Welcome to the fourth installment in our Essential Oils for Your Mind, Body, Soul, and Space series!
Essential oils are mostly known for their pretty smells, uses in cleaning, and their curative powers for the body. What so many people miss out on is the benefits for our mental well-being.
Whether you’re dealing with anxiety, need a mental jumpstart, some help staying on task, or assistance in restoring an overtaxed mind, essential oils can help restore your balance.
In this installment Dr. Lindsay Luker of Good Leaf Life is giving us the insight into the how and why of the oils she’s recommending for our mental well-being.
WHY DO ESSENTIAL OILS HELP?
LINDSAY – Essential oils are aromatic liquids produced by and extracted from plants. Oils are created in various parts of plants: leaves, rinds, flowers, stems, wood, roots, rhizomes.
Each oil is composed of unique chemistry which supports the plant in numerous ways; i.e., deterring predators, supporting reproduction, protecting from environmental elements, and destroying microbes.
The plants are then happy to share those properties with us. Their oils can be used for a variety of physical/topical purposes, and the beautiful aromas released by oils can also be used to shift our mental state of being.
The olfactory system, our sense of smell, is a complex system designed with a multitude of purposes. Smelling begins when a volatile molecule lands on a mucous membrane in our nostrils. Then a cascade of events travels from the olfactory nerve to different parts of the brain.
These areas of the brain, in turn, control the release of hormones, which will immediately affect our memory, learning, sleep, appetite, emotions, and overall mental state of being.
KATE – The science of essential oils continues to amaze me. Being given a science-based reason as to why something as unassuming as an oil does what it does, can impact our openness to allowing that same oil to do its job healing us.
USING ESSENTIAL OILS
LINDSAY – Diffusing essential oils is a safe, pure, toxin-free route straight to our mental field. Depending on its chemistry, an aroma will bind to specific receptors in the mucous membrane at the top of the nostril and affect unique parts of the brain.
Thus, different aromas will have different effects on the mental state.
All of the oils noted in this post can be diffused in an electric diffuser. Experiment with combinations! Keep it at 6-8 drops total… too much of anything can push the system over the edge.
If you do not have a diffuser, simply boil water, pour it in a ceramic bowl, add the drops and let the steam diffuse the aromas into your space.
The oils can also be combined into a roller ball bottle and applied topically.
10 ml glass roller bottle
15-20 total drops of essential oils
Fill the rest with jojoba or fractionated coconut oil.
Apply to pulse points (wrists, neck, eye of elbows, even bottom of feet) 1-4 times per day.
KATE – I want to stress experimenting with combinations. There are days when the smell of one oil soothes my inner savage heart, and other days when that same oil sets my teeth on edge. Experimenting with scents day to day helps me stay in touch with my mental state, and I continue to learn what my reactions to each oil at different times mean about my moods and needs.
ANXIETY
LINDSAY – The chemicals in our brains respond to the chemicals in natural oils, giving us the opportunity to receive the gifts given by the plants the oils are derived from, to sooth our minds when feeling heightened or anxious.
Frankincense: This thicker oil is derived from resin and is known as the “king of oils”. This earthy aroma will quickly settle anxiety-induced cyclical thoughts.
It is filled with alpha-pinene, a chemical unique to only a few oils that absorb into the skin quickly and offer anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties amongst others.
Frankincense is a natural cleanser, and is wonderful in skincare. Mix a single drop with your skincare or place a drop on your forehead for meditation.
Laurel Leaf: Is known as the “victorious” oil and was used in Greek and Roman cultures for years! Diffuse this when feeling nervous about an upcoming event or task.
Not only can it be used to soothe respiratory ailments but also to soothe the mind by settling fears and letting your courage rise!
KATE – Laurel leaves were used by ancient Greeks and Romans to crown victors. The ancients knew what they were doing and we would be smart to listen to their wisdom.
UPLIFTING AND ENERGETIC
LINDSAY – Using essential oils can clear negative energy in the space around and within you.
Peppermint: This oil gives you space to momentarily step back from emotional negativity, see the lesson it holds for you, and gently release it.
This lively oil is pulled from the leaves of the peppermint plant and consists mainly of menthol, which is an anti-inflammatory and excellent for the immune system.
Peppermint oil is valuable when addressing healthy digestion, while the sweet ‘n’ spicy aroma helps you mentally digest incoming stimuli.
KATE – Menthol has been used for respiratory and digestion ailments for millennia. Again, why would we question the ancients! Our modern world is not better because we cast aside knowledge gained so long ago. It is better because we embrace those lessons and learn more and more ways to apply our learning to enhance our lives.
BTW – A little peppermint goes a long way so start slow. (I may or may not have had a rather energizing experience when not paying attention to how much peppermint I used in a recipe. Lessons!)
FOCUS AND CONCENTATION
LINDSAY – In these times of rapid movement and high expectations of staying on task and on track, focus and concentration can use all the help they can get. Thank goodness for the gifts of the earth!
Lemon, Grapefruit, Wild Orange, Lime, Mandarin: The zesty aromas of citrus oils clean the mind by creating space for times when intense concentration and study are required.
They are extracted from rinds of the fruit and are high in those antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties and are naturally cleansing and excellent for household cleaning.
Rosemary: The herbal aroma of Rosemary relieves mental congestion by opening mental clarity.
Additionally, this expectorant successfully helps relieve respiratory congestion.
Rosemary also supports healthy hair growth. Keep a bottle in your shower. Mix one drop in your palm with shampoo, wash hair as you normally do.
Receive the haircare and mental clarity benefits all at once!
KATE – I wish someone had told me this when I was in college. Spritzing myself with a citrus spray at midnight would have been far healthier than the triple mochas I drank to get myself through art school all-nighters.
REST AND RESTORE
LINDSAY – Of course, essential oils are famous for their powers of calming the savage beast. Give yourself permission to slow down and experience the healing these oils are waiting to provide you.
Lavender: The warm aroma relieves the barrier between you and your truest self. What is more relaxing than an environment in which you can truly be you?
This floral oil is filled with linalool and linalyl acetate, components that aid in relief to minor skin conditions (rashes, sunburn, blemishes).
Add a few drops to unscented lotion and apply to your body and face or diffuse a few drops to relax into you.
Cedarwood: This oil is 80% sesquiterpenes, which by nature are grounding and soothing. The fresh, balsamic aroma will calm you into deep restful state.
This oil can also be used to help alleviate inflammation in the skin (great after a big night out!) while alleviating inflammation in the mental field.
Mix one drop in your palm with unscented facial moisturizer or diffuse two drops.
KATE – A little lavender and cedarwood in my weekly Epsom salt is exactly what my exhausted mind needs to sooth, ground and heal.
NEXT STEPS
KATE – Where you go from here is up to you. Over the course of this series Lindsay and I have provided you many ways to begin to incorporate essential oils into your life for health and beauty, home, spirit, and mental strength. Let your gut tell you where to focus first, and to tell you when you are ready for more.
Truthfully, we have simply brushed the tippy-top of the list of ways essential oils can positively impact your life.
We focused on simple, clear options to ease you into this world.
When you’re ready to learn more Lindsay and Good Leaf Life will be available with her extensive training, skill, and knowledge to guide you on a journey specific to your needs and your readiness.
Essential oils are powerful medicine, and, as with all medicines, herbs, and supplements, it is best to have an expert guide you on your journey.
The same can be said of life. There are times when the guidance of a skilled life coach can make all the difference between spinning your wheels and achieving flight. I look forward to being given the honor of walking beside you on your life journey.