Mmmm!!! This is one of my all time favorite oils and my easy diffuser “go-to”! I reach for this one in the mornings more than any other and I love to share this blend with my students because it is an instant smile generator. When I share this one, I like to have people close their eyes and imagine being a little kid and hearing the sound of the ice cream truck and then as they inhale this blend, I ask them to think of something on the truck that it smells like and 99% of the time I get an excited “creamsicle!” answer.
Citrus Bliss is also known as the Invigorating Blend. This blend expertly combines the powerful scents of Wild Orange, Lemon, Grapefruit, Mandarin, Bergamot, Tangerine, and Clementine with a hint of Vanilla Absolute to form this unique and harmonious blend. It is uplifting and an instant mood changer. If you have a case of the grumps, this is a great choice.
While it smells like creamsicle…Citrus Bliss has incredibly potent yet natural cleansing properties. All those citrus oils in one bottle make for a great surface spray cleaner. Diffuse for an uplifting aroma that cleanses the air, or add it to a spray bottle of water to wipe down countertops and sinks.
One of my favorite oils to diffuse with Citrus Bliss is Wintergreen (3 drops each). Another favorite is to add spearmint! Give it a try!
Would you love to add this to your collection? To learn the basics of using oils, check out this awesome ebook, too!
Beginning my day with an easy stroll through my gardens helps me start my day from a place of quiet groundedness. You might even hear me whisper good wishes to the plants that they have a beautiful day of growth. The first place I go when I am done with work is back to the garden. Being there helps with me unwind after a long day and provides me with a different kind of being productive, but also much needed quiet time.
I have found that not only does spending time with my plants help my stress it also has an array of other benefits.
Planting flowers and vegetables can reap bountiful bouquets and delicious harvests for your dining table. But did you know gardening also can do wonders for your well-being? Here are eight surprising health benefits of gardening. Check this out:
1. Gardening can build self-esteem.
Maybe you don’t think you were born with a green thumb, but after tilling, planting, nurturing and harvesting plants, you might see a slightly different person in the mirror: a person who can grow things and is a little more in tune with the earth.
It always feels good to accomplish new tasks, and if you can grow a garden, what can’t you do?
2. Gardening is good for your heart.
All that digging, planting and weeding burns calories and strengthens your heart.
“There are physical benefits from doing the manual labor of gardening,” says UNC Health internal medicine physician Robert Hutchins, MD, MPH. “It’s hard work to garden, and it provides some cardiovascular benefit.”
3. Gardening reduces stress.
Gardening can help reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety.
“Gardening gives you a chance to focus on something and put your mind to work with a goal and a task in mind,” Dr. Hutchins says, “which is helpful especially now with so much illness and death and talk of death, just to see things growing and things thriving.”
4. Gardening can make you happy.
Getting dirt under your nails while digging in the ground can make you pretty happy. In fact, inhaling M. vaccae, a healthy bacteria that lives in soil, can increase levels of serotonin and reduce anxiety.
5. Gardening can improve your hand strength.
All that digging, planting and pulling does more than produce plants. Gardening also will increase your hand strength. What a great way to keep your hands and fingers as strong as possible for as long as possible.
6. Gardening is good for the whole family.
Gardening can be a solo activity or an opportunity for bonding with your family and friends. The happiness and stress relief that gardening provides is a great thing to share with loved ones. Also, gardening has special benefits for kids. Early exposure to dirt has been linked to numerous health benefits, from reducing allergies to autoimmune diseases. Plus, when they pull a carrot from the ground for the first time you will see pure happiness and awe.
7. Gardening can give you a boost of vitamin D.
A healthy dose of vitamin D increases your calcium levels, which benefits your bones and immune system. Exposure to sunlight helped older adults achieve adequate amounts of vitamin D. Just don’t forget your sunscreen.
8. Growing your own food can help you eat healthier.
If you have a vegetable or herb or fruit garden, you’re getting fresh produce that you know hasn’t been treated with pesticides.
“It’s essentially as farm-to-table as it gets,” Dr. Hutchins says, “if you’re eating what you’re growing.”
Are you ready to start planning next seasons garden?
Among the countless benefits of essential oils, one of their most appealing attributes is that they can be used to create a calming atmosphere and promote feelings of peace and harmony. And who doesn’t need some feelings of peace and harmony?
I am a huge believer and supporter of aromatic use for emotional and mood management benefits. During stressful times, I turn to some of my favorite calming essential oils.
Keep reading to discover some of the most calming essential oils and how to use them.
Lavender
Lavender oil is known as one of the most calming essential oils because it has significant calming and relaxing properties when used aromatically, topically, and internally. The calming nature of Lavender essential oil makes it useful for easing feelings of tension and can help to promote soothing, positive feelings.
Bergamot
An incredibly unique essential oil, Bergamot is known to have both calming and uplifting properties. When stress levels or tensions are high, Bergamot oil provides a wonderful way to promote a calming atmosphere, while simultaneously encouraging uplifting feelings. With its light, citrusy aroma, Bergamot oil is an extremely useful calming essential oil, especially when it comes to dispelling feelings of stress and uplifting mood.
Clary Sage
The chemical profile of Clary Sage oil makes it one of the most relaxing, soothing, and balancing essential oils—something that people knew even long ago. In the Middle Ages, the Clary Sage plant was used for several purposes because of its soothing properties. Today, Clary Sage essential oil can be highly useful for promoting feelings of relaxation and calm.
Roman Chamomile
Not only is Roman Chamomile oil known to have calming effects on the skin, mind, and body, but it has a sweet, floral aroma as well. In ancient times, the Romans used chamomile oil to promote calming feelings of courage before going off to war. Thankfully, these same calming properties can still be useful today.
Ylang Ylang
Derived from yellow, star-shaped flowers found on the tropical Ylang Ylang tree, Ylang Ylang oil has several impressive qualities—including its ability to uplift the mood while also having a calming effect. The sweet and spicy floral aroma of Ylang Ylang oil has been known to lessen feelings of stress and tension, while simultaneously promoting a positive outlook.
Petitgrain
The fresh, floral aroma of Petitgrain oil is not only inviting and comforting, but the oil also provides calming and relaxing benefits that can help to ease feelings of stress. In addition to calming feelings of stress and tension, Petitgrain oil can also be useful at bedtime when you want to create a serene environment for restful sleep.
Vetiver
Vetiver oil is known for its grounding, calming effect on the emotions, and for its calming nature. The rich, exotic aroma of Vetiver is quite unique, however, it has the ability to promote grounded, calm feelings after a busy or frazzled day. Whether you are trying to create a calm atmosphere at home for your family, or need to feel grounded again after an emotional day, Vetiver can be very useful for promoting the type of calm feelings you desire.
Essential oils affect the brain is through our smell receptors that travel up to the olfactory bulb. These smell receptors make direct links to the limbic system, a complex system of nerves and networks in the brain.
The limbic system connects to the parts of the brain that control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, memory, stress levels, hormone balance, emotion, and mood. Different chemicals in odor molecules cause different nerve impulses to be sent.
Depending on the type and amount of essential oils used, different body reactions can occur. Certain essential oils trigger the brain to release specific neurochemicals such as endorphins, serotonin, and enkephalin. These substances reduce pain and inflammation, calm and relax the body, and create a feeling of well-being. This is why essential oils can be so helpful when using them aromatically!
You can use essential oils aromatically by just adding a few drops to your diffuser with water or you can breathe in the aroma out of cupped hands or from the bottle. You can add 1-3 drops to a tissue or cotton ball & inhale, and you can also wear oils as perfume or in diffuser necklaces to get the aromatic benefits!
Ready to order? Click here. Once you order, I will hook you up with education and an awesome welcome package!
Want to learn more about the basics of oils? Enjoy this awesome guide.
Have you ever thought about all the toxins you come into contact throughout a given day? And I don’t just mean physically. 😉
Over the last few years I have learned how to swap out natural things for the common and usually toxin filled things both in my household but also personal care. AND, I have created habits to get rid of emotional toxins, too.
Here is a sampling of what I have done:
🌼100% cleaning with oils and natural ingredients 🌼make my own body butter with shea & coconut oil 🌼a drop of lemon in my water everyday 🌼probiotics every day 🌼consume mostly organic foods 🌼twice yearly cleanse (more to come on that soon) 🌼wash my produce with lemon EO 🌼digestive enzymes 🌼diffusers in almost every room for clean air 🌼time in nature to re-fuel and connect 🌼wish angry drivers peace while driving 🌼limit screen time (what a toxic overload!) 🌼minimal TV, and never crime or drama 🌼practice discernment and have boundaries 🌼only headlines of news to stay informed 🌼give others the benefit of the doubt 🌼love as much as I can
Do you have toxins in your life? What can you do to eliminate them?
This is one of my favorite blends. By diffusing this I bring about a sense a peace and calm to my environment. I also apply this down my spine to reduce anxious feelings when I feel overwhelmed or stressed.
I use essential oils for my mood and with my clients everyday. The effects on the limbic brain where we store emotions is powerful.
Check out this handy chart for reference. Look for your emotion and then the category of plants to help support shifting your mood to a more desired one.
Embracing Wisdom 