Essential oil spotlight: Arborvitae

Arborvitae (aka the tree of life):

• protects against environmental and seasonal threats;
• promotes healthy cell function;
• powerful cleansing and purifying agent;
• natural insect repellent;
• protects the body from harmful elements while supporting normal cell activity;
• protects against common threats in the environment; and
• traditionally used by Native Americans for health benefits.

A vision of Whole Health

I love Lissa Rankin's TEDx talk, The Shocking Truth about Health.

Lissa Rankin, MD is an OB/GYN physician, author, keynote speaker, consultant to health care visionaries, professional artist, and founder of the women's health and wellness community OwningPink.com. Discouraged by the broken, patriarchal health care system, she left her medical practice in 2007 only to realize that you can quit your job, but you can't quit your calling. 

She teaches both patients and health care professionals how to make the body ripe for miracles by healing the mind and being healthy in all aspects of life, not just by promoting healthy behaviors like good nutrition, exercise, and adequate sleep, but by encouraging health and authenticity in relationships, work, creative expression, spirituality, sexuality, finances, and living environment. She is leading a revolution to feminize how health care is received and delivered by encouraging collaboration, fostering self-healing, reconnecting health care and spirituality, empowering patients to tap into the mind's power to heal the body, and encouraging women not to settle for being merely well, but to strive for living vital, joyful, authentic lives full of "mojo."

I really resonated with her model of health and love that her background is a physician. Imagine a world of physicians and healers who help individuals to empower themselves to heal holistically by considering all aspects of their health (what she refers to as the "whole health cairn"):

• physical health;
• mental health;
• financial health;
• environmental health;
• sexual health;
• creativity;
• spirituality - connection with the divine;
• work / life purpose;
• healthy relationships;
• listening to one's "inner pilot light" / intuition / highest Self; and
• focusing on gratitude, pleasure and love.

This is a model of whole health that I really resonate with.

A natural mid-day "pick me up"!

I am not a caffeine-drinker. No coffee or tea for me.

When I need a mid-day pick me up, I reach for my bottle of lime essential oil, open it up and take a big whiff!

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm!!!!

Wow!!!

Instant pick me up!

Instant happy!

Daniel MacDonald in his Emotional Healing with Essential Oils book, states that lime is the oil for zest for life. It also encourages a balance between the heart and the mind, and brings balance to those who have over developed their intellectual capacities.

I *love* lime!!

And it's also a very affordable essential oil!!

Essential Oils 101: Be Safe in the Sun

Some oils are photosensitive (esp. citrus oils) meaning they react to radiant energy or light such as natural sunlight, sunlamps, or other sources of UV rays. So you are planning on being in the sun, you should avoid applying these oils to your skin for at least 6 hours prior to being in the sun.

These oils are primarily citrus oils and include Bergamot, Grapefruit, Lemon, Lime, Orange,  and Tangerine.  The result is a dark pigmentation or a rash on the skin.  Bergamot contains bergaptene, a dominant photosensitizer, and can cause severe reactions. The stronger and more lengthy the UV ray, the longer the wait should be.

Deodorant essential oil blend

Deodorant blend

20 drops each of lavender, frankincense and melaleuca
5 drops of sandalwood
10 drops of fractionated coconut oil 

 

 

Essential Oils 101

Layering individual oils is preferred over mixing your own blends for topical use. Layering refers to the process of applying one oil, rubbing it in, and then applying another oil. There is no need to wait more than a couple of seconds between each oil, as absorption occurs quite rapidly.

Terra cotta pendants for essential oils

Recently, a mom asked me about a terra cotta pendant that her son could wear at school.

I highly recommend these Terra Cotta Pendants, which you can purchase here. They are simple, attractive and extremely affordable (~$7.50) and there are over 66 designs to choose from. I choose the OM pendant and my son choose the Kokopelli pendant. I also love that this company is a family business.

You just need to apply one drop of essential oil and you (or your child) will receive the support of the oil diffusing from your pendant all day long. We love smelling the grounding blend on our pendants all day long!

Mood boosting diffuser blends

Featured Essential Oil User: Cheryl Fenk

Cheryl Fenk is a gifted and compassionate yoga teacher and naturotherapist who offers the most divine spa-like relaxation treatments that inspire healthy living and cultivate present moment awareness. In her own words...

"I was introduced to essential oils by the gorgeous scent of oils being diffused at my dear friend Janice's house. She also had this amazing foaming soap in her bathroom (I am now hooked on the protective essential oil blend I had been using essential oils with my massage clients for many years, but wanted more in depth knowledge about the oils.     I am now gradually incorporating essential oil blends into various relaxation treatments.

What I really love is adding lemon essential oil to my water and Wild Orange to my smoothies each day. Extra Bergamot in my Earl Grey tea also makes me smile. And I'm enjoying a night time ritural of massaging Frankincense and Myrrh onto the bottoms of my feet before bed."

Find out more about Cheryl at her Embrace Wellness website.

 Feel free to contact Cheryl Fenk with any questions about essential oils that you have at cherylfenk@gmail.com.

Essential Oils Dilution Chart

A great chart if you were wondering about how much you should dilute your essential oils.