Well, it's one more week until Tax Day! My office is all crazy crazy as the big day approaches. Working for an accounting firm is generally calm, cool and collected, except for late March and early April! Then the poop really hits the fan.
Any-who. After a long, long week, I was on the couch all day yesterday with a head cold, but had the wonderful luck of being able to binge watch season 1 of Outlander. My day culminated with the return of (super delicious) Jaime Fraser for the season 2 premier! Love that show!! It's just odd enough to keep you guessing, but sassy enough to keep you watching - kind of like a more realistic Game of Thrones.
Living off the land in 1743 in the Scottish Highlands sounds a bit too outdoorsy for me, but it has been interesting to see how Claire, a woman of the modern day (you know, 1945) adapts to the challenges of traveling to an earlier time. She was a nurse in WWII, but seeing how she is able to transform her medical training to include the herbs and plants available in the 18th century is quite amazing. Essential oils have played a important role in history and have been used for cosmetic purposes, as well as for their spiritually and emotionally uplifting properties. We have all heard what the three kings brought to celebrate the birth of Jesus (Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh), and the ancient Egyptians were masters of using essential oils, even including them in King Tut's tomb.
My sister bought a deluxe starter kit from Young Living Essential Oils in 2014 and I purchased a couple bottles of individual oils, but neither of us ever really took the time to delve into discovering the amazing things that they can be used for. Young Living is a company that strives to put out the finest product possible, and that starts with owning their own farms so that they can control the products from "Seed to Seal".
Recently, we found a podcast by Samantha Lee Wright, The Essential Oil Revolution. Her first episode is titled "Everything you need to know about essential oils (in 20 minutes)." Samantha discusses how to use oils (neat, with carrier oils, diffused or taken internally) and what you might want to use them for. It was the perfect way to open the door to what oils can help with and why you might want to include them in your life.
I then found another YLEO member, Becky Webb, who has posted a series of Periscopes (also housed on Katch.com), titled, "Inside the YL Starter Kit". She is in the process of detailing the kit and each of the oils it contains, one day at a time. It has been so informative to hear about the properties of each of the oils and how they can be used for health, wellness, and around the house.
I'm a huge fan of Lavender and Lemon and I've come to find out that these amazing work-horses can be used for a myriad of things. I got a couple free kindle books on Amazon (here is one) to get a an idea of how to put together recipes and what kinds I might want to use. I found these adorable small roller bottles and these bottles with glass droppers to get started. You want to store anything with essential oils in dark glass, as the oils are strong enough to break down plastic and you don't want any of those nasty plastic chemicals leeching into your skin. Amber or another dark glass is preferred, because oils are incredibly sensitive and deteriorate quickly when exposed to light.
I have used lavender oil, neat, on cuts or sores to speed healing.
I love to put a drop of ginger into my tea to ease digestion issues.
A drop of lemon into a glass of water in the morning can help to detoxify the liver and boost metabolism.
Put a drop each of lavender, lemon and peppermint in water can help with your seasonal symptoms.
A drop each of grapefruit, peppermint, and lime can help curb appetite.
As I sit here at the tail end of a head cold, I have my diffuser cranking with a mix of Thieves and Citrus Blend.
Really, essential oils are easy to add into your life and can be used in so many ways. Creativity is key. Find scents that you like and go with them! Here are a few recipes that I am loving, but give anything a try that sounds good:
Sleep: 10 drops lavender, 5 drops grapefruit, fractionated coconut oil or other carrier oil such as olive oil, almond oil or jojoba oil - rub on bottoms of feet, temples or anywhere else you like so you can smell the amazing lavender to relax you into a restful state
Frank Face Oil: 10 drops frankincense, 5 drops lavender, carrier oil - use a couple of drops in the palm of your hand and rub into your face at night, use a warm washcloth to remove excess
Boobs: 5 drops frankincense, 5 drops lemon (or other limonene containing oil) - rub onto each breast and massage each evening to maintain good breast health (google breast cancer and frankincense - WOW!)
Relieve: 10 drops lavender, 5 drops peppermint and carrier oil - used relieve head tension
Stress: 5 drops cinnamon bark, 5 drops ginger, carrier oil - helps curb your response to stress, support the adrenal glands, and trigger the fat loss switch
Dragon Time: 10 drops Dragon Time and carrier oil in a roller ball bottle - rub on the belly for relief during "that time of the month"
Thieves: 10 drops of Thieves, carrier oil - rub on your temples, bottoms of feet, or wrists when you need some immune system support
Essential oils are an essential part of my healthy life. They can be used in any number of ways to enhance vitality. Start slowly by picking a scent or two that you are drawn to, then do a bit of research to see what qualities they have. The sky is the limit!
If you are ready to join the Young Living family, please use my direct link here.
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