Emotional Balance and Essential Oils

Sometimes life feels overwhelming. Emotional wellness is challenged with life stress, constant flow of work, and pressure from social media and other sources. How we feel can affect overall mental health, relationships and the ability to carry out everyday activities. Emotional wellbeing is something we all strive to but what is it exactly? Emotional balance is the ability of the mind and body to maintain equilibrium, to handle life's stresses, and adapt to change and difficult times. There are many ways to improve your mental wellbeing including prayer, exercise, and aromatherapy and the use of essential oils for physical and mental wellness has been practiced for thousands of years.

How do essential oils help with emotions?

Essential oils are comprised of aromatic molecules that typically work in synergy with one another and their molecules are easily inhaled. Without providing an intimidating lesson in olfaction (the science of the sense of smell), the inhalation of these naturally occurring synergistic molecules provide triggers to the limbic system in the brain, which is linked to your emotions, heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress, and hormone balance. For example, linalyl acetate is an ester that is present in Lavender, Clary Sage and a few other essential oils has been shown to be calming and can be helpful when feeling stressed or anxious.

Emotional benefits of essential oils:

• Stress Relief
• Uplifting
• Clarify thoughts
• Anxiety Relief
• Emotional Trauma relief

Bergamot

Bergamot aroma may help to revive your energy, best  known for its ability to promote positivity and cheerfulness. How to use: diffuse, apply several drops of Bergamot essential oil with carrier oil (Raspberry seed oil is great choice) onto the inner wrist or/and sides of the neck.

Rose

Rosa Damascena essential oil is helpful for anxiety, PTSD, stress, times of grief, shock, frustration, mood swings. Rose’s sweet and floral aroma offers a powerful and relaxing effect on our mood, stimulating the body's limbic system and naturally affecting the mood. In fact, the saying, “Stop and smell the roses” has a deep connection to Rose's sweet aroma that uplifts the mind and reduces feelings of stress or anxiousness. Try this synergy blend after a stressful day:

2 drops Hawaiian Sandalwood essential oil

3 drops Rose essential oil

3 drops Grapefruit essential oil

How to use: diffuse, apply several drops of Rose essential oil with carrier oil (Raspberry seed oil is great choice) onto the inner wrist or/and sides of the neck. Rose essential oil has GRAS status by FDA and used internally in French Medicine.

Jasmine

Jasminum grandiflorum, absolute, is a powerful oil, rich, floral, sweet, and very heady. It belongs to Oleaceae botanical family. You can create beautiful blends with Geranium, Rose, Lavender, Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Clary Sage, Sandalwood, Frankincense, and Melissa for deep emotional relief. Jasmine oil uplifts the mood, reserves fatigue, and helpful to getting restful sleep. The aroma of Jasmine is just unique and beautiful and I can't get enough of it. Jasmine oil is also great for childbirth support.

How to use: apply several drops of Jasmine oil with carrier oil (Raspberry seed oil is great choice) onto the inner wrist or/and sides of the neck. Put a couple drops of Jasmine and Clary Sage on your pillowcase.

Boost your mood with this blend:

3 drops Jasmine oil

2 drops Sandalwood essential oil

4 drops Wild Orange essential oil

1 tablespoon Raspberry seed oil

Apply to the sides of the neck, the spine, onto the inner wrist.

Jasmine oil is one of the most expensive of all floral oils: over eight million blossoms are required to produce one kilogram of oil. Each blossom must be carefully harvested by hand to not bruise the flower, which would produce unpleasant fragrance notes in the finished oil.

Written by Lena Isayev, B.A.,C.A.