Winter is a difficult time for most. Credit card bills arrive from the holiday season, lack of sunshine, often too cold to get outside for a walk and being shut in for the winter season until the sidewalks clear.
There are many ways to use essential oils in the house, car and on your person. Along with my favorite winter time essential oils, I have also included how I like to use them.
Personally I love to wear essential oils on a necklace or bracelet that has a lava stone. Lava stone will soak up your essential oil and not only give you that wonderful aroma as you wear it but you will also benefit from their amazing unique qualities.
Peppermint for example has wonderful effects for a digestive system. If you have eaten anything that may have bloated you or upset your stomach, you can add peppermint to the insides of your wrists or rub on your stomach itself. Some of peppermints medical properties include; anti-inflammatory, anti-tumoral, anti-parasitic, anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, and curbs the appetite. You will feel the healing effects immediately from this wonderful plant. This is also a great oil for studying for that big exam or board meetings, this will keep you stimulated and engaged.
Lemon, orange, grapefruit and lime are great for this time of year where the sunshine is limited during the winter months. They carry uplifting and antidepressant properties. In my house I dilute these in my diffuser and let that run to make sure that all of us are set up to be stimulated. Another great way to receive all the benefits of these citrus scents, is to mix in with your favorite carrier oil (coconut, jojoba, almond oil) and apply to your skin as a moisturizer. There is a caution with this for summer as there is a UV reaction when exposed to sunlight.
A great blend for the cold and flu season is the blend Raven by Young Living. It is a combination of Ravintsara, Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Wintergreen and Lemon. This amazing combination is designed to fight against respiratory diseases and infection such as influenza and pneumonia and very effective for your common cold, sinusitis and bronchitis. It is highly antiviral and antiseptic.
You can apply this blend on your throat and lung area but I also suggest adding a little to the back of your neck in the windgate area (the hole between your head and your spine). It may sting a little (add a carrier oil at this point) but you will know it is fighting off any viruses that are just sitting and waiting to manifest when you get rundown.
Thieves is my ultimate favorite essential oil. This blend is highly anti-viral, antiseptic, antibacterial and anti-infectious. It was created back in the 15th century from thieves who used to rub themselves with this blend (clove, lemon, cinnamon bark, eucalpytus, and rosemary) to protect themselves from contracting the plague while they robbed the bodies of the dead and dying. A little morbid if you think about it but if its strong enough to block the plague, our every day common cold doesn't stand a chance!
I use Thieves in my Reflexology practice when washing my clients feet. This has cleaning properties and well as the benefits of having thieves applied right to the lung and sinus areas, increases the healing process if the client does have a cold or prevention if they don't.
Another great way to use your favorite essential oil (especially If you are not fond of the smell but know its an effective way to maintain great health) is to apply to the bottoms of clean feet. 1 or 2 drops before you go to bed, will have an amazing effect on your overall health and get you through the winter season.
To schedule your Reflexology session click the link here.
Sessions are available at O'Healthy Markets located in Dartmouth & Truro Locations.
Laurena is a Certified Reflexologist, Reiki Master, Theta Healing Practitioner