Have you ever heard about using lavender or chamomile for calming stress and anxiety relief? Since 2001 I have been educating people on the benefits of medicinal quality essential oils (not bath and body or health food store stuff). When I became personally ill in 2007 with panic attacks, anxiety, depression, and is when I realized they help steady and calm the mind.
But why would we want to use essential oils? How do they work? What are they? I am going to do a series of posts on essential oils because they are one of the fastest and safest forms of relief I have found for myself and my clients. In an instant a deep inhalation of Stress Away blend can take me out of fight or flight and back to serenity when I’m stuck in a traffic jam.
Essential oils are the protective forces of a plant. They are what make herbs, conifer trees, seeds, flowers, roots, and tree resins have aroma. Have you ever been in an herb garden and smelled your hands after running them through a peppermint plant? Or at Holiday time enjoyed the fragrance of a Christmas tree? You’re smelling the essential oils!
Essential oils are volatile (evaporates quickly) liquid and not greasy like olive or vegetable oils. They work so quickly because they are instantly absorbed through the skin and are distributed throughout the body.
They also affect the brain as soon as they are inhaled, think of the nose is an extension of our brain. It is the most rudimentary and ancient of senses and we get a response faster via aroma than if we experienced stimulus through the eyes, ears, or touch. The olfactory nerve in the nose is a part our limbic system – the seat of our emotions. Oils that have relaxing and calming properties reach the limbic system during a deep inhalation and can result in the AHHHH of relief.
When I was very sick and the anxiety was 24/7, I used essential oils to keep me grounded and “hanging in there” while my doctors figured out what was wrong with me. I did not want to use addictive drugs like benzodiazepenes (Xanex and Valium). So, I used Harmony and Grounding oils applied to the on the base of my neck, temples, and abdomen. I even diffused them at night while I slept!
Please, whatever you do … don’t run out to the health food store and get essential oils. Almost all commercially available oils have man made chemicals in them that can mess up an anxious or depressed brain even worse. They are what we call “neurotoxic” (toxic to the brain and nervous system). Visit http://www.AnxietyTherapyRemedies.com for more information or contact me directly for assistance choosing the right oils for your situation.
