I love people—I really do. But I also love taking care of my introverted self and my favorite way to do that is to go into the forest. To commune with the trees and be totally at peace and in oneness by the sights and sounds.
Research is showing that visiting a forest has real, quantifiable health benefits, both mental and physical. Even five minutes around trees or in green spaces may improve health. Think of it as a prescription with no negative side effects that’s also free.
Health Benefits From Forests
Exposure to forests and trees:
boosts the immune system
lowers blood pressure
reduces stress
improves mood
increases ability to focus, even in children with ADHD
accelerates recovery from surgery or illness
increases energy level
improves sleep
Usually on Saturday mornings I take off on a solo hike and find that silent, yet so alive space. I usually visit one of my favorite tree friends I have ever known. She has been a friend for many years and though I haven’t gone to say hello in a long time, she still greets me with the same wonderful welcome. Over the years on this trail, I have played on the icy trails and I basked in the warm sun. I love to cross over the miles of Mother Earth and it usually is just what I need to refuel and get clarity on a few things weighing on me.
I love how the sound of my feet crunching the earth somehow brings the answers I have been seeking. It’s like the world stops for a moment and I can listen.
I am often reminded again just how blessed I am and how grateful I am that my life has unfolded in perfection. Just like the trees and how they know exactly when to let go and when to grow, I find myself in the same cycle.
During these solo walks I reconnect with the truth of myself. I find the quiet space between my thoughts. I receive all the goodness the trees offer.
Of course putting my hands on my favorite tree friend never hurts.
Think essential oils just smell good? Back when I first started using them, I did too. I have learned through the years that they are actually working inside your brain and body to support every cell within our body. Crazy, eh?
Think about it. Long before pharmacies came to town, our ancestors used plants to help our bodies. Peppermint plants, homemade salves from herbs and tree parts, teas and much more. We strayed from these methods but I think more and more people are coming back to them.
People often get overwhelmed when learning about essential oils and I admit, it can be confusing at forest. But, using essential oils is really pretty simple.
Stop for a second.
Ask yourself what you are feeling. (Stressed, tired, overwhelmed, in pain, etc)…..then ask yourself what you WANT to feel. (Happy, calm, energized, peaceful, content, etc), then grab an oil that will offer that.
The simplest terms of beginning to learn about aromatherapy is to think of a tree. The higher up on the tree you go, the more uplifted and energized you’ll feel (citrus), the lower to the ground and close to the tree the more grounded and calm you’ll feel. (trees, roots, barks, flowers). Mints and herbs are low growing and provide unique properties. Mints will be both soothing and uplifting and herbs are typically used for ailments and brain support (basil and rosemary and excellent brain supports).
Pick one.
Put a few drops in your hands. Cup your nose and breathe. Apply the extra to the back of your neck and chest.
There ya go. Aromatherapy 101! I have a great downloaded ebook that explains it all. Once you get started, I will hook you up with education and mentoring plus a fabulous welcome gift.
I get asked this question all the time—why can’t I just use oils from natural food stores or Amazon?
•doTERRA’s transparent testing assured me that the rigorous testing ensures pure and potent essential oils. If you can’t get access to the companies testing, I’d steer clear. Most store bought oils are adulterated and contain synthetic and potentially harmful ingredients, even though the label says “100% pure”.
•the sustainability practices for the earth play a huge part in what company you choose. Is the company honoring the earth by not depleting natural resources just to make a profit?
•the ethical treatment of growers and farmers. doTERRA makes sure that farmers and growers are not just paid, but they help contribute to the greater good by providing hospitals, schools, water lines, jobs, training and better living quality of life. It’s a true honorable partnership based on ethics. This isn’t mass produced/grown in a green house fast production. Every drop changes the lives of growers. Imagine knowing that you’re going health investment is providing schools, healthcare, water and more to people all over the globe!!!?!
•the benefits of pure oils is clear. I used to use store bought and had minimal results when treating things like sleep and skin issues. Using pure and potent essential oils, I have successfully bettered my health and my families. I especially like the benefits for my students with brain injuries who respond intuitively and naturally without cognitive bias. This goes far beyond what smells good ?
This beautiful link explains how many lives are enriched by using doTERRA.
I have a special bonus for those ready to jump in or make the switch. Message me for details.
Gratitude is the #1 way to shift out of low frequency emotions like fear, grief, shame and lack… and into high frequency emotions like joy, peace, trust and love. Gratitude produces dopamine! Dopamine is our brain’s pleasure chemical. The more we think positive, grateful thoughts, the healthier and happier we feel. Amazing, eh?
What if you started saying 5 DIFFERENT things you’re grateful for every single day. Try it! it has changed my life!
Gratitude. Gratitude. Gratitude.
I hope you enjoy this diffuser blend today and I invite each of you to pause for a moment, and recognize all that is GOOD!
Gratitude Essential Oil Blend
• Siberian fir; breaking negative emotional and spiritual patterns
• Frankincense; raise awareness, shine your bright light
• Grapefruit; appreciate who you are
• Wild Orange; abundance and bright future, gladness to the heart
• Geranium; heart opening, realize security in what you do have
• Clove; instills power, sense of protection, integrity
Amber chips—A fossilized tree resin, amber radiates laughter, vitality, and courage. This stone holds the protective energy of our beloved trees, the guardians of Earth. Radiating the golden ray, amber shines light on new paths as obstacles become the stepping stones of growth. Amplifying one’s life force and physical drive to fulfill one’s destiny of simply being human. Amber is a powerful healer and cleanser of the body, mind and spirit. It also cleanses the environment. Amber draws disease from the body, healing and renewing the nervous system and balancing the right and left parts of the brain. It absorbs pain and negative energy, helping to alleviate stress. Amber clears depression, stimulates the intellect and promotes self-confidence and creative self-expression. It encourages decision-making, spontaneity and brings wisdom, balance and patience.
The circadian rhythm, also known as your internal body clock, is responsible for making you feel alert and sleepy throughout the day. Ideally, you should feel most alert early in the morning and sleepy as it becomes darker and later in the day.
The circadian rhythm is the reason why teenagers find it difficult to go to bed and wake up early, because their melatonin is released later than adults and children, so they’re awake later. Jet lag and shift work also interfere with the natural body clock as well as long and irregular hours.
Get ready to hack your circadian rhythm for sleep:
•Go to bed and get up at the same time every day and diffuse trees and flowers • When you wake up, take a morning walk and get some sunlight on your face • Try a sunlight alarm clock that wakes you up with light • Pop citrus and mint oils in your diffuser to start waking up your senses
The number one reason people give for not using essential oils is because they are expensive. Here is the deal—a drop is a considered a “dose”. A typical bottle has 250 drops (doses).
Lavender—9 cents to sleep well for over half a year….plus amazing skin benefits for burns or cuts. Oh, and anxious feelings—a drop.
Melaleuca—8 cents a drop will give you amazing skin cleansing, germ removal and if you put a few more drops into a spray bottle with water you just made an awesome household cleaner.
Peppermint—9 cents a drop and you can ditch the Tylenol for your headaches and fevers. One drop equals 28 cups of peppermint tea. You’ll be getting digestive support for a long time with this one.
Lemon—4 cents. Yep, 4 cents to detox your body, clean you house, brighten your mood and just basically feel amazing.
Breathe—8 cents a drop to breathe easier going into the winter season. Congestion and coughs will be much easier for 8 cents a drop. You know that Vick’s stuff is full of yucky chemicals right?
Drop=dose. It literally costs you pennies.The initial investment is so worth it.
This is my absolute favorite starter kit. There are others to choose from though!!
Plus until the end of the month, I am tossing in a bonus oil, plus my usual amazing welcome package! Yay! Let’s do this!
The full moon is traditionally known as the time of letting go…of releasing what is no longer serving your highest good.
It’s a good time to ask yourself where do you feel constricted? Where do you feel bound? Where do you feel obligated? Where do you long for freedom?
With freedom comes joy. And joy is the ultimate goal, right?!
Sit quietly today… ask where you need to release responsibility that you’ve been carrying that really isn’t yours to carry. This could mean stepping out of drama between friends or co-workers. This could mean letting go of volunteer positions or projects you said yes to out of obligation.
Another question to ask is where is an area can I take better responsibility in order to receive the freedom I desire? This could mean de-cluttering your home or making freezer meals to free up mental and emotional space to play and be spontaneous with your family. Or this could mean really getting focused on the income producing activities in your business so that you can enjoy the travel you crave.
Remember… “Whatever is on your plate got there because you said yes to it.” Danielle LaPorte (Desire Map)
This blend is packed with clarity and releasing emotions.
I am hosting a special event next week for a great organization—the Ronald McDonald House here is Southern Colorado. This is an amazing place for families whose children are in the hospital to come and have respite from the hospital setting to sleep/rest, take a hot shower, enjoyfresh baked cookies, and be loved on.
The people who work at this special place are coming to me for an evening of self care and I am so excited to share this special blend I crafted for them.
Check out this special blend I crafted for them:
Vetiver to stabilize our sense of safety and security in an often harsh world.
Wild Orange to remind us of abundance and our creative playful side.
Ginger to help us to feel empowered ans strong as have to sometimes stomach hard realities.
Rose to nurture the ever loving heart.
Peppermint to open up communication and help us speak clearly and effectively.
Lavender to assist in soothing and calming our active mind so that we can learn to foster our inner knowing.
Frankincense to hold our highest Truth as our guide.
I made the blend using three drops of each essential oil and topped it off with fractionated coconut oil in a 10ml bottle. When used along the spine and on pulse points this blend will bring balance to all those important energy centers.
Not sure which plant essential oil you need? Keep this handy chart tagged until you are familiar with which category does what. I tell people when they are learning to use essential oils is similar to learning to cook–in the beginning we need cookbooks and recipes but in time we become more confident and intuitively begin to know what we are doing. Essential oils are much the same. The more you use, the more you begin to know. Trusting yourself and listening to your body helps, too.
•when you have anything skin related, the FLORALS will help soothe and calm your skin’s irritants (burns, insect bites, cuts). FLORALS are also great for calming emotions and helping to reduce feelings of stress in the body and mind.
•when our bodies start to take on symptoms of an illness reach for your HERBS to help knock out the germs (thyme, oregano, basil, marjoram, etc). These powerhouses work so well at helping the body return to health. Many herbs produce soothing and renewing feelings.
• the constitutes in TREES helps to relieve uncomfortable aches in the muscles and joints (cypress, Siberian Fir, Douglas Fir, birch). Emotionally TREES are grounding and balancing.
•when you find yourself feeling low, just reach high up on the tree for a CITRUS and feel the immediate lift both energetically and emotionally. CITRUS = happiness, plus CITRUS oils are detoxifying and cleansing for the body.
Check out this handy guide to learn more about the basics of essential oil use.
Gosh did I ever learn a lot about these five pillars this week.
Did you know that while our life span is greater, our HEALTH span is lower. This means that most Americans live on average the last EIGHT years of the their life struggling with disease.
What!?!
Who cares about living longer if your quality of living is suffering? I learned recently that while our life span is increasing, our HEALTH span is decreasing which means in average Americans are spending the last 8 years suffering with disease. What??
So what if we are living longer if we aren’t living better? I know for me I want better stress response, better sleep, more energy, better recovery after workouts and overall vitality.
I am so excited to start targeting my own health span with proper supplementation and increasing my nutrition profile. (I tend to not eat much and probably am not fueling my body optimally, especially given how much I work out).
I can’t wait to step up my game and watch the results. The science and research that is supporting this pillar of health model is astounding.
My daughter has struggled with her weight and her body’s response to carbs since she was 10 years old. She comes from a family of similar medical history and her dad died at an early age due to health complications.
Lindsey has been able to drop her some of the numbers that doctors look at when managing a healthy metabolic function, but only slightly and has been on medication for MANY years now to help her.
Some of the side effects of her medication have NOT been good. And controlling her diet has been hard, too. She is a lover of all things carbs. Since she also has an intellectual/cognitive disability making good choices food wise takes a lot of support from me.
I am so excited Sri try something new that I read about recently regarding Berberine… one of the amazing ingredients in the new doTEERA MetaPWR Assist.
To say I am excited and hopeful, is an understatement!!!
The new product is a natural option to the medication she has been on for years.
Here a little info:
I want to show some insight and excitement for MetaPWR assist.
•We’ve been discussing a lot about NMN, NAD+ and collagen in MetaPWR advantage, but I’d like to bring your attention to Berberine in MetaPWR assist (not just a carb blocker)
• One of the ingredients in MetaPWR assist is Berberine.
• In terms of longevity, Berberine is a valid alternative to some metabolic supporting medications*
Berberine binds to complex one and reduces energy in the body and make the body more sensitive to insulin and lower blood glucose. The doses in the human clinical studies are 1-2 g per day (1,000mg – 2,000mg per day) Berberine -Activates AMPK -Increases Mitochondrial Energy
*This statement has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. Please consult with your physician.
improve insulin sensitivity and lowering blood glucose. Berberine also significantly increased lifespan in mice
Note: MetaPWR Assist more than berberine, it contains the newly formulated MetaPWR EO blend, Mulberry extract (5% DNJ), and Cinnamon.
I am SO excited for her. I can’t wait to also jump into this program because although I am thin and my sugars are fine, I struggle with sleep, energy and eating to fuel my body—which this will also help!
When we focus on these five pillars of health our HEALTH span increases. Who is ready to find the proper supplementation to manage their metabolic health? This system is the is truly three simple steps plus healthy habits.
Regardless if you’re on the heavy side or thin like me, everyone can benefits from this! I have a special education and mentoring group I can plug you into if you’re interested! Just contact me! You’ll want to stay connected as more info will soon be coming!