Essential Oils
Lately I’ve been hearing a lot about essential oils. I’ve used essential oils in the past. When I was going through the worst of my
depression and anxiety and was having more frequent panic attacks I had decided
to look into aromatherapy. I didn’t
study it extensively but I did start using essential oils to help lift my mood
and I did find it very calming.
Hearing more about it lately piqued my interest so, as I do
with everything that I’m curious about, I decided to do a bit of research to
learn a bit more. First of all, I wanted
to know exactly how scent affects our brain.
How Scent Affects Our Brain
Here’s the super simple explanation: When you smell something the scent gets
routed through your olfactory bulb which is closely connected with the area of
the brain that handles memory and emotion
This is why a certain smell can transport you back in time or just make you
feel a certain emotion for no particular reason. If you’re feeling stressed or anxious certain
scents can help calm you and give you a feeling of well-being. This could be because your brain associates
it with a time and place where you felt calm and safe although there are
certain scents such as lavender that naturally have this calming effect. Scientists have discovered that scents can
actually influence the biochemistry of your nervous system.
The Amazing Essential Oil
Essential oils are naturally occurring volatile aromatic
compounds found in plants. (volatile
just means they turn quickly from a solid or liquid to a gas at room
temperature). Research shows that they
can be particularly beneficial in such things as improving mood, alleviating
stress, improving sleep, relieving nausea, relieving pain, improving your memory
and increasing your energy. At the start
of my spin classes I always ask how people are feeling and pretty much always
at least one person says ‘tired’. By the
end of the class everyone feels energized and great. Imagine if they could get that feeling of
energy as they walked into my studio due to a few drops of some essential oils
on a diffuser!
How To Use Essential Oils
Here are a few ways you can use essential oils:
·
Put some drops on a diffuser.
·
Massage into your skin. Massage onto pulse points for an alternative
to perfume.
·
Put a few drops in your bath water.
·
Dietary supplement NOTE***only
consume essential oils that are of clinical grade. Most are therapeutic grade and should not be
ingested ***
Some Other Creative Uses For Essential Oils:
There are many other uses for essential oils that are worth looking
at. Here are a few:
·
Cleaning spray.
·
Room deodorizer.
·
Home-made soaps and lotions.
·
Skin care – tea tree oil is great for pimples.
·
Insect repellants – bugs hate citrus ;)
Worth Looking Into!
Essential oils have the power to enhance your physical and
mental health in a natural, chemical-free way and are a great addition to your
other healthy habits. Make sure you use
high quality essential oils otherwise you could be using something that might
be toxic. Look for a statement of purity
– you want 100% essential oil meaning it hasn’t been diluted or mixed with
anything. Price can be the big clue – if
it’s cheap it’s most likely of poor quality.
If you want more information leave a comment below.
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