Congestion



Yesterday evening, I was smacked pretty hard with allergies after I had spent my morning out hiking through a nearby park. The congestion was deep and surprisingly quick, followed by a fever. I had just seen, on my Facebook feed, a timely recipe for a blend of Breathe and coconut oil to combat congestion so I got to work. A few moments later, and I was slathering on the soothing blend that immediately took the sharpness out of my chest. That was around 8:00 p.m. and I reapplied it at roughly 10:30 before settling into bed and then once again when I got up this morning. It is keeping it manageable and it is not getting worse.

I have also applied On Guard to the soles of both of my feet to help support my immune system during its time of overreaction. I am completely uninterested in allowing myself to become worn down and open to catching anything else floating around out there.

So, I am definitely feeling on an upswing from yesterday. Once the congestion has abated a bit more, I will be back to my old self. Right now, I still hurt between my shoulder blades but breathing deeply doesn't cause me to cough anymore. I am making progress!

My second class!

I love essential oil classes and that is something that grew on me fast about Doterra - they believe in educating you about what you are using and how to safely. most effectively derive benefit from any essential oil that you happen to meet.

I have had a lot of beginner essential oil/aromatherapy classes in my time because those seem to be the most accessible and affordable but I am able to say that at each and every one of them, I have learned something new. Everyone has had different experiences with their oils and so there is always something priceless in each class. So it was with tonight.

Tonight, I had my first encounter with Wild Orange oil. I did not find the smell as pleasant as my other class mates but I am excited about all of the uses and, to be fair, I am not a big fan of citrus anything. My oldest child took a good whiff of the sample dram that I came home with and he had a similar reaction to mine but we were definitely the exception it seems.

It's exciting to me to have a new tool to add to my growing toolbox of oils and knowledge alike. Wild Orange definitely has a place. Also, something great about tonight was listening to the different stories that people had to share about how essential oils have, or are presently, positively impacting their lives.

I am pretty excited, as well, that I am feeling more comfortable with the idea of having my own class with some help from those in my upline. I feel like I am definitely in the right place at the right time with my venture into Doterra.

Essential Oil Use #3

I used to really hate the smell of lavender oil. The odor set my teeth on edge and I absolutely avoided using lavender as a single note, the only exception being if a massage client asked me for it. I used a ton of lavender oil in blends and I would never have argued the exceptional usefulness of this oil. As a matter of fact, I would come close to arguing that lavender is the most useful of all of them just because of its versatility and gentleness.

When I was first introduced to doTerra,, I avoided Lavender in favor of other oils I had never tried and oils that I needed to replace as I ran out. I was quickly won over by the quality but never stopped to wonder if the difference in quality could affect my feelings about lavender essential oil. I was in for an extremely pleasant surprise! It is a sweeter, more delicate version of the oils I had become familiar with and I couldn't believe the difference. Lavender is still not my favorite but it is so much better than I would have thought. Again, it was a matter of me getting what I was paying for in oil quality.

This brings us to use #3,  something that I would never have done for myself prior to doTerra -  I apply lavender, neat, to the soles of my feet as well as around my face and neck before bedtime and have for a solid week now and my sleep is DEEP. I have woken up feeling far more rested, cheerful (I am not a morning person and I was waking up groggy ever single day.), and alert. I encourage you to give it a try! Don't just stop after one night either. Commit to doing it every night for three nights and you will see a difference in your quality of your sleep and how you feel when you wake up!

Essential Oil Use #2...

My middlest baby boy, who is eleven, began complaining of a slightly sore throat and some chest congestion so, it was time to break out On Guard! This is an amazing blend of wild orange peel, clove bud, cinnamon bark, eucalyptus and rosemary. I added one drop to coconut oil for his throat and chest, again for his back, and once more on his feet. The feet are excellent areas of application for quick absorption into the body and it is also excellent for children in general, particularly if you are not comfortable putting oils on the rest of them.

We reapplied it in just the same manner before he went to school today and again tonight prior to bed. I also gave him a Breathe lozenge. So, this practice will continue until we manage to get him entirely well. I think it is super important to take a second and point out for anyone not familiar with essential oils that they are not a cure all. This oil blend will not magically make him better. What it will do is replace the harmful medicines that are toxic to his liver. I am also trying to teach my child that, while we have a healthy respect for doctors as well as over the counter and prescription drugs as NEEDED, personal responsibility is a big component. I am teaching my kids self care.

I also found a great recipe for On Guard Apples that I will have up in a future blog post! I am going to make those for all of us tomorrow. For now though, I am headed off to bed for a good nights sleep which will also bring up another use of essential oils in tomorrows post as well. Sweet dreams and Namaste!

Essential Oil Use #1

I have used essential oils for innumerable purposes over the years so I will be posting these occasionally, especially if it is a recent use like todays!

 

  Today, while I was getting read to steam mop the floors, I added five drops of On Guard to a full reservoir of water. I cleaned three rooms with it and everyone in my house were immediately in love with the smell. That was only part of the reason for me doing this though. Yes, there are benefits from diffusing oils into the air but I am also disinfecting and trying to bolster our immune systems during the sick season here.

 

I realize that somewhere in the instructions of my steam mop that I did not read, there may well be a warning not to add things to the water that you put into it. That being said, please don't do this if you are going to be angry with me if your steam mop breaks.

 

Note: My mop was and is functioning perfectly so this is something that I will be doing on a regular basis with different oils along the way.

What is an Essential Oil

Why I Love doTERRA Essential Oils

I was first introduced to essential oils four years ago in an aromatherapy class that was part of my massage curriculum. I had always loved the idea of them but they were hard to buy in the area I lived in and I didn't know enough at that point to confidently purchase them online. Another disadvantage was that no one that I knew was using essential oils. Then, I suddenly found myself involved in a three month class with people some of whom were enthusiasts. There were others like myself who just didn't know much about it and were a bit skeptical at first. The passionate instructor that taught the class, quickly changed my attitude. I fell head over heels in love with my oil kit that she handed out on the first day of class and it has been a lasting love affair.

I began buying my own oils after that and I never bought one that let me down but I learned that peppermint had a distinctive "bite" and that lavender could just about turn my stomach. As useful as lavender was to me on a regular basis, I could hardly tolerate the smell. I bought books, took courses, joined online groups and kept learning. Pretty quickly I had overhauled our medicine cabinet at home and was using oils EVERYWHERE. They became part of my massage practice once I was licensed, part of my family's bath soaps and shampoos; I kept a eucalyptus blend in the car during sinus flare ups and allergy season; I used the oils to combat personal illnesses and they always worked for me without fail. So, when I first became really aware of doTERRA, the skeptic in me found it hard to believe that they could do anything different for me that my own oils had been doing very nicely. Then I received a small collection of them and, once more, my mind was changed.

The difference was astonishing! They were not just adequate but worked faster and with stronger results than the other oils that I had used faithfully for years. Even my children were impressed! I have been applying them every which way that I can ever since I have gotten them and they are an absolute joy to have. By the way, their peppermint lacks that acrid edge that the oil I had become accustomed had. Instead it was smooth and vaguely sweet and warm. Lavender has ceased to be repulsive. Instead, it is now helping me sleep like a baby. It was always about the quality of the oil. This is a definite case of you get what you pay for.

I am proud to be a wellness advocate for doTERRA because they have empowered me to be a better healer in every aspect of my life. I feel like I have tools available to genuinely help people and the beautiful thing is how education driven this company is. They want you to learn and to be able to go out into the world helping people to better help themselves and to give them excellent tools to create a healing lifestyle. These oils allow me to do so much more for loved ones, clients and myself. If you would like to contact me to ask any questions or to sign up as a wellness advocate, send me an email or a message on Facebook. I would love to hear from you!