Aug 19, 2022 Essential Oils & Yoga – Practicing with Plants

Posted at 15:18h in Blog by Andie Chiasson

At any given moment there is a laundry list of items, tasks, ideas, dreams, and impulses running through my mind. I no longer think “did I turn off the coffee pot?” because I switched to a pour over, problem solved. However, there may not be such a simple swap for all the tasks and items on your list (physical or mental). What can help is a behavioral shift or a pairing of tasks and truthfully, slowing down. In this slowing and pairing you may find that things can completely fall from your list and the world keeps spinning and no one is the wiser. How does this relate to yoga and essential oils?

Essential oils are tools to leverage in your practice – on and off the mat – to raise your frequency, to ground you, to uplift, to promote healing, to invite in peace, and evoke the feeling of belonging, and more. Essential oils have been flying under the radar for years and were labeled as “woo” until recent years and yet, more often prescription drugs are based on naturally occurring compounds in plants and plants have been used medicinally for close to 60,000 years!

The limbic system is directly connected to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress level, and hormone balance. When you breathe in the aromatic molecules of essential oils you can experience profound physiological and psychological effects. The aroma of an essential oil can directly affect anything from your emotional state to your lifespan.

Young Living essential oils set the industry standard for the highest quality essential oils on earth. The commitment to quality is found in every bottle through the five-step Seed to Seal quality promise.

What is Seed to Seal?

0 pesticides or chemicals permitted
Chemical free soil for 50+ years
5 years growing before being eligible to meet standards
Weed by hand
Control pests with essential oils
Continual testing of water, soil, and air
No conventionally grown seeds
50 trained scientists on staff
Third party testing required.

To use oils in your yoga practice a “scent tent” is a great way to start. Drop a few drops of oil into the palm of your hands and rub together then tent your hands over your nose and take a few deep breaths. You can then rub your hands onto the back of your neck, shoulders, or through your hair. At the end of class, oils are a great compliment to savasana either on a cool towel placed on your forehead or a couple drops massaged into your shoulders, base of the neck, and sides of the arms by your teacher at the end of the session. You can even prep yourself for savasana by applying your own oils before settling into your final pose of class.

Below are some of my favorites for an oily class.

In the diffuser, 20 minutes before class, add 4-6 drops of Palo Santo and water.

At the start of class, place 2-3 drops of EnRGee or Peppermint to your palms and create a scent tent, take 3 full rounds of breath as you are to increase alertness and vitality.

Apply 1-2 drops of Frankincense on your shoulders for grounding.

Apply 1-2 drops of Sandalwood to the back of your neck to promote memory and mental clarity.

During savasana, apply 2-3 drops of Stress Away to your shoulders, forearms, and chest for a soothing experience.

Apply Idaho Blue Spruce to your shoulders and feet for a grounding experience.

Spritz the room with Grapefruit or Orange for an invigorating experience or spritz Lavender for a calming experience.