Essential oils are highly effective in helping to deal with emotional turmoil and stress from everyday situations in life. The current culture that exists in our modern society, in and of itself, can be very demanding, leaving us feeling anxious and stressed. Then throw something on top of it like we’ve experienced over the past year or so with the shutdown and it’s a recipe for disaster.
Fortunately, the inhalation of genuine premium-grade essential oils is one the most effective ways to help one to calm and quiet a busy, stressed and overwhelmed mind.
“The ability of essential oils to act on both the mind and the body is what makes them truly unique among natural substances. The fragrance of some essential oils can be very stimulating– both psychologically and physically.”- D. Gary Young
Our sense of smell is intimately linked to the parts of the brain that process emotion. All the emotions that we’ve ever experienced are imprinted and stored into the amygdala- fear, pain, trauma, joy, happiness, etc. One of my favorite essential oil desk reference books states…
“Interestingly, the two parts of the limbic system that play a major role in emotional processing– the amygdala and the hippocampus– are located within less than an inch of the olfactory nerve.
Olfaction or smell is the sense that is physically the closest to the limbic system structures of the amygdala, which is involved in experiencing emotion and also in emotional memory, and the hippocampus, which encompasses memory; working memory and short-term memory. This gives you an idea of how closely linked the sense of smell is to emotion and memory.”
It has been said that when there is a conflict between reason and feeling, human beings will always side with feeling. According to Gary Young, founder of Young Living, 99% of life’s decisions are made from feelings. Therefore, if you want your life to be guided by good decisions that lead to health, happiness and fulfillment, you need to be aware of and in control of your present feelings and to learn how to release the repressed emotions of the past.
Most of our feelings, from day to day, are not responses to current happenings. They originate from the programming in cellular memory that was imprinted by the emotional experiences of our past that we were unable to understand, process, and resolve at the time.
These forgotten traumatic experiences function as live programming in our bodies, affecting every aspect of our lives and particularly in the area of how we make decisions. When our thoughts are limited by fears, lack of self-worth and not feeling good enough for more or better, we make decisions that limit our success. Limited thinking leads to limited decisions that lead to a limited life, far short of the God-given potential we actually possess.
By focusing on fixing your feelings, you can support most aspects of your life- physical, mental and spiritual. Essential oils are the perfect vehicles to help you in this task because their molecules pass directly to the emotional brain and can bring us into contact with the issues we have long forgotten and enable us to deal with them and resolve them once and for all. When we clear our emotional baggage, we clear the way to manifest our true and highest potential.
Essential oils are also highly beneficial during times of prayer and meditation and can help us keep our mind balanced and centered. Research has shown that prayer and quiet meditation can be a very healthful practice and calming to the mind and spirit. Combining them with the use of essential oils can further help us quiet our mind and bring us to a better meditative state and enhance the experience altogether.
The Feelings Kit
Young Living’s Feelings Kit features six essential oil blends formulated by D. Gary Young to promote emotional clearance and self renewal. This collection includes Valor, Harmony, Forgiveness, Inner Child, Release and Present Time. Let’s take a look at how powerful essential oils are and how they can be used for your emotions in this short 23 minute video.
List of Oils for Emotional Support
Following is a list of emotional situations we all may face from time to time, along with a list of my favorite Young Living essential oils to use during times of occasional emotional upset, as they may help calm and soothe the mind and spirit. This is NOT meant to be, or to be confused as medical advice for serious, chronic emotional, psychological or physical ailments. In these situations one should contact a qualified medical professional for care.
Abused (when feeling abused)
Blends: SARA, Hope, Joy, Peace & Calming, Inner Child, Grounding
Single Oils: geranium, ylang ylang, sandalwood
Afraid
Blends: Valor, Present Time, Hope, White Angelica
Single Oils: bergamot, clary sage, Roman chamomile, cypress, geranium, juniper berry, marjoram, myrrh, spruce, fir, orange, sandalwood, rose, ylang ylang
Agitation (when feeling agitated and stressed)
Blends: Peace & Calming, joy, Valor, Harmony, Forgiveness, RutaVaLa
Single Oils: bergamot, cedarwood, clary sage, frankincense, geranium, juniper berry, lavender, myrrh, marjoram, rose, rosewood+, sandalwood, ylang ylang
Anger
Blends: Release, Valor, Sacred Mountain, joy, Harmony, Hope, Forgiveness
Single Oils: bergamot, cedarwood, Roman chamomile, frankincense, lavender, lemon, mandarin+++, marjoram, melissa, myrrh, orange, rose, petitgrain, sandalwood, ylang ylang
Apathy
Blends: Joy, Harmony, Valor, 3 Wise Men, Hope, White Angelica, Live With Passion++
Single Oils: frankincense, geranium, marjoram, jasmine, orange, peppermint, rosewood+, rose, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang
Argumentative
Blends: Peace & Calming, joy, Harmony, Hope, Valor, Acceptance, Humility, Surrender
Single Oils: cedarwood, Roman chamomile, eucalyptus, frankincense, jasmine, orange, thyme, ylang ylang
Boredom
Blends: Dream Catcher, Motivation, Valor, Awaken, Gathering, Live With Passion++
Single Oils: cedarwood, spruce, Roman chamomile, cypress, frankincense, juniper berry, lavender, fir, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang, pepper
Concentration
Blends: Clarity, Awaken, Gathering, Dream Catcher, 3 Wise Men, Brain Power
Single Oils: cedarwood, cypress, eucalyptus, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, basil, helichrysum, myrrh, orange, peppermint, rosemary, sandalwood, ylang ylang
Confusion (when feeling unsure)
Blends: Clarity, Harmony, Valor, Present Time, Awaken, Gathering, Brain Power
Single Oils: cedarwood, spruce, fir, cypress, peppermint, frankincense, geranium, ginger, juniper berry, marjoram, jasmine, rose, rosewood+, rosemary, basil, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang
Day Dreaming
Blends: Sacred Mountain, Gathering, Valor, Harmony, Present Time, Dream Catcher, 3 Wise Men
Single Oils: eucalyptus, ginger, spruce, lavender, helichrysum, lemon, myrrh, peppermint, rosewood+, rose, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang
Disappointment
Blends: Hope, joy, Valor, Present Time, Grounding, Harmony, Dream Catcher, Gathering
Single Oils: clary sage, eucalyptus, frankincense, geranium, ginger, juniper berry, lavender, spruce, fir, orange, thyme, ylang ylang
Discouragement
Blends: Valor, Sacred Mountain, Hope, joy, Dream Catcher
Single Oils: bergamot, cedarwood, frankincense, geranium, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, orange, spruce, rosewood+, sandalwood
Frustration
Blends: Valor, Hope, Present Time, Sacred Mountain, 3 Wise Men, Humility, Stress Away
Single Oils: Roman chamomile, clary sage, frankincense, ginger, juniper berry, lavender, lemon, orange, peppermint, thyme, ylang ylang, spruce
Grief/Sorrow
Blends: Forgiveness, Valor, joy, Hope, Present Time, White Angelica, Release, RutaVaLa
Single Oils: bergamot, Roman chamomile, clary sage, eucalyptus, juniper berry, lavender
Guilt
Blends: Valor, Release, Inspiration++, Inner Child, Gathering, Harmony, Present Time
Single Oils: Roman chamomile, cypress, juniper berry, lemon, marjoram, geranium, frankincense, spruce, rose, thyme
Irritability
Blends: Valor, Hope, Forgiveness, Present Time, Inspiration+, Humility
Single Oils: All YL oils except eucalyptus, pepper and rosemary
Jealousy
Blends: Valor, Sacred Mountain, White Angelica, joy, Harmony, Humility, Forgiveness
Single Oils: bergamot, eucalyptus, frankincense, lemon, marjoram, orange, rose, rosemary, thyme
Leave Me Alone
Blends: Peace & Calming, Inspiration++, Harmony, Valor, Hope, joy, Present Time, Inner Child, RutaVaLa
Single Oils: bergamot, clary sage, cypress, geranium, ginger, orange, rose, rosewood+, sandalwood, ylang ylang
Memory
Blends: Clarity, Valor, Present Time, Gathering, 3 Wise Men, Dream Catcher, Acceptance, Brain Power
Single Oils: cedarwood, Roman chamomile, eucalyptus, frankincense, rosemary, basil, sandalwood, peppermint, thyme, ylang ylang
Moody (occasional/minor)
Blends: Peace & Calming, Gathering, Valor, Dragon Time, Mister, Harmony, joy, Present Time, Grounding
Single Oils: bergamot, clary sage, sage, geranium, juniper berry, fennel, lavender, lemon, peppermint, rose, jasmine, rosemary, sandalwood, spruce, ylang ylang
Obsessiveness (when you can’t stop thinking about something)
Blends: Sacred Mountain, Valor, Forgiveness, Acceptance, Humility, Inner Child, Present Time, Awaken, Motivation
Single Oils: clary sage, cypress, geranium, lavender, marjoram, rose, sandalwood, ylang ylang, helichrysum
Sense of Calm and Self-Control
Blends: Harmony, Valor, Gathering, White Angelica, Awaken, RutaVaLa
Single Oils: bergamot, Roman chamomile, frankincense, lavender, marjoram, myrrh, rosemary, sandalwood, thyme, ylang ylang, spruce, fir
Resentment
Blends: Forgiveness, Harmony, Humility, White Angelica, Release
Single Oils: jasmine, rose, tansy
Restlessness
Blends: Peace & Calming, Sacred Mountain, Gathering, Valor, Harmony, Inspiration++, Acceptance, joy, Tranquil, Stress Away
Single Oils: angelica, bergamot, cedarwood, basil, frankincense, geranium, lavender, orange, rose, rosewood+, ylang ylang, spruce
Shocked (when feeling stunned, astonished, surprised in a negative way)
Blends: Clarity, Valor, Inspiration++, joy, Grounding, Gathering, Trauma Life
Single Oils: helichrysum, basil, Roman chamomile, myrrh, ylang ylang, rosemary
“A merry heart doeth good like a medicine, but a broken spirit dries the bones..”~ Proverbs 17:22
HOW TO USE:
For direct inhalation simply place a couple drops into the palm of your non-dominant hand, then take your dominant hand and activate the oils by placing it over the oils on your other hand and rotating clockwise a few times. Then cup hands and cover your mouth and nose, and breathe in slowly and deeply so it can enter your olfactory and limbic systems.
When diffusing oils start with only 15-30 minutes per day until you’re accustomed to their effects. NEVER heat or burn essential oils with candle burners or where you place them into a bowl over a flame as it can destroy some, if not all, of their beneficial properties. Use cold-air diffusers only! You can also add them to humidifiers or vaporizers however be aware that some essential oils digest petrochemicals (plastics) and may damage the plastic containers which hold the water/oils.
For topical application apply to shoulders, along spine, on crown of head, on wrists, behind ears, on base of neck. Dilution may be required – see bottle directions!
+ no longer available
++ was available only at convention
+++ found in Citrus Fresh blend
Sources:
http://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/prayerplainandsimple/2009/10/for-prayer-skeptics-studies-that-show-the-health-benefits-of-prayer.html
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/neuroscience-reveals-the-secrets-of-meditation-s-benefits/
http://stress.about.com/od/research/tp/meditation-research-and-benefits.htm
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/18/how-does-prayer-meditation-affect-brain-activity_n_1974621.html
