Did you know that yoga can help with stress, tension, back injuries, blood pressure regulation, inflammation, fatigue, and helping to create a positive outlook on life? In fact, that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Yoga supports lymphatic health, eases depression, and so much more. It’s great for all ages and can be especially helpful for mobility and joint support as we age.
I’m super excited to tell y’all about this new book, Essential Yoga Practice: Your Guide to the New Yoga Experience with Essential Oils, co-written by my friend and doTerra Diamond, Asti Atkinson.
Coincidently, I just started doing yoga last week and I’m thoroughly enjoying it. I’m not really the “yoga type” (whatever that is!?!?!) but it’s super relaxing. Another coincidence….my yoga instructor uses essential oils in her practice. It was quite a pleasant surprise the first time she ended the class with a scalp massage while we were laying in corpse position. Loved it!
Whether you are new to yoga (like me) or a yoga pro, I think you’ll love this book. If you love essential oils, I KNOW you will. It has 6 original yoga sequences paired with essential oils. There are lots of photographs so it’s easy to understand. Check out Essential Yoga Practice for more info or pick up a copy on Amazon. The Kindle price is super cheap but you may want a hard copy just for the photos.
If you are currently doing yoga and want to integrate essential oils, here are a few basic suggestions:
Lemon. Lemon has powerful detoxification properties. Yoga is super good at helping the body release toxins. Add a drop or 2 of lemon essential oil to your water to flush all of these nasty toxins out. Be sure and use a glass water bottle only. LifeFactory bottles are great.
Breathe. The oils in Breathe work together to support the respiratory system. Yoga emphasizes deep breathing and expands our oxygen intake. Perfect match! Before or during, deeply inhale Breathe straight from the bottle or place a drop in your hands, inhale & exhale for 60 seconds. Really opens you up.
Balance. This is a grounding blend and a lovely combination of spruce, ho wood oil, frankincense, blue tansy, and blue chamomile. True to it’s name, it promotes emotional and physical balance bringing harmony to the body and mind. Before you begin, inhale balance and set your intentions.
Lavender. If you are utilizing yoga to de-stress, lavender is the perfect companion. Simply apply to your heart and inhale before or during your session.
OnGuard. Gotta clean that yoga mat, right? In a glass spray bottle, mix a few drops of OnGuard with water and spray on your mat. No nasty chemicals, smells good, and it’s an effective cleaner. Personally, I use about 30 drops of OnGuard in a 16 ounce bottle. Here’s a mat that I’m loving these days.
Happy yoga-ing!
P.S. If you are new to the essential oil world and want to pick up some high quality oils, send me an email at steph @ stephanieblue.com and I’ll gladly help.
Are you familiar with spikenard essential oil? You might have read the word “spikenard” or “nard” it in the Bible. It’s mentioned a few times. Let’s take a look at some scripture and then we will dig into the uses and benefits of spikenard essential oil. I think you’re gonna love it!
“While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head.” — Mark 14:3
“Then Mary took about a pint of pure nard, an expensive perfume; she poured it on Jesus’ feet and wiped his feet with her hair. And the house was filled with the fragrance of the perfume.” — John 12:3
‘While the king was on his couch, my nard gave forth its fragrance.” — Song of Solomon 1:12
“Your plants are an orchard of pomegranates with choice fruits, with henna and nard,” — Song of Solomon 4:13
We can tell by these verses that spikenard was highly prized. But just why was it so valuable?
Spikenard is native to Nepal and is a member of the Valerian family. If you are familiar with herbs, then you might recognize valerian as having calming and relaxing properties. Spikenard has the same characteristics.
Spikenard is a very chemically complex essential oil. Because it is so complex, it is good for MANY purposes. Dr. David Hill, doTerra’s Executive Chief Medical Officer, stated that spikenard was much like frankincense in that it is incredibly powerful and potent. Like frankincense, it can be used alongside any other oil for added kick. I’m a fan of layering essential oils when I use them. For example, if you are feeling stressed and apply Balance to your wrists, wait 10 or 20 seconds and apply a layer of spikenard. Extra kick!
Benefits of Spikenard Essential Oil
Mood stabilization, particularly anxious and sad feelings.
Supports healthy blood pressure levels.
Promotes relaxation.
Great for itching skin and mild wound care.
Digestive support. Helps with constipation.
Grounding and calming.
Supports healthy inflammatory response.
Promotes hair growth.
Calms feelings of anger and panic.
Promotes restful sleep.
Supports a healthy female reproductive system.
Boosts the immune system.
How to use Spikenard Essential Oil
Diffuse with other oils to support the mood as needed. Excellent combined with Wild Orange to release feelings of fear.
Dilute with a carrier oil (10% dilution) and apply to the creases in the elbows or back of the neck for calmness and relaxation.
Add a few drops with an unscented lotion, coconut oil, or doTerra’s hydrating lotion for skin support.
Dilute and apply topically to the belly for improved digestion.
Dilute and apply topically as a massage oil for sore muscles.
Layer on top of any other oil for extra power and potency.
To increase hair growth, add 5-10 drops to your shampoo or conditioner.
Can you see the diverse uses of spikenard? It’s good for so many things. Now that you are familiar with the uses and benefits of Spikenard essential oil, how will you use it?
Ready to purchase a bottle, head on over to www.OpenTheBottle.com and I’ll help. You can open a customer account and get 25% off retail prices. I’ll add you to our 2 week essential oil training program and Everyday Essential Oils, our private support group. Lots of essential oil love!
One of the quickest and safest ways to receive the benefits of essential oils is to use them aromatically. This can be as simple as opening the bottle and inhaling. It’s really that easy! At some point in your essential oil journey, you will want an essential oil aromatherapy diffuser. I have several diffusers and recommend this one for a smaller room and this one for a larger area.
Diffusing essential oils has a ton of tremendous benefits. The cleanse the air, impact mood, support relaxation, boost the immune system, help out with emotions, and more. But they also just plain smell good. Purely for smell, here are five of my favorite essential oil diffuser recipes. These all smell amazing. I think you’ll love them. Just let me know what you think!
It’s back to school time. Whether your kiddos are learning at home or at a public or private school, the challenges that they face are the same: improving focus and concentration, reducing stressful feelings, building a strong immune system, and a getting a good night’s sleep. So let’s jump right in. Here are 7 diffuser blends that are great for back to school.
Sleep Tight
4 drops of Serenity
2 drops of wild orange
Test Recall
(use while studying and during test-taking to improve recall)
2 drops of rosemary
2 drops of peppermint
2 drops of lemon
Genius Zone
1 drop of sandalwood
2 drops of frankincense
3 drops of lime
Test Stress Buster
2 drops of lavender
2 drops of marjoram
2 drops of clary sage
Perfect Attendance
(an immune booster)
4 drops of OnGuard
2 drops of arborvitae
Homework Helper
4 drops of Motivate
2 drops of frankincense
Rise n Shine
3 drops of spearmint
2 drops of wild orange
1 drop of lemon
As a homeschooling mama, I use several of these to get me going. I’m partial to doTerra’s Motivate Blend. That goes in my diffuser almost daily. And by the end of the day, I’m slathering myself in the Peace blend.
Have you tried any of these back to school diffuser blends? Which are your favorites?
If you’ve been following the news, then you might be aware of the Johnson & Johnson baby powder scandal. It appears that Johnson & Johnson has known for over 30 years that talc has been linked to ovarian cancer. Instead of placing warnings on their popular baby powder, they chose to start marketing heavily to the Latino and African American market. Really, it’s sad.
Many of us grew up using Johnson & Johnson baby powder. But….when you KNOW better, you do better. Now that you know that there are better options to talc, you can CHOOSE better options. You can purchase talc-free powder. An alternative is to simply make your own baby powder that is not only safer, but actually has beneficial properties. There are many DIY recipes out there; here’s one that’s pretty awesome and really works!
8 drops of essential oil (lavender or Balance work great)
That’s it. Easy peasy. You can pick up most of these ingredients on Amazon and make up a large batch or get together with your mama friends for a DIY baby powder make and take. This also makes a great gift for the new mom. And this powder isn’t just for babies; you might find that you love it too.
Some things in life are expected. When you expect something, you can prepare for it. It’s pretty standard that July 4 will be filled with picnics and fireworks. If this is typical for your family, keep your essential oils handy because you will definitely need them.
Last year, my family was at a July 4 party. My husband’s band was playing. There was plenty of food. General good times. When dusk hit, the fireworks started. Unfortunately, there was a little mishap and firework sparks struck a woman nearby. A few minutes later, this woman comes over to me and says, “Someone told me that you might be able to help. My skin is really irritated.” Of course, I had my essential oils. I applied a bit of lavender and it helped. Moral of the story: Be prepared and keep your oils handy.
So what exactly do you need to have on hand? Here are a few suggestions:
DigestZen
Did you overindulge at the BBQ? Too much potato salad at the picnic? Experiencing occasional indigestion? DigestZen is it! This stuff eases feelings of queasiness. It also helps to reduce gas and bloating. All you have to do is rub a drop on your tummy or chest.* Amazing!
Serenity
Do the neighborhood fireworks frighten your dog? Are fireworks going off late and keeping your baby awake? If this is you, Serenity will become your BFF. This is a calming blend of Roman Chamomile, lavender, marjoram, and ylang yang. It is soothing and relaxing. Perfect to calm when tensions are high. It’s good for baby and Fido, too. One drop does the trick.*
TerraShield
Are mosquitos ruining your holiday fun? Too many flying and crawling pests? You need TerraShield. TerraShield acts as an insect repellant and keeps the pests away. It is a blend of essential oils, diluted in fractionated coconut oil. No nasty synthetics or toxic chemicals. It’s safe for everyone in the family. TerraShield comes in a handy spray bottle (optional) and is super easy to use. Just spray on. That’s it.
Lavender
Did your redneck uncle get a wee bit crazy with the fireworks? I live in Georgia and these things happen. We all have that one relative who takes things a little bit too far. This is where your lavender comes in handy. Remember my story above? Lavender helps. You can apply it directly to the skin irritation. It’s pretty awesome.
That’s it friends. Those four little essential oil will help keep your family feeling healthy, safe and protected during the July 4 festivities. If you are in the Independence Day spirit, here’s a piece that I did on just exactly what freedom means to me. Happy days!
* It’s always good practice to dilute your essential oils. For dilution ratios, check out this post. You can also purchase the doTerra Touch kit with pre-diluted oils that are ready to roll. And,
