Essential oils and Meditation
If you’re new to meditation or looking for ways to enhance your practice, you’re probably curious about essential oils for meditation. An essential oil is an oil that is basically the “essence” of a plant’s fragrance. They are naturally found in the seeds, bark, stems, peels, roots, flowers and other parts of the plant. They are highly concentrated when distilled for their purity, potency and efficacy and are used for a wide range of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual wellness applications.
Throughout our history they’ve been used medicinally, from simple treatments like skin issues to more complicated situations. While their use in modern medicine is limited (although they can be found in around 25% of well known medicines), they’re often used as a complementary medical treatment or as an alternative medicine such as aromatherapy. While there is no medical evidence proving essential oils can cure diseases, there is enough personal testimonials confirming that they help promote well-being and have positive effects on their users. This makes them a great addition to your meditation practice as essential oils can help you transition to a meditative state and help you calm your mind much more easily.
I only work with dōTERRA essential oils so all the following information is ONLY for this brand. There is a reason for that...
dōTERRA is the largest essential oil company and is now the largest in the world (not bad!). They are CPTG - Certified Pure Tested Grade oils that are not only tested by dōTERRA but also random 3rd party companies. The plants are sourced from a global network of growers and farmers to ensure the most pure & efficacious essential oils. The oils are FREE from fillers and artificial ingredients as well as FREE from harmful contaminants. This is VERY IMPORTANT to me and my family as the oils and products help provide us with a safe and natural alternative (scented candles etc). Oh and I almost forgot - the oils have few, if any, undesirable side effects when used as directed and you only need 1 drop to achieve a powerful benefit.
As you can see, it's pretty obvious really...
So what are the best essential oils to use when meditating?
Each essential oil has its very own benefits and some oils are suited perfectly for enhancing a meditation session. You will most likely be drawn to essential oils that help to promote relaxation, are calming, and support you to release stress, unless you’re meditating with a specific intention. In this case, you may opt for essential oils that can aid you in this such as increasing focus, intuition or maybe you wish to 'stop' something. So oils that help you ground and focus will be beneficial to your meditation practice. The following list will focus on essential oils that are most often used by myself and my students/clients.
This list is just a starting point.
As you become more confident with using essential oils, you will find yourself drawn to others and maybe even creating your own blends.
The Yoga Collection
Now I know what you are thinking, but you can most certainly use these 3 beautiful blends for your meditation practice. I do all the time.
There are 3 blends in this collection that provide aromas to help ground, center and uplift your spirit through every breath while meditating.
Anchor - Grounding blend and includes oils such as Lavender, Cedarwood, Frankincense, Patchouli and Black Pepper.
Align - Centering blend and includes oils such as Bergamot, Coriander, Peppermint, Marjoram, Geranium, Basil, Rose and Jasmin.
Arise - Uplifting blend and includes oils such as Lemon, Grapefruit, Siberian Fir, Melissa and Osmanthus.
These three blends can be used aromatically (sniff from the bottle or add to a diffuser) or topically (added to the skin such as wrists, over the heart chakra and back of neck).
You can order your collection by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/yoga-collection-doterra
Roman Chamomile - Oil of Spiritual Purpose
You’ve probably all heard of chamomile from its use as an herbal tea or as a lotion to calm and relieve the skin. But it's also a fabulous oil when meditating. Chamomile comes from a plant common in Europe, and dōTERRA actually sources theirs from here in the UK! they steam distill the flowers and buds to create our Roman Chamomile essential oil.
Even if you're not a herbal tea drinker, you've probably noticed that chamomile is often recommended for or included in blends for stress relief, relaxation as well as to aid a restful sleep. I love Roman Chamomile because it’s great for dealing with stress, anxiety, and depression which can affect so many day to day activities. The oil brings a sense of calm to the user, which is very helpful when trying to meditate at this time when so many are struggling with high stress levels, worry, fear and even anger. If you like to meditate just before going to bed, then this is an oil I would highly recommend as it can help fight insomnia. Some people also use it in aromatherapy to help calm cranky babies and toddlers.
This particular oil can be used used in all 3 ways - aromatically, topically as well as internally (added to hot water to make chamomile tea! or to milky drink before bed)You can order your oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/roman-chamomile-doterra
Frankincense - Oil of Truth
Familiar to many of us as one of the gifts brought to the manger by one of the 3 wise men, but we also know it as 'The King Of Oils'. This is because when you add Frankincense to any other oil is increases the healing properties of that oil.
When considering Frankincense for use during mediation, it's a great choice as it promotes feelings of relaxation and helps ground you. It's calming without causing sleepiness so perfect for those midday and morning meditations. Frankincense is one of my go-to oils for anybody that struggles with anxiety as it helps calm your mind.
This particular oil can be used used in all 3 ways - aromatically, topically as well as internally.
You can order your oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/frankincense-doterra
Lavender - Oil of Communication and Calm
Known in the world of oils as the 'Swiss army knife of oils'. Like Frankincense this is just one of those oils that can support so many issues that it's a must have in your collection.
It is one of the most popular oils that's used in aromatherapy so it is no surprise I would include it here for meditation too. dōTERRA sources their Lavender from Bulgaria along with Rose essential oil. Historically, Lavender has been used to create perfumes as well as being used as an antiseptic during World War ll.
Due to it's calming and sedative properties, Lavender is a perfect option to use during meditation as it will help you relax and fight stress, which in turn helps you focus and clear your mind. I would say that this would be a perfect choice for bedtime meditations to support a peaceful sleep.
This particular oil can be used used in all 3 ways - aromatically, topically as well as internally.
You can order your oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/lavender-oil-doterra
Cedarwood - Oil of Community
This lovely oil has a long history: Greeks and Romans burned it as an incense and the Egyptians used it as a part of their embalming process. I love this oil for many reasons but of course one of these reasons is how perfect it is for use while meditating, especially during those moments of chaos and instability. It brings people together to experience the strength and value of community.
The oil not only defends against negativity but is also calming and grounding. It can help you bring your focus inward when it feels like the world is directing your attention in so many directions. Like Lavender, this oil is a lovely one to use at bedtime so suits a late meditation in order to prepare you for a calm, restful sleep.
This particular oil can be used aromatically and topically.
You can order your oil by clicking the link below.
http://bit.ly/cedarwood-doterra
Balance blend - Grounding Blend
I love love love this blend. Created by dōTERRA to help support us to keep us feeling grounded. This blend is primarily a combination or tree oils and roots. The soft energy of Balance is excellent for calming overactive children and adults who struggle with settling down. This oil strengthens a connection with the lower body with the earth and helps you reconnect with your roots. It teaches us all to ground our energy and to manifest our vision with the patience of a tree after all, trees live in the present moment and are in no hurry.
By using this blend during a meditation, it allows you to focus on stability, inner strength and perseverance.
This particular oil is best suited for topical use.
You can order your blend by clicking the link below.
http://bit.ly/balance-doterra
Vetiver - Oil of Centering and Descent
Just like the blend above, Vetiver supports us with becoming more rooted in life. To benefit your meditation practice, Vetiver oil is very soothing and calming. It’s especially great because it is spiritually grounding and will help you focus on your breath while it calms your mind. It challenges the need to escape pain and guides individuals downwards towards their root of their emotional issues.
It is a brilliant oil to use when you are feeling stressed or you just need to unwind after a long day. It can also be used as part of an aromatherapy treatment for those who struggle with anxiety or anger issues and can help with exhaustion and coping with insecurity or fear.
The descent into the True Self assists individuals in discovering deeper facets of their being and opens the doors to light and recovery through this downward journey.
This particular oil can be used aromatically and topically.
You can order this oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/vetiver-doterra
Patchouli - Oil of Physicality
Though some find patchouli oil to be an “acquired taste,” it’s used frequently in perfumes and colognes. The scent is often described as an earthy and woody aroma, with a hint of fruitiness. You may also know it as being popular among hippies in the ’60s and ’70s.
This oil was included as it supports individual in becoming fully present in their physical body and aims to connect the spirit with the body. This oil calms fear and nervous tension, stilling the heart and mind in preparation for the spirit and body to have a deeper union.
For meditation, Patchouli essential oil is also grounding and stabilizing and is often used in blends for meditation. You will find it helps to center you and calm your mind when you are seated. It’s a great oil to invest in early on because the oil’s scent improves with age, similar to a fine wine.
This particular oil can be used aromatically and topically.
You can order this oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/patchouli-doterra
Clary Sage - Oil of Clarity and Vision
Finally, we arrive to Clary sage. This is the oil that will assist you in changing your perceptions, giving you the courage to see the truth. Historically it was used medicinally with written records of its use dating all the way back to the 4th century BCE. Currently, it’s used in perfumes and to flavour vermouths, wines, and liqueurs.
Clary Sage assists in opening creative chanel and clearing creative blocks. Known for its stress-relieving effects, it’s a great addition to any meditation blend. It’s great for those times of emotional turmoil when you’re having a hard time unplugging and relaxing. It can assist during a healing crisis when a drastic change of perspective is required opening the soul to new possibilities and experiences. It’s also used during a meditation session to help support those struggling with exhaustion, during times when work is crazy busy and you need to be open to new ideas and perspectives.
It invites you to expand your vision and to accept the reality of the spiritual world.
This particular oil can be used used in all 3 ways - aromatically, topically as well as internally.
You can order your oil by clicking on the link below.
http://bit.ly/clary-sage-doterra
So there you have it - my favourite oils to use during a meditation session. Of course you will want to experiment and maybe even create your own blends and I can't wait to try them out.
I hope you have found this useful
Love and light
Jacqui