Staying Grounded for Healthy Living

Image Credit: flickr.com; Creative Commons, Commercial Use Allowed Staying Grounded: The Foundation for Healthy Living  Do you have a hornets' nest in your head?  Do you live with a cacophony of thoughts clamoring for your attention?  Do you feel like you are living life in a blender?  If this is you, then you are not grounded.  And that means that you are likely not as healthy as you could be. Here are a few of the {amazing benefits} you can enjoy from being more grounded:   Free radicals are reduced in your body. Inflammation decreases.  Disease processes slow or reverse.  Heart health improves.  Sleep improves.  Wounds and damaged tissues repair faster.  You will lose weight more easily. Personal relationships will improve. So what is grounding and why is it important?  "Our bodies cannot heal if we are not 'in them'."  Says Chiropractic physician Dr. Jennifer Sweet of Next Level Chiropractic in Prescott AZ.  "When stress levels become too high and we lose the ability to be present and live in the moment, our health and happiness begin to suffer."   Dr. Sweet has found that many of her patients are 'not in their bodies' when they begin a session with her. And until she can correct that problem, none of the other therapies she offers will work for them.  Dr. Sweet has found that applying {Vetiver oil} to an ungrounded patient's feet before she begins a session helps that person to slow down... to stop thinking about the hornets' nest in their head and focus on health and healing. And it makes sense.  {Vetiver oil} is distilled from the roots of the chrysopogon zizanioides species, a fragrant grass that grows in tropical regions.  It is widely prized for its ability to relieve anxious feelings, improve sleep, and focus attention deficits in adults and children.  It's sweet, woody, smoky aroma invites the soul to slow down, put down roots, and draw strength and nourishment from the earth and from the moment. Try this {simple 10 minute meditation} with Vetiver oil.  Apply a drop to your hands. Prop your hands up on a pillow. Inhale slowly and deeply while you {listen to this meditation}. (The meditation you want is #11 "Grounding Meditation".)  What else can you do to improve your grounded-ness?   Spend time in your bare feet each day making contact with grass, soil, sand, or unsealed concrete.  Receive an AromaTouch™ once a week. It is easy to train someone to perform this vital technique for you.  Vetiver is a member of the grass family.  Unlike other grasses, however, the root system of Vetiver grows down, which explains why it possesses such grounding properties.  doTERRA International works with native growers in Haiti through their {Co-Impact Sourcing} program to produce  the finest, most purely therapeutic grade Vetiver oil in the world.    Questions about essential oils?  Let me help!    Contact me here!  Happy Oiling!  ~Juli

Forest Bathing

What is "Forest Bathing?"

There's nothing like a good summer rain.  And for those of us who live in the desert, thank goodness we have monsoon season to look forward to!  Regardless of where you live, however, darkening skies and cooler temperatures can mean that a fragrant walk in aromatic forests is in YOUR future!  

"Forest Bathing", as it is known in Japan, provides many health benefits.  But what is it, exactly, about the essences of a pine forest that make you feel so good?

Chemically speaking, it has a lot to do with Alpha and Beta pinenes, two therapeutic compounds in the Terpene family. These compounds are plentiful in the essential oils of all coniferous and most citrus species, which is why coniferous and citrus oils often pair well together.

The health benefits of Alpha and Beta pinenes are well known. 

Alpha pinenes (plentiful in lime, lemon and wild orange as well as Clary Sage, frankincense, juniper, lavender, marjoram, pine, rosemary and sandalwood essential oils.) 

• Promote respiratory health (bronchodilator, expectorant)
• Aid memory and are... 
• Anti inflammatory
• Anti carcinogenic and...
• Anti infectious (bacterial, fungal, and viral)

Beta pinenes (Found in all "piney" smelling coniferous species):

• Are a natural serotonin reuptake inhibitor
• Enhance norepinephrine and dopamine usage in the body 
• Lift mood
• Calm anxious feelings 
• Relax muscles

I discovered "Forest Bathing in a Bottle" when I was first introduced to therapeutic grade essential oils.  My most favorite oil blend, then and now, is Balance, also known as the grounding blend, by doTERRA International.  Formulated with spruce, frankincense, Ho wood, Blue Tansy flower, and Blue Chamomile flower, this piney blend grounds and soothes me every time.

How about you?  What sorts of health benefits have you enjoyed as a result of a simple walk in the woods?

Let's get out there and enjoy!

--- Juli 

Questions about essential oils?  Let me help!   

Contact me here! 

A Soothing Aromatic Recipe Just For You!

Combine these oils... rich in Beta pinenes, and prepare to be amazed at how much it utterly unwinds you.  Use to relax muscles before or after exercise or at night right before bed for a deeply rejuvenating sleep. 

1 drop doTERRA Balance grounding blend 

1 drop doTERRA Serenity calming blend

1 drop lavender oil

1 drop wild orange oil

* Use 2 drops of each oil when diffusing.  Apply 1 drop of each topically to neck and chest.  Inhale from cupped hands. 

Questions about essential oils?  Let me help!   

Contact me here!