For several reasons, when left to my own devices I tend to get easily overwhelmed by the stresses of my life. That is why I was drawn to essential oils and why I love Young Living’s therapeutic-grade essential oils. Using the oils consistently has caused me to be much more “laid back” than I would otherwise be. I know this about myself and thus choose to use oils frequently and with joy. Using therapeutic-grade essential oils is one of ways I am able maintain emotional balance.
I am always impressed with the blend Peace & Calming. Diffusing this blend really does make a difference in my mood…and my husband’s too! One day my husband called me on his cell phone, ranting about his frustrating day. That caused me to tense up and my stomach to knot up. I decided we both needed Peace & Calming. I put 15 drops of the blend into my diffuser and let it run for a couple of hours until my husband got home from work, filling up our house with the relaxing scent of citrus oils, ylang ylang, patchouli and blue tansy. I was soon feeling better, but how would my husband act when he got home? When I heard him coming up the driveway, I turned off the diffuser so he didn’t know what I was up to. For the first few minutes he was grumpy but soon he began to relax and was in a good mood for the rest of the evening. An important note on this experience is that my husband doesn’t think he likes essential oils. That’s why I did not make a production of running my diffuser in front of him. Why add to his stress?! The oil molecules that were still in the air were enough to help him release the negativity and relax. Cool, huh?!
I attribute this to the way essential oils work. Essential oils are volatile, meaning they evaporate, and the fragrance of oils are present in the evaporated gases. When essential oils are diffused into the air, the tiny healing molecules are inhaled through the nose. At the base of our brain, in the area above our nose, sit the olfactory bulbs. Think of a bulb with tiny hairlike nerve extensions, or odor receptors. These odor receptors are stimulated by and attract fragrance molecules. When these receptors grab pure, truly therapeutic essential oils, amazing changes happen to our moods and emotional states. The odor receptors send messages to the limbic system in the brain, which then creates a chain of responses throughout the whole body. The limbic system includes the amygdala, hypothalamus, hippocampus and several other glands that affect our emotions and stress response. Simply smelling therapeutic-grade essential oils – whether breathing them from the bottle or diffusing them in your home – can change your brain chemistry.
So, next time you are told to “take a few deep breaths and calm down”, remember to grab your bottle of Peace & Calming!
Here are a few ways to use Peace & Calming:
- Rub 1-2 drops of Peace & Calming oil on the bottom of the feet and on the shoulders before bedtime to get good quality sleep.
- Diffuse in the room to calm overactive or hard to manage children. (or husbands!)
- Mix with massage oil for a relaxing massage.
- Mix with Bath Gel Base in warm water for a relaxing bath.
- To help stop nocturnal teeth grinding, diffuse while sleeping.
Peace & Calming Fact Sheet (pdf)
Home Diffuser Fact Sheet (pdf)
