I want to paint a picture for you. It’s a chilly fall night. You walk into your grandma’s house to smell a pot of chicken noodle soup on the stove and sugar cookies in the oven. The smell is intoxicating, warm, and comforting. It is familiar and a scent you always look forward to smelling. Then, one day, you pass a row of restaurants on a chilly fall night. You pass a deli and smell chicken noodle soup. You pass a bakery and smell the sweet scent of sugar cookies. Those familiar scents transport you back into your grandma’s kitchen. The scents are nostalgic and trigger positive emotions. Those associations with scent are something you should incorporate into your everyday life.
Aromatherapy is widely used in holistic practices for physical and mental health. About a month ago, I dove into the realm of essential oils, primarily to diffuse them. There are some scents that I absolutely love… clove reminds me of fall, vanilla for those Christmassy vibes… but at the time of buying this kit of oils, I was really looking for something natural to aid my sleeping. Restlessness started almost 2 years ago when I was working really long, hard hours. After I left that job, I still had an awful time sleeping. Sometimes I would sleep just fine, but then for months at a time, I would wake up numerous times a night. I needed relief, but as someone that doesn’t like taking medication, I opted for an essential oil diffuser first.
Young Living, the essential oil company I ordered from, has single oils and blends. The first night, I mixed one of their blends, Stress Away, with lavender. I let it diffuse for a few minutes before I went into the room, got in bed, breathed in deep and was instantly relaxed. The diffuser itself glows blue. You can turn this feature off, but the scent and the soft blue light were godsends. I slept great! I woke up knowing that aromatherapy could work for anyone. If those oils got me to sleep soundly, what else could it do? Energize me! For those sluggish mornings, I started diffusing citrus oils. You could say I’m officially hooked on my diffuser. There are blends for almost anything that ails you, which is why I support this aroma-holistic movement.
For anyone that deals with stress, you know it’s not good for your health and definitely not good for your soul. My advice is to think of scents that bring you a sense of calm or comfort. Whether it is Christmas cookies or spring lilac, start incorporating them into you life. It doesn’t matter if you use essential oils, candles, or incense; start associating those scents with de-stressing. Your brain is smart enough to catch on. Understand that when you light that candle or diffuse that oil, it is time to let the world melt away. Aromatherapy will start to be an instant comfort the more you use it. We need more positive associations in our lives. Don’t worry, sniff yourself happy! (I couldn’t be more of a dork if I tried!)
If you want to check out Young Living, PLEASE CLICK HERE!
If you decide to sign up for a kit, you’ll be added into The Distillery and Apothecary Society Facebook groups for all your essential oils questions and needs!
Feel free to email Info@nikkinurtures.com with any questions.
