I first came across dōTERRA oils when I started using the Welzen app. To be honest, back then I didn’t do much research. But a couple of months ago, within days of each other, I met a local dōTERRA consultant AND the lovely Gemma Jenkins from Live Different – The Wellness Mum got in touch with me. Gemma was kind enough to send me a few samples of dōTERRA essential oils and to help me understand how they can help with emotional health. If these are not signs telling me that emotional aromatherapy is something that can really help me in my journey to become more mindful, I don’t know what else they could be!
Are you ready to find out what I learnt?
About dōTERRA
dōTERRA oils are pure and essential. As far as I can tell, they are the only ones on the market that can actually be ingested, but please don’t quote me on this and always be sure to check with your supplier whether the oils you purchased can be ingested before you consume them.
Essential oils are very powerful – Gemma told me: “To give you an example of potency, one drop of our Peppermint oil is equivalent to 28 cups of peppermint tea!” And because they are so powerful, it’s advisable to mix them with a ‘carrier oil’. So you could use olive or coconut oil, for example, following these recommendations:
- For adults: 1 drop of essential oil to 2 drops of carrier oil.
- For topical applications on children or very sensitive skin: 1 drop of essential oil to 4 drops of carrier oil.
Can essential oils support emotional health?
Having heard about the benefits of essential oils for ailments like colds, headaches or upset stomach, I was really interested to find out whether essential oils could be used to support emotional health.
Gemma explained that different essential oils can cause different emotional and chemical responses. In most cases, essential oils can be classified as having either an uplifting or a calming effect. Each plant category elicits emotional responses based on the chemical components within the essential oil. Whilst essential oils foster the right environment for healing, they will not do the work for us! It’s important to understand that for essential oils to be effective we need to combine their use with emotional work.
What kind of emotions can dōTERRA oils help with?
dōTERRA have come up with an emotional aromatherapy wheel and 6 different blends – Forgive, Motivate, Cheer, Passion, Console and Peace. You can use the blends either aromatically (i.e. you smell them) or topically (i.e. you apply them directly on your skin). The great thing about them is that they can generate profound emotional responses. So they can help us balance our moods and overcome our everyday negative emotions.
So for example:
- Are you feeling discouraged, gloomy, or distressed? Citrus could help!
- Are you feeling anxious, insecure, or apathetic? Mints could help!
- Are you feeling sombre, disinterested, or bored? Spices could help!
- Are you feeling fearful, worried, or hurt? Florals could help!
- Are you grieving, or feeling sad or ashamed? Trees could help!
- Are you feeling disconnected, bitter, or angry? Herbs and grasses could help!
Obviously, because we are human beings experiencing a range of complex emotions and feelings at any given time, you may need to experiment with a mixture of oils. Or even with your own specific blend – and this is where a personalised consultation could really come in really handy.
My first experience with essential oils
Gemma sent me samples called Balance, Breathe and Wild Orange. When it comes to emotional support, Wild Orange can be used for determination, initiative and passion. So it’s great if you’re feeling lethargic and lacking initiative or passion. Breathe helps with anxiety relief – it can encourage feelings of clarity. And finally, Balance can help combat feelings of overwhelm and anxiety.
I made a conscious effort to apply the oils on my skin (so I could smell them) when experiencing a particular emotion. I also used them in my formal meditation practice and found that they acted like a nice anchor – I did generally feel less anxious, and because of that I sometimes apply them at night before bed. Could it be that I feel better because I associate the smell of the oil with a sense of calm coming from the meditation practice? Or could it be that I know I’m actively and mindfully doing something to influence my feelings and choose a different response?
Certainly, emotional aromatherapy is something I’m now going to be looking into a lot more!
About Gemma Jenkins @ Live Different – The Wellness Mum
Gemma runs the Facebook group Live Different – The Wellness Mum. She has “a huge passion for both physical and emotional natural health. Her mission is to empower as many families as possible to take a proactive approach to supporting their emotional and physical wellbeing using natural tools within the home.” She works with a variety of professionals and practitioners to show how simple changes can make a huge difference.
If you would like to get in touch with Gemma and her team, she offers free 30-minute wellness consultations and free educational classes in a variety of locations around the UK on a range of topics. You can find Gemma on Facebook or email her directly at live-different@outlook.com.