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Who doesn't love a good flower? I don't know about you, but having something alive, colorful and gorgeous in my home always makes me feel better. Surprise me with them and it's like Christmas morning! There is something to having flowers in the home, and to using floral essential oils. Floral scents can evoke all sorts of emotions & memories. While the scents of flowers have strong physiological effects, the color and even the shape of flowers can have psychological healing effects. Usually, less saturated and brighter colors tend to be more relaxing, while bold saturated colors will energize you. A bunch with colors that fall near each other on the color wheel will also be more calming, kind of like in home decorating. If the colors are opposite each other, they tend to have a stimulating effect.
There is a lot of power in plants, and in the florals particularly. As a group, floral essential oils are calming and harmonizing. Floral oils have a huge impact on our emotions. They are widely used in aromatherapy because of their ability to invoke positive thoughts and feelings of joy, happiness and hope. Floral essential oils can boost self esteem, confidence, and mental strength, while fighting feelings of depression and anxiousness. They can also support us during times of grief, irritability, stress, and anger, creating instead a feeling of calm, happiness, and peace. All that and more from a little flower!  Here is a quick dive into the floral essential oils and how you can use them!  Lavender Lavender is probably one of the best known, and most widely recognized, floral scents. It is best known, and most used, for it's calming and relaxing qualities, though it is truly a versatile oil. it is considered the must-have oil to have on hand at all times! Lavender is the oil of Communication, aiding in verbal expression, encouraging emotional honesty, and unlocks fears of being seen and heard. You can use it Topically, Aromatically or Internally to:
 Clary Sage Clary Sage is an amazing oil for women especially as it is helpful during any stage of our cycle. The main chemical component of Clary Sage is linalyl acetate, part of the esters group, making it one of the most relaxing, soothing, and balancing essential oils. It is the oil of Clarity and Vision, assisting us in changing our perceptions, opening and clearing creative channels, and re-aligning us with our intuition. Clary Sage can be used Topically, Internally, and Aromatically to:
 Geranium Geranium essential oil use dates back to ancient Egypt when Egyptians used Geranium oil to beautify skin and for other benefits. In the Victorian era, fresh geranium leaves were placed at formal dining tables as decorative pieces and to be consumed as a fresh sprig if desired; in fact, the edible leaves and flowers of the plant are often used in desserts, cakes, jellies, and teas. It is the oil of Love and Trust, facilitating trust, softening anger and healing the heart. Geranium can be used Topically, Internally, and Aromatically to:
 Roman Chamomile Chamomile is a floral you might be familiar with from the tea made from it's flowers. Roman Chamomile can also be found in face creams, drinks, hair dyes, shampoos, and perfumes. Roman Chamomile has a calming effect on the skin, mind, and body, and it soothes body systems. It is also a super gentle oil, making it perfect for the youngest and most sensitive in your family. Roman Chamomile can be used Topically, Internally, and Aromatically to:
 Ylang Ylang Ylang Ylang essential oil is derived from the star-shaped flowers of the tropical Ylang Ylang tree and is used extensively in making perfumes and in aromatherapy. Similar to Jasmine, Ylang Ylang has been used for centuries in religious and wedding ceremonies. It is considered the oil of the Inner Child, allowing for freedom, playfulness, heart healing and joy to be more present. Ylang Ylang blends well with Bergamot, Geranium, Grapefruit, and Vetiver. Ylang Ylang can be used Topically, Internally, and Aromatically to:
 Helichrysum The name “Helichrysum” is derived from the Greek “helios” meaning sun and “chrysos” meaning gold, referring to the color of the flowers. Helichrysum has been used in herbal health practices since ancient Greece and the oil is highly valued and sought after for its many health benefits. It is the oil for Pain, both physical and emotional. It can be helpful during times of loss, trauma, or addiction as it promotes courage, healing, transformation, perseverance and determination. Use it all three ways to:
 Melissa Melissa is also known as lemon balm, received the name “Melissa” because of its sweet, fresh, citrus-like fragrance, which was known to attract bees (Melissa is Greek for “honey bee”). It is one of the rarest and most expensive oils, Melissa has a wide range of health benefits and uses. Energetically, Melissa is the oil of Light. It can help to awaken the soul and remind who we truly are by re-connecting us with our inner voice. Melissa promotes feelings of liberation, optimism, spiritual connection and integrity. Use it all three ways to:
 Now that you know a bit more about some of the florals tell me, which could you most use right now? Comment below and let us know! And as always, if you would like to bring doTERRA essential oils into your home, contact me for a personal consultation or, if you already know what you need, check out my Getting Started page today!
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How often to do pay attention to your breath? You probably notice it when you feel out of breath, or you've got a good scare and suddenly you take in a big rush of air. Perhaps when you get caught in those contagious yawns! All of the sudden our breath becomes extremely apparent and we can be almost hyper aware of it. But, most of the time, we just breathe (or not) without really paying any attention to it at all. Yay for the automatic functions of our bodies!  image courtesy of yogabliss.me A big part of yoga, arguably more important than all the poses and postures we often see, is Pranayama. Prana = life force, energy, or the breath sustaining the body. On a deeper level, it's the energy that moves and sustains the universe, or dare we say, it IS the universe. Ayama = to extend or draw out. Pranayama = control / extension of the breath. It's the third limb of the yoga tree, represented by the leaves below, which makes a ton of sense really, since plants breathe through their leaves.  image courtesy of benoityoga.com We probably know that our breath changes based on all kinds of conditions. Sometimes it's shorter, deeper, more labored, shallow. We even hold it without realizing it! All kinds of conditions can affect our breath: our environment or change to it (shock of cold air anyone?), our mood, the people we're with, whether we're walking through a haunted house at Halloween or hanging at the beach sipping an umbrella drink. These changes and fluctuations of our breath tend to follow the changes and fluctuations of our minds, our thoughts, our reactions. Pranayama is a practice to channel the breath or internal stores of energy. If we even out, or control, the breath, we can then even out, or control, the mind (thoughts, emotions, reactions). When we feel nervous, we can intentionally deepen the breath and send messages to our nervous system that we'll be ok. When we get overwhelmed by anger, we can tune in to our breath and slow down to respond rather than react.  Whether you're already practicing yoga or not, you can easily start to practice pranayama. It's actually probably better to start it apart from a yoga class or home yoga practice. When you're focused on the movement of the body and getting into postures, your attention is definitely NOT on the breath! Taking 10-15 minutes to start a pranayama practice helps you to focus on the breath, the inner self, and experience fully stillness and steadiness in both mind and body. I think you'll find that once you take time to practice pranayama on it's own, you might have a spontaneous awareness of it during a yoga class, or you might be able to start intentionally adding it into a home yoga practice.  image courtesy of fitstylelife.com Here's how to get started:
 Bring in some essential oils!
So many essential oils can be really useful for a pranayama practice, not mention your overall physical, mental and emotional health. Here are a few to try:
How to use your oils for Pranayama: Whether you're teaching a pranayama class or practicing on your own, there are some easy ways to start to use essential oils to strengthen your experience.
Want to add some essential oils to your pranayama practice? Check out the great resources I have to help you! You can learn more about doTERRA oils, how to use them, and even find some great suggestions for a custom yoga starter kit. Tried some pranayama yourself? Let us know how it went, what you noticed, and which oil you used if you tried one! |
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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