Sometimes you give everything you have to a project or task, maybe even a person and sometimes things just don’t turn out how you planned. For myself, a self-proclaimed perfectionist, it is hard when this happens - I see it as failure; and my emotions as a result, drown me for days.
Aside from the usual suspects of self care methods of copious amounts of yoga classes and glasses of wine, this particular time I have completely embraced aromatherapy.
One of our beloved brands, Happy Spritz, came out with their Breathe Deeply blend in a roller ball form. I find it concentrated - and as a result, powerful. The peppermint lifts my feelings of mental fatigue and the eucalyptus eases a pressure I feel. Seriously, I am carrying this wherever I go. And this was my catalyst for my current aromatherapy obsession.
Another go-to for me is Cardea Auset, these babes have recently come out with their Calm and Activate blends in rollerball form! Again, a great way to carry aromatherapy with you everywhere you go. I've been using Calm before meditation, and Activate when I need to sit down and get sh*t done!
Lately, I’ve also become addicted (well, more addicted) to burning Woodlot’s Palo Santo sticks. Loosely translated, Palo Santo means Holy Wood. Palo Santo has been used for hundreds of years by native shamans for spiritual applications. For those that integrate essential oils within meditation, prayer or other spiritual applications, Palo Santo is an oil to pay close attention to because its use of the oil or burning of the wood can help clear a space of negative energy. Every time there is a new moon, I try to sit for at least a few moments with some burning Palo Santo and some oil applied to my pressure points and set my intentions, honing in on what I want to see happening in my life.
The use of these powerful scents made me reach again for a product I was gifted in the summer. This lovely gem of a human, who cites me as a source of her inspiration, created a potion called Trigger Spray - it is “99% more effective than losing your sh*t” - and that is true. A blend of lavender (calming), mandarin (quiets the mind), tarragon (soothes the nervous system), and hemlock (which brings back focus, optimism, calm and balance) does the trick when I mist my space. I am sure even the action of stopping, reaching for something I believe brings me calm must have an affect on how I react.
But how does aromatherapy work? Well, here is your science tidbit in this piece if seemingly woo-woo information; when you smell things, your olfactory system is triggered. And olfaction is one of our most powerful senses. Our sense of smell can ignite memories as well as influence our mood and behavior. There you have it.
And moments to not fight, to not create conflict because I do not like an outcome - that’s what these actionable items do for me; instead of staying in my cycle, it is broken when I seek for a tool to achieve zen. When I accept I cannot change an outcome, there is a sinking, and yet, a peace. That sinking, I am sure is disappointment - but if that emotion can arise, it too can pass. That peace is just my soul knowing that the Universe has my back.
Sometimes it takes time for things to dissolve or for things to become clear but it is wonderful to reach for resources that bring us calm and help us move towards clarity. Be these tools: yoga, wine, friends or aromatherapy - you do you and what it takes to find your peace.
