Okay.  I admit it.  The way I celebrate the holiday season has been steadily changing over the last few years.  I am moving farther and farther away from the modern-day ‘commercialized’ holiday and instead consciously working toward more ‘heart-centered’  celebrations that focus on healthy food and connecting with family and friends.  The gifts I give are personalized and meaningful and have either been handmade or are healthy for the recipient AND the planet.  Since Young Living Essential Oils are medicinal, or therapeutic grade, they make excellent gifts and stocking stuffers.  One is only limited by their imagination.  Here are a few of my suggestions:

• Instead of gifting expensive cologne made from synthetic fragrances commonly synthesized from toxic petroleum distillates, essential oil blends Joy™ or Sensation™ make a healthy alternative.
• A diffuser and Christmas Spirit™ or Thieves® essential oil to purify and scent the air.  Perfect for a teacher to use in the classroom or for the student on your list to keep dorm rooms germ-free and smelling like an evergreen tree or a flower instead of stinky gym socks.
• The  Everyday Oils or Essential 7™ kits, which contains essential oils for everyday use, for new or veteran moms who are looking to raise their children in a non-toxic environment.
• Sacred Mountain™ and 3 Wise Men™ to enhance meditation and yoga.
• Give a gift certificate for a massage accompanied by a bottle of Valor® or Highest Potential™ essential oil.  Have their therapist incorporate the oil into their massage.
• Make bath salts by adding a few drops of Raven™ or Peace & Calming® to a jar of epsom salts and mixing until well-blended.
• A friend and I created our own blend we called ‘Silly’ by combining Inner Child™ and Joy™ and applying it to—the funny bone!  Create a your own customized Friendship Blend for someone special in your life by combining two or three essential oils and naming it in honor of the recipient.

Recommended products:  Joy™, Sensation™, Christmas Spirit™, Thieves®, Essential 7™, Everyday Oils, Sacred Mountain™, 3 Wise Men™, Valor®, Highest Potential™, Raven™, Peace & Calming®, Inner Child™.

Yoga is an ancient discipline that originated in India. It focuses on joining the physical and spiritual bodies through poses (asanas) and meditation. Archaeological discoveries suggest that yoga originated sometime between 3300 to 1700 BC. Today, yoga is experiencing increased popularity worldwide as a form of relaxation, a way of deepening the mind-body connection, and as a method of total body exercise.

Essential oils naturally complement yoga by supporting physical and mental strength and focus through the science of aromatherapy. Essential oils are extremely versatile and have many practical applications in yoga, including techniques for complementing pranayama, meditation, relaxation, post-practice, and for cleansing and purifying the yoga space. Essential oils are also used to activate and balance the energy centers—or the chakra system–of the body.

Therapeutic Grade Essential Oils can create an environment that supports deeper yoga practice.  Below is a basic guide of how to use Young Living Oils during your yoga and meditation practice.

Before Practice

• Purify:  Diffusing single essential oils like lemon, grapefruit or essential oil blends like Citrus Fresh™, Thieves™, Purification™ before or in between yoga class will purify the air while bringing a refreshing, uplifting energy to the space.
• Cleanse:  for cleaning and disinfecting the studio floor, use all natural Thieves™ Household Cleaner.  This non-toxic product is safe for hardwood floors and can also be used for cleaning yoga mats and bathroom surfaces.

During Practice

• Meditation (dhyana):  Diffuse or directly inhale oils such as lavender, frankincense or Peace and Calming™ for a deepened, more relaxed experience.
• Breathing (pranayama):  The pure aroma of essential oils such as frankincense, peppermint or Raven™ assist in opening pathways to a more emotional state of mind via the pineal gland and can help bring more oxygen to the brain.
• Exercise (asana):  Topical application of peppermint or Young Living blends such as Deep Relief™ essential oil roll-on or Pan-Away™ may help alleviate muscle soreness and tension. Peppermint can also aid to increase focus and mental clarity, and when added to a cool glass of water, can help sooth minor stomach discomfort.  Lavender essential oil can also be used to decrease post-practice muscle irritation.

Recommended Products:  Lemon, grapefruit, lavender, frankincense, peppermint, Citrus Fresh™, Thieves™, Purification™, Thieves™ Household Cleaner, Peace and Calming™, Raven™, Deep Relief™ roll-on, Pan-Away™.

Is there really a ‘fight’ against  illness?

We hear these common phrases on a daily basis:

“The fight against breast cancer.”
“The fight against heart disease.”
“The fight against leukemia.”

What are we fighting?  Is there a war going on in our bodies?

Perhaps a different perspective is in order.  As living organisms, we constantly respond to our environment.  If we are in a favorable environment, our bodies respond favorably.  If we are in a not so favorable environment, our bodies respond in kind there also.  There is a subtle balance that needs to be struck for our bodies to maintain optimum health.

So if we were to regularly put our bodies in a not so favorable environment by, let’s say, eating unhealthy foods or drinking impure water or putting toxic chemicals on our skin or breathing polluted air or surrounding ourselves with negative people or thinking negative thoughts, how do you suppose our bodies are going to respond?  Do you think that over time, our bodies might begin to respond unfavorably, as in developing symptoms of illness?  And if we ignored these messages disguised as illness from our bodies, do you suppose that over time, our bodies might crank it up a little louder in the form of a full blown disease?  And at that point, if we are not aware, will we raise our arms in disbelief and anger, cursing the fate that was handed to us?  Will we begin assaulting our bodies with synthetic pharmaceuticals and treatments and perhaps cutting out the offending body part with a scalpel in search of that magic bullet for health?  Will we never consider the simple act of bringing our bodies back into balance?  We want to take a pill and get past it while we continue to regularly put our bodies in a not so favorable environment.  And there is only one way for that situation to end.  And it is not a favorable one.

Ours is a just ’cause and effect’ universe.  There are no mysteries.  Only answers.  Reclaim responsibility for your health.  Bring your body back into balance.  Therapeutic grade Young Living Essential Oils work with your body to aid in regaining that balance.  And with corresponding lifestyle changes on your part, you can put your body back in a favorable environment.  Because remember, there is no magic bullet.

Oil Cleansing Method with Young Living Essential Oils

What do you use to cleanse your face?

If you are like most women, your answer will range somewhere between expensive, department store or all natural cleansers to good old soap and water.  This is all fine and well except for the problems of commercial skin care products.  For the most part, retail skin care products are:

• ineffective:  most retail facial cleansers strip your skin of it’s protective mantle.  This causes your skin to produce more oil.  This causes you to buy stronger products to eliminate the oil, which causes your skin to…..  You get the picture.  A vicious cycle.
• toxic:  most commercial skin care produces are laden with petroleum-based and other toxic chemicals that have been proven to be carcinogenic or toxic to your liver, kidneys, heart, lungs and brain.  Why do we do this to ourselves?
• expensive:  face it, $64 for 3 ounces of lotion that is ineffective and/or toxic is, well, expensive!

A few months ago I read about the Oil Cleansing Method, or OCM.  The Oil Cleansing Method is a system for cleaning your face using oil.  Yes, you read that right!  Oil!  The basic method uses a mixture of castor oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil.  Last month I finally gathered the supplies and began to experiment.  After four weeks, I can wholeheartedly proclaim that not only is the Oil Cleansing Method easy, it is EFFECTIVE.  Blemishes, as in whiteheads and blackheads, are fading and my skin is feeling soft and smooth.  Not bad for inexpensive, organic ingredients that are easy to obtain.  Plus, you can easily customize the mixture for your skin type with therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living.  Oo-la-la!

GETTING STARTED

The basic OCM (Oil Cleansing Method) blend is of castor oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Castor oil is fantastic at drawing out dirt, bacteria and other nasty stuff trapped in your pores, while healing your skin. Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) works as a moisturizer and is fortified with antioxidants.  Some OCM users cut out the EVOO all together–especially those with oily or acne-prone skin, since it is a heavier oil and in rare cases has even caused people to break out.  You could replace the EVOO with other oils such as almond, grapeseed, jojoba, apricot kernel or safflower oil.  Experiment to find out which works best for you.  OCM works for all ages, men or women.

The typical starting ratio is 1:1 castor oil to EVOO.  If your skin is oily or acne-prone, use more castor oil or a 3:1 ratio castor oil to EVOO.  For dry or flaky skin, a 1:3 ratio castor oil to EVOO is good.  Again, experiment to find what works best for your skin type.  I found that when I first began using the OCM, my complexion became slightly worse before it got better.  I attributed this to the fact that the oils were drawing out impurities.  Stick with it and you will come out the other side with clear, radiant, glowing skin.

PROCEDURE

1. Begin by mixing a small amount of the oils, according to the above ratios, in a small bottle, preferably glass.  I began with 2 teaspoons each of castor oil and EVOO.  I then added one drop each of geranium, rose and sandalwood therapeutic grade essential oil from Young Living.  When you have established the optimum ratio for your skin, you can then make a larger batch.
2. Before bedtime, pour about a quarter size amount of oil in the palm of your hand, rub your hands together to warm the oil and apply over your entire face and neck.  No need to remove make-up or wet your face first.  Gently massage the oil into your skin for about 3-5 minutes, massaging your entire face and neck, even including your eyelids.
3. Steam your face.  This can be accomplished in one of two ways.  You can fill a bowl or the sink with hot water, cover our head with a towel and hold your head over the steaming water.  The easy way is to soak a face cloth with hot water, wring it out, then place the hot cloth directly over your face and neck until the cloth becomes cool.  This process opens your pores so the oils can begin to give you a deep cleanse.
4. Gently massage your face again.
5. Wet the face cloth again with hot water and gently wipe the oil off of your face.  You might need to rinse the cloth and wipe your face 2-3 times.
6. If your skin feels dry or tight, lightly pat a few drops of your oil blend over your face with your fingertips.
7. Admire your beautiful face in the mirror!

NOTES

In the morning, I just rinse my face with cool water and I am ready to go.  Some individuals might want to use the OCM in the morning as well.  Again, experiment and let your body tell you what to do.

I must also emphasize the importance of eating a healthy diet and drinking plenty of water.  Our skin is the outer reflection of our inner condition.  Stress also has a negative effect on our skin.

Essential Oils Beneficial for Skin

When choosing essential oils for personal use or health care, it is imperative that you use therapeutic grade essential oils.  Essential oils that are not therapeutic grade could contain harmful additives that would do your skin more harm than good.

• Chamomile–calming to irritated skin, soothes dry, sensitive skin
• Clary Sage–promotes regeneration of skin cells, improves acne, helps ward off wrinkles
• Frankincense–smothes lines and wrinkles, balances oily skin, accelerates healing of blemishes, inflammations
• Geranium–regenerates skin cells and speeds healing, marts a healthy glow, giving skin a radiant and youthful appearance,
• Helichrysum–Restorative properties to mature skin, effective sunscreen
• Jasmine–regulates oil production, helps to moisturize dry, dehydrated or mature skin
• Lavender–good for all skin types, calms and soothes skin,
• Lemon–astringent skin toner, helps to clear acne, brightens pale, dull complexion
• Melaleuca–rivals benzoyl peroxide for effectiveness in fighting acne with no side-effects, oil controlling agent
• Myrrh–prevents premature agin of the skin, wards off wrinkles, regenerates skin cells
• Rose Oil–helps to restore the moisture balance, benefits all skin types, soothing treatment for dry or inflamed skin
• Rosewood–stimulates new cell growth, minimizes lines and wrinkles, balances dry or oily skin, clears blemishes, improves acne
• Sandalwood–nourishes dry, dehydrated and mature skin, smoothes and softens lines and wrinkles, clears acne

Recommended products:  Any of the above listed therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living.

Fever blisters, also called cold sores, are caused by the Herpes Simplex Type 1 virus and affect an estimated 15 to 30 percent of the US population.  Apart from being painful, they are embarrassingly ugly and usually seem to occur right before an important social event, like a first date with a really hot guy or a major business convention at which you are the main presenter.  You feel like a veritable leper and no amount of make-up can camouflage the little buggers.  They usually occur high enough on the lip so that any attempt to cover them with lipstick will make you look like a Barnum and Bailey clown.

Although cold sores are very common, they can only be treated, not prevented. This is because there is no cure for the HSV.  After the initial infection, the HSV lies dormant along peripheral nerves.  When your immune system is compromised, the virus becomes reactivated and causes another outbreak.

As someone who has endured fever blisters since childhood, I have tried every remedy under the sun, from popping L-lysine capsules to slathering carcinogenic creams and salves on my lips to taking oral medications that have a list of scary side effects which includes causing genetic mutations in the DNA of your cells.  (As if the cold sores were not enough!)  After several years of using myself as a human laboratory, I have found an all natural and very effective fever blister treatment, which I will share with you now:

In a new, small bottle, I mix equal drops of the following therapeutic grade essential oils from Young Living:

• lavender
• melaleuca alternifolia
• melissa

Actually, I make a few of these little bottles and keep one in my purse, my desk and my nightstand.  At the first inkling of a tingling on my lip, I begin applying a couple of drops of this essential oil blend over the area.  If I catch it early enough, the blister doesn’t even erupt.  If I am not quick enough, the fever blister is minimal and lasts for only a couple of days.  I continue this application until the sore is completely gone.

In addition, and this has proven invaluable for me, I regularly receive the Raindrop Technique®, which is an absolutely divine treatment where a series of Young Living Essential Oils are massaged into my feet and back.  These specifically chosen oils are some of the most potent anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal substances on the planet.  Essential oils have been proven to penetrate the skin quickly and pass into body systems where the anti-microbial action can occur.  By receiving Raindrop Technique treatments regularly, it is rare indeed that I even have a fever blister.  You can locate a Raindrop practitioner by searching the internet or you can learn the technique yourself with the instructions included in the Young Living Raindrop Technique® Essential Oil Collection.  As an additional strengthening, I enhance my immune system by taking Inner Defense™ every morning and Life 5™ before bedtime.

Fever blisters not only take their toll physically.  Emotional upset in the form of guilt, anger and embarrassment is usually more devastating than the sore itself.  I support myself emotionally by using a combination of the following Young Living blends:

• Acceptance™
• Forgiveness™
• Highest Potential™
• Inner Child™
• Joy™

Recommended Products:  lavender, melaleuca alternifolia, melissa, Young Living Raindrop Technique® Essential Oil Collection, Inner Defense™, Life 5™, Acceptance™, Forgiveness™, Highest Potential™, Inner Child™, Joy™.

Did you ever do the tuning fork experiment in high school physics?  It went something like this:  many tuning forks tuned to different pitches were set about the room.  Another tuning fork identical to one of the forks set in the room was caused to vibrate.  Soon the tuning fork in the room that was tuned to the same pitch as the vibrating tuning fork also began to hum in resonance, even though it was never struck.  That phenomenon is called resonance or sympathetic vibration.

Essential oils work in a similar fashion.  Each Young Living therapeutic grade essential oil vibrates at certain fundamental frequencies.  The various organs, tissues and cells of your body also possess certain pitches or fundamental frequencies as well.  Essential oil molecules that resonate at the frequencies of, say, your liver, will affect the vibrational quality of your liver, restoring it to its natural fundamental frequency.  Oils that do not have the frequencies of your liver will not resonate for that organ but will transfer their energies to their body parts and tissues in harmony with them.  Just like the tuning fork experiment in class.

When the fundamental frequency of our bodies fall below certain levels of intensity, we become susceptible to illness and disease.  Bruce Tainio of Tainio Technology, Cheny, Washington, published data obtained through his research of fundamental frequencies.  He discovered that a healthy human body vibrates between 62-68 Mhz.  Cold symptoms begin to manifest at 58 Mhz.  Flu at 57 Mhz.  Cancer at 42 Mhz.  And at 25 Mhz, the body begins to die.  Therapeutic grade essential oils, on the other hand, have fundamental frequencies of 52-320 Mhz.

In a nutshell, this is what happens when we are in contact with therapeutic grade Young Living Oils:  Our bodies, minds and spirits can each resonate with the spectrum of healing harmonic frequencies of that oil while the sickness in ourselves does not.  When healing takes place, our bodies resonate at frequencies where health and balance is restored and disease cannot exist.  Pharmaceuticals and synthetic or adulterated essential oils do not.

Uh oh.  It’s 2 o’clock in the afternoon and you are noticing that your throat is a little scratchy, your eyes a little watery and you have the first sensations of that “achey-breaky” feeling that comes at the onset of a fever.  Yup.  You guessed it.  You are coming down with the flu.  Whatever the strain of flu, the anti-microbial properties of the following Young Living Oils will help fortify your immune system and eradicate the invading microbes.

1.  Reinforce your systemic defenses by taking one Young Living Inner Defense™ softgels 3-5 times daily.  For best results, use Life 5™ probiotic 8 hours later.  Take 2 tablets of Super C™.  Drink 2-4 ounces of NingXia Red® mixed in equal parts of purified water.  Diffuse Young Living Thieves® Essential Oil in your home, using multiple diffusers in different rooms if possible.  Set a timer to diffuse the Thieves® for 5 minutes at least 6 times daily.  Rub a few drops of Thieves® Essential Oil on the bottom of your feet 3-5 times daily.

2.  Drink plenty of water to which you have added 2-3 drops of Young Living lemon or peppermint essential oil.

3.  To relieve nausea and an upset stomach, massage 3-5 drops of Di-Gize™ in a clockwise direction over your abdomen beginning on your lower right side.  You could also place 2-3 drops of Di-Gize™ into an empty 00 gel capsule and take internally.

4.  For sinus congestion, massage a few drops of R.C.™  or Breathe Again™ Roll-On over your forehead, nose and cheekbones and tap lightly with your fingertips.  Diffuse R.C.™ alternately with Thieves®.

5.  For lung congestion, massage 3-5 drops of Raven™ on your chest and/or back.  For severe congestion, layer a warm, dry towel over a hot, wet compress and leave on for 5-10 minutes or until the compress no longer feels warm.  Diffuse Raven™ alternately with Thieves®.

6.  To relieve general symptoms of achey-ness:

2 drops Eucalyptus radiata
6 drops frankincense
3 drops helichrysum
6 drops spruce
15 drops ravensara
1 drop wintergreen

Stir the above essential oils into 1/2 cup Epsom salt or baking soda, then add the mixture to hot bath water while tub is filling.  Soak in hot bath until water cools.

7.  To lower a fever, massage 2-3 drops of Young Living peppermint essential oil onto the bottom of each foot.  Repeat every 10 minutes for a total of 3 times.

Make sure that you get plenty of rest and that you have fully recovered before you resume with your daily schedule.  Remember to put yourself first.

Product recommendations:  Inner Defense™, Life 5™, Super C™, NingXia Red®, Thieves® Essential Oil, lemon, peppermint, Di-Gize™, R.C.™  or Breathe Again™ Roll-On, Raven™, Eucalyptus radiata, frankincense, helichrysum, spruce, ravensara, wintergreen.

One of the most common question I am asked as an educator for classes and workshops on essential oils for women is:  “How can Young Living Essential Oils protect me from the flu?”  Let’s talk about prevention.

First, don’t kiss any pigs.  Second, don’t kiss anyone who has kissed a pig.

Okay, okay.  Seriously, though, the key to preventing any type of flu is to maintain a strong immune system.  Here are some suggestions:

1.  Practice healthy lifestyle choices. All living organisms are designed with built-in mechanisms to protect them from invasion from foreign bodies.  This is a given.  But when the organism violates the natural universal laws for optimum health, foreign bodies such as virus, bacteria and fungus can establish a foothold and wreck havoc, creating illness and disease.  The basics for honoring the natural universal laws for optimum health include getting plenty of rest, regular exercise, drinking an abundance of fresh water, eating healthy foods, spending time in nature, eliminating stress, limiting exposure to electro-magnetic radiation (computers/cell phones), thinking positive thoughts and surrounding yourself with supportive people.  I am assuming that the above recommendations are old news and you just needed a reminder to implement them.

2.  Keep your digestive system healthy with a regular colon cleanse regimen using Young Living’s Cleansing Trio.  Supplement with Life 5™ probiotic to build and restore intestinal health by providing five clinically proven probiotic strains to enhance intestinal health, sustain energy and improve immunity.

3.  Reinforce your systemic defenses by taking Young Living Inner Defense softgels.  Take one  softgel daily in the morning or one 3-5 times daily when stressed.  For best results, use Life 5™ probiotic 8 hours later.  Diffuse Young Living Thieves® Essential Oil in your home and workplace.  Set a timer to diffuse the Thieves® for 5 minutes at least 6 times daily.  Rub a few drops of Thieves® Essential Oil on the bottom of your feet in the morning before putting on your socks and shoes and again at night before going to bed.

4.  Schedule a weekly Raindrop Technique Massage and incorporate Thieves® into the session.  The essential oils used in the massage are known for their anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.

5.  Clean and disinfect your home and workplace using Thieves® Household Cleaner.  Carry Thieves® Spray and Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier in your purse or briefcase to disinfect while away from home.

Product recommendations: Cleansing Trio, Life 5™, Thieves® Essential Oil, Young Living Inner Defense, Thieves® Household Cleaner, Thieves® Spray, Thieves® Waterless Hand Purifier, Essential Oil Diffuser. Additional immune boosting essential oils:  Exodus II™ and Egyptian Gold™.

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