oil essential vitaminE salve

Voila! It’s that easy. You will be so grateful that you took the 10 minutes to make this salve! I’m eager to hear how it works for you. Please let us all know in the comments! Well wishes to you all…

Emotional health, Essential Oils, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Women's health

My 10 Favorite Essential Oils For Emotional Health

Essential oils have been used all over the world for thousands of years, though not as much in the United States. Fortunately, we’re now starting to see them increase in popularity. This is mainly because essential oils have strong emotional health benefits and are safer alternatives to pharmaceutical drugs.

I love teaching others about the emotional benefits of the oils because there’s usually an emotional and energetic imbalance at the root of most health challenges. For example, emotions can severely affect gut health and immunity (see graphic below for details).

From Essentialemotions.org – how emotions affect your body

Essential oils do not remove negative emotions and imbalances. However, they do give is one space and perspective to shift emotions.

“Stagnant anger, sadness, grief, judgement, and low self-worth cannot exist in the environment of balance and peace which essential oils help to create.”
(Emotions & Essential Oils: A Modern Resource for Healing 4th ed.)

Each person can perceive essential oils differently. Even so, based on chemistry, the feelings in the image below can be evoked most of the time:

In my experience, the essential oils listed below seem to have the greatest power to transform our emotional lives.

How to Use Essential Oils for Emotional Health

Apply 1 drop over the heart area, inside the wrists, or behind the ear. Make sure you dilute the essential oils with a carrier oil first for children or people with sensitive skin. (Scroll to bottom of article for appropriate dilution ratio).

Essential Oils for Emotional Well-Being

1. Arborvitae – The Oil Of Divine Grace

Arborvitae (the “tree of life”) has long been used for meditation and spiritual connection. It’s name actually means “to sacrifice”. Likewise, this oil encourages one to surrender to the natural flow of the universe, live with grace, and trust that everything will work out as it should.

2. Bergamot – The Oil of Self-Acceptance

Bergamot challenges unhelpful core beliefs. It can lift individuals out of despair, self-judgement, and hopelessness. As a result, it provides optimism, confidence, and encourages self-love.

3. Cilantro – The Oil of Releasing Control

Cilantro is great at detoxifying the physical body. It also detoxifies harsh emotions as well. Cilantro clears what no longer serves them, creating ease as heavy burdens are lifted.

4. Cypress – The Oil of Motion & Flow

Cypress creates more flexibility in the heart and mind. Also, it promotes trust, adaptability, and emotional growth. This helps one move beyond fear and apprehension.

5. Geranium – The Oil of Love & Trust

Geranium addresses a huge spectrum of emotional issues that can arise from difficult life circumstances. It teaches about the innate goodness in others, helps breed positivity and restore trust in the world. Moreover, it nourishes our inner child, connecting to unconditional self-love.

6. Helichrysum – The Oil for Pain

Helichrysum heals wounds and is a powerful first aid agent. Similar to Geranium, it can help with emotional wounds too like difficult life circumstances, addiction, and abuse. Also, it helps the heart heal, and one feels more courageous, hopeful, and determined.

7. Lavender – The Oil of Communication

Lavender encourages us to express our emotions in an open and honest way. It fosters respectful relationships with others, satisfying our need to be heard.

8. Lime – The Oil of Zest for Life

We’ve all experienced the uplifting fragrance of Lime! This is the strongest oil for dealing with feelings of apathy, grief, and discouragement. Lime can help one feel grateful for life.

9. Myrrh – The Oil of Mother Earth

Myrrh helps one to feel safe in the world and form healthy attachments. Thereby, it fosters a deeper connection with one’s mother, helps women grow into the role of a mother, and to love others deeply.

10. Thyme – The Oil of Releasing & Forgiving

Thyme vents suppressed, trapped feelings. It helps one process hate, rage, anger, and resentment. As a result, there’s more space for forgiveness, tolerance, patience, and understanding.

In conclusion, there are several essential oils that can help you, or someone you care about, deal with emotional challenges. Thankfully, the Earth provides us with these safe and effective tools! We can rely on them without having to worry about damaging side effects and addiction, as we do with pharmaceutical drugs.

Know that essential oils brands are not all the same! Certainly, use Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade oils which have undergone rigorous testing. These brands guarantee purity and potency. You get the desired effect and your money’s worth. You can visit my Essential Oil website page for my recommendations.

Do you use essential oils for emotional balance? Which oils work best for you? Let’s hear about it in the comments! If you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends!

Essential Oils, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Seasons, Spring, Summer

Be Prepared With These Safe And Effective Natural Tick Repellents

As the weather begins to warm, cute fluffy animals are not the only forest inhabitants to awaken, but also the disgust-provoking ticks that like to feed off of them. People fear ticks not just for their blood-sucking nature, but also because they can occasionally transmit Lyme disease and Rocky Mountain Fever. It’s best to prepare yourself with these natural tick repellents to help avoid these pesky parasites and the diseases they carry.

You don’t need to boycott nature just to avoid ticks. Your heart and soul would be very deprived, as nature is so healing! It’s best to just be prepared. You can repel them safely and effectively with therapeutic grade essential oils. Yes, there are heavy-duty N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET)-containing tick repellents on the market. However, families like you are becoming more concerned about the side effects of these poisons not just on our health, but on the environment too. Even the Center for Disease Control acknowledges the reluctance to use pesticides in this article, and suggests using these essential oils as alternatives to repel ticks effectively:

CDC recommended essential oils to prevent ticks bites.

Unfortunately for me (but fortunately for you, as you will learn from my mistake), I was not prepared with my essential oil blend this weekend when my son and I spent a weekend in the wild. You can hear about our story in the video below. It was horrifying, but I’m glad that it prompted me to write this post so others can benefit.

There are many natural tick sprays you can get from your local health food store. I prefer this blend which uses high quality, therapeutic grade essential oils that are sustainably sourced.

If you’d prefer to DIY, here’s a quick and easy recipe you can use when threatened by ticks:

Tick Repellent Spray

~ 2 ounces Fractionated coconut oil (a lovely carrier oil because it’s not greasy!)
20-40 drops (total) essential oils from this group, use single oils or in combination: Geranium, Cedarwood, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Thyme, or Rosemary.

Add essential oils to a 2 oz. spray bottle and top off with fractionated coconut oil. Shake gently to mix. If you store it in a cool, dark area when not in use, it should last 2-3 months.

To use, spray directly on skin before going outdoors.

Having this blend handy may have helped us avoid taking home 3 ticks from our weekend away. It would also have been wise to check ourselves before getting in the car and then showering right away when we got home (to make sure they’re not in your hair).

You should know that ticks usually need to be attached to the skin for 36-48 hours in order to pass on diseases (symptoms then show up within a week of infection). We knew that the ticks on my son had just attached, so weren’t worried about disease. However, I was sure to treat the wounds with lavender essential oil to speed up the recovery.

I hope you find these natural tick repellents useful so you can enjoy your time outdoors to the fullest! Please let us know if you have any questions or important information to share in the comments! If you enjoyed this post, please consider sharing it with your friends. Well wishes to you…

Essential Oils, Gut Health, Natural Beauty, Natural Remedies, Supplements, Traditional Chinese Medicine

Natural Secrets For Beautiful Clear Skin

This was a Facebook Live in our Blissful Living Community Group
for my dōTERRA customers.

Everyone desires beautiful skin! Few have escaped the embarrassment of acne and blemishes. Many moms have experienced concern for their kids with rashes and eczema. As we age, and particularly in Autumn & Winter, we experience more dry, wrinkle-prone skin. I’ve experienced and overcome all of those conditions. Therefore, I’m thrilled to share my natural secrets for clear skin with you, while boosting your health & confidence!

In the Western Medicine approach to skin conditions, the focus is on treating the skin itself, oftentimes with harsh products that have many undesirable side effects. Many of these have questionable safety profiles and can damage other aspects of your health.

Wouldn’t you rather get to the root of your skin issue and experience benefits only? You’ll get that with a natural approach to skin health. Want to know the secret?

The secret to having beautiful skin is to achieve health inside the body.

If you cleanse and support your body internally, you will see more positive results externally, because the skin is simply a reflection of what’s going on inside.

I’m not wearing any makeup at all in the picture above. I did use a soft-focus filter to make the tint more appealing for this post, but did not touch it up. My skin is not perfect, I still have wrinkles, scars, and monthly pimples. It is tremendously better at 45 years old than it was in my 20’s though!

Back then my system was flooded with hormones from the birth control pills and low quality animal products I was consuming. My gut health was a mess. Later on I would develop an autoimmune condition because of it. It took me over a decade to gain all the knowledge I have today. In the process, I’ve healed myself from the inside. This skin, that I’m now proud to show off, is a natural byproduct of my efforts.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Skin Health

In TCM, it’s known that any skin issue is due to an imbalance of energy in the Lung & Large intestine paired organs and the channels that traverse them. We’re considered microcosms of nature and can be affected by the same elements we experience in our environment. When a rash, eczema or acne vents to the skin, it’s usually “damp heat” in these channels. Dryness of the skin is “dryness” in these channels. Oftentimes imbalances of other organs/channels can affect the Lung & Large Intestine as well, particularly the Stomach, Spleen, and Liver.

The etiology is often poor diet, overwork, and emotional imbalance. Treatment is focused on balancing the diet with support of appropriate herbs, acupuncture, and managing stress. It’s essential that the large intestine energy is moving, meaning that you’re having daily, well-formed bowel movements. This way, you’re clearing your body of “heat and toxins” through the bowels and not just the skin.

Before reading about my natural secrets for beautiful skin, you may want to get my FREE stress-relieving self-acupressure guide. It will help you relieve tension and improve your sleep, in just 10 minutes! I know you’ll love it, and you can get it here:

Natural Steps to Achieve Clear Skin from the Inside

Hydrate

Plump, moist skin is reflective of hydrated cells. You’ll want to make sure you’re drinking enough water throughout the day, which should total half your body weight in ounces (eg. if you’re 160 lbs, you’ll drink 80 oz. of water). Try to have much of it first things in the morning upon waking, so you’ll prime your digestion and hopefully poop.

Sweat to Detox

Toxins are released from the body through the pores of our skin as we sweat. This is best done with exercise so you’re benefiting the lungs too with the exertion. You only need to do enough to break a sweat, as you don’t want it pouring out, dehydrating you!

Sweating in saunas and hot baths can also help free the body and benefit the skin. Just be sure to have clean skin before you sweat. If you’re wearing makeup or sunscreen, they can clog your pores, reducing the potential of detoxing through the skin.

Heal the Gut

Similar to the TCM approach, modern functional medicine also advises that you focus on gut health first when wanting to improve your skin. They recognize that the liver has a huge role to play as well. When it’s overburdened with pharmaceutical drugs, heavy metals, xenoestrogens from conventional personal care products, cortisol from stress, and excess of sex hormones, it becomes overburdened and sluggish. This can greatly impair digestive function.

Also, many of these same substances (including stress and too much sugar!) can damage beneficial bacteria in the gut. Without their defense, “bad” bacteria take over, making it more difficult to digest your favorite foods and causing inflammation. This inflammation vents to the skin.I always suggest doing an elimination diet which will help you identify any food intolerances and will also give you time to detox. If you follow this diet for 90 days, you’ll be giving your gut ample time to turnover damaged cells for healthy ones which may be enough to heal the intolerance.

Read these posts to learn more about how gut health is impaired and how to improve it:

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 1

Improve Your Family’s Gut Health, part 2

I suggest this program when embarking on an elimination diet. I’ve done it a few times with great success:

The Elimination Diet

If you need even more structure, I recommend this program from Standard Process which includes some whole food supplements and a shake. If you’re interested, contact me for a consultation and I can help you get it:

Standard Process Purification Program

Essential Oils & Natural Products for Beautiful Skin

Cleansing the skin is still important on the outside, but we need to be careful because there are beneficial bacteria on the surface of the skin as well. I suggest always opting for natural products that can improve skin tone without stripping the skin of this important defense.

I am very particular about the essential oils I use. I’ve aligned with one company because of their commitment to quality and purity. They are also making a huge impact integrating into and improving health care in this country while supporting global communities where these oils are sourced.

Best Essential Oils for Skin:

My Favorite Products:

HD Clear (great for teens!)

Verage skin care

Detoxifying mud mask

Hydrating Cream

I hope you’re feeling hopeful about treating your skin issues with a natural, inside-out approach. I’d love to hear about your efforts in the comments! Please leave a comment below.

As you just learned, managing stress is key to keeping the gut and skin healthy! Download my FREE self-acupressure guide to stay ahead of the effects of stress, before they impact your gut and skin. You can get it here:

Essential Oils, Gut Health, Kids Health, Natural Remedies, Natural Sleep Support, Seasons, Summer, Supplements, Toxin-free living, Women's health

Essential Oils You’ll Need For A Naturally-Healthy Summer

Summer is a favorite season for many people, but it comes with certain challenges. Longer stretches of powerful sunlight, warm-weather pests, and eating unhealthy foods on family vacations are just some of things that can dampen one’s enthusiasm for summer fun. Be prepared with these essential oils for summer challenges to keep your family naturally healthy and happy all season long!

Essential Oil Remedies for Summer Challenges

Bug repellent

Do you have a family member who is a mosquito magnet? That would be me, in my family. So believe me, plant power is safer and equally effective at keeping them at bay than DEET-containing concoctions!

The recipe below incorporates dōTERRA Terrashield, which actually works fabulously on it’s own. The additional oils kick the power up a few notches.

essential oil bug repellent

Insect bites & stings

If pests get past your defenses, try these essential oil remedies to soothe the pain, itch, and swelling (from Modern Essentials, 8th edition):

Bee/Wasp/Hornet stings – After removing stinger, apply a cold compress of Roman Chamomile to the area for as long as possible.

Mosquito bites – apply lavender (diluted as recommended in chart at bottom) to the bites every few hours.

Spider bites – Dilute basil as recommended and apply as a cold compress to the area.

Tick bites – Don’t add oils to remove the tick or they may inject their toxin into the wound! Pull out the whole tick out close to the mouth without twisting. It’s wise to save the tick to get it, and the person bitten, examined by your doctor. Apply 1 drop of lavender to the wound every 5 minutes.

Sunburns

For minor sunburns, mix 10 drops of lavender with 1/4 cup water in a small spray bottle. Be sure to shake well so the oil is suspended in solution before spraying over the affected area.

Poison Oak

Though the red color on the “leaves of three” makes this plant more recognizable in the summer, avoiding it can still be tricky when it comes to kids and pets.

Rose, lavender, and Roman chamomile are all indicated for helping to relieve the itch. However, with conditions like this that ooze blisters, sometimes adding oil alone can spread the rash. You may want to look into combining the power of essential oils with a drying calamine lotion, or see an acupuncturist/Chinese herbalist for a drying solution like this one.

Indigestion

Eating heavily processed, greasy, and low quality foods at amusement parks or on the road can lead to an upset stomachs, gas, bloating, constipation, and/or diarrhea. DōTerra’s DigestZen blend can help immensely with all of these symptoms! Ginger, Fennel and peppermint are the main oils in this blend that help ease discomfort and can regulate the bowels. These oils have also been reported to help relieve food poisoning, stomach bugs, or motion sickness.

You may also consider increasing your whole food supplements to fill in any nutrition gaps, keeping your gut flora happy and your immune system working well while away from home.

Cooling down

Combine 2-3 drops of peppermint with 1/4 cup pure aloe vera and 1/4 cup witch hazel in a spray bottle. Shake well and mist body as needed to cool down which might be especially helpful at night to prevent restless sleep. This solution can also help easy sunburn discomfort.

Do you have any ideas for using essential oils in the Summer? Please let us know in the comments! And if you enjoyed this article, please share it with your friends!

essential oils for healthy summer kids

Dilution chart:

Page 1 of 212 »