Category: Essential Oils

New Moon Bath Recipe

The new moon is time of renewal. With the dark moon, the landscape is un-illuminated creating a blank canvas for the coming two weeks. You can still celebrate a new moon bath with this recipe that I discovered many years ago and still use it each month.
This New Moon Bath enhances the release of that which no longer serves you and prepares you to be filled with new blessings to come:
  • Fill the bathtub with very warm water.
  • Add 1-2 cups of Epsom salts
  • Add 5 drops each of the following essential oils: Lavender, Clary Sage, Lemongrass, and Grapefruit
  • While soaking, close your eyes and imagine the salts and the oils supporting the release of toxins, clearing the debris and restoring your energy.
  • Take several deep breaths with complete exhalations.
  • Soak 20-30 minutes
  • Once you have finished your bath, pat yourself dry instead of rubbing with the towel so that some of the salt and oils remain. Then, take a few minutes to write in a journal and set an intention for what you want to create and invite into your life the next two weeks. ***Don’t skip this step, having cleared your energy, you want to be sure that it is being filled up with the energy that you want in your life.***
  • Can’t do a bath on the exact date? No problem, you can still get all the benefits of the new moon energy up to two days before or two days after the new moon each month.
  • Don’t have a bathtub? Add a few drops of essential oil to a hot shower, take several deep breaths inhaling the aromas and making complete exhalations to support the release.
  • Smile and give gratitude for taking the time for self-care and for the feeling of renewal.

Essential Oil Spotlight: Lemongrass

Lemongrass essential oil produces an aroma that is perfect for early spring with notes of grass, lemon, earth, and it’s also a little bitter and pungent. You may be most familiar with lemongrass from recipes with an Asian flavour profile in soups, teas, and curries as well as with fish, poultry, beef, and seafood. Fresh lemongrass offers plenty of health benefits and the essential oil packs an even more powerful punch.

Lemongrass, the oil of cleansing, is perfect to complement spring cleaning and clear out the old, both figuratively, and energetically. All of the essential oils have indications for our body, mind, and spirit. This post will explore the uses of lemongrass essential oil to enhance physical, mental, and spiritual & emotional wellness.

As I’ve mentioned previously, essential oils interact on a cellular level and signal to the cells that it’s safe to open up and release when they have been in a contracted or protective state. As we navigate through each day, we encounter situations that encourage us to contract and move into protective postures, these contractions reach all the way down to the cellular level and if we have difficulty releasing the contraction, the cells remain closed and are unable to optimally operate their unique functions. While we are wired to protect ourselves when under threat, once the threat has passed, if we don’t relax after the situation, we may find ourselves with negative feelings actually stuck in the cells of the body. These becomes areas of congestion and blockage in the Qi (pronounced Chi) or energy flow in the body. This eventually leads to stagnation and some health problems to deal with. Sounds like something you would want to avoid, right? Lemongrass can help with that.

Chemically, lemongrass is up to 80% aldehydes which are known to have antibacterial and antifungal properties. Lemongrass also has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, insect repellent, and revitalizing properties. As it supports clearing the blockages, optimal cellular function is restored.

In the body, lemongrass supports healthy circulation and is a great lymphatic stimulant. It may also strengthen vascular walls to reduce the likelihood of developing varicose veins. Lemongrass is also a powerful detoxifying agent, especially combined with other oils in an Epsom salt bath. See uses and recipes at the end of the post.

From the mental perspective, when blended with spearmint, lemongrass enhances confidences and dispels feelings of doubt and inadequacy. A friend shared this blend with me as she was using it to support her daughter’s lack of confidence playing youth basketball at around age 6. She made a roller blend for her before practice and games. Eventually, they had a portable diffuser under the bench on the sidelines and all the girls on the team benefited. Use it any time you could use a boost in confidence.

In terms of emotional wellness, lemongrass supports the release of toxic or negative energy, feelings of despair, and holding onto the past in an unhealthy way. It encourages discernment and the ability to recognize what is no longer needed. What does all of this really mean? Sometimes we hold onto ideas, beliefs, and even material objects that we no longer need. This can create a sense of energy and even lethargy.

Diffuse lemongrass while journaling or even do some release writing or movement to further move things along. It’s also great to diffuse while cleaning out when you may have strong emotional attachments to material objects.

How to use lemongrass essential oil:

Topically: After a workout or shower (or both) mix 1-2 drops lemongrass with a carrier oils and apply to arms and legs to support circulation. (optionally combine with 1-2 drops of cypress oil)

**note: lemongrass oil is very warming and needs to be used with a carrier oil. It can also irritate sensitive skin, so be sure to try it out in a small area before apply it liberally on the body.**

Detox Bath Recipe:
(I love this bath, especially for clearing around the New Moon)

Add essential oils and epsom salts to a very warm bath. Soak for 20 minutes or more while taking relaxing breaths focusing on long exhales. Pat yourself dry instead of rubbing with the towel when you get out so that the salts and essential oils linger and continue to work.

Aromatherapy:

Diffuser blend for confidence:

Diffuser blend clearing the space and energy:

Mood lifter diffuser blend:

These are all suggestions, and you can adjust amounts based on the size of the diffuser, your space, and personal preference. See images below for more diffuser blends with lemongrass.

Learn more about the oils I use here.

Click here to buy Lemongrass oil.

Essential Oils for Energy, Focus, & Concentration

As you may already know, essential oils are useful across many areas of our health, supporting and enhancing our goal towards optimal wellness of body, mind, and spirit. The unique molecular composition of essential oils allows it to penetrate our cells in a way that cannot be achieved by other means. Essential oils are able to cross the blood brain barrier which gives them a “back door” entrance to support brain health and clear blockages.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and specifically, which ones would be the best for you, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.

In terms of lack of energy, focus, & concentration we know what needs to be done and are struggling to do it. I’ve even experienced this while finishing writing this blog post. When that happens, I have a few go-to that help me to get the job done.

To make the most of essential oils, it’s best to be very intentional about picking the best one for what you are trying to achieve. It also helps to go a little deeper. Ask yourself, why am I experiencing this problem? It may be rooted in the body, the mind, or the spirit. For example, if you have a headache that is distracting your work, is the headache a physical problem due to dehydration or possible having missed a routine caffeine fix? Is it mentally associated coming from stress or too much work to do and feeling of overwhelm? Or does it have a spiritual or emotional root such as a heated discussion with a co-worker of family member, feeling depressed or holding onto anger, guilt, or a need to grieve a loss? There are many sources of what we are experience in the body, and when exploring the best solution, it can really help to consider the source.

Let’s stick with the headache example. The classic essential oils to support a headache is peppermint oil and that’s a great place to start. And then, if it’s due to dehydration, get some water to drink. If it’s due to stress and overwhelm, maybe a walk or a meditation session will provide relief; and if it’s due to a personal interaction or intense emotions, then journaling, talking with a close friend, listening to music, or soaking in a bath may help.

Now that you have a little more information about choosing the oils, here are my top choices to increase energy, focus, and concentration, all important to increase confidence and productivity!

***Note: Thank you for your patience as I continue to update the links to each oil which has been unusually slow due to server issues that are out of my control.***

Essential Oils to boost energy

The best way to use essential oils for energy is to inhale the aroma. This can be done through a diffuser in the room, inhaling directly from the bottle, rubbing a drop or two on the hand and then inhaling, and applying on the body to pressure points on the wrist, temples, around the jawline, or across the back of the neck.

Essential oils that boost energy levels come from robust herbs and citrus oils. The robust herbs come from from the leaf of the plant and are full of life force that has come from the process of photosynthesis converting powerful energy from the sun into the plants. This is the part of the plant that has broken through the soil and grown and developed ready to be celebrated and used.

  • Peppermint – Place one drop of Peppermint essential oil in the palm of hand with one drop Wild Orange oil and one drop Frankincense oil and inhale for a mid-day pick-me-up. This little act takes a few seconds and works wonders.
  • Motivate Encouraging Blend – Together with Balance, this is one of my favorites. This beautiful blend of peppermint and citrus with the serious infusion of Melissa creates a truly powerful blend. When I need to put my head down and get productive this blend helps me get motivated to get in there and get it done. I roll it right on my wrist or temples and it helps shift me into “the zone”!
  • Breathe Respiratory Blend – This blend contains a beautiful blend essential oils including Laurel Leaf, Peppermint, Eucalyptus, Melaleuca, Lemon, Cardamom, Ravintsara, and Ravensara. I find it just clears the air and helps get things into focus and energize what needs to be done.
  • DIY Blend: Peppermint + Lemon + Ylang Ylang – This is a favorite little blend of mine to diffuse. The lemon can be interchanged with any citrus. The ylang ylang adds a creative and playful element to the peppermint and lemon.
  • Citrus Oils: Wild Orange, Lemon, Tangerine, Grapefruit – Citrus oils are known to be energizing and uplifting. If your lack of energy is due to a low mood, then it’s best to focus on citrus oils and citrus blends.
  • Citrus Bliss Invigorating Blend – This is the best example of how uplifting citrus scents can be. I can’t imagine how it’s possible to inhale these aromas and not smile and feel some level of contentment.
  • Cheer Joyful Blend– This is a great citrus and spice blend. This is a great blend if your lack of energy is coming from a low mood and the “spice” in the blend can support inspiration. Apply to to pressure points (which are often the same a perfume points) throughout the day for support.

Essential oils for Concentration + Focus

The best oils for deep focus and concentration come blends with a base of trees, roots, and resins and supported with herbs. Imagine the job of the seed, to become rooted in the soil, to trust, to grow slowly towards the light. And the job of the tree, to be sturdy and support the branches and blossoms. And the resin, to overflow with wisdom from the stresses put upon it. The essential oils from these parts of the plant help it to be grounded in the work that needs to be done and eliminate distractions. Set an intention of what needs to be done and experiment to see which essential best supports you with your tasks.

  • InTune Focus Blend – A powerful blend of Amyris, Patchouli, Frankincense, Lime, Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, Roman Chamomile essential oils to boost focus. Apply topically to the back of the neck, on temples, and bottoms of feet.
  • Thinker – Focus blend for all ages –  Ideal for everyone and for daily use, Uplifting blend features Vetiver, Peppermint, Clementine, and Rosemary perfectly combined with Fractionated Coconut Oil for sensitive skin. Supports the ability to pay attention and convenient for kids of all ages to use when focus is required.
  • Rosemary – Well known as the Herb of Remembrance, students used to put a sprig of rosemary behind their ears when studying for exams to enhance memory. Rosemary works very nicely blended with bergamot or tangerine and diffused in a room.
  • Vetiver – This root and grass is known for its earthy and exotic aroma that helps you to be well rooted in the task at hand.
  • Frankincense – Known as the “King of Oils” Frankincense has a long practice of sacred and therapeutic uses. Add a drop to super-power a diffuser blend or apply to the bottom of feet or on acupressure points.
  • Balance Grounding Blend is my favorite and I use it every day. In terms of focus and concentration, it helps the mind to focus on what’s most important and eliminate distractions.
  • Cedarwood – With a nutty and woody aroma, cedarwood creates a calm and relaxing environment.
  • Peace Reassuring Blend  – powerfully supports moving through intense emotions and arriving at a space of peace and clam.
  • OnGuard Protective Blend – While we tend to associate OnGuard with physical immunity, it can also be quite protective in context of mental, spiritual, and spiritual wellness too. It’s a special blend of citrus, spice, trees, and herbs to uplift, inspire, ground, comfort us and allow all the space we need to for focus and concentration. I use this one together with Balance on my feet to start my day each morning.

A great place to start and the best value for starting a collection of oils is in the Home Essentials Kit.

Click here to learn more about my favorite oils.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and which ones would be the best for you, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.

Essential Oils for Joint & Muscle Relief and SLEEP!

Joint and muscle relief are more related to sleep than you might think. When we are sore and achy in the body, it can be very challenging to get that restful, restorative sleep.

The common thread is often that muscles are tense and contracted. This is a protective position, like a duck & cover drill. The chemical constituency of the essential oil molecules is like the safety bell, and alerts the cells that it’s safe to open up and relax. It turns out that the state of each cell is never neutral, it’s either open and actively going about its roles or it’s closed and contracted. When we spend a lot of our lives in protective postures, that can cause or muscles to remain in a constant state of tension and contraction. Warm baths, meditation, walks in nature, conversations with close friends, and targeted use of essential oils all help signal to the cells that it’s safe to open up and relax.

Just for fun – Listen this song, Public Service Announcement from the early 2000s. It’s a cheesy song about fire safety, but can also remind us that essential oils alert the cells that the situation is safe. And I hope it makes you laugh! We could all use a good laugh these days.

When experiencing joint and muscle pain the body is definitely going to be in a state of protection and the most powerful essential oils to provide relief include methyl salicylate which which is the same group of chemicals as salicylic acid, the active ingredient found in aspirin. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and is soothing to the tissues.

  • Deep Blue Rub contains wintergreen as well as Camphor, Peppermint, Blue Tansy, German Chamomile, Helichrysum, Ylang Ylang, and Osmanthus. It’s my go-to after a workout to relief sore muscles. Also support chronic joint pain, muscle spasms, arthritis, and tension headaches.
  • PastTense Tension Blend also contains wintergreen as well as lavender, chamomile, and frankincense. This one help reduce muscle tension related to various kinds of stress in our lives.
  • Copaiba is a cannabinoid and provides relief by targeting the cannabinoid receptors found widely throughout the body
  • Combination of Lemongrass and Cypress. This combination is warming and increases blood flow to the area.

Choosing the best essential oil for SLEEP depends a lot of the underlying reason there is difficulty sleeping. Lavender is calming and relaxing, and is a valuable oil to have around, but it’s not always strong enough to tackle deeper sleep challenges.

  • Serenity Restful Blend is great to help calm down both thoughts and emotions and get some restorative sleep.
  • Balance Grounding Blend is my favorite and I use it every day. This oil supports stability as we go experiences transitions in our days, weeks, months, and over the course of our lives. In terms of sleep, it helps the mind to shut down.

Some people have coined an expression that using Serenity and Balance together works like natural Xanax. I like to think of this combination at bedtime as a security blanket.

  • DIY Blend: Cedarwood + Bergamot + Marjoram: This blend is like a security blanket and a security guard. I supports having the confidence of being safe, connected, and protected.
  • Juniper Berry Helps calm the mind when fearful thoughts are swirling around. Blends well with
  • Cilantro – Helps to calm the nerves and relieve anxiety so the body can sleep. This is one of the best oils to address difficulty falling asleep. It has a pretty overwhelming smell, but definitely does the job.  I suggest adding 5-10 drops to a very warm beth just before bed.

Sacred Oils – Sacred oils are known to support the connection to the heavens. They are great to enhance prayer and meditation and provide deep cellular healing. 

  • Frankincense – Frankincense is known as the “King of Oils” and has a history of such value and reverence such that that it came along side gold as a gift to the newborn baby Jesus in the Christian Christmas story. Frankincense will add “super power” to any oil that you. It has so much complexity and potential that if you are ever unsure what oil to use, Frankincense will almost always offer some improvement that you are looking for. If I could only have ONE oil ever, Frankincense would be a very strong contender.
  • Sandalwood – creates a sense of calm and positivity. It’s also good for the skin. Rub on the temples, forehead, or wrists at bedtime.

Power Flowers – I would consider using the essential oils of these power flowers when sleep difficulty is related to emotional distress in some way. Diffuse in the room, add to the bath, rub on pressure points or directly over the heart when you feel the need.

  • Neroli – When I lived in Southern California during high school, spring was a memorable time of year when the whole landscape was saturated with the intoxicating aromas of the orange blossoms. Essential oil of neroli is extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange trees, also known as Seville oranges and native to Southeast Asia. Neroli helps to clear the heat and relaxes the nerves. It’s also a very uplifting aroma.
  • Ylang Ylang – Ylang ylang are big, beautiful tropical flowers grown in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. One day I hope to experience this aroma in all of its glory. Also cooling, this is a very special oil that encourages playfulness, positive emotional connection, and generally considered supportive of releasing tension and stress and is nurturing to the heart.
  • Helichrysum – This precious oil from the aromatic shrub and is also known as Everlasting or Immortelle. Besides being cooling, it is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear energy blockages in the body, physical and emotional. It is commonly used for bruising and related pain.
  • Geranium – While we may be familiar with the hearty flowers of the perennial shrub geranium, the essential oil is actually extracted from the flowers and the leaves. Like the other flowers, it is cooling and relaxing. It is good for the skin and has anti-fungal properties and encourages healthy circulation.

Want to start a an essential oils collection, Home Essentials Kit is a great place to start.

Click here to go to my essential oils home page and learn more about my favorite brand of oils.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and which ones would be the best for you, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.

Essential Oils to Support Hormone Balance

The systems in the body are largely directed by our hormones which all interact with each other. One hormone out of balance will be disruptive to the whole system. It’s beyond the scope of this article to describe each one, but hormones are responsible for virtually all of the functioning of the body as well as regulating hunger, mood, alertness levels and more.

When considering how to support hormone heath with essential oils, it requires a little detective work. We want our hormones to be in balance, but that’s not enough. What symptom or problem do you want to solve? Once that is identified, then you can use essential oils in a targeted and intentional way to support your whole system.

Before we get to all the fun oils, let’s review the basics because no matter what oils you use, they will work at their best when you are participating to do your best for your health too. Remember that symptoms come to the surface when we are out of balance in some way and restoring full balance most often requires an alignment of body, mind, and spirit. While physical discomfort and manifestations may point to a hormone imbalance, our mental and spiritual wellness effects out hormone heath too.

Consider the quality of your:

  • Sleep – Regular, restorative sleep is the foundation of wellness and vitality. Next week’s essential oils spotlight will focus on sleep. For now, pay attention to your sleep habits and read more about sleep in a past post, Reclaiming Sleep
  • Hydration – It’s super important to be well-hydrated. Water is a conductor and our hormones can’t send messages throughout the body efficiently if we are dehydrated.
  • Movement – Move as much as you can ALL DAY LONG. More  frequent smaller movements throughout the day is better than sitting ll day and then doing a “workout”. This includes several short walks throughout the day potentially having a greater result than one longer walk. Read Exercise less – MOVE MORE! to learn more about the importance of movement.
  • Diet – Eating a diet rich in whole foods with vegetables, proteins, and healthy fats will go a lot way to supporting optimal hormone balance. This is especially important if you are experiencing bloating and digestive discomfort. Consider participating in my upcoming Spring Cleanse. Details available in next week’s email.
  • Relationships – Our hormones interact with our emotions in a variety of ways and can trigger physical symptoms. Look for patterns and notice how you feel in your body in context of your relationships and interactions with others during the week.

Top oils to support women’s hormone heath:

ClaryCalm – this is a lovely blend that includes Clary Sage, Lavender, Bergamot, Roman Chamomile, Ylang Ylang, Cedarwood, Geranium, Fennel, Carrot Seed, Palmarosa, and Vitex. It comes as a rollerball. You can apply it to perfume points or even directly onto the abdomen when experiencing discomfort during the monthly cycle.

Clary Sage is one of the sacred essential oils especially pertaining to women. It helps connect to our female intuition and promotes a sense of calmness and clarity.

Balance Grounding Blend is my favorite and I use it every day. This oil supports stability as we go experiences transitions in our days, weeks, months, and over the course of our lives.

For Hot Flashes and Night Sweats

Peppermint Oil is the classic cooling oil and can be used during the day. While, I suggest caution using at night as it can also be stimulating, I have heard reports of peppermint oil improving night sweats and overheated feet during the night.

Other cooling essential oils are found in aromatic florals, the most intense “intoxicating flowers.” These can be applied to temples, back of the neck, wrists, bottom of feet, diffused into a room, or added to a bath.

Neroli – When I lived in Southern California during high school, spring was a memorable time of year when the whole landscape was saturated with the intoxicating aromas of the orange blossoms. Essential oil of neroli is extracted from the flowers of the bitter orange trees, also known as Seville oranges and native to Southeast Asia. Neroli helps to clear the heat and relaxes the nerves. It’s also a very uplifting aroma.

Helicrysum – This precious oil from the aromatic shrub and is also known as Everlasting or Immortelle. Besides being cooling, it is anti-inflammatory and helps to clear energy blockages in the body, physical and emotional. It is commonly used for bruising and related pain.

Geranium – While we may be familiar with the hearty flowers of the perennial shrub geranium, the essential oil is actually extracted from the flowers and the leaves. Like the other flowers, it is cooling and relaxing. It is good for the skin and has anti-fungal properties and encourages healthy circulation.

Ylang Ylang – Ylang ylang are big, beautiful tropical flowers grown in Southeast Asia and Madagascar. One day I hope to experience this aroma in all of its glory. Also cooling, this is a very special oil that encourages playfulness, positive emotional connection, and generally considered supportive of releasing tension and stress and is nurturing to the heart. Watch this video of the Ylang Ylang harvest in Madagascar

Mood Swings:

For information about mood swings, anxiety, and depression, please refer to Essential Oils for Emotional Wellness.

For Insomnia:

Look out for next week’s post on Essential Oils to support restorative sleep. In the meantime, if lavender doesn’t quite cut it for you, then I suggest trying cedarwood, clary sage, or bergamot. These can be diffused in the room or rubbed on the feet at bedtime.

The best way to support hormone balance it really about doing an inventory of your life and making continual adjustments over time. Hormones don’t get out of balance overnight and are unlikely to be corrected over night. Look for signs of progress however small along the way.

Click here to learn more about my favorite oils.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and which ones would be the best for you or someone in your family, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.

 

 

Essential Oils for Depression, Anxiety, & Mood Regulation

What we are really talking about here is emotional wellness. That’s what we all want, right? And we want those around us to have emotional wellness too since emotions are contagious. We feel better when those around us feel better and vice-versa. It can be a vicious cycle. Some how we end up in a bad mood and then are annoyed at the bad mood and eventually it’s a downward spiral.

Essential oils are a great tool for move through challenging emotions with ease and bring more joy and positivity into our lives. In fact, emotional wellness is one place that they really gets to show their muscles. Aromatherapy received a surge of popularity in the 1990s as the therapeutic benefits of aromas became broadly recognized.

From an evolutionary point of view, the olfactory sense is the oldest of the senses and is connected to the limbic part of the brain referring to emotions, behaviors, and memories. It also houses the amygdala, which is responsible for the fight, flight, or freeze response. Smell is directly connected to the brain, while all of the other senses are routed through the circuitry of the central nervous system. Because the sense of smell is connected to emotions and memories, a simple smell has the power to trigger a cascade of emotions and vivid memories. It also has the power to support emotional wellness and stability in powerful ways that other interventions are unable to accomplish.

Essential oils interact in the body at a cellular level. Benefits can be noticed in as soon as 30 seconds after inhaling the aroma. As aroma comes into the body, the molecules are dispersed throughout within twenty minutes. They are metabolized just as and food, beverage, or medicine, and another “dose” will be required within 4-6 hours to sustain the desired effect.

Since our emotions are so rich with complexities, essential oil blends seem to be best suited for the job. Like the idea of “two or more gathered…”, the same is true for the oils and some combinations are known to have special synergistic properties that aren’t possible with the single oils, the sum is greater than the parts.

The word emotion stems from “energy in motion” and the oils support moving the energy through our bodies rather than repressing them which will eventually lead to blocked energy and some manifestation in the body. While we may resist dealing with uncomfortable emotions because, well, they are uncomfortable, the role of the essential oils as I have experienced them is to buoy this process. And while it may get worse before it gets better, essential oils tether the experience in safety and stability and light. You aren’t going down, but through and up.

It’s important that the essential oils are of therapeutic medical grade. Synthetic aromas not only do not provide benefits but have been shown to disrupt hormone balance.

The following are the blends that I have found most useful for myself and my family. Click on each on to learn more about the unique combination of essential oils that each contains.

Anxiety is usually related to worry about the future and things that haven’t happened yet. The imagination can really take over here and this can easily spiral out of control when it isn’t recognized and managed. The aromas of trees and support grounding the emotions back to stability while florals are calming and reassuring.

  • Balance Grounding Blend is my favorite and I use it every day.
  • Serenity Restful Blend is great to help calm down thoughts and emotions and get some restorative sleep.
  • Peace Reassuring Blend powerfully supports moving through intense emotions and arriving at a space of peace and clam.
  • Console Comforting Blend – This blend will always be special to me because it supported me through some of the darkest of times. I don’t prefer to categorize the oils like this, but it can be a helpful starting point. This blend is the top pick for grief, depression, and working through deep, low emotional states.

Depression is related to being stuck in the past and unable to move forward. It feels heavy and desperate, like there’s no way out. Citrus aromas are uplifting and support moving through the muck and out of the swamp. Spices are renewing and help to spark that passion and curiosity back to life.

  • Cheer Joyful Blend– This is a great citrus and spice blend and reminds me of the holidays. All of the blends come in diluted roller ball blends that are perfect for applying to pressure points (which are often the same a perfume points) throughout the day.
  • Citrus Bliss Invigorating Blend – This is the best example of how uplifting citrus scents can be. I can’t imagine how it’s possible to inhale these aromas and not smile and feel some level of contentment.
  • Passion Inspiring Blend – This blend is heavy on the spice to spark the “spice of life”. Enhances creativity and inspiration.

Moods regulation by nature varies from time to time and that can make it a moving target seeking stability as provided by the ancient, sacred oils like frankincense, myrrh, patchouli, and sandalwood.

  • Forgive Renewing Blend – This blend is all about grace and compassion and moving forward. Yes, we can acknowledge that we have been wronged or have wronged another, and then we move on. Tucking things away and not dealing with them put us on track to be unwell at some point in the future.

Best General Blends for Emotional Wellness

  • Motivate Encouraging Blend – Together with Balance, this is one of my favorites. This beautiful blend of peppermint and citrus with the serious infusion of Melissa creates a truly powerful blend. When I need to put my head down and get productive this blend helps me get motivated to get in there and get it done.
  • Elevation Joyful Blend – I call this blend “happy calm” and when my kids were younger I would put diffuse it in the house when they came home from school and in the evening. One of my favorite things about using essential oils for emotional wellness is that it’s a tool and you get some control – and I love to be in control!
  • OnGuard Protective Blend – While we tend to associate OnGuard with physical immunity, it can also be quite protective in context of mental, spiritual, and spiritual wellness too. It’s a special blend of citrus, spice, trees, and herbs to uplift, inspire, ground, and comfort us.

Interested in starting a collection, the Emotional Aromatherapy Kit is a great place to start. The Spa Kit is another great option.

Click here to learn more about my favorite oils.

If you are interested in learning more about essential oils and which ones would be the best for you, email me at sheila@restorativelife.com and we will set up a brief wellness consultation.