essential oils & giveaway!

“I believe that there is a subtle magnetism in Nature, which, if we unconsciously yield to it, will direct us aright.”  ~Henry David Thoreau

Our sense of smell has a lot of importance on our psychology, behavior, and quality of life. We associate quite a lot with different fragrances; from the comfort-invoking smell of cinnamon in the kitchen to the hunt for pheromones that chemically align with us in choosing a mate.

Lavender

Not only are essential oils extremely pleasing to our sense of smell, they aid in improving our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being. Made via steam distillation from flowers, trees, roots, shrubs, and seeds, their chemical makeup provides many benefits in balancing us, including anxiety, stress and depression relief. Depending on the oil you use, the effects will certainly vary; from the uplifting scent of Sweet Orange to the soothing and grounding scent of Sandalwood. They are fun to work with and meditate on.

Some Ways to Use Essential Oils

• Aromatherapy: the inhalation of essential oils  improves physical and emotional well-being. There are many different ways to infuse essential oils from buying an infuser to using common household items for steam inhalation. You can even add a few drops to the shower or sauna to liven up the air!
• Bodywork: essential oils can be added to a carrier oil or lotion to add physical and emotional benefits to a massage or body-based treatment.
• Baths: Diluting a few drops of an appropriate essential oil in some warm water before adding it to a warm bath may benefit the entire body. (Ex: Lavender for extra muscular and emotional relaxation)
• Compresses: Using a hot or cold compress with a few drops of an indicated essential oil can target bruises, sprains, muscle aches, and menstrual pain to name a few. : )
• Hair Care: Rosemary, sage, and tea tree oils are often found in shampoos, conditioners and hair products. You may consider adding these oils to your own!
• PLEASE NOTE: Never drink or consume essential oils! Some may be used in cooking or baking but you must, must, must do your research before taking that on! : )

Through the years, people have worked creatively with essential oils making blends to target specific moods, chakra alignments, or element phases in Chinese Medicine. I have enjoyed incorporating essential oils with my bodywork and acupuncture treatments and have grown quite an interest in the products Snow Lotus (snowlotus.org) has to offer. After singing their praises in regards to the profound effects their oils have had on myself and my patients, they generously offered to give a lovely gift set of lavender, rose, bergamot, and eucalyptus to a lucky TLL reader!

Snow Lotus Aromatherapy Sampler Giveaway!

Some (and by no means all) benefits of these oils:

• Lavender: Benefits include skin, circulation, respiratory, digestive, and nervous system improvement. From acne to allergies, aches and pains, stress and depression… lavender is versatile and beneficial:
• Rose: Targets stress, depression, mature skin, and menopause, to name a few. Emotionally, rose oil may be helpful during times of grief and when used in low concentrations, may be helpful for insomnia.
• Bergamot: Stress, anxiety, acne, depression, itching, loss of appetite, oily skin, psoriasis
• Eucalyptus: Arthritis, bronchitis, colds, coughing, fever, flu, poor circulation, sinusitis. May help relieve headaches.

Just comment on this post why you would like to win! Winners will be randomly selected on Friday, February 24th!

Happy scents to you! : )

love.

“Love grows by giving. The love we give away is the only love we keep. The only way to retain love is to give it away…” ~Elbert Hubbard.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you!  This day has so many different interpretations of its meaning; ranging from extreme romance to “just another Hallmark holiday.” Whatever your feelings, no matter who you are and what your relationship status is, it cannot be denied that love IS always in the air!

There are so many ways that love is expressed to and from us that we often overlook. When you start tuning in and really connect to another’s intention (or your own) you will soon feel that love is constantly pouring from our hearts! In return, these feelings feed us to continue to do random acts of kindness, express our feelings, and help our community…

Enjoy this list of love I created to inspire and remind you that there is always love and goodness within and around us… and please feel free to comment and add gestures of love that you’ve experienced!

Hand holding

EVERYDAY, LOVE IS IN THE AIR

• A genuine smile given or received
• A hug and kiss
• Sending a random letter, e-mail, facebook post, or text to let someone know you are thinking of them
• Holding the door open for a stranger
• Getting treated to a coffee or tea, “just because”
• Saying “I love you” because you mean it
• Hearing “I love you” because you are loved
• Laughter… it comes straight from the heart!
• Supporting others’ endeavors
• Being comfortable in your own skin, even if only for a moment, is self-love and absolutely beautiful.
• Truly listening or being listened to
• Having a partner, friend, or family member plan an entire day or night just for you!
• Being accepted for all the moods you experience in a given day : )
• Knowing when to say “I’m sorry”
• Home made letters or gifts
• Flowers!
• Any form of contact; massage, hand holding…
• A compliment given or received
• Giving or receiving a gift, “just because”
• Cleaning the home is a sign of love and respect for your shared space.
• Having a partner, friend, and/or family member’s shoulders to cry on.
• Being a shoulder for a partner, friend, and/or family member to cry on.
• Cooking a meal for yourself and others. So much love is put into creating food, and everyone loves to feel nourished!
• Volunteering or donating in your community
• Forgiveness
• Singing and dancing; creative expressions of the love in us!
• Saying and hearing “thank you”
• Telling someone (or being told) how beautiful they are.
• Practicing compassionate, unconditional, self-love and acceptance. : )

Sending  love to you every day of the year!! <3

break through.

“Dare to break through barriers, to find your own path.”  – Les Brown

In this year’s Chinese calendar, the first day of Spring occurred on February 5th.  In the classics, this is the time to walk outside in the gardens and let your hair down . It is the time to observe nature and see the cherry blossoms blooming while all other life potential is preparing to burst to the surface and sprout.  When we are in harmony with ourselves and nature, there is a forward momentum in the energetics of Spring that reflects the immense possibility of creativity, flexibility, and growth.

I’ve had some interesting thoughts surrounding this energetic shift, reflecting on  how (more often than we’d like) we get trapped in our daily routines, thoughts, and perceptions which tends to lead to stagnation and lack of growth in our lives.   Think of all the potential in us that is often never brought to light. Instead of tapping into our resources we are side tracked with legitimate responsibilities, busy work, internet, television, and constant stimuli that are all time-consuming and sometimes mind numbing.

Without getting too extreme on the negative side of this, I wanted to focus on the momentum of breaking through these patterns. If you’re living your day-to-day life feeling unfulfilled, ungrateful, or stuck, what’s holding you back? Are external forces really so strong to stop you from manifesting what it truly is that you want? Do you need to allow yourself days to limit how often you are “plugged in” in order to check in with yourself? I feel like we are all going to be on a life long quest to discover the rhymes and reasons behind all the obstacles within ourselves, but for now let these thoughts wash over you and maybe something will resonate… : )

1. Change, momentum, and transformation start with YOU, no one else. If you haven’t made that decision to make that positive change in your life, ask yourself why? What is it within you that is holding you back?
2. Practicing compassion through speaking words that are your truth will never lead you astray… and often will lead to new possibilities. The more you are true to yourself and those around you, the more solid ground you have underneath you to support your growth. Not only that, the more you are able to speak your truth, the less negativity/worry/resentment (…etc) you will harbor inside that wonderful mind and body of yours. This will lead to more mental space available for the important things (like creativity, love, expression and growth!)
3. When you are truly listening to your body, mind, and spiritual needs, you are not being judged as much as you think. Making a decision for yourself does not label you selfish, inconsiderate, or irresponsible. The #1 person you need to take care of is Y-O-U! If you’re not happy and nourished, how do you expect everything and everyone around you to be happy and nourished? It starts with a little bit each day. Stop and think, “what have I done just for me today to feel truly nourished?”
4. Try that creative endeavor you’ve always wanted to! Why not?! It can be renewing, meditative, and can guide you to how you’re meant to creatively express yourself in the world. You’ll never know unless you try. : ) If you’re one to say things like “I’ve always wanted to take photography!” or “That dance class would be so much fun!” give it a shot…  just think about all that potential inside of you that has yet to reach the light; it is quite powerful!
5. Take an inventory of the things that ARE working in your life and figure out ways to enhance them. If it is a relationship, continue to put energy into making it thrive and grow! If it is a hobby, make an effort to learn more about it, do it more, or fit it into your life more often. It is surprising how focusing on what makes us tick already, will open our eyes to a world of more possibilities, deeper connections, and a greater sense of knowing how we want to be in this world.

As you feel the Spring come out of Winter storage, take a moment to invite that natural burst of energy into your own life to guide you on your own forward moving journey. : )