Memories and Mood

Nothing brings to life again a forgotten memory like fragrance.

– C Poindexter.

Did you know that you can use aromatherapy to improve your mood and remind you of memories??

Scent plays a huge role in how we think and feel, AND triggers memories. Our olfactory system (sense of smell) has a direct connection to the part of the brain (the amygdala) which acts as our emotional processing center and a direct link to memories. Don’t we all have a grandmother or aunt who had a certain “smell” that when we smell it we transport in time? This is why when you smell certain things you may experience a particular memory. Pretty interesting, right?

My little granddaughter Sawyer recently took home a box of crystals from my house and exclaimed to her daddy the other day “oh no, these don’t smell like maymay anymore”. I’ve been wearing the same blend of oils every time I am around her since the day she was born. Love that she associates my “smell” already. I have my grandmothers old medicine cabinet in my home and when I open it I instantly go back to being a little girl and getting treated with iodine and a bandage. Since I live in the house I grew up in, every once in a while when I open the coat closet I get a whiff of my mom and her career as a hairdresser and remember her coming home tired after giving perms all day and hang up her coat. It is such a crazy thing that our limbic brain holds onto memories that are associated with smell. Definitely check out this post about the brain…it is fascinating!

In my work with people with dementia and other neurological conditions, I use aromatherapy all the time. I love to share a blend of citrus oils with a touch of vanilla and tell a story that we are all young kids and the ice cream truck comes and on the side of the truck is something that smells just like that. I put a few drops in each of their hands and they smell it while I tell the story. Sure enough within a few seconds, someone will say “creamsicle” or “orange sherbet”. Sadly though not all memories are good. I usually spray the area that I will be teaching to gift an aromatherapy boost before the class. One day I sprayed a blend of orange, cinnamon, and clove. To me it smells like fall and the holidays, but to one of my students the clove triggered a horrible childhood memory and he was unable to stay in the class. I felt terrible and realized that not all smells are going to be welcomed. Lesson for me learned. Now I stick with pretty benign smells like citrus, lavenders and trees.

Pretty amazing that now that that we know this, we can use certain oils to uplift our mood or even relieve feelings of stress or worry and also create or trigger memories.

What is your go to mood oil? My all-time favorite is Wild Orange! It’s a beautiful “balancing” oil, meaning that depending on what are are feeling it can either lift us up or calm us down. It is a very unique citrus oil that has some pretty amazing benefits. I love it!!!! Heavenly! The blend that I have been wearing since my granddaughter was born that she now associates with me is orange, lavender, patchouli, rose and sandalwood.

If you are not sure but would like to try I’m happy to send you a sample to help your mood and memories!

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Stress Free Blend

Let’s face it, life can be hard at times. Between the demands of everyday living and the added pressures of tax season, health issues, and the climate of the world it is a wonder we aren’t all exploding at the seams.

I rarely get to worked up about things I cannot control but I still feel the pressure of my life at times. One of the tools that I have adopted in the last twelve years or so is using techniques like deep breathing and the use of aromatherapy. There is quite a bit of research on the efficacy of aromatherapy and the response in the brain’s area of coping and I can personally attest that breathing in something powerful can have a profound effect on my mood.

Did you know that your sense of smell is 10,000 times more responsive than any of your other senses? And that an aroma reaches your brain and stirs up emotions within just seconds of you breathing it in?

I see it professionally, too. Once I was passing oils around my group of adults with traumatic brain injuries and one young man stated that he could no longer smell. I told him that is okay because the brain remembers the aroma. This particular class I was passing around cedarwood essential oil which is a powerful tree aroma that is grounding and also provides a sense of connection and community to those who smell it. I like to use this one in group settings where people often feel disconnected. I passed the essential oil around and instructed them to take three breaths into their hands. After a few minutes had passed, the young man who stated he could no longer smell spoke loudly and said, “For some reason I am thinking about a job I had once had at a logging company where I shredded trees into mulch”. Boom. The brain knows.

I came up with this little combo during a time recently when I was feeling overly compacted with stress. I am typically not a huge fan of florals but something was calling me to them, so I listened. The added punch of citrus gives my nervous system such a calm, relaxed feeling. I did some digging and found some pretty awesome benefits to these oils.

Check it out:

Bergamot:  a citrus oil known as the Oil of Self-Acceptance. Bergamot is uplifting and brigtening in nature. Smelling the oil is an invitation to clear away constricting thoughts while welcoming self-acceptance and self-love. As the oil of self-acceptance, it is said to relieve feelings of self-judgement and low self-esteem. Bergamot Essential Oil inhalation improves positive feelings in the waiting room of a mental health treatment center. At a mental health treatment center in Utah, 57 participants were included for analysis. 15-minutes of exposure to Bergamot essential oil improved the exposed group’s feelings compared with control group, by 17%. I like this one because it is an earthy citrus oil.

Ylang Ylang: Ylang Ylang helps us connect to our heart and become balanced by releasing negative emotions and deep emotional sadness. It calms the heart and balances emotions during times of high stress, crisis, tension, or depression. As a reflection of Ylang Ylang’s ability to restore a healthy flow of positivity in the heart, the essential oil helps encourage a healthy circulatory system. It improves blood flow, fights inflammation, and assist with other heart problems. It is also an effective agent in controlling blood pressure. 

Lavender: Lavender essential oil has enormously powerful calming and relaxing properties which can help ease away all that stress, tension and worry. A study also found that people exposed to the scent of lavender experienced stress relief plus an energy boost. What’s more, once inhaled, it enters the bloodstream within seconds so gets to work immediately. I love to use lavender in my skin care products because of its naturally calming properties and helps me sleep sound.

Patchouli: Patchouli oil is commonly used in aromatherapy because of its depressant remedying properties. Because of the impact that inhaling patchouli oil has on our hormones, it encourages the release of serotonin and dopamine; these hormones ease feelings of anger, anxiety and anxiousness. Rich in the chemical component patchoulol, Patchouli essential oil is known to have a grounding and harmonizing effect on the emotions. Patchouli creates a calming and grounding environment when diffused or inhaled.

Wild Orange: Wild Orange is great for feelings of anxiousness or managing stress. It’s very uplifting and encouraging. So if you’re dealing with sadness, loss of hope, just going through a really dark time, this could be a great oil to help lift you through that. The reason that it’s good for all of these things is because it really stimulates our sense of abundance and possibility. As the oil of abundance, it opens a person’s mind and heart to the possibilities that surrounds them, and their ability to accept the goodness that life is offering. Wild Orange also reconnects us to our inner child and helps us be more spontaneous, fun, creative, playful in our lives as adults. It will lend support by uplifting and promoting a positive attitude while calming our spirit. I just love it so much.

Pretty amazing, eh? Not only do I smell amazing (and get random daily compliments), but my nervous system is calm and my mood is steady. Stress has nothing on me! I apply this one behind my ears, along my spine, under my nose and on my wrists. I have a blend in my car and in my kitchen so I am never without it. It has truly become my ‘signature scent’. It is cool since I wear it everyday, the association with this aroma and me is powerful. My grand babies know this aroma and will likely have formed a deep connection to this aroma that will last a lifetime. Aroma is in fact associated with out strongest sense of memories.

You can learn about how to use essential oils and the versatility of them here in this gorgeous ebook. You’ll see that these oils are so versatile you will soon be using them for sleep support, skin and hair support, and even household cleaning and relieving aches and pains!

If you want to grab this combo of essential oils, just pop over here and then when you do, I will add you to my exclusive education and mentoring group and send you an amazing welcome gift! Plus, you’ll have wholesale prices for a year, just like me! Don’t worry though, you don’t have a monthly purchase requirement or anything like that, just big savings!

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Citrus Bliss Blend

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!

Photosensitive Oils

When I first started using essential oils I had no idea that some oils could cause a burn. Crazy, right?

As we head into warmer months and more outside time, remember that some oils are photosensitive and cause a reaction that is uncomfortable when combined with sunlight.

Be mindful when applying the following if you plan to be in the sun. You can still use them, just apply on the feet or a covered area or take internally (I only ingest pure, certified therapeutic grade oils that I am positive have been tested).

Check out this gorgeous ebook for the basics and be sure to drop me a message if you’re not sure which oils are safe  I’m happy to help.

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Crystals for Anxiety

Maybe it’s been an incredibly busy week, coupled with the unknown of the future and the overload of technology this week, or maybe it was the cortisone shot in my foot that has been ramping me up, but either way I have been dealing with anxiety lately.

For 18 years I have been wearing and using crystals for a variety of reasons and yesterday it struck me that since being home, I haven’t been wearing my usual crystal jewelry or putting them in my pocket. Crazy, right?

I immediately put on my rose quartz necklace and my moonstone pendant. I added a Labradorite bracelet and I had a much better day.

Check out the benefits.

Rose Quartz—opens the heart, promotes self-love, and blocks negativity

Moonstone—balances emotions, reduces anxious feelings, cools the mind

Labradorite—relieves anxiety and brain stress, strengthens the will

If you’d like some encouragement and guidance on using crystals, send me a message. I’d be glad to help…and I have a large stash I’d be happy to share.?

Calming Essential Oils

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.

Mood Management

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.

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