An Aromatic Hug!

Like most of you, I have been in quarantine for over a month now. It has been a busy time in the office and also preparing my book for kindle. However, last night I started to feel a bit grumpy and edgy. I reached for my essential oils and found a great combination to bring myself back to a calm, peaceful, and spacious mind. It was like an aromatic hug!

Aromatic Hug Blend In a 5ml roller bottle, mix the following essential oils, CO2's, and absolutes into a base of jojoba oil (Simmondsia chinensis)

• 4 drops Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis) - calming and refreshing

• 3 drops Cypress (Cupressus sempervirens) - grounding and stabilizing

• 3 drops Cardamom (Elettaria cardamomum) - spicy uplifting

• 2 drops Champaca CO2 (Michelia champaca)- a rich floral aroma that is deeply relaxing.

• 2 drops Violet Leaf Absolute (Viola odorata)- this absolute is generally just used in aromatic perfumery, but it is very useful to add a drop or two to blends when you feel you need to “let go”!

• 2 drops Vetiver (Vetiveria zizanioides) - deep grounding and reassurance

For stress-reducing, apply small amounts under the clavicle area and on the wrists for easy inhalation. This blend can also be used in a nasal inhaler, diffuser, or room spray. NOTE: This blend is not intended for children. You could simplify it and use a 0.5-1% dilution of sweet orange, cypress, and vetiver.

Mindfulness Moment

Training your bodymind awareness on a daily basis will assist in developing healthy patterns, strengthening your immune system, enhancing overall radiance, and experiencing the vitality of life.

To bring yourself into a receptive state of mind, find a quiet space. You can be seated or lying down, but it will help if your spine is straight.

• Choose your favorite relaxing essential oil and put a couple of drops on a cotton pad or in a nasal inhaler. Breathe deeply, allowing the essence to penetrate. Deepen the breath to penetrate into your lungs, expanding your abdomen and back ribs.

• Close your eyes and bring your gaze to focus on your navel and feel the centering power of this gesture.

• Next, bring your attention to the bottoms of your feet and feel the connection to the earth.

• Continue to focus your awareness on your breath into the upper chest, abdomen and back relaxing and letting go of the tension.

• As you feel a sense of grounding and are more relaxed, slowly open your eyes and move forward in a relaxed manner.

Fostering a sense of gratitude for what we have makes us better able to cope with stress, have more positive emotions, and allows for a more joyful life.

I also want to share a favorite inspirational quote with you.

“Simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures. Simple in actions and thoughts, you return to the source of being. Patient with both friends and enemies, you accord with the way things are. Compassionate toward yourself, you reconcile all beings in the world.” ― Lao Tzu, Tao Te Ching