Effortless Stress Relief with Aromatherapy

In yesterday's post, I pointed out how powerful the relaxation response can be for anyone who ever experiences stress. It's only as I am getting older that I understand that our bodies are more fragile than we often think. And only Timex continues to take a licking and keeps on ticking.

After my body's rather extensive complaints, I have decided to be kinder to it, and that means crushing stress with  daily blow. :) Don't put off finding your own ways to do the same. And if you want a way that sneaks in past your resistance, dive into aromatherapy. Let me explain what I mean...

Aromatherapy as Relaxation Whisperer

Aromatherapy is an ancient practice which uses distilled and concentrated plant oils, essential oils, to treat physical and mental ailments. It works so well because it taps into the olfactory system, the group of organs and tissues associated with your sense of smell. And the olfactory system also shares an almost immediate connection with the limbic system, which controls the parts of the brain related to your memory, your feelings, breathing, heart rate, and digestion.

Each essential oil possesses characteristics which make it most effective for treating certain physical conditions and feeling states. Choosing which ones to try should depend on which scents you like and can be reasonably certain you're not allergic to in any way.

For example, lavender promotes calm and has been said to soothe hurt feelings.

But I get a headache if I go anywhere near it, so I'd have to choose a different oil that is calming or soothing.

When you’re looking for oils to combat anxiety and stress, choose oils with relaxing, calming, and uplifting properties. The oils should soothe while shifting your awareness in a way that grounds you and replenishes you.

The scents that work best for anxiety and stress relief tend to have light and bright floral, citrus, or woodsy scents. My favorite relaxation scent is orange essential oil.

The following oils may be used alone or in combination with the other oils listed as well as others that are not part of this list. Keep in mind blends should contain a complementary mix of oils in both scent and therapeutic characteristics...

Essential Oils for Relaxation

Bergamot: calming, alleviates depression, anxiety and stress. Blends with: jasmine, juniper, chamomile, cypress, ylang ylang, eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemon, palmarosa, and patchouli. I like Bergamot & Ylang Ylang together.

Lavender: alleviates stress, anxiety, promotes relaxation and calm. Blends With: most oils, especially good with citrus oils, chamomile, and clary sage.

Roman Chamomile: relaxing and rebuilding. Blends with: Rose, lavender, rose, clary sage, and geranium.

Rose: alleviates depression and stress. Blends with: cypress, frankincense, juniper, citrus oils, cedarwood, clary sage, patchouli, pine, rosewood, and sandalwood

Sandalwood: calming and relieves stress and depression. Blends with: mandarin, myrrh, patchouli, cypress, frankincense, lemon, spruce, and ylang ylang.

Ylang-ylang: relieves anxiety, depression, and stress. Blends with: sandalwood, anise, chamomile, cumin, bergamot, geranium, grapefruit, lemon, and marjoram.

Orange: alleviates anxiety, boosts mood, and promotes a sense of happiness and wellbeing. Blends with: other citrus oils, bergamot, clove, cinnamon, and lavender.

CAUTION - never use an essential oil neat, unless you are putting it in a diffuser. In order to use it on your skin or in a bath, you'll need to put it in a carrier oil (like sweet almond oil, or jojoba oil, for example) or a bath oil to make sure they don't sting or burn your skin.

Here's a link you can use to order therapeutic-grade essential oils. Since I am a DoTERRA consultant, that is my link.

Have you ever used essential oils to help you relax? If you were choosing one to try, which ones would appeal to you?

Have a great weekend!

Love, Jeanine