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If you've ever heard of essential oils you might have wondered what they're all about, what they're good for, and how to even use them. Taking a different approach to your family's health usually comes with some kind of learning curve, as do most new things! The good news is that natural health can be easy and fun! Let me explain.  Each month I lead an essential oil Make & Take Workshop. I love to do this at Mind Body Life Transformation Center here in Highlands Ranch. It's a fantastic boutique yoga studio focused on small classes and big community. Yes, I'm biased. I teach there. Psst! Come do yoga with me! But really, it's great space for these workshops. Why do we do them? Great question! 1. Help people lower their learning curve We all know how to use Tylenol. Most of us grew up with it. We saw our parents or other family members use it. You can find it pretty easily. Doctors suggest it. We're comfortable with it. Not the case with essential oils. Most people start to look at natural options for a few reasons:
So, we fill that gap. We take the time to help people learn, connect them to a community where they can ask questions and learn from each other, and we help them feel better, more of the time. We help people make the blends to support their needs and understand how to use the essential oils to address what's most important to them. It seems overwhelming when you've never done it, but trust me, it's not that hard!  2. Learn how to become their own best health advocate. Our health doesn't have to be one big mystery. What’s going on in our bodies and our minds is every bit of our business, and we can actually do something about it! We are all so unique and our health is impacted by many factors such as our genetics, personal history, diet, lifestyle, stress levels, and more. No one doctor is going to have the vast amount of knowledge that we have of our own bodies. You are the only one that possesses that wealth. We see commercials telling us to ask our doctor about some such drugs, but really, what does it mean to be your own health advocate? For me, it means knowing how to listen to your body, tuning into yourself (through meditation, journaling, being aware of your diet, mindful breathing, yoga) so you can accurately describe & understand symptoms, and feel more connected to what’s going on in your body & your mind. It means being willing to ask questions, to learn, to experiment, and to know your own limitations. I am by no means against Western medicine. However, I am completely for taking a natural approach first, & then working in conjunction with our health care providers when needed, adding our own expertise to theirs.  So what do we do?
Sound like something you'd like to do too? If you're in the Denver metro, you can always attend a monthly Make & Take! Our next one is all about Emotions. Here is the link to the evite.  Not in the area, but really want to come? Message me! We'll figure out the best way for you to get oily too!
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Truth Bomb: (n) A fact spoken in clear, easy to understand terms and without bias; A fact or piece of knowledge that, when told to a listener, is devastating to the listener's argument or world view.  image courtesy of imgur.com We're all taught early on that lying is bad. As kids we learn to do it anyway. I see my own 3 and 5-year old lie. I mean I hear it too, but really, let's be honest, we can see it. It's usually for one of a few reasons: 1. They know they been told they should NOT do/have something, but their desire to do/have that thing is way stronger than their ability to control or postpone their desire. 2. They don't want me or my husband to be upset with them, so they do what they can to avoid that outcome and those feelings of us being sad or disappointed, them feeling sad or ashamed...while still doing/having what they shouldn't. Lying really is just a tool, isn't it? It's a tool we use from early on for self-preservation. We want to continue with the status quo (what people think of us, what we think of ourselves) while shaking it up at the same time. And it takes many forms:
 When I was little I adored the series Anne of Green Gables. There is a moment when Anne, walking with her teacher Ms. Stacey, find herself in a pickle and wrongfully accused. She struggles with how to deal with it, and Ms. Stacey tells her, "No matter what anyone accuses you of, in the end, the truth will set you free". And it's true, the truth will set your free. It just might hurt a little first. Because truth can be both liberating and painful. It often starts as a flutter and we can take a long time to acknowledge it. Other times it hits hard and fast, like a freight train. If we pay attention to our bodies when we speak, hear, or read a truth, we find it is very much a visceral feeling. It might be a pit in our stomach, a nervous twitch, a headache, likely accompanied by a shallow breath, or even a holding of our breath if it's the painful variety. The liberating truths tend to feel light, effervescent, warming. I think we all agree that feels so much better! We can think of Satya, or Truthfulness, in two ways: 1. Speaking our truth 2. Living our truth Speaking our truth means we have a strong sense of integrity. We mean what we say and say what we mean. Think of the phrase "she's a straight shooter". We often appreciate our friends and family who don't mince their words. They're not rude, they are just honest. In Spanish this translates as "Tiene palabra" literally "she/he has word", figuratively "her word is good, solid, and has truth". We trust these people because they are consistent with their word, they follow through on it. They don't just say "it's fine" when it really isn't. They trust their thoughts, feelings and words completely, so they express them, even when it's a little scary. They don't lie because it creates a gap or separation from their inner self. Living our truth means integrity too, but across all areas of our life. We mean what say, and we act and think in agreement with our truth. We trust our choices, we choose our thoughts. We live out our truth and it fits, it feels good. When we go along with something that doesn't feel right, or do something for someone else's sake that doesn't sit well with us, when we try to fit someone else's map onto our own, it's like a tight shoe. It pinches, hurts if we wear it too much, and sometimes causes damage. And we know, right? We know when something doesn't feel right. Our gut doesn't lie. With good reason we say things like "trust your gut" or when someone asks us for advice we say "what does your gut tell you?" That's the seat of our Emotional Guidance System. It is literally our second brain, influencing our mood and mental health, determining the strength of our immune system, feeding our bodies in every sense of the word. So listen. Listen to your gut, both on and off the mat.  How do you apply this on the mat? Listen to your body throughout your practice. Become aware of your breath. Stop and take a resting pose or water break when you need it. Push when it feels right to do so. Be truthful with yourself about your limitations, whether that day or longer term as you're working on challenging poses. How do you apply this off the mat?
Essential oils to try:
What about Satya resonates the most for you? Share below and let us know! Together we thrive. |
Welcome!I'm Tonia, a Midwesterner transplanted to Colorado. I'm a mom of two lovely littles, a yoga instructor, DIY-er, teacher, stay at home mom, and a doTERRA Wellness Advocate. I blog about a little bit of all of these and everything in between! 
Are you looking for natural health options, but don't know where to start? Book a 1-on-1 appointment with me! We'll spend about 30 minutes getting to know your health goals and concerns, learn a bit about doTERRA, and go over the most commonly used oils that meet your needs. You don't have to buy anything, but if you see something you like, of course I can help you!
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